2026 Step Up to the Plate Special
A special edition of Hudson Homers from Step Up to the Plate. The guys catch up with a few returners and some new faces who will play big roles in 2026. Stay tuned as Hudson Homers ramps up with preview episodes starting next week!
Transcript
Yeah.
Speaker:What's up on our fans?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Hey, the band doesn't look quite the same without the intro music on this one.
Speaker:It it was confused.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:As we're doing things slightly different, 'cause this is a special
Speaker:time, this is a special one.
Speaker:It is.
Speaker:We are, we can't start off technically season three without Finny and talking
Speaker:about baseball and all that stuff.
Speaker:So special episode, highlighting everything that we got to
Speaker:experience at Step Up To the Plate, which was really awesome.
Speaker:Packed house in the Priority Club too.
Speaker:Yeah, it's really great.
Speaker:It's, it's been fun over the years watching how the baseball, I, I
Speaker:still say baseball banquet, I dunno if I even called it baseball banquet
Speaker:in my head, I still call it that.
Speaker:Um, and, and watching it go from, you know, this thing they had at
Speaker:the, like, the Omni Hotel downtown in like a giant ballroom with, you
Speaker:know, like 40 tables full of things.
Speaker:And it was just, you know, and, and half time you're like, I didn't even see
Speaker:most of the people or talk to anybody.
Speaker:And, you know, and having the.
Speaker:They would, I think they, they'd bring in like keynote speakers, you know,
Speaker:having, you know, big names and all, and you know, like some recent ones
Speaker:I can think of like John Smoltz and, and Don Sutton, Bob Gibson was the
Speaker:one, um, know, and that was great.
Speaker:Those guys are all phenomenal, amazing.
Speaker:And, and, and great folks.
Speaker:But you.
Speaker:I, I do like that this transition to a kind of a smaller thing.
Speaker:It's the people who really want to be there really wanna
Speaker:support and talk ODU baseball.
Speaker:Um, not necessarily just wanna be in a room full of big money
Speaker:and show how great they are.
Speaker:Uh, although we, we do welcome the big money folks.
Speaker:Um, yeah, please.
Speaker:And yet, and as much as you know, the keynote, again, all those
Speaker:keynote speaker guys are reminding.
Speaker:Sm and, you know, I'm a, I'm a brave fan.
Speaker:SM is, you know, all time brave legend and the guy who's always
Speaker:been super, super nice to me.
Speaker:And same for Dom Sutton.
Speaker:You know, he is the guy that come into my living room growing up.
Speaker:And, and then, uh, same thing.
Speaker:Always been super nice and so.
Speaker:Nothing against the keynote speakers, but I think taking it down to make
Speaker:it more about, about the team and then about talking about the team,
Speaker:talking to our, you know, seniors, they do a good job with John.
Speaker:I mean, John Malign did a great job with that.
Speaker:And then having the Bud Metheny winner get to talk.
Speaker:Um, it's, again, I think it's seeing the way the event has, has gone over the years
Speaker:and how it's growing more about just being about OD baseball is, is really neat.
Speaker:I think.
Speaker:It
Speaker:was nice to get to know the players a little bit, to kind of introduce each
Speaker:player in, in this era of the transfer portal and constantly changing rosters.
Speaker:That was kind of a good names of faces for me.
Speaker:I know you've been out to some practices and camps and things like that.
Speaker:I hadn't had as much exposure to 'em.
Speaker:Uh, and then also their major.
Speaker:We were keeping count of a specific major.
Speaker:We won't tell you which major or how many there were, uh, but I was impressed.
Speaker:A couple finance majors, sociology majors, psychology is a, yeah.
Speaker:Little, little, uh, more of that than I was expecting.
Speaker:Uh, the speakers, I, I want to give Michael Dyer another award
Speaker:because it was professional.
Speaker:I mean, professional grade, clear, concise, hit his time.
Speaker:Markers, didn't drag it on.
Speaker:I mean, he can come sing the national anthem or give any speech anywhere.
Speaker:He is, he is on time.
Speaker:I can tell you that.
Speaker:Yeah, I, I actually ran into him on the way out and I got a chance to tell
Speaker:him, like, that was, that was great.
Speaker:That's the best one in years.
Speaker:I mean, again, the guy is, I, he, so he's a couple years older than me,
Speaker:so, you know, he is a guy where I, like, I'm in high school and I think
Speaker:I, I guess I'm a sophomore and he's getting drafted and you know, just.
Speaker:As, as a guy who played baseball poorly, but was really more like a
Speaker:baseball card collector and being able to have cards of this guy and, you
Speaker:know, go and see him certain places.
Speaker:And he was always, he's been the exact same guy his entire career up to today.
Speaker:He is just a really super nice guy who was always gonna spend
Speaker:some time and, and talk with you and, and yeah, it was nice to say.
Speaker:Yeah, you, it, it was perfect.
Speaker:Like he said, professional, the guy is just really good at everything he does.
Speaker:Yeah, it was, it was very impressive.
Speaker:Um, I'll also say the guys were looking sharp.
Speaker:Professionally dressed.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:The jackets a couple ties.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Haircuts, hat configuration.
Speaker:Might need some work.
Speaker:You'll see 'em in some of the videos here.
Speaker:I'll let you make your own judgment on those things.
Speaker:Maybe watching too much.
Speaker:1923. It could have been some mustache choices
Speaker:too.
Speaker:We had a few mustaches out there, so it's, uh.
Speaker:It's interesting, but hey, you know what?
Speaker:That's, uh, some people might not know the, the, the boys earn
Speaker:their opportunity to grow facial hair by getting good grades.
Speaker:And uh, I think they pointed out they had what, a 3.3 GPA, uh, in the
Speaker:fall, which is one of the better ones they've ever had, and they've Yeah.
Speaker:Gone long stretch of time having a 3.0 or better.
Speaker:Um, and so every time they do that, they're allowed to have
Speaker:their beards and have whatever bad mustache is, is in vogue right now.
Speaker:Do do that.
Speaker:The worse the facial hair, the better they're doing in the classroom.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Bringing up the team.
Speaker:GPA, there you go.
Speaker:But no, Cole
Speaker:Lanford.
Speaker:I even saw him.
Speaker:His, his beard is fantastic.
Speaker:Oh yeah.
Speaker:Cole's got a, I didn't recognize him.
Speaker:I mean, I,
Speaker:it it's not, I mean, yeah, every time he saw him mad, but he really,
Speaker:uh, I mean for the, the kid got, what is he, 19 and going on like 47.
Speaker:Like what a, what A beer.
Speaker:Amazing.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Well, and you know, you obviously can't tell anything about what the
Speaker:team is gonna be going into the year from a banquet that we went to, but.
Speaker:Uh, there were some guys that had been on the team for a year, two years
Speaker:that seemed much more confident, much more talkative, more outgoing, uh,
Speaker:kind of did I guess some just growing up in that 18 to 22-year-old range,
Speaker:it kind of took a big step forward.
Speaker:So that was really cool to see.
Speaker:Uh, you'll hear from the interviews that multiple guys unprompted talking
Speaker:about how well this team has already come together and jelled with JUCO guys
Speaker:coming in, freshmen coming in, transfers.
Speaker:Mixing with the guys that are still here in that great culture
Speaker:that's kind of carried them through the crazy road street last year.
Speaker:Seems like that was shining through quite a bit.
Speaker:Uh, but these guys just look, look a little more confident this year.
Speaker:And maybe it was just the evening, I don't know, but they looked a
Speaker:little more confident, at least that stuff up to the plate.
Speaker:Everybody's a little more confident you throwing a, uh, a button up shirt
Speaker:and a, a nice jacket and nice event.
Speaker:But it's true.
Speaker:And I, and I made sure to, uh, talk to Finny and, uh, and Mike
Speaker:Maron, our pitching coach about that, you know, that, you know, I,
Speaker:I told 'em, I was like, I forget.
Speaker:'cause you know, you guys have been around each other and you know, but
Speaker:for me it's been, you know, since what November that I saw anybody,
Speaker:and it's like, oh yeah, they're all just really, really good people.
Speaker:I mean, that's just, it's one of those things and you know, like Maron pointed
Speaker:out is like, that's really what we're trying to make sure we focus on and, and,
Speaker:and figure that part out first and then worry about getting good ball players.
Speaker:Um, and you know, I, I, I think it's a great, you, you spend a
Speaker:lot of time together as a team, especially playing baseball.
Speaker:I mean, they, they play what four times as many games as football
Speaker:does twice as many as basketball.
Speaker:They just play out.
Speaker:They're out there a lot together and it's a lot of failure and
Speaker:success together and you gotta have some good people next to you.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And they've done a great job of building that culture up over
Speaker:the last couple years, getting it back to where it needs to be.
Speaker:And it's, it's just shining through as you can see, kind of them passing
Speaker:the torch from the guys that are now in the miners are off, you
Speaker:know, onto their professional lives.
Speaker:Uh, passing that culture baton around is, is really, really big.
Speaker:A couple of housekeeping notes where we jump into the interviews here.
Speaker:Next week, January 27th, will be the first episode of Hudson Homer 4 20 26.
Speaker:Uh, coach FEMA will be on there with us.
Speaker:I'm sure we'll have another guest, but we're gonna give you a good
Speaker:idea of our lineups, rotations, big arms in the bullpen, starting to
Speaker:get you ready for that first home opening season against Quinnipiac.
Speaker:It'll be here before you know it, even though I think in enrichment.
Speaker:Anyway, we're slated for 20 to 24 inches of snow sometime between this episode and
Speaker:the first episode of the baseball season.
Speaker:We were, we were having some conversations.
Speaker:I was gonna come out and, uh, do some stuff with Tiger Forum this weekend,
Speaker:and it's like, well, we'll see.
Speaker:We'll, later in the week, we'll figure out if that will or won't happen.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I, I'm hoping it just becomes, you know, maybe it's just rain like
Speaker:we had this weekend, so who knows.
Speaker:I know you up there, Richmond, you got a little more?
Speaker:We do.
Speaker:We got a dusting on the grass.
Speaker:That was enough.
Speaker:I don't need to see anymore, but it looks like that may not be in our future.
Speaker:Well, speaking of all the, the fun things that can cause some treacherous
Speaker:travel, I was a little delayed getting down to step up to the plate on
Speaker:Friday night between work and traffic.
Speaker:It was just not in the car for me to get there anywhere close
Speaker:to on time, but have no fear.
Speaker:Aaron Zelensky stepped in in a big way.
Speaker:Mike links in to help us out.
Speaker:CB, you took on the first couple of interviews, I think you had Evan
Speaker:Holman and Ethan Huble first, correct.
