Appalachian State men's club baseball member Joseph Timp pitches during a game versus Middle Tennessee State. Photo by Rachel Noel

by BRYAN LAIL
Intern Sports Reporter

With a fresh slate of football games on televisions and campuses nationwide in full swing this fall, America’s traditional pastime once again finds itself relegated to obscurity.

But as many baseball teams begin storing away gloves and bats in anticipation of the spring, Appalachian State’s third-year club baseball team is just now breaking them out.

Last season, Appalachian won the South-Atlantic Conference West of the National Club Baseball Association, which includes Vanderbilt, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State.

Yet the Apps fell short in regional competition of what has come to be their sole focus this year, a spot in the NCBA’s own version of the World Series.

The NCBA consists of eight teams that duel double-elimination style to earn the honor of league champion each year in Fort Myers, Fla.

A similar run to their 12-3 mark last year is still a goal team leaders feel is within their reach, even after losing six starters from last year’s team.

Early practices have been ongoing for nearly two weeks as the team looks to rebound from the significant loss to their lineup by hosting a group of recent freshmen acquisitions.

“There’s really not that much difference, it’s just new talent coming in,” team vice president and junior building sciences major Ben J. Wilson said. “It’s pretty cool having freshmen around getting the word out.”

Fall practices and games will be used primarily as a measuring stick for the younger players as the team looks forward to conference action this spring.

Appalachian will open with its first game Sunday at Wake Forest.

R. Bryan Holbrook, senior management major and founder of club baseball at Appalachian, has kept things running since the team’s inception and now fills the role of treasurer, a job which should prove to be a bit less of a hassle for the team as a whole. 

In Appalachian’s first two years, players had to fund traveling, equipment and all other expenses from their own pockets and hold fund raising events, which Holbrook also pioneered as a freshman.

While always in need of extra cash, some of the team’s monetary pressure will be eased for the first time this year, in no small part to the team’s successes last season.

Appalachian State has opened the bank after recognizing the young squad as an official club sport at the school, and will provide a small portion of budget money to help keep things running.

While the team remains confident, they are by no means settled at each position for the year and will welcome new participants throughout the fall.

But those applicants should be forewarned that club baseball at Appalachian this year is to be taken seriously.

“I was uncertain, I didn’t know how serious it was [when I started],” Corey E. Mallard, junior accounting major and team president said. “We put the best people on the field; we’re looking to win it. We want to have fun, but we have more fun when we win.”

Any interested can visit asuclubbaseball.com in the coming weeks for information.

Photo by Rachel Noel  |  The Appalachian

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