The beloved ‘off day’ after a series win over Appalachian State

Monday is the safe haven. Ask any college baseball player in the middle of spring and he would tell you how glorious Mondays are Why? Monday is the “off day.” It’s the time of the year when our bodies begin to feel tattered and decrepit, so having Mondays to rejuvenate ourselves is like having fresh water in the summer’s heat. My freshman year J.D. Reichenbach, now a pitcher in the Cleveland Indians organization and reigning “best uniform guy” in the SoCon, told me right before the season started that the best advice he could impart after four years of playing collegiate ball was to “cherish the off day.” Every Monday my body recollects and applauds his seasoned advice. This Monday the Phoenix can rest our bodies with a sweet taste of a series victory against #29-ranked Appalachian State lingering in our mouths.

After being shut out during Saturday’s contest to this week’s SoCon Pitcher of the Week Seth Grant, we regrouped and put up 11 runs against ASU’s two, in the rubber game to clinch the series victory. It was a shame that we offensive players couldn’t put up some runs to help Spencer garner a victory after he pitched 7 1/3 innings only giving up two runs and striking out six ASU hitters. Saturday evening our 4-0 loss left us in a mood that matched the gloomy weather that painted Elon. However, our bats came back Sunday with a point to prove notching 12 hits including a 3-for-3 performance by Quinn, Elefante receiving his first extra-base hit of his career, and Garrett putting on a fireworks show with his grand slam in the sixth inning that put the Mountaineers away for good. And then there was the reliable consistency of Swim going 2-for-4 and extending his hitting streak to 18 games — right into his birthday, which is today.

Spencer’s great pitching performance

A huge part of why our offense was able to relax and produce was on account of Whitehead allowing just two runs in six innings. Whitehead’s walkout song “New Noise” by Refused has a title that was ominous for ASU hitters: a “new noise” of not being able to outscore SoCon opponents this year. Bird finished off the last few innings by “cutting down” ASU hitters, also demonstrating a performance that illustrates his walkout song’s lyrics: “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” by Johnny Cash.

With 12 home games under our belts we’ve been able to hear everyone’s walkout song at least a couple times and thus came the

Crazy Fire

yearly vote of “who’s got the best song.” Today at lunch a few of us discussed the contending songs and five songs stand above the rest in player appreciation:

1) Swim: “Your Love” by The Outfield

2) Bird: “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” by Johnny Cash

3) Garrett: “Electric Feel” by MGMT

4) Serra: “Danza Kuduro” by Don Omar

5) Tomko: “Sweet Child Of Mine” by Guns and Roses

The genre of songs spreads across the musical spectrum, just like our fashion tastes and hairstyles but if the offense keeps producing like Sunday’s performance I’m sure Coach Buck and “Buck’s School of Hitting” will have no problem with the diversity. As mentioned in an earlier blog, it is always fun to see whose walkout song describes them the best. My top two for this year’s “describing songs” are Connor’s “Song of the South” by Alabama and Doogie’s “Cold As Ice” by Foreigner.

Much like our diversity in musical interests is our interests and methods of spending our “off day.” I speak for the team when I say that first and foremost it is a day to physically regroup — that can take form in many ways. Some forms would be by taking our lovely trainer Jodi’s offer for cold tub treatments in the field house or joining Doogie on the couch to

Tomko’s fort

watch “How I Met Your Mother.” Many of the guys on the team are going to see “The Hunger Games” today, some are slaking their hunger at Crazy Fire, probably with Grant, and others are playing games on Xbox, the majority of the freshman class. Then there is Tomko, an adventure-minded man like myself, who chooses to convert his dorm room into a glorified fort. Tomko, I salute your venturesome.

With another conference series victory under our belts as we #DefendTheRing, we can let our walkout songs linger in our minds as we take the advice of baseball sages like J.D. enjoying the long awaited “off day”.

Niko Fraser –“Georgia” by Ray Charles ft. Ludacris	Darren Lauer– “When The Music’s Over” by The Doors
Chris Bresnahan– “Moment Of Clarity” by Jay-Z	Sam Paone– “Levels” by Avicii
Nick Bruno– “Better Than You” by Sam Adams	Ryan Kinsella– “Gold Dust” by Flux Pavilion
Eric Serra– “Danza Kuduro” by Don Omar	Spencer Medick– “I Use What I Got” by Jason Aldean
Sebastian Gomez– “Levels” by Shrillex	Kyle Webb– “Bad Company” by 5 Finger Death Punch
Michael Elefante– “300 Violin Orchestra” by Jorge Quintero	Andrew MacDonald– “Cold As Ice” by Foreigner
Casey Jones– “Nike Boots” by Wale	Ryan Pennell– “Born In The USA” by Bruce Springsteen
Joey Tomko– “Sweet Child Of Mine” by Guns and Roses	Alex Swim– “Your Love” by The Outfield
Garrett Koster– “Electric Feel” by MGMT	Quinn Bower” Tony Montana” by Future ft. Drake
Jordan Darnell– “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” by Johnny Cash	Brad MacHaffie– “Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent
Jake Luce– “Lose Yourself” by Eminem	Blaine Bower– “The Least I Could Do” by Ice Berg
Alec Bankhead by “Ride Wit Me” by TI	John Antonelli– “Take It To The House” by Trick Daddy
Eric Hailer– “I’m On It” by J Cole	Dylan Clark– “A Warrior’s Call” by Volbeat
Tyler McVicar– “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan	Jim Stokes– “Lights” by Ellie Goulding
Grant McCoury– “No Diggity” by Blackstreet	Grant Fisher– “Right Now” by Van Halen
Nate Young– “Beyond Belief” by Lecrae	Connor Lewis– “Song Of The South” by Alabama
David Whitehead– “New Noise” by Refused