Speaker:Yeah, we got, we got our North Northwestern Boys, our, uh, the Mariners
Speaker:Boys, which we, uh, we may, I I think we, we had decided we're probably
Speaker:gonna need to bring them on the podcast together at some point so they can hype
Speaker:each other up and talk about the, uh, how great the Mariners 2025 season was.
Speaker:Yeah, be two Mariners and an Astros fan here and a Braves
Speaker:fan, so that'd be a lot of fun.
Speaker:Uh, we did have some fun and excitement to kick off the evening though that I missed.
Speaker:'cause when I pulled up to Espy Ballard Stadium, uh, there were fire trucks
Speaker:everywhere because the fire alarm had gone off in the football stadium.
Speaker:So you get to enjoy all the sight and sounds of that for a few minutes
Speaker:as well, uh, during CB's interviews.
Speaker:But, uh, here's, uh, Evan Holman and Ethan Hubble to get us started
Speaker:off with step up to the plate.
Speaker:All right, we're good.
Speaker:Alright.
Speaker:Uh, so we are here.
Speaker:We have, uh, senior pitcher Ethan Hubble and Senior catcher
Speaker:third baseman, uh, Evan Holman.
Speaker:So, what's up guys?
Speaker:How we doing?
Speaker:Good.
Speaker:Doing really good to be here.
Speaker:Good.
Speaker:Awesome.
Speaker:Awesome.
Speaker:Glad, glad to have you.
Speaker:So this is your second year with us, uh, Evan is your third year.
Speaker:I was losing track now.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:So.
Speaker:How have you grown in the time you've been at ODU?
Speaker:There's a lot of grow, a lot of growing up.
Speaker:Just facing like obviously last year going on the road and facing teams
Speaker:like Georgia Tech, uh, even teams in our conference, Southern Miss Coast,
Speaker:Carolina, Troy, like all those teams.
Speaker:I mean, it's just like really cool to like actually be able
Speaker:to get, get out here and play.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:A lot of time, a lot of times, especially being from the Northwest,
Speaker:it's like you're really like protected by the schools that you're playing,
Speaker:that you're playing, you're playing.
Speaker:You have like the northwest schools like Gonzaga, Oregon State, Oregon, Washington.
Speaker:It's just like, it's a lot of fun to like play the play like teams you
Speaker:wouldn't even think about even, yeah.
Speaker:Playing.
Speaker:So that's awesome.
Speaker:How about you have anything you've grown over the years?
Speaker:Yeah, I think it's just, uh, less of a baseball growth.
Speaker:I would say that I recognize more of like a personality and maturity
Speaker:thing, and that's just from adversity.
Speaker:Like as Hubble said last year, being on the road living out of a suitcase like.
Speaker:Like that was a duffle bag.
Speaker:Like that was right?
Speaker:It was, it was, it was a grind, but it was fun and we definitely,
Speaker:it made us grow up a little bit.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I was only with you guys a little bit, but that sitting in the Atlanta airport
Speaker:at like 4:00 AM was like, oh yeah.
Speaker:I grew a little bit that weekend myself.
Speaker:Definitely.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Um, so you're both, as you mentioned, the North Northwest, right?
Speaker:You're both from the northwestern part of the country.
Speaker:Um, what's, I mean, what's the biggest, what do you, I
Speaker:guess, what do you love here?
Speaker:Uh, and what do you miss?
Speaker:There is a good question.
Speaker:I mean, uh, not even a week ago, it was six five degrees out here.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:In January.
Speaker:So that's just a huge plus.
Speaker:Like, was that, was that the same week that he had the Homer off you?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yes, it was actually, yeah, it was.
Speaker:Maybe the wind was blowing out that day.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:That thing went pretty far, so left it a sinker over the middle
Speaker:that probably shouldn't do that.
Speaker:Um, especially now that he's sitting only ride, so.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But no, it's just like being able to get outside and do everything
Speaker:out there and not have to worry my.
Speaker:About the rain over here is just such a big, huge part of our development and
Speaker:just being out there, like not having to hide in indoors or anything like that.
Speaker:I think that's like a big thing that I really enjoy about out here.
Speaker:And then just back home, I didn't, there's not like a whole bunch I miss
Speaker:about it other than just like my family.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Being away from my family, but good answer.
Speaker:They're gonna watch this.
Speaker:They won't know that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:How about you Evan?
Speaker:What do you, what do you love here?
Speaker:What do you, what do you miss there?
Speaker:I would agree that the weather is a big difference, like 65 in January.
Speaker:I don't even know, like I can't.
Speaker:Where it's ever been like that.
Speaker:Um, I obviously at the same miss my family a lot.
Speaker:Um, and also like we're not very close to the mountains here and I grew up
Speaker:around the mountains and, and love that.
Speaker:But I do enjoy being next to the beach.
Speaker:That's pretty cool.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Beach is really nice.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Hard to get both at the same time.
Speaker:Yeah, definitely.
Speaker:It's a weird Yeah, in the summer though.
Speaker:The beach here is, yeah.
Speaker:Amazing.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Love it.
Speaker:It's good.
Speaker:Yeah, it's good.
Speaker:Remember that recruits.
Speaker:Remember that?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, so.
Speaker:Evan, the end of last year, um, you really did, you gave
Speaker:up switch hitting more or less.
Speaker:You kind of, so now you're, you're switching to just hitting right-handed.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:How's that been different?
Speaker:I mean, I have to imagine it's been a long time since you faced a right-handed
Speaker:pitcher as a right-handed bat.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So when I switched to just hitting right-handed, like I
Speaker:hadn't seen a same sided breaking ball in eight years, you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So that has been the majority of my work.
Speaker:Little been p the first time.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So yeah.
Speaker:Right into the Marshall Series, just hitting right on, right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um.
Speaker:So I've been doing, yeah, a lot of same sided breaking
Speaker:ball work, that kind of thing.
Speaker:And it's just more reps too, like just seeing the ball from a different slot,
Speaker:like going from facing Hubble my freshman year, sophomore year left-handed, and then
Speaker:now facing him in the fall right-handed.
Speaker:It's a much different look.
Speaker:Um, and it's picking it up from a different slot, different angle.
Speaker:But I've enjoyed it.
Speaker:It's been really fun.
Speaker:It's been challenging, but, um, it's been very rewarding.
Speaker:That's great.
Speaker:And, and Ethan, you really, as a season went.
Speaker:Last year, you really seemed to find yourself where you
Speaker:were throwing your best.
Speaker:At the end of the season.
Speaker:Have you been able to feel uhoh?
Speaker:Huh?
Speaker:Uhoh?
Speaker:Is that real?
Speaker:That's, I don't know.
Speaker:Hey, Chris.
Speaker:Gordon's the,
Speaker:someone probably just like bumped into it or something.
Speaker:They were not.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:We're all iner.
Speaker:All right, so we, we didn't get set on fire.
Speaker:That's a plus.
Speaker:Uh, and it's funny 'cause I was probably about to wrap it up with you guys, but so,
Speaker:you know, Ethan, the end of last year, you really came on strong, you were throwing
Speaker:your best really at the end of the season.
Speaker:Have you felt like you've been able to carry that into the fall and then through
Speaker:winter workouts and then now to the start of the year, you feel like you're, you
Speaker:were able to build on that continually?
Speaker:Yeah, I mean, I honestly, I didn't perform as well as I
Speaker:wanted to this fall, but like.
Speaker:I'm honestly all for it.
Speaker:Like I, even though I didn't perform as well in the fall that I did last
Speaker:spring, like I'm, we had upgraded so much on, on the offense and I was
Speaker:working on a lot of stuff and we figured out a bunch of stuff about myself that
Speaker:really is gonna help me out this season.
Speaker:And a lot of adversity that I will, that honestly will help
Speaker:me a lot through this season.
Speaker:Appreciate it.
Speaker:Any you guys wanna say to, to the Monarch fans?
Speaker:Uh, just before we start the season here?
Speaker:Uh, we just really appreciate the sport.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:And we're very excited to be back at home this year and hopefully see a
Speaker:lot of you guys out in left field.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Um, but yeah, just thank you and we're very excited for the season.
Speaker:Yeah, we are.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Excellent.
Speaker:Thank, appreciate you guys.
Speaker:Yeah, thanks guys.
Speaker:Sweet.
Speaker:Appreciate.
Speaker:Yeah, those guys are much more talkative this year.
Speaker:I'm starting to learn.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:No, um, you know, Ethan, uh, really is, uh, uh, come out of his shell as far as
Speaker:like, I I, I've seen a guy, and maybe it's just a guy that I, I didn't go
Speaker:outta my way enough to interact with.
Speaker:I, I. Seemed like he never wanted to talk to me much.
Speaker:So I'm kinda like, all right, I'm not gonna bug him.
Speaker:And now he is, you know, I'm like, Ethan's never, never
Speaker:didn't think he was a good kid.
Speaker:Just, you know, seemed like he didn't wanna talk.
Speaker:And, but yeah, he's, I, I love it 'cause you know, you love
Speaker:seeing guys' personalities.
Speaker:Um, and so that it's very fun to see 'cause uh, because great kid parents
Speaker:are wonderful people and you know.
Speaker:I fully believe he's gonna have a big year this year.
Speaker:And, and Evan of course is, you know, I, I told him, I was like,
Speaker:Evan's one of my favorite guys.
Speaker:I think he's probably ever worn a ODU uniform.
Speaker:He's just such a good guy.
Speaker:Glad, glad we got a chance to have him and have his family be a part of ODU baseball.
Speaker:Yeah, definitely some indications that Evan might see a good bit
Speaker:of time at third base this year.
Speaker:I guess that's kind of the positives of having so many quality catchers on your
Speaker:roster that can play multiple positions.
Speaker:Yeah, I think it's gonna be an interesting year.
Speaker:I think as versatility wise, we got some guys that can do several things and you
Speaker:know, it might be one of those years where it's like, man, don't have a bad weekend.
Speaker:You might never see it again.
Speaker:You might, you might be deep on that bench because there, there might be
Speaker:other guys, but you know, but that's the other thing too, is baseball's a long
Speaker:season and it comes around back around sometimes where you, you maybe you got
Speaker:some at bats and then things didn't go as great, and then later in the year you
Speaker:get some again and all of a sudden you're the guy when it comes conference time.
Speaker:Who knows?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Well speaking of the guy come conference time, the next group
Speaker:of two that you chatted with, one's Maverick Stallings, who Yes.
Speaker:Well known for his late, late, uh, late season.
Speaker:Just kind of being able to step up.
Speaker:I think the Florida boy gets warm and starts crushing the
Speaker:baseball, and you also had.
Speaker:Will Johnson also gonna be another kinda utility guy in the infield.
Speaker:Uh, so we'll go ahead.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Will's
Speaker:got, that's a pretty good shot to be our double play combo.
