By ARIEL GONZALEZ
Contributing Writer
Kids dream of one day becoming a firefighter, a police officer, or even the President of The United States. These dreams are accomplished with years of hard work and the motivation to be the best. For years now, one of a kid’s magical dreams is to be a professional athlete in a generation where Michael Jordan and Derek Jeter dominated the headlines. Here at The College of Saint Rose student athletes are getting a chance at living out at least the dream to play collegiate baseball with the new Baseball Club.
The establishment of the Baseball Club is something that had never been done at Saint Rose bringing a brand-new experience.
A string of meetings between Varsity Coach Wayne Jones and Director of Athletics and Recreation, Catherine Haker helped provide certainty that this club could be a success. Jones said that a club team would benefit the college’s baseball program and help ball players improve. Catherine Haker later met with staff and came up with a budget. “One of my main goals aside from being able to provide equipment and a great experience for athletes was to make the program affordable for all of those who joined,” Haker said.
Haker has been at her position for over thirty years and a part of Saint Rose since 1976. Haker detailed that although Saint Rose had a JV team back in the mid to late 1990’s the idea of making a club team had not become realistic until recently.
This initiative provides “a different experience at Saint Rose,” Haker said. Her main point of argument is that coming to school and attending class five days out of the week and doing some activities makes for great memories, however, membership in an athletics brotherhood is unique.
“You enhance your campus experience because your affiliation with the institution changes. Whether it’s wearing your gear for people to see or meeting players on different teams and creating friendships the value of being on a sports team spreads,” Haker said.
Leadership for this program was not hard to find. Second year Varsity Coach Jones and Joe Sportman will be at the helm of the Baseball Club. Sportman will be the head coach of the club while Jones will oversee him and play a big role in development and working with the club’s pitchers. Jones said that students will have the opportunity to continue playing baseball without having the same commitments as the varsity program.
“It will be an organized team that will focus on having fun while developing the skills necessary to give the guys who choose to tryout the best possible chance to make the varsity team the following spring or fall” he said. The club will play between 20 and 30 games this fall along with a spring schedule, Jones said. A small fee of $100 will provide club members with a Nike backpack with the Saint Rose emblem, two dry fit t-shirts one black and one gray with the Saint Rose baseball emblem, and a Saint Rose baseball fitted New Era hat to keep while uniforms will be provided but are to be returned.
Coach Sportman who has coached locally for years and will be a member of the varsity coaching staff when not leading the club team is particularly looking forward to this new challenge. “I am excited about having a competitive team that is full of talent and wants to win,” he said. “Developing players is my top priority along with winning and if club members make the Varsity team next year it would be a great honor.”
Athletes are looking forward to showcasing their talents, some for a chance to make next year’s Varsity team. Others are excited for what could be the last chance to live out their collegiate dreams.
“I’m looking forward to being able to play for the Baseball Club because it gives me the opportunity to get better, have fun, and make more memories at Saint Rose,” said graduate student Keneth Ribot ‘19. Others like junior Darniel Figueroa are prepping for what could be a call up to the Varsity team next year. “I am excited because this team gives me the opportunity to get better and to make Varsity next year for the first time,” he said.
The club holds a record of 2-5-1 this season with an upcoming game on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at The Christian Plumeri Sports Complex baseball field.
Ariel Gonzalez is a member of the Baseball Club
