Student Blogger: Will Cornelius

And then...there was the end.

This will also be online for the Guilfordian.  My glimpse of "the end".

The beautiful thing about baseball is that its timeless.  It’s probably the one thing that keeps you sane in a game designed for you to fail.  If you have a bad day, there is always the comfort of tomorrow.  The trouble now is, there is no tomorrow -- and certainly no warm and fuzzy feeling.

I’ve been playing baseball ever since I can remember. No, seriously.  Call up my mom and she will proudly display album after album of toothless tee-ball pictures.  “Movies-to-go” was my personal favorite, but thats a totally different article for a totally different day. The point is all my life there has been baseball.  In every phase there has been this game, and it ultimately defines your character.  Some of my closest friends and greatest moments have come between the white lines.

I guess everyone tries to mentally prepare themselves for “the end”.  I mean even professional players eventually hang up their spikes and move on.  I definitely tried, and as it turns out, this is even harder than I expected.  The whole day Saturday was a blur.  I remember trying to just soak up the moment, but it really becomes difficult to comprehend your final at-bat and the last three outs.  It was borderline surreal, but it didn’t come without a much harsher reality.  After we shook hands and packed up it was the saddest day of the year all over again...baseball had ended.  And this time for good.

In retrospect, my baseball life has probably been satisfactory.  Like I said, I’ve met most of my closest friends on a baseball field and I have memories that will last a lifetime.  Still, it seems like just yesterday I was playing AAU baseball, hoping hotel fences every weekend to sneak into pools.  Now I’ve managed to survive the longevity of  four college seasons and somewhere  in the neighborhood of one million bullpens, yet I’m still not ready to see it go.

Even as we rode home on the bus yesterday, it was a somber, shocking experience. It was my last hooray, and it finally hit me when I woke up the next day -- it’s over.     

I suppose I can toss my man card aside and get a little emotional, because it is most definitely an emotional time.  Id be lying if I told you my eyes were dry when my parents hugged me on senior day and told me they were proud.  Hell, my eyes are beginning to water a little while writing this. 

But I’ve always believed baseball is a love/hate game.  It’s such a weird relationship.  It can drive you crazy at times, and elate you at others.  It has certainly captivated me for the last 17 years of my life.  Yet no matter how many times I’ve been angry, tired, disgusted, cheated, insert adjective here, the only thing I can think about now is how much I LOVE this game. 

Call me soft, but I will miss it.  Every single minute of it. 

I’ll end with a quote, because to this day I have never read anything more appropriate.

“You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end, it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.”

 ~Jim Bouton 

Brutus has been at my mom's house for almost four days...and what does he do when he FINALLY gets to see me again? Sleep haha

Another Daw-some evening downtown

If you have every played a single game of competitive baseball in your life, then you are more than aware that every player in the majors is living the dream.  If you happen to find yourself in that boat, then you also know that the chance to live a day in their shoes is probably up there with your wedding day and your first-born child. As such, our game against Greensboro last night night was nothing short of amazing -- the field is immaculate, the locker rooms are unreal and we just so happened to be playing our biggest rivals.  

We arrived especially early to drink it all in, but the true highlight of the evening had to be Zack Daw "churning the butter" to the tune of a shutout victory.  I have to shout him out because ZD has been "Dawsome" this year for us, topped off with ANOTHER BIG WIN last night.  The bigger Starbuck also hit one off the scoreboard that could potentially cause technical problems for the Hoppers this summer.  Just a great all around win/night.  

Ironically enough, i have to go to work right now -- at the Grasshoppers' stadium.  Just thought I'd be remiss if i didn't shout out our first sweep of Greensboro since I've been here.  Again, props to Daw and big Buck.  Now it's time to get ready for the weekend.  We need to bring it against Virginia Wesleyan to keep our chances of the ODAC Tourney alive.  Hopefully I'll have something up about the weekend Sunday night.  Thanks for stopping by, and until next time..keep it classy.

-- WC

“I know it seems hard sometimes but remember one thing. Through every dark night, theres a bright day after that. So no matter how hard it gets, stick your chest out, keep ya head up.... and handle it.”

-- Tupac

PS Final Four is this weekend..Who ya got?  You on the MSU Bandwagon..or cheering for Butler in the HOME game?  Drop me a line in the comment box..