Speaker:Um, Will's a pretty phenomenal shortstop mean obviously, uh, Cole McKenna or other,
Speaker:I mean, again, Finny will tell you all this, but our other, uh, our freshman
Speaker:shortstop is really, really good too.
Speaker:So, you know, there's, seems likely this will be our double play combo
Speaker:and they, they were getting along together, kind of, kind of had a theme
Speaker:in their, in their clothing also.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So e enjoy that with Maverick and Will.
Speaker:Alright, so we are here with, uh, with graduate students.
Speaker:Is that what we're calling it?
Speaker:Graduate student?
Speaker:Student, uh, second baseman, sometimes third baseman.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Maverick Stallings and Junior.
Speaker:I believe that's what you, you're, yes.
Speaker:Now you have junior from a junior college.
Speaker:Uh, will Johnson shortstop joining us?
Speaker:Uh, so first of all, appreciate you guys joining us.
Speaker:Glad you're here.
Speaker:How you feeling?
Speaker:Good.
Speaker:How are we feeling for this young?
Speaker:Really good.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Excited.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So you, so you guys probably gonna be forming a double play combo at least, if
Speaker:not all the time, some of the time, yes.
Speaker:How?
Speaker:You feel so met each other in the fall really for the first time.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:How do you feel you've been working together?
Speaker:Good.
Speaker:I mean, all the inner squads we've played, me and him have been up the middle, so
Speaker:we've gotten a lot of reps. We've done a lot of work up the middle on ground
Speaker:balls and practice and stuff like that.
Speaker:So we've gotten a lot of reps together.
Speaker:Uh oh.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:We just, we've got a ton of reps and we're just gonna trust our preparation.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Going into the games and the double plays will come to us, so.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:So Mav, you're back for your third year with us.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Fifth year college overall kind of, kind of became a surprise.
Speaker:This thing kind of came up through the year.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Last minute.
Speaker:How does that feel?
Speaker:I mean, do you, how do you feel different today than when you were three years ago
Speaker:about to start your first year with us?
Speaker:Um, I'd say I'd just appreciate it more, just having the opportunity to have
Speaker:another year and just, uh, keep it going.
Speaker:Just keep playing.
Speaker:It's super fun, super exciting, and I love the game.
Speaker:That's awesome.
Speaker:And will.
Speaker:Correct me, I'm wrong.
Speaker:You started a D one, correct.
Speaker:And Red shirt.
Speaker:And then you've been in a junior college out in Oklahoma last couple years.
Speaker:Correct.
Speaker:Um, so really gonna get your first chance to actually get in some games at D one.
Speaker:How do you feel like that's, you feel prepared, you feel ready?
Speaker:I feel like along the road, the experiences that I've, uh, been presented
Speaker:with, um, uh, it's gonna help me a lot.
Speaker:It's gonna help me a lot to, um, just be ready for the moment and when the moment
Speaker:comes, I'll be, I'll be prepared for that.
Speaker:So.
Speaker:Excellent.
Speaker:I love it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, so came from Oklahoma.
Speaker:How do you like Virginia?
Speaker:What, what's different out here that you like?
Speaker:What's different that you prefer in Oklahoma?
Speaker:Um, in Oklahoma there's nothing just land everywhere, so, uh,
Speaker:I do like having a more social, yeah, social life around here.
Speaker:I like the beach.
Speaker:The beach is awesome.
Speaker:And you're from a small area in Texas too, right?
Speaker:I am, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Is that so kind of small where you are there too?
Speaker:Yes, it is.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then you're from Florida?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So what's, uh.
Speaker:I have to assume you probably enjoy the weather a little bit more down there.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Love the hot weather.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Cold weather kind of scares me a little bit.
Speaker:Messes me up sometimes.
Speaker:Yeah, I was, I was gonna, I don't wanna tell you that August 13th
Speaker:or April 13th has been your day.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:The last two years where you get hot all this sudden.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:So hopefully we can, hopefully we can make it February 14th.
Speaker:We can figure it out a little earlier.
Speaker:Alright.
Speaker:Alright.
Speaker:Well I appreciate guys joining us.
Speaker:Just wanted to, to make it real quick, so anything you wanna
Speaker:say to, uh, old Dominion, uh, fans before we start the season?
Speaker:Uh, we're just super excited.
Speaker:Uh, no.
Speaker:Super excited to see y'all come out and watch.
Speaker:It's gonna be awesome.
Speaker:Alright, great.
Speaker:Appreciate it.
Speaker:We'll do that.
Speaker:Sweet.
Speaker:I don't know if I'm in on the hat, but I can respect
Speaker:it.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:It's, it's one of those like, Hey, I wouldn't do it.
Speaker:I wouldn't feel right.
Speaker:But if, if that's what's in Maverick's soul, then I want him to, to live
Speaker:his, live his truth and be himself.
Speaker:Man.
Speaker:That's awesome.
Speaker:He felt great.
Speaker:He was getting compliments on it.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:So it's like, Hey man, why?
Speaker:Do, do what makes you happy?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I, I think we let him borrow Aaron's, uh, electric heated jacket maybe for
Speaker:some of these early season games.
Speaker:Get the bat going a little bit earlier.
Speaker:'cause when that dude is on it, it's like watching a pro play, like anything near
Speaker:the plate is getting hammered somewhere.
Speaker:Uh, and he just manages to turn that on.
Speaker:So excited to see that that double play duo up the middle there.
Speaker:Yeah, be exciting.
Speaker:Uh, and speaking of guys, we're excited to see, um, it is actually a guy I did
Speaker:not get a chance to see in the fall.
Speaker:Every time he was pitching it just happened to be, you know, like a
Speaker:weekday when I couldn't get there.
Speaker:It just didn't work out for me.
Speaker:Uh, but JJ Gatty is a guy that's coming to us from, uh, from Dayton, um, and.
Speaker:Awesome kid.
Speaker:I mean, phenomenal.
Speaker:I think, I think Finny pointed out at one point, he's from Long Island,
Speaker:but he doesn't have the, the Long Island accent that nobody can stand.
Speaker:Um, which is nice 'cause I, yeah, I, I agree.
Speaker:I don't think it's, it's not, it's not a great accent.
Speaker:I'm sorry that anyone on Long Island.
Speaker:Um, but so very excited to see what this guy can do.
Speaker:It sounds like he's gonna be one of our guys in the rotation
Speaker:and I was actually able to get there about 30 seconds before
Speaker:we started recording with jj.
Speaker:So this was, uh, a good timing on my part, but we'll let you hear from JJ himself.
Speaker:It's meet you.
Speaker:Alright, so we're, we're here.
Speaker:We got Gary's here.
Speaker:Now, finally, man, I don't know if we're gonna use an order or not,
Speaker:but Gary's here and JJ Gaddy, I'm gonna say it correctly, right?
Speaker:JJ Gadi is with us.
Speaker:Uh, you're a junior, is that correct?
Speaker:That's correct, yes.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:So Junior, uh, right-handed pitcher transferred from Dayton.
Speaker:So first year here with ODU.
Speaker:How's it been?
Speaker:How, what, what do you like, what, what's, what's been great for you?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, I've absolutely loved it.
Speaker:I've had a great experience since coming over.
Speaker:I was at my old school for three years, so coming in.
Speaker:There was a lot of nuances that I, coming into a different program after, you
Speaker:know, only knowing one type of thing.
Speaker:And the thing that really sticks out to me, or stuck out to me and during
Speaker:my process was the people, um, that are involved in this program, from the coaches
Speaker:down to the guys that were already here.
Speaker:It made that decision jump out at me because it was a really welcoming
Speaker:environment and I felt like it was the best step for me in my career,
Speaker:um, that would put me in, that would.
Speaker:Me where I needed to be to move on, to play professionally.
Speaker:And you know, coming from Dayton, you know, what's been the biggest
Speaker:difference that you've seen just in the off season, been in school, difference
Speaker:between where you were at Dayton and then what you're seeing now in terms
Speaker:of growing programs and all that?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, just on a daily, um, day to day, getting our work in with Coach
Speaker:Marin has been the biggest thing.
Speaker:Just the way that we take in every pitcher at the start of every year
Speaker:and work them into the system that.
Speaker:We have Coach Marin is just the most personable and like,
Speaker:selfless, um, you know, leader of our group that we could ask for.
Speaker:I think that he's been the most influential, um, coach for me and the
Speaker:way that, like I said, our, our pitching development is structured, is something
Speaker:that I haven't been exposed to before coming here, and it's, I've had, I
Speaker:had my most successful fall, no doubt.
Speaker:Um, of my four years in college as far.
Speaker:That's great.
Speaker:Uh, so a lot of Monarch fans, I know, we've been wondering who's
Speaker:gonna be in the rotation and we had a really great rotation last year.
Speaker:All three of them signed professional contracts, got drafted.
Speaker:Uh, right now it sounding like you're probably gonna be one
Speaker:of the guys in the rotation.
Speaker:So how you feeling about that?
Speaker:You feel excited, you feel ready, you know, what does it mean to you
Speaker:to be, to make a, a spot in rotation?
Speaker:Yeah, I, uh, we, like I said, we manage our pitching very well.
Speaker:We.
Speaker:Like you, you just touched on that group that we had last year.
Speaker:Um, they set a, a great foundation for us and also having started every
Speaker:weekend last year, I feel like I gained a, a ton of awesome experience
Speaker:and I'm as ready as I've ever been to kind of attack this season.
Speaker:I think that granted, we did lose the three starters, but I think with what
Speaker:we have, um, from what I've seen this fall, I think that we'll be able to put
Speaker:together a really competitive group.
Speaker:And I'm, I'm, I'm very excited to see where that leads us.
Speaker:So coming from the A 10 to now, the Sunbelt, you're looking at the
Speaker:schedule, any teams you're kind of putting a star next to, or any teams
Speaker:you're just excited to play because it's different from what you've had
Speaker:in the a 10, the last three years?
Speaker:Yeah, I'm excited.
Speaker:Mainly, um, the difference in conferences with the geography playing most of our
Speaker:games in the Sunbelt down south is, uh, what I'm most excited about for
Speaker:sure, because sometimes, you know, in the Midwest, in, in March and uh, early
Speaker:April, it gets a little bit tough to play.
Speaker:Um, but yeah, in terms of other teams or stuff like that, I'm not, I'm not
Speaker:as, um, wrapped up in who we're gonna be playing, but I'm definitely excited
Speaker:about the, the kind of venues that we'll play at and opening up at home
Speaker:is something that I'm also not used to.
Speaker:I'm looking forward to that for sure.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:A lot of the, the road game you, you referred before us
Speaker:last year, right, exactly.
Speaker:Road Warriors last year.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:So, and you're originally from Long Island, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So, so Long Island out to Ohio now, Virginia, do you.
