The baseball season has been officially underway at Wabash for three weeks now, and I can’t begin to describe how excited I am to get into our schedule.  The men we have on this team are incredible, showing up six days a week hours before sunrise just so they can bust their tails and get better.  I’ve known for some time that the people, specifically the players that comprise the Little Giant baseball team, here at Wabash were special.  However, seeing their attitude and work ethic on a daily basis is truly flooring.  I can’t wait to see all this work come together on the field.

I said before that I’ve been aware of the Wabash’s uniqueness, in its people as well as the institution as a whole, for years.  My oldest brother Tom introduced me to this place when he originally accepted the position of Head Baseball Coach in 2000.  I was able to observe it for myself on numerous visits throughout my own college career, and it always lived up to Tom’s lofty descriptions.  I attribute my introduction to Wabash as well as my decision to become a coach to Tom, and I would be remiss if I did not use this opportunity to recognize him. 

Although I was never fortunate enough to play for my older brother, I feel that my high school baseball coach did an exemplary job as one of my biggest coaching mentors.  He was one of the people who instilled in me the toughness, dedication, and work ethic that is required in athletics.  He also genuinely cared about each of his players, something I aspire to do at all times.  This coach has lately taken to describing himself as having a Masters of Arts in Baseball and a PhD in all things relevant.  I know him as Dad, and I am sure I wouldn’t be where I am professionally or in life without him.               

This is my first coaching stop in what I hope becomes a long career in athletics.  I was lucky enough to have been offered and accepted a full scholarship to the University of Maryland to play collegiate football.  I entered my college days as a Tight End for the Terrapins, and finished my time as an Offensive Lineman.  I can say with all honesty that those were some of the most memorable times of my young life, as I got the chance to play in the Orange Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Gator Bowl (we even won two out of three), as well as met some of my closest friends.  I know its cliché, but I really would have gone to war with any one of my teammates at Maryland.  That’s the singular greatest thing about college athletics.  It isn’t the recognition you may get, the hours upon hours of training and practice, or even the wins and losses, it’s the people who you go through all of that with that makes it all an invaluable experience                

I mention my time at Maryland to illustrate a parallel I notice with the guys on the team this year.  It’s easy to see the camaraderie amongst the players, and I know they will take that to the field.  When things haven’t gone their way in practice, I don’t see anyone quitting or saying it just isn’t going to be their day.  They fight through it, and they do it for the guy next to them with the won his chest.  We as a coaching staff and team have a saying that “It Doesn’t Come Free”.  The Wabash Baseball team is in the middle of earning their success, and it will pay dividends starting March 4^th.

Wabash Always Fights!

Coach Flynn