Sam Cunningham

February 16, 2004

It is hard to imagine a team more prepared and excited for Opening Day then we were, but our opening series with Christopher Newport, ranked No. 3 in the nation, was washed out.

The commitment of all 31 players since practice began in September was clearly above and beyond the level of any previous year. Of course, all that hard work was rewarded on our last pre-season weekend as we soaked and relaxed our minds and bodies in the slightly cool waters of Lake Lanier.

The team's excitement for the coming season was best expressed by the rarely seen, but always enjoyed, "Freshman Semi-Formal Dance." The brainchild of the normally reserved Jason Glushon, this year's ensemble could be said to be the second-best freshman dance in team history. For the second year in a row, the "highlight" of the evening was Aaron Rosdal's solo dance exhibition.

Our team is young this year, but that fact does not affect our confidence entering the season. With experience in our starting lineup and our opening weekend pitching rotation backed up to face South region rivals Sewanee (Tuesday) and Washington and Lee (Wednesday), we look to start the season strong.

Our bats should help pitchers Will Carr get some wins as a starter (for a change) and back sophomore Tommy Mieczkowski as he brings the "Bull Dance" from the batting cage out to the pitcher's mound.

Sam Cunningham is a sophomore from Atlanta, Ga. He would love to answer e-mail questions from Emory recruits and fans.