news-record.com

OMAHA, Neb. -- I have realized in the few short days we have had out here in Omaha thus far that college baseball is the ultimate team sport. I know football claims to be, with all of the different plays relying on 11 guys to do their part. However, if you hang around this team for mere hours, you just realize how tight we are and how much it means to be here at the College World Series as a team.

For instance, we had a lot of extra time on our bus rides back from the USA Stadium in Cary as our Boshamer home is under construction. These thirty minutes of down time has led to the most ridiculous chants and singing you have ever heard from a group of 18- to 23-year-olds. Almost always a "U-S-A" somehow comes about, whether it is in the locker room, shower, bus rides or even the dugout. "Proud to be an American" one way or another always bursts into song, with the entire bus screaming. It was only fitting when the same song was played during the fireworks spectacle at the Opening Ceremonies. Everybody hesitated, looked at each other, and immediately started to sing at the top of our lungs.

Our team might be the only one that makes fun of each other to the point of being mildly harsh. Any time that somebody gets involved with a girl, the rest of the team knows the following day; not only do they know, but they ridicule every possible event.

If you can find another team that does impersonations just to put another person down in good humor, let me know. It started in the beginning of the year with former players -- Mark Fleury does the uncanny bowlegged walk and jump of last year's closer, Andrew Carignan. Then it moved to current players: Brian Moran's joke of Colin Bates' extreme pitching motion and awkward bent-over run, and even Tim Federowicz' horribly funny stand-in-place dance moves have come under fire.

This progression has turned to even making fun of the coaches, which have been some of the funnier moments on the field. Coach Forbes' middle name is Rodney, so one can imagine the jokes cracked at just that. Coach Holbrook's screeches of "No doubles!" is jabbered around with Forbes' dramatic and sometimes hilarious rantings of "Guys! Together everyone achieves more!" Believe me, practice every day is filled with laughter.

That is why college baseball is the ultimate team sport. Throw 40 guys together every day from August to June, and a bond will be drawn through each 5-hour practice, morning lift and game.

This bond is tougher than anything I have ever experienced, and this is why before our first game, I know we will win.