The Title-less Title

Baseball is a crazy game.  It's really the only thought popping into my head as I sit here and pray Duke can pull off the win over Baylor.  I typically hate Duke, but I guess as a former ACC employee I should probably cheer for any team left at this point. Anyway, back to baseball.  Since my last post we managed to drop eight consecutive games, including two heart breakers on the road against Washington and Lee.  It seems like every game thus far has been a heart breaker, actually. We were winning both games in the last inning, but somehow let them come back and take two wins that should have been ours.  Taking a loss is always tough, but it is especially difficult when they are just taken from you. If anything that has been our motto thus far...we are very good but keep losing games we SHOULD win.  We really just need to stay together as a team and anything is really possible.  I guess it's really more than a motto at this point, because we stuck through all the hard times and took two HUGE games from Eastern Mennonite this weekend, putting us right back into the hunt for the ODAC tournament.  Now we really control our own destiny -- we take care of business over the last few weeks and were in...we slide in any way and well be watching the tourney from the stands. 

Its halftime now, and Duke is starting to play like little girls.  But regardless of how terrible Brian Zoubek is (some say he's the best screen setter in the league though) it's time to take advantage of today's cancellation and do some homework. Hopefully I'll be back on by the end of the week with an update on this weekend's conference action.  Shout out to the men's basketball team real quick though.  Sorry it fell short fellas, but touche on the run.  Finally, Heavy P..let the haters hate.  We BOTH knew Tom Izzo would lead them to the promise land.  Okay..enough playing around though.  Thanks for stopping by..be easy until next time.

-- WC

"Did you see that?  He's smiling like he just stole a Christmas tree"

-- Will James, Fr. Pitcher 

Exam, Paper, Game, Exam, Paper, Repeat

Man has it been a tough two week stretch.  I know i commented last time on how i would be on more often, but i really have been sooo swamped with work -- the title is no joke.  But since my last time on here, we managed to spank out cross town rival, Greensboro College. We also took two games from Neumann the next day, but dropped an additional two to a very good Case Western team the net day.

Although two wins in two days is pretty good, our team goal is to make the conference tournament in Lynchburg, meaning that conference games are priority number one.  Ironically, the road to Lynchburg runs through Lynchburg College, a team that plays us tough to say the least.  We played well against them, but ultimately fell short by two runs.  We played them so close that it almost acted as a wake up call to show we can play with any team in the conference.

Five days later, we took that belief to the diamond against Emory and Henry and walked out with two wins. Two conference wins is HUGE, especially when you play at home.  Even more important, those two wins kept us riding a high note right before spring break.

Now I know what you're thinking -- "you couldn't manage to right ONE blog over spring break."  Well touche..because I certainly had some free time, but between numerous papa john pizzas and the 70 degree weather, I spent most of the break playing outside with my bulldog Brutus and catching up on the sleep I missed from exams.  But it wasn't all fun and games, because after our two day break, it was right back to work to get ready for another conference weekend.  

Some rain forced us to move our double header with Hampden-Sydney back to Sunday.  It seriously rained there for three days and the field looked like a cross between a swamp and the Atlantic Ocean.  i watched from the comfort of my dry plate as outfielders dove around in the water logged outfield.  But it was wet for both teams and at day's end, we managed a split.  Props to our ace Adam Hart for a gem in game one.  Game two didn't go so smooth, so it was kind of a long ride back with yet another box of pizza.

As nice as the break was, however, reality has set in, and I'm finally realizing how truly behind I am in school.  We can just go ahead and use that as my excuse for slacking in blogs.  I know this one was already long, so I'll spare you any more details and just go try and tackle my mound of homework.  Who knows...I might even finish enough to post another blog before another month passes.  Thanks for stopping by (even though this one was kind of boring)..hopefully I can come back strong with some witty metaphors and lame jokes my next post.  Keep it classy until then...

-- WC

"You can take away the bench, but you can't take away the bullpen"

-- Reid Maclean 

Just a summer breeze...

