On the Road with Senior Trace Dempsey – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 6, 2015
Monday, Feb. 9:
Yesterday we concluded our Florida trip with one final day of practice. We started off the morning with a team breakfast at the hotel at 8:30, and were off to the field at 9:30. It was a perfect day for baseball. Again, we took a round of batting practice and the boys looked great. Multiple balls were sent over the fence. You would have thought Nick Sergakis was in a homerun derby! On top of that, the boys showed great bat control and were spraying the ball everywhere. After BP, we went straight into the scrimmage. Jake Post and Ryan Riga both threw very well and filled up the strike zone.
There were a ton of highlights from the day. Craig Nennig was his own personal highlight reel by making two diving plays at shortstop and sending a ball out in left during the scrimmage. Another thing that was great to see was Jacob Bosiokovic having a great day at the plate. Continuing his hot streak from the day before, he hit a triple and a towering ball way out of the park in left. Really glad he is healthy after a minor setback of having surgery this past summer.
After practice, we headed to North Port Charlotte High School to shower and were on our way to the airport in Fort Myers. All we saw on social media was how nice it was in Columbus, but we definitely were content with our situation. Another thing that was certain is that nobody wanted to leave. The man who collected our boarding passes asked us “Are you sure you want to go home?” We got back into Columbus, unpacked our gear, and the only thing the guys were talking about is how they couldn’t wait to get back down there in four days! This trip not only helped us fine tune our skills and get outside, but it also got the boys excited and feeling confident. We are extremely thankful for this opportunity and we didn’t take it lightly. We were able to get a great amount of work in! This team is ready to prove people wrong, goal oriented and hungry for success! Can’t wait to get back down there and get this season rolling! Go Bucks! #everyday
Saturday, Feb. 7:
What a day! The sun was shining and we were eager to get outside and play. We started off with a team meal in the hotel at 11:30 then headed to the ballpark. It was an extremely productive day. We stretched and went straight into batting practice and the boys couldn’t wait to see the ball fly off their bats. The hitters were absolutely crushing the ball and it was great for the defense to get live reps (ground balls, flyballs, etc.). It was also fun to see some of the pitchers in the outfield shagging and tracking down balls. We always make that part of batting practice fun. After BP, we went over some double cuts and relays, which allowed the outfielders and infielders to show off their arms while letting it fly and also getting a feel for the dimensions of a field again.
We proceeded by going straight into the scrimmage, which was an absolute success. The starting pitchers Tanner Tully and Travis Lakins set the tone by pumping the strike zone. Usually at this time of the year, the pitchers are way ahead of the hitters, but Ronnie Dawson and Bosi launched two balls well over the fence. There was a lot of things we were able to accomplish today that we couldn’t do indoors. For example guys were able to get real reads while running the bases, get live ball reads off the bat, and react to game-like situations.
Another note, in the final inning it was tied 6-6, and with a man on third and no outs, Michael Horejsei got out of the jam without surrendering a run.
By no surprise, my statement about the fan base attached to this university yesterday, was put on display today. We had a great turnout of the fans down here in Florida show up today to watch. They were there from the first pitch of BP to the last pitch of the scrimmage. After the scrimmage, they had a full spread of food waiting on us. The fans down here aren’t just fans, there is an actual Buckeye Club down here that get together to watch football games during the fall too! They love the Buckeyes. The best part was getting to talk to some of the people afterwards and hearing about their love for our school. We even met a man who pitched for the Buckeyes from 1971-1974. It just shows how much support we have that people would come out and watch us workout. We are back at the hotel now and can’t wait to get back out there tomorrow! Ryan Riga and Jake Post are the scheduled starters tomorrow. Go Bucks! #everyday
Friday, Feb. 6: The Buckeyes made it safe and sound to Port Charlotte, Florida. We left Columbus today around 4:30, stopped in Atlanta for a small layover and were wheels up again to Fort Myers. We touched down in Fort Myers and were welcomed by a swift ocean breeze and after we claimed our bags the boys couldn’t wait to get outside and feel the air (the rest of the country, not so much). We then drove from Fort Myers down to Port Charlotte.
The boys are eager to get out on the ball field tomorrow and fly around. It is expected to be around the low 70’s and sunny. Some of us have forgotten what it feels like to have the sun beaming down on your face. When we travel, we wear a sport coat and dress pants, so you can imagine the looks you get from people who see 40 guys walking through an airport looking rather stylish. While waiting for our flight in Atlanta, one woman in a side convenient store asked Connor Sabanosh and I, “What are you guys?”
One thing we have found out from our travels through countless airports all over the country is the unrivaled fan base attached to this great university. When people saw our backpacks with the Ohio State logo they were quick to shout “O-H!” One woman working at the Atlanta airport even asked for a picture with some of the guys!
A funny note from our time in the air today: Jordan McDonough sat across the aisle from me on the flight to Atlanta and I jokingly said, “You scared of flying J?” He looked at me with a stone-cold stare (being the typical talkative guy he is) and said “This is actually my first time flying”. So J-Mac handled his first time in the air pretty well. We checked into our hotel around 9:30 right off the port in Punta Gorda with a beautiful ocean view.
Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day and the boys can’t wait to get out there. We are going to take BP and scrimmage. Being down here a week before the season has quickly reassured the young guys why they decided to be a Buckeye and further proved to the older guys how fortunate and privileged we are to attend The Ohio State University and represent the Scarlet and Gray. No other team in the country is able to do this, and we are ready to take full advantage of this phenomenal opportunity! Bring on tomorrow! Go Bucks! #everyday
