Feb. 17, 2008
The Georgia Tech baseball team opens the 2008 season Feb. 22 vs. Youngstown State. Every day, leading up to the first pitch, a Yellow Jacket player blogs about the upcoming season.Today’s blog is by sophomore infielder Patrick Long.
Along with 70 degree temperatures and sunny skies, Saturday’s practice brought with it the anticipation for the start of the season that has been building for the past nine months.
Although the season is less than a week away, the team looks to be in midseason form. The pitching staff, as a whole, has been throwing well all spring. Our weekend rotation has been getting stronger and looking better with each intrasquad outing. The relief corps has been nearly untouchable.
Freshmen pitchers have shown poise and maturity as they compete for midweek and relief roles. For the most part, the pitchers have been backed by a fundamentally sound defense that has shown tremendous ability.
On the offensive side, the hitters have been getting their timing down and found their all-important rhythm. This year’s offense is going to very dynamic, due in part to the combination of speed and power. Several players have shown double-digit stolen base potential, while any hitter is capable of changing a game with one big swing of the bat. We pride ourselves in paying attention to every minute detail of the game, which, in the end will allow us to succeed on a large scale.
The most impressive thing about this team is the amount of healthy competition. Every player is capable of being in the lineup or on the mound any given day. Through this competition, we have all gotten better since the beginning of fall practice, as we continually push each other every time we step on the field or in the weight room.
There is no doubt in my mind that we will contest every pitch, every at-bat, every out, every inning and every game from start to finish this season. As a result of our competitive nature and team chemistry, we possess the ability to achieve great things this season.
We look forward to the support of family, friends, alumni, fans and all other members of the Tech baseball community, as we begin what should be a very exciting and successful season. GO JACKETS!
