By Brandon Cantwell and Samantha Smith
With club sports in full swing at Youngstown State University, the Baseball Club is just one that is active on campus this semester.
Jacob Stack, vice president of the Baseball Club and senior exercise science pre-physical therapy major, explained what a school year for the club looks like.
“We have two separate seasons in the fall and the spring. We’ll get back on campus [and] we’ll start practicing. We played six games this fall [then] we went home for break. We’ve been practicing now and then, by the end of the semester, we’ll play about 12 games this semester,” Stack said. “We’ll play anywhere from like 15-20 games the entire school year.”
The club is in a league called the National Club Baseball Association where it plays against other colleges such as Cleveland State University and Kent State University.
Stack said the club is currently full with 25 members, but will always look for more people to add for the future.
“We’re always adding people. Right now, our club is actually really full, we have like, 25 people or so. We’ll still add people on, but odds are like, right now — we’re kind of set in stone with what we have,” Stack said. “[People] could join, they could come in practice and everything for next year.”
While students do not need experience to join, it is recommended to have some high school baseball experience for the club, Stack said.
“We’ll add people who have high school baseball experience. We’re open to anybody, but we do kind of like to try to recommend or push the high school experience just because it is a very competitive league,” Stack said.
Ryan McNicholas, club advisor and director of campus recreation, oversees many of the club sports and said there are several benefits to participating in them, such as the Baseball Club.
“Club sports in general offer many different aspects that students can take advantage of, whether it’s the social wellness of being a part of a team, hanging out with others, playing the sport that they love, and eventually becoming leaders in that sport,” McNicholas said. “To having a sense of belonging on campus, to helping with the mental needs and relieve stress, and alleviate some of the stress of being a student nowadays.”
McNicholas said he thinks the Baseball Club will continue to grow in the future.
“I feel great. It’s been a fantastic ride with the current members and I believe [the Baseball Club] can continue at the pace they are going. It’s going to be a great, sustainable future,” McNicholas said.
The Baseball Club currently meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Watson and Tressel Training Site, but will begin practicing outside on Wednesdays when the weather warms up.
For more information about the club, visit the NCBA’s division Ⅲ webpage or the club’s Instagram @ysuclubbaseball.