Speaker:Feel like as a, as a New York guy?
Speaker:Like are you, is it the Midwest South?
Speaker:Are we a little, little too slow for you?
Speaker:Are you like No.
Speaker:Well, I, I dig it.
Speaker:How, how do you feel about it?
Speaker:No, I, every, every place kind of has their own, own style,
Speaker:own kind of demographic.
Speaker:Um, like I said, I've loved every, every person that I've encountered around here.
Speaker:Um, I think that I can kind of see there's definitely contrast from New
Speaker:York to these different kind of places.
Speaker:Definitely bustling up there.
Speaker:Um.
Speaker:But I think that I do kind of carry that same kind of, um, attitude, so to speak
Speaker:while I go to these different places.
Speaker:I don't really mind, um, being, say, by myself, so to
Speaker:speak, in a new kind of place.
Speaker:I was almost excited to take on that challenge this fall.
Speaker:All, but I know, I'm sure you've built a lot of relationships with the pitchers.
Speaker:You're talking about Coach Marin, but anyone stick out as kind
Speaker:of a closer friend that you've made since you've been here?
Speaker:A good buddy to kind of get you introduced to.
Speaker:Not just ODU, but the whole 7, 5, 7 in general.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:There's been, there's an awesome group of guys that we have.
Speaker:They've been so great with me.
Speaker:Um, kind of getting the lay of the land and all that, like, uh, Luke Waters
Speaker:and, and Maverick Stalling, Scott Young.
Speaker:Um, Bailey Ella for sure.
Speaker:Kellen Davis, Connor, who we have a, I could go on and on.
Speaker:We have a, we have a ton of guys.
Speaker:List.
Speaker:All the guys.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I literally could go on and on.
Speaker:They get your roster, so, uh, right.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:But that's, that's how I feel about the group that we have.
Speaker:There's no e. O on the team we're, I feel like I'm good friends with
Speaker:all these guys and we just met, um, I will say Mac, Mac dye also.
Speaker:He just transferred in too.
Speaker:So we met over the summer when we were coming in and I love throwing to him.
Speaker:He's an absolute beast back there.
Speaker:So we've gotten pretty close, I will say.
Speaker:That's awesome.
Speaker:So, uh, just last thing, anything you wanna say to, to ODU fans before
Speaker:we get started with the season here?
Speaker:Yeah, I think that, uh, I think that there's a real vision for.
Speaker:The direction that we're heading in and the energy within the group that we have
Speaker:and within the people in the building.
Speaker:I think we're really heading towards something special and I, I want as many
Speaker:people to be a part of it as as possible.
Speaker:That's fantastic.
Speaker:Appreciate jj, we're definitely gonna get you on the, uh, the podcast
Speaker:during the week here at some point.
Speaker:For sure.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Thanks a lot man.
Speaker:No, I appreciate it.
Speaker:Thank you so much.
Speaker:Thanks for having me on.
Speaker:Great to meet you.
Speaker:Yeah, you too.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:JJ was great to get to know because that's the first time that I met him as well.
Speaker:But when you lose your three weekend starters, you need to bring someone in
Speaker:that's got the experience of being a weekend starter before he provides that.
Speaker:Coming from the A 10 from Dayton, I imagine that he's very much
Speaker:enjoying getting to work with Coach Marin and developing a little
Speaker:bit more pitching plan there.
Speaker:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker:I think that's seems to be the, the, the trend when you talked a
Speaker:lot of the pictures is the plan between what Marin and then, and
Speaker:then having the work of it, uh.
Speaker:That John Keen put in before he left, and then having Ryan Moore and Brandon Pond,
Speaker:those guys really, uh, getting after it.
Speaker:Um, I heard your, your, your boy, uh, Rollins, that Daniel Rollins there
Speaker:with camp was telling me he was, he really loves Brandon Pond has been
Speaker:trying to take, steal him away from us.
Speaker:Um, I'm, I'm throw that outta the pod, I guess, but yeah, just, just to let you
Speaker:know how, you know, our, our guy, our guys who are graduate assistants are,
Speaker:are that good that, that they're wanted, um, and that's the, that's the, the level
Speaker:of respect that we're getting for guys.
Speaker:Um, I'm sure that Rollins would love to have a pond down there.
Speaker:Maybe one day that happens.
Speaker:We'll, we'll see.
Speaker:That's what I
Speaker:said.
Speaker:I said keep, I told him, keep going after him.
Speaker:I'm like, I'm, I'm, you know, it's, it's a good place to be, so just keep asking him.
Speaker:I was like, maybe, you know, if he just wants a little bit more of the
Speaker:experience, like why wouldn't you
Speaker:keep the JUCO pipelines open too?
Speaker:I'm, I'm all about that.
Speaker:Yeah, all about it.
Speaker:They do a good job out there camp.
Speaker:Yeah, well two other guys that we talked to kind of after the ceremonies had
Speaker:kind of concluded there, so there's a lot of people roaming around.
Speaker:We were just walking around trying to find some baseball players to chat with
Speaker:and we came across our, our old friend, three time guest of the podcast, TJ Aiken.
Speaker:Uh, it's funny, if you go back and watch all the TJ Aiken videos,
Speaker:you can just see him grow up, like right in front of your eyes.
Speaker:Yeah, you can be a proud parent as well.
Speaker:Uh.
Speaker:And just, just great talking to him like he, he's one of those
Speaker:guys I feel like has a lot more confidence going into this year.
Speaker:Yeah, he, he seems like, and we were talking about in the fall, just his
Speaker:state, like emotionally and mentally is so different than where it was in the spring.
Speaker:Um, I think he, you know, he just was toing his head and, you know, I know
Speaker:we, he and I had a lot of conversations like, just go out, play some ball, man.
Speaker:And he's, he's really seemed to embrace that.
Speaker:And, and it showed every time I was out there, he was hammering the ball.
Speaker:Um, and so for a guy that I think we all have looked at and said, you know, this
Speaker:guy has all the skills and potential in the world, the idea that that could
Speaker:really get realized this year is exciting.
Speaker:And at the end of TJ's interview, we're gonna tack on Darren Kuski, who's a
Speaker:right-hander coming into us from, uh, uc.
Speaker:Up or USC upstate, not uc.
Speaker:Upstate.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Not in California.
Speaker:Uh, just another big right-handed arm with a lot of weekend pitching experience
Speaker:that we're pretty pumped to get in.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Another guy probably be the rotation.
Speaker:And every time I was out there watching in the fall, I think I did
Speaker:see him pitch almost every time.
Speaker:And, and there were, uh, scouts checking him out every time
Speaker:because he is got some stuff.
Speaker:Yeah, he could do some big things for us that you, you can kind of see
Speaker:the rotation starting to line up.
Speaker:I know we'll get more from Finny here next week, but you can kinda
Speaker:start putting two and two together and seeing who the guys are competing
Speaker:for those three weekend spots.
Speaker:So we'll let you hear from TJ and Darren.
Speaker:All right, we are back here with junior outfielder tj, because
Speaker:that doesn't even sound right.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:It's crazy.
Speaker:That's crazy.
Speaker:It's crazy.
Speaker:Okay, so you are a junior now.
Speaker:I mean, you, you're the point where you, we've got Nick Felton, your
Speaker:freshman, you're calling him nephew.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Because you're, you're the, you're the o now, I guess, right?
Speaker:Is that, am I, am I we're doing that correct.
Speaker:Seven.
Speaker:That, that's definitely right.
Speaker:Uh, he's basically, I think he's basically my little brother.
Speaker:So's your little, little brother.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:He's trying to take care of him.
Speaker:So how, how are you feeling?
Speaker:I, like you said, you got two years of college on your belt.
Speaker:You, you've been to do it well.
Speaker:How, how you feeling about it now?
Speaker:Uh, I feel good.
Speaker:Um, I feel like last year I really learned a lot about myself
Speaker:as a player and as a person.
Speaker:So I feel like I've kind of lost my confidence towards
Speaker:the end of the year last year.
Speaker:And, uh, I feel like just this fall, getting it back,
Speaker:I feel like I'm myself again.
Speaker:I feel like I just got my swagger back.
Speaker:Uh, yeah, I know we had a lot of conversations.
Speaker:I mean, I, I've told you many times, like, man, just play.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Like, you could tell sometimes I think you think too much.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, sure.
Speaker:And you, it's like, bro, you're so good in athletic.
Speaker:Like just go out and do it.
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:It's been fun to watch from the sideline.
Speaker:Like you said, I'm sure it was hard for me to watch.
Speaker:I know it was hard for you to experience the spring.
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:It definitely was.
Speaker:It was, like I said, the, the difference, the night and day between
Speaker:being around you in the spring and the fall has been, has been progressive.
Speaker:Oh yeah.
Speaker:No, it, it was, I mean, I'm talking about this fall.
Speaker:I don't feel like I just took it, I took everything day by day.
Speaker:I didn't tried to, I feel like I tried to force lot stuff during the spring.
Speaker:I tried to, I put so much pressure on myself that wasn't really even there.
Speaker:And uh, I feel like that's where I kinda hurt myself fat.
Speaker:And this year, this year, I mean this goals was like this fall, taking this
Speaker:fall, going to the spring, just not.
Speaker:Just having fun again and just, uh, just playing my game.
Speaker:It's like a great life lesson.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Oh yeah.
Speaker:It's almost like sometimes sports.
Speaker:I played that, that fight.
Speaker:That's really what it was.
Speaker:I like, it was a really good life lesson, so, yeah.
Speaker:That's great.
Speaker:So you're kind of getting three very different seasons at ODU U
Speaker:so you got kind of a normal one.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Hone the whole ballpark.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:53 games on the road.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And now we're back on the home field, not quite in the home ballpark.
Speaker:You're gonna have fans out there in the outfield with you.
Speaker:What are you kind of looking forward to with this kind of interesting
Speaker:hybrid season we're gonna have at home?
Speaker:Um, I would say just being here, being able to play here.
Speaker:Again, I feel like this is awesome being a play here.
Speaker:'cause being 53 row, 53 row games last year was crazy.
Speaker:I mean, honestly, just being in a hotel that much, I never thought I'd
Speaker:be in a hotel that much in my life.
Speaker:But I'm just happy that we're playing here again and that's, it's gonna be fun.
Speaker:Well, since you're gonna be in outfield in some capacity, any snacks that fans
Speaker:should bring you to toss to you on the field during the games next season.
Speaker:Okay, so I am a very big gummy.
Speaker:I'm any kind of gummy.
Speaker:I love gummies.
Speaker:I do love gummies.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Alright.
Speaker:Keep that mind.
Speaker:My mom usually brings those from my dad.
Speaker:Oh yeah.
