The Baseball Observer May-June 2016 vol 7 | Page 43

hearty meal and just chill out or finish any homework I have before my 11 am. After that I head to my 11 am class, then to my 12 pm class. I get out around 1:20 and rush to get something to eat and head straight to treatments. After treatments, I head over to the field and get dressed for early outs. I do my routine everyday before 2:30 stretch. We practice for 3-4 hours a day, then I head out after getting some more treatment and find dinner. Then from there out it depends on what I do just based on the day, but I’m usually always in bed and asleep around 11-12 to wake up and do it all over again.

Q: You’re there to play baseball, but also education. How does the baseball program support your education?

We’re students first and that’s the motto that our coaches have. They push us and expect us to be elite students as well as athletes. They will give you all the resources you need to succeed and will be there along the way to make sure that you succeed.

Q: With all the games baseball plays during a season, you miss classes. How do you stay "on top" of that?

Missing classes is always difficult but our coaches and academic advisor do such a great job at making sure that we develop a relationship with our professors so that when we do miss, we let them know so we can get the work and reschedule anything if needed.

Q: Are your grades better in high school or college? (if different why?)

They’re a little less impressive in college just because the courses are much more challenging and because my schedule is much more demanding.

Q: When you came to TCU, were you told or did you expect to be such an integral part of the team as a freshman?

I was told and also expected to be a big part. I knew coming in that I was going to have a shot to play so I took advantage of that and put my head down and worked my tail off so that I would be the best fit for the job and that I would be ready to step in and fill the roll coach would give me.

coach would give me.

Q: What is your most memorable highlight from last season?

My most memorable highlight from last year would have to be the 16 inning win over A&M, knowing that after a long year of blood, sweat and tears, that all our hard work was paying off and that we were going to the College World Series, a dream of every college baseball player.

Q: How is your experience playing collegiate summer ball going to make you a better player for 2016?

It made me a better player because I was going up against the best the country had to offer every single time I set foot on the diamond, so just playing against competition that good makes you better.

Q: Were there some areas the TCU coaching staff wanted you to improve upon during the summer?

Yes, they wanted me to continue to develop as a catcher and to continue to develop maturity at the plate. They also wanted me to deal with failures because even though I went through my fair share

freshman year,

going to the

College World

Series and

having a season

like I did was not

normal for most

freshman.

Q: What overall

advice would

you pass on to

an incoming

freshman player?

To all incoming players I would say to know your role as a new guy, to come in and work harder than everyone else, letting only your play and actions speak. Nobody likes the guy who is still stuck in his high school days reliving all of his accolades. As soon as you step into that locker room, you’re just another guy and no one cares what you’ve done up to that point. There’s only one goal from that point forward and it’s a National Championship.

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