This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Ohio U chapter.
#25 TIREY BURCH
Tirey Burch, a junior finance major from Santa Claus, Indiana, is no stranger to the world of baseball. His father and former coach played at the college level, as well as his uncle. Growing up around the popular American pastime, he fell in love with it as a little kid and started playing at about five or six years old.
Burch, who plays infield/utility, transferred here from a community college in Illinois called Rend Lake College, but was hardly disappointed when he stepped on Ohio University’s campus.
“I love it here. It’s been everything I asked for and more,” Burch says with a smile.
The bonds he has formed with his teammates are notably special, too. This Cincinnati Reds fan tries to help the large number of underclassmen as much as possible, since they are younger and haven’t been on the college baseball scene as much as he has. This season, he is trying to make everyone else better.
“Being with the team, being together and knowing that you’re about to go into a competition with the other team, that probably pumps me up the most because they’re like my brothers. I call every person on the team a really close friend.”
Burch has made several memories with his teammates, but his favorite memory was doing the Bobcat Challenge, because everybody working hard together to achieve the same goal was an enjoyable experience.
Aside from all the fun, there are a number of sacrifices Burch has made to live the dream of a Bobcat baseball player.
“Schoolwork is a big sacrifice. I’ve never been on a spring break trip and I don’t get to see my family hardly at all. I’ve been home probably twice since summer, since June.”
Nevertheless, he plays his heart out at every game, refusing to let fear or nerves get to him.
“You don’t succeed when you overthink,” Burch says.
#9 SPENCER SAPP
By Spencer Sapp’s left elbow is a large scar, which marks where he had Tommy John surgery after tearing his UCL senior year of high school. After missing out on that season, he played baseball for a year and a half at Indiana University. Once the business marketing major discovered he wouldn’t be pitching as much his second year at IU, he signed to play at a junior college for one semester, and then transferred here to Ohio University.
No matter which field Sapp is on, he likes to stay positive—even if that entails blasting party music in the locker room—and enjoy the sport he has been playing since the age of four or five.
“It’s an enjoyable sport that offers a lot of different outcomes and possibilities through just one pitch alone,” Sapp says. “My parents didn’t play baseball and it makes it easier on me so when I get done with a game, I go home, and I can forget about baseball.”
Sapp certainly isn’t the type to gloat though when it comes to pulling out his “secret weapon” pitch: a signature slider. In fact, being a side arm thrower for the Bobcats, he is the team’s own secret weapon.
“Just being able to change my arm slot this year has been big for me, and I feel like it’s helped improve my ability to get batters out and be more effective as a pitcher,” says the junior left-handed pitcher from Jasper, Indiana.
Between set throwing programs in the off-season and bullpen activities right now, Sapp’s goal for this year is simple, yet unique.
“I want to improve the way I enjoy baseball. For the longest time, baseball has been extremely serious for me. It’s a good release from all the stress you take on day-to-day with class, time management, and everything. The beauty of baseball is that on any given day, any team can beat any other team. It doesn’t matter what your record is,” Sapp says.