While their run at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship has come to an end, the DePauw men's baseball team still has two opponents, Washington University St. Louis and Chicago, before their season is over.
"If we had won our games at conference, these games would have been a tune up," said freshman first-baseman Paul Mpistolarides. "We would have had a huge gap before playing more games."
Freshman JB McCallum, said that they'll be using this time instead to let the younger players get more time on the field to prepare for next year's season.
"It'll be good for the coaches to get a preview for next year," McCallum said.
In order for the team to have this game carry into next season it is important for the players to stay active in the off-season. Many of them keep focused and in shape by playing on summer baseball teams.
"I always have," Mpistolarides said. "It's a great part of summer and I made a recent position change so I'm working on honing my skills."
Next year will be an adjustment for the whole team since they'll be in the North Coast Athletic Conference and playing teams closer to DePauw.
As freshman, Mpistolarides and McCallum look back fondly on their first year playing baseball in college. They both agreed that their favorite part was getting to know the other players. Mpistolarides said it was unusual going from the oldest to youngest and starting at square one.
"It's an adjustment going from playing every day in high school to only playing in the junior varsity games," Mpistolarides said.
He was also quick to add that the team did not drop one of those games.
The two freshmen joked about the responsibilities they'll hold now that they'll be sophomores.
"I want to be promoted from co-lead ball dryer to chart manager," Mpistolarides said. "But seriously I'm ready to come back next year and get better and be ready to play."
McCallum, Mpistolarides and the rest of the team are excited to have a new set of teams to play that will be closer to DePauw and hope to get over the hump and get into the postseason after they transition into the NCAC.