Week Nine Hours

March 20 - 1:30 to 8:00
March 21 - 3:00 to 8:00
March 22 - 4:30 to 6:00
March 23 - 4:45 to 6:15
March 24 - 10:00 to 12:00
March 25 - 10:00 to 8:00

Total hours: 26 1/2 hours

Week Nine

This week has started off great with a come from behind win late against North Central. On Tuesday I experienced my first 'good feeling about today' as a coach. I've heard several of my former coaches talk about good feelings that they had going into a game and I always thought that they were saying that to possibly give us a little motivation. I noticed my 'good feeling' today when I was throwing batting practice to the team before the game. Coming off a day off the team seemed more relaxed and ready for today. The past couple games the team has seemed to have been playing with too much pressure on themselves but today I did not sense that and the team had a great round of batting practice and carried the good batting practice into the game with a solid 9 run and 13 hit outing, probably the best offensive output we have had this season.

Week Eight

After a complete beat down from CNU on Sunday we were looking to bounce back during the week against Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday. Unfortunately, we lost that game too and our losing woes continued when we were swept by Averett University this past weekend. I now believe that a losing streak takes more of a toll on a coach than it does a player. A player during a losing streak actually begins to loosen up and not put as much pressure on himself to win and play well, this in turn actually helps them play relaxed and better. However, for a coach, he constantly see him second guessing himself and trying to figure out which situation would work out better. During a losing streak a coach also might over analyze things and put too much thought into them and will constantly hold himself accountable. A coach will also take responsibility for a loss, and give credit to his players for a win, but during a losing streak you can see/feel the stress and physical toll that it takes on him. I see this in Coach Austin. I see what losing does to him and I can feel some of it myself. I do not feel as much as he does but I do constantly finding myself trying to figure out where we went wrong during any play/situation in the previous game. Hopefully, next week will be better and this losing streak will turn into a winning streak.

Week Eight Hours

March 12 - varsity off day/JV game
March 13 - 4:20 to 5:30
March 14 - 1:20 to 6:30
March 15 - 3:30 to 5:30
March 16 - 3:00 to 4:00
March 17 - 10:15 to 4:00
March 18 - 10:15 to 4:00

almost 20 hours

Week Seven

This week was probably the closest week to what a professional team must go through. We had a game everyday except for one and even had a double header on one day. Playing/Coaching everyday took its toll early but I learned very quickly to endure and push through it. With no classes going on there was not the burden of doing school work and going to the games so all my attention could be on baseball. Saturday was the best experience for me as a new coach when we beat Christopher Newport 3-0, CNU was ranked third nationally at the time. Coach Austin had told the team several times over the course of the week that this team was "close." What he meant by that was that this team had the potential of being one of the best teams in the nation. Never being apart of his nationally ranked teams, I didn't know for sure whether he was just telling us that to get us motivated to do better or he really meant it. When we beat CNU on Saturday it proved that he really meant it. This showed that a coach can see the potential in his team and knows what they are capable of, the team just needs to buy in to what the coach is teaching and then they can be one of the best in the nation.

Week Seven Hours

March 6 - 2:00 to 9:30
March 7 - 2:00 to 7:00
March 8 - 2:00 to 7:00
March 9 - 11:30 to 1:30
March 10 - 10:45 to 4:30
March 11 - 11:45 to 6:00

Total - roughly 30 hours

Week Six

This week was another busy week with four games in 7 days. I was excited going into the week because of Spring Break being next week and having another road trip to Georgia at the end of the week.  This week I learned the importance of networking. Playing so many teams, I am introduced to many different coaches every week so I try to introduce myself to as many coaches as I can because I have met a couple of players and assistants that have either played or worked for Coach Austin that have landed coaching jobs at other universities that we have played. For example, two of Coach Austin's former players are now coaches at Piedmont College, Justin Scali and Richard Dombrowsky are the pitching coach and associate head coach for Piedmont respectively. As Dr. Combs said quite a few times in SMA 101 "It's not what you know, it's who you know."