Speaker:And I love, so make sure she knows.
Speaker:Mom's cookie soon.
Speaker:I love him.
Speaker:Love him up there.
Speaker:Frisbee to the alfield between love.
Speaker:Yep, yep, yep.
Speaker:So, so Nick Feld, we mentioned freshman coming in.
Speaker:Tell us about this guy.
Speaker:Like you said, he, he's your little brother.
Speaker:Talk up your little brother, man.
Speaker:Tell us about this.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Nick is a very, he's a funny guy.
Speaker:He is from Maryland.
Speaker:He's got a little accent to him.
Speaker:Uh, and it, it's like a, everything on, you know what TikTok is, but
Speaker:it's like I'm aware of TikTok.
Speaker:Baltimore.
Speaker:Baltimore.
Speaker:I'm very old, but I'm aware they exist.
Speaker:Baltimore, Maryland is like very, like the trending very high right now.
Speaker:TikTok just 'cause like they're.
Speaker:Accent and stuff, and I'll just give him crap about it all the time.
Speaker:But, uh, he's a good kid, tall, lanky, and I feel like especially
Speaker:once he grows into his body, he's gonna be really, really good.
Speaker:I think he's gonna be a really good player.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:We had JJ Gotti up here earlier, Gati, sorry, I wanna make sure I say right.
Speaker:Gati.
Speaker:Me too.
Speaker:Um, he said the team has really jelled, even with the guys
Speaker:that transferred in the new.
Speaker:Would you say like, in comparison to your previous two off seasons, you
Speaker:know, where would this rank in terms of like the team kind of coming together?
Speaker:I, I feel like this is probably the best, honestly, if I'm being completely
Speaker:honest, this is definitely the best.
Speaker:'cause I feel like everybody loves to do the same.
Speaker:Thing out, even on the field and outside the field.
Speaker:So, uh, I feel like this is definitely the best team.
Speaker:What's the number one off field activity?
Speaker:Um, everybody just hang, everybody just hanging out the house.
Speaker:Like everybody comes to my house that corner like every Saturday
Speaker:we get done scrimmaging stuff, you know, got scrimmage on Sunday.
Speaker:Uh, everybody just comes to the house kicking, having a good time.
Speaker:Watch football.
Speaker:I mean, everybody loves to do it.
Speaker:So what's your team?
Speaker:What's your, what's your protein with college?
Speaker:Okay, so college.
Speaker:I'm a Clemson Tiger fan.
Speaker:I know, I mean, obviously not great right now.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Outside the ODU.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I'm a Clemson Tiger fan.
Speaker:Um.
Speaker:We're not, not the greatest right now.
Speaker:Had better years.
Speaker:When I was younger, they just picked up an OD U guys.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:You told me better, right?
Speaker:Oh yeah, yeah, I saw that.
Speaker:Um, I'm glad Dabo Wass dabbing into the portal, figuring it out.
Speaker:So yeah, he's trying to figure it out.
Speaker:I feel like it was more of like a ego thing, I think so I, I think
Speaker:it was a big ego thing, but, um, but yeah, I'm a Clemson fan.
Speaker:I'm a Yankees baseball fan, and I know a Dallas Cowboys fan.
Speaker:So you kind of put it together.
Speaker:Yeah, really not a big basketball.
Speaker:I love LeBron James.
Speaker:Yeah, that's good.
Speaker:LeBron is better than Michael Jordan, though.
Speaker:I mean, you know, it's one of those, y'all agree on that?
Speaker:LeBron's better than Michael Jordan.
Speaker:Uh, it's, it's one, you know, I'm, I'm old up.
Speaker:I've seen him both.
Speaker:I think realistically.
Speaker:Is he more physically talented?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Does he have the, does he have the killer spirit than Michael had?
Speaker:No, no.
Speaker:I don't say so.
Speaker:It's, but like interesting.
Speaker:But like we're talking about greatest player.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:It's kind of off topic.
Speaker:Not talking about baseball right now.
Speaker:No, it's not.
Speaker:We're talking about sports.
Speaker:Sports, man.
Speaker:It's good.
Speaker:We're talking, uh, player.
Speaker:I think LeBron has it, but we're talking about team player.
Speaker:Michael has it.
Speaker:I mean, I would, I would definitely argue the same way.
Speaker:Like the reason Shhe Italian is a better baseball player than Babe Ruth.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Is because the sport is harder.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Agreed.
Speaker:In the same way the NBA is harder today than it was 30, 40 years ago.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:So I would, I would, it's one of those like is he a better Probably, yeah.
Speaker:You take prime, LeBron Prime mj.
Speaker:He's, he's turning 80 pounds.
Speaker:He probably knocked him on his butt.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:No, do not, do not tell Coach Hayes this.
Speaker:He will.
Speaker:He will.
Speaker:He will.
Speaker:So it's a point of contention I see.
Speaker:With, oh yeah.
Speaker:We talking about.
Speaker:All that.
Speaker:That's the biggest like sports, uh, conversation of all time.
Speaker:Oh yeah, for sure.
Speaker:Here's, he's the goat, so we, we appreciate it.
Speaker:You are the goat in my mind.
Speaker:So that's, that's what matters.
Speaker:Appreciate anything you wanna tell the fans, you know, before
Speaker:we get the season started here, anything, um, just come out, man.
Speaker:Just come out, have a good time.
Speaker:Gonna win a lot of games.
Speaker:You heard him get to, to the ballpark?
Speaker:Yes sir. Tj, thank you so much.
Speaker:Yeah, thank y'all.
Speaker:Appreciate y'all.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:We are back with, uh, junior.
Speaker:That's correct.
Speaker:I make sure I get right.
Speaker:Junior, junior Righthand picture.
Speaker:Darren Kuski.
Speaker:I'm saying that correctly too.
Speaker:Kuski, Kuski, Ky I was so confident and I messed it up.
Speaker:Darren Kuski.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:So Darren Kuski and Darren, I completely forgot where you,
Speaker:where you came to us from?
Speaker:South Carolina.
Speaker:Upstate.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:South Carolina Upstate wasn't the name of that.
Speaker:What's the, what's the mascot for that?
Speaker:Uh, we're the Spartans.
Speaker:The Spartans.
Speaker:There we go.
Speaker:That's good.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:We got Spartans right down the road here.
Speaker:That's fine.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:So how are you enjoying it?
Speaker:Here at, at uh, old.
Speaker:That's good.
Speaker:It's been nice so far.
Speaker:I like it.
Speaker:It's good change.
Speaker:It's right by the water.
Speaker:I mean, everything here has been awesome.
Speaker:That's great.
Speaker:Awesome.
Speaker:I know we talked to a couple different guys and I kind of saying the team seems
Speaker:to be gelling a little bit quicker.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Have you had that experience coming in and kinda getting to know the
Speaker:guys and understand everything?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I think the team's gelling really well, actually.
Speaker:I mean, especially like now I have a different team to compare it to.
Speaker:Like I think this seems jelling better than what we did at Upstate.
Speaker:Like I like where we're going right now.
Speaker:We're in a good spot.
Speaker:Nice.
Speaker:That's great.
Speaker:I. Know our fans, you know, since last year we had that,
Speaker:our outstanding rotation.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:All three of the guys got drafted to play pro.
Speaker:So for a lot of fans right now, it's like, well, who are gonna be the guys?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Well it seems like angling right now, like you're probably
Speaker:gonna be one of our starters.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:How do you feel about that?
Speaker:You feel prepared to step into that role?
Speaker:Yeah, I'm excited.
Speaker:I mean, I got some big shoes to fill, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So gotta get after it.
Speaker:Hey, luck you.
Speaker:You'll be the same path this year.
Speaker:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:I'm very excited.
Speaker:It should be a lot of fun.
Speaker:That's excellent.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:How much did that success of the pitch.
Speaker:From ODU going to probe the last couple years going into the minor league
Speaker:systems, how much did that influence your decision to choose Old Dominion?
Speaker:Huge.
Speaker:That was like the leading factor actually.
Speaker:I mean, yeah, Marin's done a great job of pitchers.
Speaker:ODU has a great track of pitchers and getting 'em to pro baseball,
Speaker:so this was the best option.
Speaker:Alright.
Speaker:Anything you want to let the Monarch fans know heading into the season here?
Speaker:Uh, come to our, come to our games, you know, come watch us play.
Speaker:Love that.
Speaker:Alright, Aaron, we appreciate you.
Speaker:Thank you.
Speaker:Thanks so much.
Speaker:Appreciate it.
Speaker:Talk to you soon.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Great hearing from those guys.
Speaker:Uh, yeah, TJ Aiken, just third year here.
Speaker:You don't usually get a lot of guys that are here for three and maybe
Speaker:more years beyond that, but it's just cool to hear his perspective being
Speaker:here for a couple of off seasons.
Speaker:Now, comparing those.
Speaker:Uh, to this off season and he just has a little smile to his face.
Speaker:Like you, you're, y'all are gonna see some fun stuff this year.
Speaker:I love it.
Speaker:I'm excited.
Speaker:One of my mom's favorite player, my mom always has a, a player too
Speaker:that are some of her favorites.
Speaker:And you know, Evan Holman's right there.
Speaker:And then TJ's one of her guys and she's, she's asking him what, uh,
Speaker:what, what treats he should be.
Speaker:Oh no, he, he, he told us what treats she should be throwing out
Speaker:at a minute from the outfield seats.
Speaker:Yeah, I think he said sour patch kids and Haribo gummy bears.
Speaker:So yes, when Wemy Bear get the seats seed that are out there, I, I think I told
Speaker:them my.
Speaker:Yeah, my dad, uh, needs some, some gummy treats for snacks during
Speaker:the games anyway, so she probably already got 'em in her pocket.
Speaker:Just come load it up and, and toss 'em out there if he needs a, a little pick
Speaker:me up or something in the outfield, there go gonna be some fun things with
Speaker:having those seats in the outfield.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And uh, actually kinda wanted to tee up now the conversation that we
Speaker:had with Finn where, talk a little bit about the stadium, kind of what
Speaker:the guys have been going through.
Speaker:We hear a lot more from him next week, but we wanted to grab a few minutes
Speaker:fresh off of hearing Michael Dyer speak.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:We are back here, uh, with Hudson Homer Podcast at the Step Up
Speaker:To the Plate Fundraiser Dinner.
Speaker:Just had a wonderful, uh, speech from Michael Dyer, of course, big
Speaker:League All Star batting champion.
Speaker:Uh, great Bridge, Chesapeake native.
Speaker:He was great.
Speaker:Uh, Finney.
Speaker:What, what did it mean to have, uh, Cudi here and get, to get to celebrate him?
Speaker:Well, it means a lot.
Speaker:I mean, he, he's top of the food chain, like human being.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Uh, we all know what a great.
