This summer had a lot of baseball, and I know I went to the beach more this past summer than I probably had in all the previous summers combined. But what I haven’t done much of is feed the blog. So let me try to get caught up.
My Saints teammate Austin Shives recruited me to pitch for the Liberty Lions at the USD Invitational Tournament (July 25-28; San Diego, CA). It went well, throwing four innings of one hit ball against the San Diego Gamers. The Lions ended up winning the tourney. Here is video from my outing:
Immediately after the USD tourney, I was off to the Phil Singer Tournament (July 30- Aug 5; San Diego, CA) to pitch for the So Cal Dirtbags. I started the third game (I think), and pitched a complete game for the win. Going the distance is always a good test of physical and mental stamina, and I know it helps keep the other arms rested for the next games. Unfortunately, the Dirtbags flamed out after my outing.
And then it was off to Lake Powell for houseboat vacation. I had been looking forward to a week of wakeboarding in the warmth of the desert sun. It was perfect. I had tried wakeboarding only once before the trip, but by the end of the week I was feeling pretty good about my ability. It has been rough going back into the cold Pacific Ocean water. We were pretty spoiled at Lake Powell.
Probably my strategic hiccup this summer was pitching for the Liberty Lions at the USA Baseball - NTIS Selection Tournament (August 17-21; Impire City, CA). I had just got back from vacation, and while I thought I was ready to go, I wasn't as sharp as I should have been. I gave up only one run while surviving through five innings, but gave up two in the sixth. While we were still leading when I exited, our relief corp struggled in the seventh and gave up three runs for the loss.
It has been a summer of a lot of showcases and tournaments, and working out as much as my body would allow. I plan to step up the training this fall to lock in my change-up and speed up my fastball.
School started on August 24th. Yep, my senior year. There is a lot of college research going on, trying to find the best fit academically and athletically. Hopefully all the hard work will pay off.
