From March 4 to 14, the GMercyU Baseball team traveled to Florida for the annual spring break RussMatt Invitational. This tournament invites hundreds of college baseball programs across all divisions and from all across the country to play at fields around Central Florida. For the Griffins, this is a privilege requiring a great deal of support, organization, and fundraising from parents, relatives, and the university. TThe team fundraises for flights, the resort, transportation, the tournament itself, and food for the players and coaches.
Because of the harsh Northeast winter weather, a little under a quarter of the season is played in Florida, and this year the Griffins participated in 8 games during the trip, playing programs from Massachusetts, Indianapolis, Michigan, and Minnesota.
For many, this experience of traveling to play games in Florida, staying at a resort, and having off from class is entirely new. Freshman Criminology Major Kevin Sturley said, “As a freshman, I was experiencing everything for the first time. I was able to see what traveling with a sports team was like, while also being able to bond with the guys on the team.”
For a handful of guys, this is the last time to experience the on and off-field fun of the Spring Break trip. Senior Ryan Kasper, who plans to join law enforcement upon graduation, said “As a senior, this trip to Florida meant everything because it was the last time I got to experience it with this team. It really hits you how special it is, not just the games, but the time together, the memories, and the bond we’ve built.” Senior Sports Management Major Chris Nodeland realizes “it was definitely bitter sweet to leave for the last time this year. Even more so when I consider that’ll be the last time I ever play baseball down south.”
“We know that we are extremely fortunate to be able to take a trip like this,” said sophomore Business Management Major Brayden Scott. Additionally, being able to raise money and experience this trip, from not only a baseball perspective, but as a team, is something that senior pitcher Ryan Kasper gratefully acknowledges: “We’re honestly so lucky as a program to have this opportunity, especially knowing that not every team gets to do something like this.”
The team is assigned randomized groups of teammates to live with for the duration of the trip, something that Nodeland remarks, “is an awesome opportunity for us to come together as a team off the baseball field.” Additionally, the trip consists of multiple team dinners, mini golf tournaments, time spent poolside, and so many more activities. Spending quality time with one another, according to sophomore Sports Management major Dylan Ganey, “is a blessing and something none of us take for granted, regardless of the outcome of the games that are played while we’re down there.”
While it is a business trip in the fashion that the team plays 7 games in 9 days, Scott and other team members focus on the importance of the team aspect,
“While winning games is always our main focus, our team chemistry grows exponentially during this trip as we get to spend more time together. This trip prepares us for the rest of the season, not just because of the experience we get on the field, but also because of the relationships that grow off of it.”
Team bonding is, aside from playing multiple baseball games, sometimes the most important aspect of why GMercyU baseball takes this trip. Team lunches and dinners, and especially the day spent at Assistant Coach Lucas Rollins’ home, helps to bring the team so much closer off the field, which is equally as important as turning double plays and scoring runs on it. These experiences, for Dylan Ganey, are “a great opportunity and time for us as a team to grow closer and spend a lot of quality time with one another that you don’t get everywhere.”
On March 9, the team spent the off-day playing Spikeball, Kanjam, and relaxing in the pool with a catered meal at the Rollins’ Florida household. This is something the players are incredibly grateful for, and it is certainly a highlight of the trip.
“Being in Florida with the team is different; it’s where everything comes together. You are competing, but you’re also just enjoying every moment with your teammates, and that’s what makes it unforgettable.” -Senior Criminology Major Ryan Kasper
The RussMatt Invitational: This tournament invites hundreds of college baseball programs across all divisions and from all across the country to play at fields around Central Florida. Hosted all throughout the month of March, it allows many northeast baseball programs to do what is otherwise impossible back home: play baseball in warm weather.