Speaker:Player he was.
Speaker:But you know, the way he gives back to the community through his, his, um, you
Speaker:know, academy that he has, the summer teams that he has, the time he spends
Speaker:with USA baseball on the youth side.
Speaker:Um, just, and, and when we told him, Hey, we'd like you to be our Bud Metheny Award,
Speaker:as I mentioned, he was just humbled by it.
Speaker:Like, he, he actually said that to us.
Speaker:I don't think I'm worthy of it.
Speaker:And I go, no, no, you're worthy, you're plenty worthy.
Speaker:So, um.
Speaker:Nice to have 'em.
Speaker:It fits right into the, the mold of all the other great ones.
Speaker:Well, before Michael came on, you were talking a lot about the light
Speaker:blue jerseys that are now known as Hudson Blue Jerseys and wanted to
Speaker:make clear that baseball started that.
Speaker:We talk a little bit about how that came to be and then kind of why that
Speaker:was an important thing for tonight.
Speaker:Well, I mean, I think it is, you know, people, I think that's
Speaker:what's cool about college, right?
Speaker:Like college athletics, all the little nuances and traditions that
Speaker:pop up along the way, and that's.
Speaker:A pretty recent one, like all things Considered, you know, um, the light
Speaker:blue was kind of a throwback color for ODU and then that, you know, I
Speaker:think back in the day they called it Ian or something like that.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Which I don't, I don't think anybody makes that color actually anymore.
Speaker:So, you know, then it went to, you know, the traditional Is Columbia Blue
Speaker:or Carolina Blue or, uh, I think they were actually talking about calling
Speaker:it Monarch Blue, and I said, why don't we just call it Hudson Blue?
Speaker:That's the guy, you know, let's find a way to honor, you know,
Speaker:c Hudy standing right there.
Speaker:And just a neat way that it'll always be, you know, Hudson Blue now.
Speaker:And I'm glad we had a, a little small part in making that
Speaker:happen and we set the record.
Speaker:Let's make sure to point out that you were against the Hudson Blue Jersey
Speaker:advance for, I, I had to tell you that for like six, seven years before you
Speaker:finally were like, all right, let's do it.
Speaker:Yeah, you're probably right.
Speaker:It's a great look.
Speaker:It has been a great look.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It, it reminds everybody of the old, uh, Kansas City Royals Powder blue.
Speaker:Yeah, unis.
Speaker:And, uh, I think it looks a lot like that.
Speaker:So, yeah, we're excited about it.
Speaker:It's, uh, we get a lot of couple bits on it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's great.
Speaker:So, um, you know, four weeks from today we're, we're at this time,
Speaker:four weeks from today, we're gonna be one to, oh, how you feeling going?
Speaker:I mean, I know we said first scrimmage is today, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:First one was today.
Speaker:We went six innings Today, I think we've got nine tomorrow.
Speaker:Um, the guy, I'll tell you this, the guys came back in shape.
Speaker:I. Came back in good shape, which is really important.
Speaker:And you know, it is been a good group.
Speaker:They've checked the boxes so far, so had a good scrimmage today
Speaker:and we got another one tomorrow.
Speaker:And you know, this time of the year, you're not looking for like perfection
Speaker:or it doesn't have to be beautiful.
Speaker:It just has to be solid.
Speaker:And it was very solid today.
Speaker:So it was a good start.
Speaker:You know, the questions that I've heard rolling around here, thinking, pitching,
Speaker:pitching, staff, starting rotation, got a lot of good arms, a lot of good talent.
Speaker:What I've noticed the most is the guys I haven't gotten eyes on since
Speaker:we were down in Montgomery to now the physical changes that have occurred.
Speaker:These guys look bigger, they look stronger, maybe a more media trained for
Speaker:some of them coming into this season.
Speaker:But was there any shock to you when these guys came back in after this
Speaker:break that like, while they really worked, got after it in the off season?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I think it is a cumulative thing.
Speaker:Like we lifted, uh, we added a day of lifting each week in the fall.
Speaker:We lifted three days a week through the whole.
Speaker:Fall instead of two.
Speaker:Cade Kelly does a great job with our guys, and I was mentioning
Speaker:who knows how it shows up, right?
Speaker:But I was mentioning to some of our coaching staff today, like just in
Speaker:batting practice, even on a cold day is like, we're hitting the ball outta the
Speaker:park a lot more than I can remember.
Speaker:And so hopefully that's a good sign of things to come.
Speaker:We'll see.
Speaker:If nothing else we can get like a, a Monarch boys calendar going, yeah,
Speaker:well maybe we need like a fundraiser.
Speaker:You know, that's, yeah.
Speaker:There's always.
Speaker:And, and the cool thing is, you know, that left field, we gotta
Speaker:come up with a cool name for that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:We do left field bleachers because there's gonna be some balls flying out there.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I had a couple people out here mentioning, you know, the, the
Speaker:left fielders on the opposing teams are gonna get abused this year.
Speaker:Like, when did we start drinking?
Speaker:You know, they're like, and that's what we talked about.
Speaker:It, it'd be great if we could keep that and have that especially become maybe
Speaker:the student area where they come be.
Speaker:It'd be awesome.
Speaker:Really Give it to them.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:We need to make that happen for sure.
Speaker:I mean, I, I don't plan on letting 'em take those.
Speaker:Things down ever.
Speaker:So seeing to it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker:Is there, uh, is there anything that you're really looking
Speaker:forward to this season?
Speaker:Well, I mean, obviously just we want to play the best baseball we can.
Speaker:Getting back at home, even with the, you know, the, the things we're gonna
Speaker:have to work around, it's still gonna be really nice for us not getting on
Speaker:a bus, playing on our home field, you know, in front of some of our home fans.
Speaker:It's not gonna be perfect or ideal, but it's gonna be better.
Speaker:Than what it was.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And then one of the cool things, and, and I, I was talking with our guys about this
Speaker:'cause we don't candy coat any of it.
Speaker:I mean, as soon as we knew we weren't gonna be, you know, playing in an
Speaker:open stadium, why wouldn't you tell the guys they need to know about it?
Speaker:And there was kids that came here 'cause they thought that
Speaker:was gonna happen this year.
Speaker:And so it didn't.
Speaker:But I do think this is a, a neat thing that's gonna happen
Speaker:unintended, but it will happen.
Speaker:Ability to see something get built every day while you're there and watch it grow.
Speaker:We're already doing that now, but to see like the finishing touches of
Speaker:it towards the end of the season, I think is gonna be really gratifying.
Speaker:Gotta make sure I get a picture, like opening day and then Yes.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You should take 'em every weekend.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Honestly, you're would, and especially from left field or wherever, you know,
Speaker:uh, you can, you can watch it really, you know, come to fruition I guess.
Speaker:So it should be to get a nice time lapse out of that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Field this how, without a doubt.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It, it'll be cool.
Speaker:And you know that, that part of it, I'm, I'm, every day I look forward
Speaker:to seeing something else go up.
Speaker:Yeah, well, any message from you to the fans other than go buy
Speaker:your ticket booklets and get there for point Apeak in four weeks.
Speaker:I think it's gonna be a cool experience.
Speaker:Like I think there'll be people that come and sit in those left field
Speaker:bleachers and even though we got this nice new stadium back there, yeah,
Speaker:they'll want to go in it obviously, but that may end up being their spot.
Speaker:Because there's a lot of people that grew, grew up in the bleachers.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Watching games from the, from the cheap seats, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And you get back there and you're watching a game and it's neat.
Speaker:And you know, you yelling at the left fielder and, uh, I mean it's,
Speaker:it's just that ball's a strike.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's a completely different view of the ball game.
Speaker:Yeah, it is.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, and so, you know, I think there'll be some people that
Speaker:really embrace that and enjoy.
Speaker:Love that.
Speaker:Well, I'm looking forward to embracing during the season.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:We're looking forward to it as well.
Speaker:Four weeks from now, make sure you get up.
Speaker:Out there to the ballpark for these early season games.
Speaker:Finny, we'll let you get back to the party here, but thanks
Speaker:so much for hopping on with us.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, and next mon the next Monday we do this, we'll, you know, talk about
Speaker:like lineups and potential lineups and starting rotations and things like that
Speaker:as we get a little bit closer, you know, it's an exciting time for everyone.
Speaker:And, um, I think the, the things you know that are important right now is
Speaker:the guys are, came back in shape and for the most part we're, we're healthy.
Speaker:Alright.
Speaker:Fantastic.
Speaker:We appreciate you guys.
Speaker:Thank you.
Speaker:Appreciate it.
Speaker:Appreciate it.
Speaker:I still think we are super lucky that we get Finny pretty much every single
Speaker:week on this podcast during the season, and great to hear from him again.
Speaker:Um, really cool night.
Speaker:He, he looked very excited when we were talking to him.
Speaker:Yeah, it, it's a blessing.
Speaker:You know, Finny is just, and I told him, I said, that's the one
Speaker:thing since the day he showed up.
Speaker:It's just, it's been different than, it just feels like a family and he's always
Speaker:doing things that kind of reinforce that as, you know, the way he gets good people
Speaker:and the way he cares about everyone, the way he, he really wants to make you
Speaker:feel like you're involved and included.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's, it's Finny Finny's the man, and we, we are very lucky that he decides he wants
Speaker:to hang out with us and talk to us and give us a bunch of good info and, and let
Speaker:the fans in on things too is, it's great.
Speaker:Yeah, great.
Speaker:Great for him to give us a peek behind the curtain, but the, uh, the next
Speaker:person that we chatted with, I'm gonna let you do most of the talking
Speaker:here because you have been watching Mac Dye play for quite a long time.
Speaker:Yeah, and I think it's awesome that we're getting him here in Norfolk this year.
Speaker:Yeah, I love this one.
Speaker:You know, so Max's a kid, um, started his high school career at Cape Henry.
Speaker:Um, he won the state championship with them in I think 2022.
Speaker:Um, and then went to Cox for his junior year, which ended
Speaker:up being his senior year.
Speaker:He actually graduated a year early.
Speaker:Um, and so he, he won the state championship with the Cox also that year
Speaker:with, I think, I believe Ethan Henderson, Ethan Anderson, um, who played at UVA,
Speaker:who's now in the Orioles minor leagues.
Speaker:Probably be a tide here before too long.
Speaker:Um, so, so Mac was there.
Speaker:Um, he went to Liberty, played really phenomenally for them,
Speaker:so saw the opportunity to go in the portal, uh, went to UNC.
Speaker:And you know, sometimes those, those bigger schools, they, sometimes I think
Speaker:they just don't realize what they have.
Speaker:I think they bring guys in just because they can and they have the money.
Speaker:And, uh, you know when, when I saw Mac winning the portal.
