Still playing for fans, no longer as a Phoenix

Jimmy Reyes putting together a seventh-round selection worthy season for the Phoenix in 2010

I remember those times back in grade school when I would put my hat on backwards, flip to the left side of the plate and try to replicate the sweet swing of Ken Griffey Jr. Or, in my brief stint as a 12-year-old pitcher try to copy the chaotic windup of “D-Train” (Dontrelle Willis). It was an absolute catastrophe on the latter, hence the reason I play outfield. Well, I believe all of us college baseball players used to make a fool of ourselves in the mirror trying to copy the big leaguers. We all have that childhood dream of one day playing in front of thousands with a big league logo sewn on our chest.

One of the coolest things in being a Phoenix baseball player is watching my teammates get closer and closer to reaching that goal. Luckily, we have many en route. I find myself frequently visiting MiLB.com to keep up with my old teammates in the spring and then I see them in the fall as they stagger back to Elon, off the 100+ game grind wearing their professional team’s clothing.

This fall we had three guys who trained at Elon, daily dressed in their professional team’s clothing: Jimmy Reyes, Neal Pritchard and Mitch Conner.

Mitch Conner pitching for the Brevard County Manatees this past season

Jimmy left my freshman year in the seventh round to the Rangers. Mitch and Neal left last year to the Brewers and Cardinals in the 36th round and by free agency, respectively. All of these guys left indelible marks in the Phoenix uniform, some for more ways than one.

Every day we would see the three of them either in the weight room getting chiseled up by Coach Mac’s “BodyByMac” program or on the field swinging wooden bats and throwing the “Minor League” baseball around. Yes, there is a difference in the seams of the baseball and if you take one of Jimmy or Mitch’s baseballs, you’re doomed. The trio would offer up advice to the Phoenix players throughout the fall, baseball wisdom plucked from the field of professional play.

Jimmy is from Miami and wants everyone to know that the “U” football team will rise again, debatable to say the least. Also, Jimmy is like Dylan in the fact that he is very aware of current events. If you ever want to talk to him about politics, sports, or how to make college hitters look stupid, Jimmy’s your guy. My favorite moment playing Jimmy was my freshman year in conference tournament against Samford. I got to watch from left field as he cashed in one of the most impressive performances I’ve ever seen: nine shutout innings and a victory.

Mitch, the “Con-air,” grew up in Charlotte and Sarasota, Fla., and developed a knee-buckling curveball somewhere in between. We’ll miss him closing out the 11 one-run victories that we had last year en route to the championship. Mitch likes to have fun and he deprives hitters of that fun in their feeble attempt to hit off him in the late innings. My favorite memories playing with Mitch were all the times that I got to watch in right field on the verge of insanity as he “shut the door” on the SoCon.

Neal, or “Pritch,” is one of the most laid-back guys I’ve ever met, with an appealing simplistic view on most things. He’s also one of the smoothest fielding shortstops I’ve ever played with and I know that we will miss him manning down the position at the ‘Lath this year.

Pritch paired himself with the word “clutch” after his late-inning heroics against Wofford last year on a Friday night. He hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth and a walk-off the same game in the 11th inning. Pritch epitomizes the phrase “cool, calm, collective.”

Pritch honing down shortstop for the Phoenix

With them heading on to spring training in the coming weeks, I speak for the Phoenix when I say that their minor league statistics pages will be receiving quite a few visits from us college players hoping to one day be where they are.