Apparently I am mistaken, because i thought we were in North Carolina.  Today it was 35 degrees with a "feels like" reading of 17.  I thought my ears were going to fall off at practice, and the crazy amounts of layers i was wearing made any type of serious movement borderline uncomfortable.  The good news is the NCAA feels bad for everybody like me who HATES the cold, and has a one-hour limit when its below freezing.  Thus, today was a short, but fun practice.  We spent the whole time catching pop flys, which in 45 mph gusts of wind, becomes quite entertaining.  If you've never seen a baseball in 45 mph wind...imagine a pop up to the third baseman ending up in the glove of the first basebam..no joke -- it was crazy.  But like I said, short and sweet from now on.  I have to go wrap this paper up before I head to the class it's due in.  After that its the Guilford v EMU basketball game.  We're ranked number one in the country, and appear to be unstoppable in the conference.  I guess only time can tell.  Oh yeah..then there is the number two game of the night.  Duke plays somebody, but I can't remember who.  Oh it must be Carolina -- I hope they get embarrassed at home (can you tell I'm not a fan of the baby blue?)  Watch for my Noles to upset clemson at home tonight too.  Do work boys.  Okay..i'm really leaving this time.  Toodles for now and be easy until next time... 

-- WC

Opening day and all that jazz..

So I had a sudden epiphany last week about my blogging experience and realized first, that i am slacking beyond belief, and second, that I have been going about this all wrong. When approached about the possibility of a blog, the idea was to provide updates all the time, and I realized I haven't really been doing that at all.  So after this one, posts will be shorter but more often..so give me a look every once in awhile!!

But enough of the boring logistics, this weekend was our opening day.  The rain/snow monsoon over Greensboro basically covered our field so we have been in the gym for the last week so this weekend was our first time on an actual field in awhile.  Usually not good.  But we turned good pre-game batting practice into a big win in game one against Piedmont.  Our lefty Adam Hart pitched a gem thru six and Simpson and Blocher (Blocha Flocka) closed it out.

We ended up in the comfort inn after the win..hotels are always a different experience.  Some people like to go away and do the whole bus-gig but i would much rather play at home...buses and all that just grow old eventually.  The worst part was having to watch the superbowl there.  I would have much rather been in my recliner in front of my big tv..oh well.  Regardless, we still had to rest up for the next day.

Monday's game didnt go as smooth as the first though.  We got down early and werent really able to get past it.  We shut them down later in the game, but the quick four runs really hurt.  But all things considering it was a good weekend.  PC beat us twice last year at home, and we just went into their place and beat them in our first time out...definitely a successful weekend. 

But I have to head out and do some homework. We missed class today so im playing catch up on the work already.  Thanks for stopping by..and like i said I'm coming out with new stuff soon so check me out again in a few days.  Be easy until next time...

-- WC

You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time. 

 ~Jim Bouton
(I'll double up on that just because its so true)

2009 was awesome, but let's do this 2010!

Wow..I remember stepping foot onto campus in August of 2006 thinking to myself "Man, four more years of school."  Three years, two schools, and one change in majors later, I am singing quite a different tune.  No matter how you slice it, 2010 is upon us and that means one thing for me: the ride is almost over.   

Okay, enough of the sentimental, mushy talk.  I am actually coming to you live from the McDonalds in Steubenville, OH because my grandma is slacking in the wireless internet department.  As it turns out, wi-fi at Micky D's isn't free, but I almost felt too bad not having posted a blog since my amazing trip to Tampa for the ACC Championship game (or maybe it's because I have now had three different people rag me about my lack of updates.) Regardless of the reason, I am back and hopefully I can provide some entertainment for all those people who live and die by the posts of my blog.

Let's see though, tons of great things have happened since my last post -- Florida finally lost and Tebow cried on national TV, I somehow managed to survive exams and Christmas came and went.  I guess I would be remiss if I didn't mention Tampa because the experience was certainly once in a lifetime.  I met so many cool people it was ridiculous and absolutely had a blast hanging out with the other interns.  Oh yeah -- I also saw the whole game from the field and watched CJ Spiller dance down the sideline twice for touchdowns.  But the highlight of the weekend was definitely Erin Andrews, who despite being somewhat cold, took the time to snap a quick picture with me.  Check my facebook if we’re friends because it will definitely be my default forever.  That’s enough about the game though, because there are far too many awesome memories for one blog...if you want to know more grab me sometimes and ill be more than happy to tell you all you want to know.

Back in the real world I managed to survive exams thanks to two all-nighters and who knows how many venti Starbucks.  I took a few days off after the dust settled and later saw the hard work paid off with good grades which put me in a fantastic mood for the upcoming Christmas season.  Its definitely one of my favorite holidays, and this year was no exception.  Santa brought me somme surround sound speakers to add to my ever-expanding electronics collection, meaning I will probably spend even more time playing Call of Duty this semester than this semester past (if that is even possible.) 

