The sour taste of defeat stung in my mouth as I walked off the mound on March 8th in our series finale against Boise State. After coming off the best start of my career from the three weeks prior, I left Idaho feeling the pain of humility that baseball always finds a way to bring. I had just logged in my first loss of the season and was stuck with the unprecedented urge to go back out there and redeem myself. "It's just one bad outing," I kept saying… "There's still a whole lot of season left."
But there wasn't. And little did I know that might have been the last time I'd ever step foot on a collegiate mound.
Since then, it's been difficult to comprehend what exactly has transpired over the past month. This pandemic has sent our world into a state of angst and uncertainty, compromising the health and safety of people worldwide.
My heart goes out to those personally affected by the virus as well as the first responders out there on the front lines fighting this disease. We've all recognized this is something that's bigger than baseball and bigger than sports; nevertheless, it's left the student-athlete community in a bit of a haze.
This goes back to everything we trained for. It's the accumulation of those little moments like the 5:45am wakeup calls for morning workouts, the seemingly never-ending two-a-day practices in the fall, and the hours upon hours of extra swings and throws we all put in to prepare for THIS opportunity to perform.
It's devastating.
We endured all those moments that emulate what it means to be a student-athlete, only to have the defining stage of it all pulled from underneath us.
For seniors, the impact of this situation is even heavier; because it's not just our season that abruptly got stripped away, but rather, our sense purpose and identity. To be clear, solely defining myself as a baseball player is nowhere close to capturing who I am as a person. However, the experiences I've had, the lessons I've learned, and the people I've met through baseball have played a tremendous role into shaping who I am today.
The competitive spirit, unwavering resilience, and drive to overcome adversity are all engrained in my identity because of baseball.
But when it's all gone, you're left in the unknown; uncertain of what's to come and wondering how you'll continue to grow without the sports platform that you know and love. Yet, this feeling is both saddening and liberating at the same time.
On one hand, I grieve over the fact that I may never play baseball again, but the other side of me is thrilled to start the next chapter of my life. It's cliché, but the possibilities are endless. I can now direct my energy to building my career, finding new passions, and exploring what the world has to offer; all the while, using the tools I've acquired from baseball to help me along the way.
I'm beyond grateful for the time I've been able to spend as a Seattle U Student-Athlete. To all of SU Athletics: Thank you for allowing me to engage in such a unique and compassionate community that I will forever call family. To my coaches: Thank you for taking a chance on this walk-on from Pali High. You've given me a life-altering experience that will be permanently instilled into who I am and who I will become. To my parents: Thank you for your everlasting love and support through this incredible journey. And finally, to all my fellow seniors: We're in the Big Leagues now, so let's get after it.
-Tyler
But there wasn't. And little did I know that might have been the last time I'd ever step foot on a collegiate mound.
Since then, it's been difficult to comprehend what exactly has transpired over the past month. This pandemic has sent our world into a state of angst and uncertainty, compromising the health and safety of people worldwide.
My heart goes out to those personally affected by the virus as well as the first responders out there on the front lines fighting this disease. We've all recognized this is something that's bigger than baseball and bigger than sports; nevertheless, it's left the student-athlete community in a bit of a haze.
This goes back to everything we trained for. It's the accumulation of those little moments like the 5:45am wakeup calls for morning workouts, the seemingly never-ending two-a-day practices in the fall, and the hours upon hours of extra swings and throws we all put in to prepare for THIS opportunity to perform.
It's devastating.
We endured all those moments that emulate what it means to be a student-athlete, only to have the defining stage of it all pulled from underneath us.
For seniors, the impact of this situation is even heavier; because it's not just our season that abruptly got stripped away, but rather, our sense purpose and identity. To be clear, solely defining myself as a baseball player is nowhere close to capturing who I am as a person. However, the experiences I've had, the lessons I've learned, and the people I've met through baseball have played a tremendous role into shaping who I am today.
The competitive spirit, unwavering resilience, and drive to overcome adversity are all engrained in my identity because of baseball.
But when it's all gone, you're left in the unknown; uncertain of what's to come and wondering how you'll continue to grow without the sports platform that you know and love. Yet, this feeling is both saddening and liberating at the same time.
On one hand, I grieve over the fact that I may never play baseball again, but the other side of me is thrilled to start the next chapter of my life. It's cliché, but the possibilities are endless. I can now direct my energy to building my career, finding new passions, and exploring what the world has to offer; all the while, using the tools I've acquired from baseball to help me along the way.
I'm beyond grateful for the time I've been able to spend as a Seattle U Student-Athlete. To all of SU Athletics: Thank you for allowing me to engage in such a unique and compassionate community that I will forever call family. To my coaches: Thank you for taking a chance on this walk-on from Pali High. You've given me a life-altering experience that will be permanently instilled into who I am and who I will become. To my parents: Thank you for your everlasting love and support through this incredible journey. And finally, to all my fellow seniors: We're in the Big Leagues now, so let's get after it.
-Tyler