Speaker:My first thing was like, man, I hope we get him.
Speaker:And so I could, can't tell you how excited I was that we picked him up and because,
Speaker:not just 'cause of who he is as a baseball player, but who he is as a person.
Speaker:He's just a wonderful guy.
Speaker:High energy, great family.
Speaker:Um, this is exactly what, when I, I think what you want in the portal,
Speaker:those, those guys who, who left home that you can get to come back
Speaker:home and say, Hey, come back home.
Speaker:Let's finish out this maybe one year.
Speaker:If you play is great, two years, uh, and, and do it.
Speaker:Do it at home, and then go play your pro career.
Speaker:All right, we are back with junior catcher Mac Dye, uh, making a return home.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So you, you, uh, graduated from Cox, where you won state championship,
Speaker:had played at Cape Henry before that and won state championship.
Speaker:Uh, you junior year at Liberty, uh, I'm sorry, freshman year of Liberty.
Speaker:Had a great year of liberty.
Speaker:Auction is now blue.
Speaker:That's unfortunate.
Speaker:The irony of the silent auction not being silent.
Speaker:Just keep going.
Speaker:It doesn't matter.
Speaker:They know it's all live.
Speaker:Um, so freshman year at Liberty had a great, were you a all conference?
Speaker:Am am I correct about that?
Speaker:Or you're all all freshman?
Speaker:Freshman all conference.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Freshman.
Speaker:Freshman.
Speaker:All conference is all conference.
Speaker:Let's do it.
Speaker:Alright.
Speaker:Freshman all conference then you transferred to UNC didn't play as much.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Now you're back home.
Speaker:How you feeling?
Speaker:Getting to be back home?
Speaker:Super excited.
Speaker:You know, I mean, being back home only 30 minutes away from home, it's, it's
Speaker:big for my, my family and my friends who are, you know, able to come out.
Speaker:So, I mean, I'm looking forward to the spring and every time I was out there in
Speaker:the fall, your dad was out there watching.
Speaker:He, I mean, he was, he was there today.
Speaker:He actually flew in from Charlotte this morning, was out there.
Speaker:So, I mean, he, he loves being, having me close home.
Speaker:You, you're coming into a team that's got some pretty good catchers.
Speaker:Some guys are gonna play some different positions this year with m and Evan.
Speaker:How's it been gelling with those guys And then also just.
Speaker:How excited are you to kind of get out there on the field
Speaker:with the rest of the team?
Speaker:It's been great.
Speaker:I mean, f and e Hole, I mean, they're, they're awesome guys.
Speaker:I mean, just great team guys.
Speaker:Um, have never had a problem with them and it's been fun just going out there,
Speaker:competing with them every day and just helping us each get better so we can come,
Speaker:come together as a team and, you know, do what we're supposed to do in Austin.
Speaker:Um, so, you know, again, last year you at UNC, I guess, being a guy who's now in
Speaker:your third year of college at your third.
Speaker:College, what's that been like going from school to school?
Speaker:Hopefully this is the last time you been to school.
Speaker:Very.
Speaker:That's, uh, that, that's my goal to, it's, it's very unique.
Speaker:I mean, I, I, I think it's super cool, you know, being able to build
Speaker:new relationships with others, uh, new coaches and just, just
Speaker:building connections from all over.
Speaker:I mean, I know guys from Evan and Oregon, guys from Memphis Jersey.
Speaker:I mean, it's just super cool being able to, you know, meet new people.
Speaker:But I mean, it's also an adjustment, you know, you gotta go through, you know,
Speaker:the whole process of meeting new people.
Speaker:But, uh, you know, I love it.
Speaker:I mean, I think I'm pretty good.
Speaker:Being able to kind of go with the flow and go on the run.
Speaker:So it's been cool.
Speaker:Did OD U have conversations about recruiting you when you
Speaker:were in high school and married?
Speaker:No, I actually never taught in high school.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It was interesting because you graduated a year early, is that right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:What, what was the, the reason you did that at the time?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I mean, just go and fulfill my lifelong green, you know?
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:I mean, especially with the, you know, the transfer portal nowadays and just
Speaker:recruitment's getting really tough.
Speaker:I thought it was the best decision for me to go out there and try to try to
Speaker:go out there and do what I'd love for.
Speaker:I've seen off seasons at Liberty, seen off seasons at UNC.
Speaker:You know what, what was probably the best part of this off season for you?
Speaker:What did you focus on and what were you most impressed by coming here?
Speaker:Yeah, I mean, it's, it's really the same thing year, year after year.
Speaker:I mean, just going home and just making sure you're doing the work, staying on top
Speaker:of the workouts and hitting, um, nothing really changes in terms of my preparation.
Speaker:I think it's cool how we were able to come out here a little bit earlier and just
Speaker:being able to go out, catch more bullpens.
Speaker:I feel like this year has been like the.
Speaker:The year where I've caught the most bullpens ever at in college.
Speaker:So, I mean, it's been, it's been fun going out there and seeing the guys
Speaker:and seeing how much, you know, we've progressed over the last couple weeks
Speaker:in the off season, so most guys aren't excited about catching a lot of bullpens.
Speaker:You know, I, I, I used to not like, catch a bullpens a lot, but now it's like,
Speaker:I, I enjoy, you know, just make, making a building relationship with pitchers.
Speaker:So I think that's the most important thing because you're, I mean, that's the thing
Speaker:is like, you're there to support that guy.
Speaker:Help him, your teammate get better.
Speaker:You can't do that.
Speaker:That's the biggest thing with, with, you know, pitching.
Speaker:You gotta have a good catcher who has a good relationship.
Speaker:With all the guys 'cause they're not gonna be, if they don't have a good
Speaker:relationship with with you, they're not gonna be able to trust it on the balance.
Speaker:So, alright.
Speaker:Who's throwing the nastiest pitch so far in the off season?
Speaker:Well, today had a pretty rough day plate today.
Speaker:I heard a few guys had tough days before today.
Speaker:Darren Sliders looked as best as look so far.
Speaker:Kellen Davis slider, Bo got me two times today.
Speaker:So, uh, say Darren.
Speaker:Darren and Kellen Davis.
Speaker:Alright.
Speaker:Was it, were you catching Ezio today or was he Caio?
Speaker:He looked well, yeah, that's how heard he was looking.
Speaker:He looked really good.
Speaker:Caught Maddox, he looked decent.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, um, yeah, I mean I, I've been pretty impressive far with, with all
Speaker:the guys and how, how, you know, well we've done first week, so I love it.
Speaker:Awesome.
Speaker:Uh, any message for the fans before we kick off the season
Speaker:here in about four weeks?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I was excited to have you guys out.
Speaker:Um, you know, just ready to work and ready to go out there and, you know, try to hit
Speaker:some hormones so you guys out and lift.
Speaker:So there you go.
Speaker:Get your gloves ready 'cause he's gonna get a few out there.
Speaker:Yes, yes.
Speaker:Alright, Matt, thank you so much for joining us sir. Really appreciate it
Speaker:sir. We'll let you get outta here.
Speaker:Thank you guys.
Speaker:Appreciate you, appreciate it.
Speaker:Alright, thanks.
Speaker:Alrighty.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I love that idea of guys coming home.
Speaker:We see it sometimes in, in football and basketball and some other sports
Speaker:like that, like getting back in front of family and friends after being away,
Speaker:getting some distance for a while.
Speaker:Uh, it's pretty good.
Speaker:But I, I love what he brings to the team with being a very solid catcher
Speaker:who's catching a lot of bullpens now.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And kind of going through that grind.
Speaker:But we have the ability to flex that across like three or four
Speaker:different guys behind the dish.
Speaker:And two of those guys in Evan, you can go and play third and we can get some guys
Speaker:in the outfield and things like that.
Speaker:So that position flexibility is something you don't normally get with
Speaker:catchers, especially in an era of going to roster caps and things like that.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:So just really love that we tacked on this weapon, even though we were very strong
Speaker:at at the catcher position to begin with.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:And our last conversation that we will leave you with
Speaker:here, cash J transfer in What?
Speaker:A name?
Speaker:All name team.
Speaker:We gotta be in the running for all names.
Speaker:I mean, we've got 'em up, up and down.
Speaker:Just
Speaker:great
Speaker:names.
Speaker:Names.
Speaker:Catch
Speaker:J is phenomenal though.
Speaker:It was great to chat with him.
Speaker:He's a grad students, I think we only get him for, for one year.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:But Oklahoma native has been playing some JUCO ball out there
Speaker:playing for some smaller schools.
Speaker:Think brings just a lot of position flexibility again,
Speaker:but also awesome personality.
Speaker:Great name.
Speaker:I, I'm sure Ted is just writing down Ted name, just writing down
Speaker:all the possible cash on calls now.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:all the, all the puns and Yeah, I, the, the, the, the writeups write themselves.
Speaker:The Jay Cash is in, or whatever, you know, the, yeah.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Well, we'll let you, uh, listen to Jay.
Speaker:We'll come back here and wrap things up.
Speaker:Alright, we are back here with a graduate student or senior, I
Speaker:don't know how we're saying it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:A senior student.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Fifth year regret.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Fifth year.
Speaker:Uh, third basement cash.
Speaker:J uh, cash coming to us from Washburn out in Kansas.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Uh, which we said is very flat.
Speaker:That's what we were stopping.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Very flat out there.
Speaker:Not a lot.
Speaker:Um, you can travel on one road.
Speaker:It looks like you, they haven't moved a mile, so.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:So you're probably, you're probably enjoying here.
Speaker:Is a little more going on.
Speaker:Oh yeah.
Speaker:Oh yeah.
Speaker:A lot, lot more to do out here.
Speaker:And especially being two, two blocks from the beach from my house, it's,
Speaker:it does get much better than that.
Speaker:Well, you're originally from Oklahoma too, so it's kind another Oh yeah.
Speaker:Empty flat place.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Being from almost the middle of the state of Oklahoma, it's, you're pretty much
Speaker:landlocked around anything you can do.
Speaker:You go fishing in the lakes and just about it.
Speaker:Most water you get around is the Green Lakes.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Well, you know, how's your off season experience been here?
Speaker:Into the programs, getting, getting to know everything, kind
Speaker:of just getting fucked up for a season, starting four weeks.
Speaker:I mean, it's been great.
Speaker:It, the getting integrated with the team, meeting the guys that, that first
Speaker:week, I mean, just getting rolling into the fall, like I I, we haven't meshed, I
Speaker:haven't been on, on a team that's meshed as well as we have as quickly as we did.
Speaker:Um, the, the vibe of the team, three weeks in, it was like we had been playing
Speaker:three years together and so we're looking to continue that going into the spring.
Speaker:That's been a theme from, I think everyone brought up here is, you
Speaker:know, we asked TJ Aiken, who's.