However, with christmas over and New Year’s Eve around the corner, its time for baseball season and I could not be more excited.  I am in somewhat of a unique situation in that academically I am a senior, but on the field I still have one more year of eligibility remaining.  Being that some form of graduate school is most likely in my near future, this year will most likely be my last to suit up in uniform.  Its pretty sad because I have played baseball since I could walk and it is a HUGE aspect of my life, but I am also completely stoked to begin life after college, especially since I feel more driven than ever to make my dream aspirations more of a reality than I ever thought possible.

Aside from sleeping in and LOVING the short break from school, my days are pretty consumed with getting myself ready for baseball.  I try to work out at least four times a week, with baseball workouts almost everyday.  The only problem is the weather, which doesn’t always cooperate for outside affairs.  As such, I drive over to an indoor facility in Greensboro to get my work in there.  That’s pretty much all that is going on in the life of the on-break student-athlete, but I am excited to get back and gear up for baseball.  Thanks again for stopping by, I will try to get something new up at the first part of the semester.  Thanks again for stopping by Corn’s Corner (happy Costa?)..be easy and have a good new year!

--WC

You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time. 

 ~Jim Bouton

College football tmrw..let's do this Noles..who is Tim Tebow anyway?

Wait..how do you write blogs again?

I honestly don't remember the last blog I wrote.  That within itself is a terrible, terrible thing.  However, since my last time on here, life around Guilford has been pretty eventful.  There was a mini-monsoon, which just about washed Greensboro away for four days.  But amidst the downpour, Guilford football finished their season and the basketball team opened their own.  Before I even get into basketball, props to Jordan Nelson for wrapping up the year with eight picks.  My man didn't even play defense in high school, then came out this year and held down his position.  I even heard the other day that our game against Greensboro College was forfeited, which means we have handed them losses in football and basketball, with baseball coming soon.  But onto the basketball team, which continues to live up to hype of the number two national rank.  They have ran through three opponents so far, with no end in sight. In fact, the Big-Three are typically resting the last eight minutes or so because games are usually out of reach.     

The Greensboro game was the prime example.  The Quakers put up over 20 points before Greensboro even scored.  In one word: ridiculous.  I hope they run the table and head back to the Final Four.  But as cool as smashing your rival at the Coliseum can be, halftime is where things started to get interesting. I took part in a promotional shoot-off and did absolutely terrible.  Lucky for me, the other guy was just as bad, and I took home a free iPod after a sudden death free throw competition.  That was actually the first time I have ever won anything cool like that, so needless to say I was pretty stoked.  The only problem is, my old iPod is broken, which means all my music on its hard drive is lost as well.  

I guess that draws us closer to the present, where I am throughly enjoying Thanksgiving break.  I am from Greensboro, however, which means everybody else leaves and I'm usually stuck here alone.  I did get the chance to go home for a day to see my family.  It is always nice to see the family (especially since mine is HUGE) and grab a home cooked meal.  There is absolutely no substitute for old fashioned country cooking.  You can try to find one, but you simply cannot.  The spread included ham, turkey, broccoli casserole, stuffing, corn, green beans, and so many others I can't even think of, not to mention the ENTIRE TRAY of deserts that were destroyed within an hour of dinner.

Unfortunately though, breaks don't last forever, and school kicks off again on Monday.  This week will most likely be hellish.  Just a quick glimpse of my calendar reminds me how much procrastination can really come back to bite you.  The lone bright spot amongst the sea of papers and and projects is the trip to Tampa.  All the ACC interns, including myself, fly out of Raleigh Thursday to work the ACC Championship game on Dec. 5th.  There simply aren't enough words to explain my excitement.  A whole weekend in sunny Florida capped off by one of the best events in college football.  Im almost giddy like a kid going to Disney World, meaning I already have lists of things to pack and would leave tomorrow if you would let me.  Hopefully I will survive the week though and make it on the plane in one piece.  That's about all I have for now, and I need to head to gym and lift anyway.  I will try to get back on here before I leave for Tampa, and if not, I will definitely throw a picture or something on here from the hotel in Florida.  Thanks for stopping by..and sorry for the delay, but be easy until next time...

I just don't deal with the negativity. I can't get involved in that side of it. I don't understand it, and you can't let it take away from your life and what you are trying to do. -- Rick Pitino