Speaker:In his third year here now.
Speaker:And he said of the years, this is the one where it seems like
Speaker:everyone came together the fastest.
Speaker:So interesting to hear that.
Speaker:I'm glad to hear that from someone coming in that like it's that environment.
Speaker:It's been great.
Speaker:So, and now you can correct me if I'm wrong, this is the
Speaker:way I've been told the story.
Speaker:You had a really great junior year.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:And then last year started out great.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Guy hurt, broke your hand.
Speaker:Yeah, I Right.
Speaker:And kept playing through it.
Speaker:So that kind of, I I'm sure anybody tell you to play baseball and broken
Speaker:hand, it's not great to hit it.
Speaker:Yeah, it, uh, it was a very, very hard experience to go through.
Speaker:Um, there's a challenge and I wasn't granted this year
Speaker:yet, so be able to play here.
Speaker:So that's how I was finishing up my college career.
Speaker:So that, that was a kind of a blow, um, to my morale and I, I had to kind
Speaker:of work through that a little bit.
Speaker:But yeah, I had a, a really good junior year, um, played really well.
Speaker:And then, yeah, like you said, senior year kinda ended up.
Speaker:How do you feel health wise now?
Speaker:Does it feel like it's, I feel great.
Speaker:Um, came back.
Speaker:You look great in the fall when I was out.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I ca came back after the surgery last, last.
Speaker:April, um, got my, got my stitches out and I was playing two days later.
Speaker:Um, and I, I didn't have any pains.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I got, I wanted to, again, didn't know I had another year, so I was like, I'm gonna
Speaker:play in my last game because Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Even if I'm running a base and then I ended up, didn't have any
Speaker:pain, so I got, I got to hit and I haven't had any issues with it.
Speaker:This, that's just a blessing because now you really do get to have that
Speaker:last year and make the most of it.
Speaker:Oh yeah.
Speaker:Tell us a little about, about your recruiting process to come here and
Speaker:maybe like a couple of the big factors that made you decide on landing.
Speaker:Um, it really the focus on meeting the family.
Speaker:It was the, the original phone calls are like that, the starting
Speaker:phone calls, that's pretty typical.
Speaker:And then the more they broke down and, and wanting to get to know who
Speaker:I was and not who I was as a player, but who I'm, who I come from and,
Speaker:and how, how I've been created.
Speaker:And then it bleeds into baseball.
Speaker:So it was really, I was like, if they're, they're that in,
Speaker:like invested in my family.
Speaker:I wonder how.
Speaker:Familial, it'll be on the team.
Speaker:And it's, it's been exactly what I expected and, um, how the
Speaker:conversations went during recruiting.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That, that's awesome to hear.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:We hear that the character and the person is almost the first check boxes
Speaker:before the talent is skill if you want.
Speaker:Glad to have you For sure.
Speaker:I'm happy to be here.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Anything you wanna let, uh, modern Nation know as we're leading up this season here.
Speaker:It's gonna be a great year and hopefully you guys come out and we're back home and
Speaker:we're, we're excited to play at the bud.
Speaker:So we, we hope.
Speaker:We'll see you guys out there.
Speaker:Alright, cash.
Speaker:Appreciate you man.
Speaker:Thank you for having me.
Speaker:Yeah, thanks so much Cash.
Speaker:Thank you.
Speaker:What an awesome guy to be adding to our roster.
Speaker:Yeah, just great.
Speaker:Yeah, great guy.
Speaker:Talk with him afterwards.
Speaker:Pretty much all of my extended family is from the same area of Oklahoma.
Speaker:My parents are from that area.
Speaker:They live in North Texas now, so there's at least a couple of people.
Speaker:Pretty strong Oklahoma ties that listed.
Speaker:Yeah, I heard him tell somebody else about that later.
Speaker:Like he was so blown away by the fact that.
Speaker:Somebody else knew any of these tiny towns in Oklahoma.
Speaker:I thought that was great.
Speaker:Spent a good bit of my childhood going around there, visiting all that fun stuff.
Speaker:So,
Speaker:uh, that's crazy.
Speaker:Cool.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:This was all Friday night, and that was fantastic.
Speaker:I, um, the men's tennis had their first match on, uh, Saturday.
Speaker:So the next day, the next morning, um, I parked and, and
Speaker:walked by the baseball field.
Speaker:Um, if we didn't have a basketball, a women's basketball game motor
Speaker:gone and watched some scrimmage.
Speaker:Um, but I saw they'd kind, they've knocked down the trees behind
Speaker:the outfield, uh, which they.
Speaker:Not even, they weren't like, I think there were trees they probably put
Speaker:in there like a year or two ago.
Speaker:So they really hadn't been there that long.
Speaker:Uh, for the area where I, I, they're gonna put the, the, the left field
Speaker:seats, and frankly, it looks more like almost center field, honestly.
Speaker:It's really like left center.
Speaker:Uh, it's really, I, I kind of envisioned it down the line, but if you.
Speaker:Walk back there and look, there's not much space there, but there's
Speaker:plenty of space behind left center.
Speaker:So you might be, if you're in like the farthest uh, seat, you know,
Speaker:towards center field, you might be basically right by the battery's eye.
Speaker:I'm not really curious to see how it, how it turns out.
Speaker:And they said, I think they were supposed to be putting in this week.
Speaker:I mean, we'll see how that happens and if, and if the weather holds out,
Speaker:I'll, I'll be out there next weekend, so I'll try to get some pictures, but
Speaker:if not, then maybe the weekend after.
Speaker:There's a lot more room behind that fence than you think.
Speaker:Like I've walked back there quite a bit during one of the camps and
Speaker:just kind of got a feel for it.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:But Finny was talking about in his interview, like, that's gonna be
Speaker:a unique experience where like, we can really get after the left field
Speaker:or the center fielder, seeing the game from different sight lines.
Speaker:Like he said it, I've said it, there's gonna be people that love that seat and
Speaker:they want that seat to be there and, you know, gotta have some, some demand
Speaker:to, to justify the outfield seating.
Speaker:But it's just kind of a cool experience of like, okay.
Speaker:He said it, you, you get to see the stadium be built up throughout the year.
Speaker:Like the thing that we're shooting for is there and get
Speaker:closer and closer and closer.
Speaker:Uh, so it, it'll, it'll be a unique season, kind of a hybrid season,
Speaker:but, uh, I'm, I'm gonna make the best of it and have a absolute party out
Speaker:there in the outfield when we can.
Speaker:That, and it's gonna be real getting to watch it, because right now I
Speaker:think they've kind of closed in the corners there of the seating bowl.
Speaker:But the, the building kind of behind that, it's like the elevator shaft is
Speaker:done and then they're just barely starting to put like the frames of the building.
Speaker:So you really will be able to get to see, and why it won't, it won't
Speaker:be like, oh, it's, it's built, but it's all just happening inside.
Speaker:Like now you're gonna, at least, especially in the very
Speaker:beginning, you're gonna be seeing that building getting built.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I think all the things that.
Speaker:Don't look like progress that take forever.
Speaker:Like the foundations and the pilings and all of that, that
Speaker:it seems like is mostly done.
Speaker:And now it's the stuff that can build up really, really quickly.
Speaker:So I'm excited for it, excited for what the season's gonna look like.
Speaker:We have some great home games.
Speaker:Uh, make sure you go get your ticket books, uh, and get out there.
Speaker:'cause I lay claim to your spot at some of these games because I think by the
Speaker:time we hit May and the weather's nice.
Speaker:It's just gonna be a different feel.
Speaker:It's gonna be like rally alley, but in the outfield and you know, it
Speaker:can get a little, little packed.
Speaker:A little nuts over there and definitely a little heated.
Speaker:Yeah, it might be too cold by the time Charlotte comes around, but the Yukon
Speaker:series is one to look at of, could be a, a lot of fun to get after 'em.
Speaker:I mean, even if it's cold, you guys like, just put some stuff on,
Speaker:like, you know, throw some layers on, you know, get yourself warm,
Speaker:throw some extra socks on, prepare.
Speaker:Don't just come out in shorts and they'll like, oh, it's so cold.
Speaker:Like, no.
Speaker:Put some layers on, like, come on out, support this team.
Speaker:These guys, I think this team is gonna be really good.
Speaker:Um, they've got some really good teams are playing here, and it's, it's.
Speaker:Like I said, it's gonna be a very unique and fun time and you know,
Speaker:is it gonna be like the most perfect best time ever at a ballpark?
Speaker:No, it's not exactly what they'd hoped for and plan for.
Speaker:Is it gonna be unique and super cool anyway?
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:So I think, come on out.
Speaker:I. Yes.
Speaker:Well, again, be on the lookout January 27th.
Speaker:It's a Tuesday morning.
Speaker:We'll be releasing the first episode for the 2026 baseball season.
Speaker:It'll be officially seasoned for, you're very confident about that.
Speaker:You normally don'ts nuts.
Speaker:You normally don't give a date.
Speaker:You're extremely confident about that date.
Speaker:I, I
Speaker:am.
Speaker:Somebody get hit by a bus right after we finish recording's.
Speaker:Not gonna get edited and go up.
Speaker:I'm very like, I, I, you're making me nervous and I don't
Speaker:do any of the work afterward.
Speaker:I just show up and talk and then you do all the work.
Speaker:So it's like, I'm, I'm, I'm nervous for you.
Speaker:I'm like, you're, you're pinning yourself down hard in this one.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Well, well, I gotta build some anticipation, excitement for this thing.
Speaker:I'm, I'm gonna, you know, I'm excited.
Speaker:Be back on the, uh, the, the quick turnaround on the
Speaker:edits, all that fun stuff.
Speaker:We got a lot of cool things from the monarchist side that we'll probably
Speaker:be announcing here in the next couple weeks as well, including merch.
Speaker:So I know people are excited about that.
Speaker:Well, I got, I got a
Speaker:couple of good guests.
Speaker:I'm gonna, uh, send messages to this week to see if they're available.
Speaker:Uh, next Monday, we can make it extra fun.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:We won't lock you down into a single person.
Speaker:That'll be on No, I'm not gonna lock myself down
Speaker:because Yeah.
Speaker:I, I have no idea, uh, if they can or able to, but I, I have, I have
Speaker:some folks I'm gonna, I'm gonna send messages to here probably tomorrow.
Speaker:Nice.
Speaker:Well, sounds good.
Speaker:Well, thank you everyone for tuning in.
Speaker:If we got to shake hands with, get step up to the plate, it was great to see you.
Speaker:Great hanging out.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And look forward to hanging out with you at the ballpark here very, very soon.
Speaker:Go Monarchs.
Speaker:Can't
Speaker:wait three weeks.
Speaker:Go Monarchs.
