C.J. Ferriggi of the St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball Team is in Cary, North Carolina for the NCAA Division II Baseball Finals. Today, Ferriggi gives you the highlights of the first 4 days of the journey.
So the story continues...
Wednesday, May 21st the team awakened for
a 9:30am practice before heading out
on an estimated 10 hour bus ride to Cary, NC and the Division II
Baseball Finals. We were surprised at practice when News12 arrived
to do a story on our accolades and the unfortunate separation of a
teammate and great friend, Joe Grimaldi. Joe, who was unable to
make the trip, because of his honorable commitment to the U.S.
Marine Corps. Practice was loose and a few of our teammates were
interviewed. After practice the team and a few of our parents
attended a luncheon with members of the St. Thomas Aquinas College
Community in the Romano Student Center. Our President, Dr.
Fitzpatrick, was there to honor Joe and our team. This was a proud
moment for everyone in attendance. Now, it was time to load up and
ship out. After, an 11 hour journey we finally arrived at our hotel
around 2am Thursday
morning.
The first day in North Carolina, May 22nd, was an exhausting
one after the long trip. We practiced for the first time at the USA
Baseball Training Complex in Cary. Watching our team walk into the
ballpark was like watching a group of kids walking into a toy
store. Although we were all tired the excitement was unmeasurable.
After practice, it was off to Red Robin for a quick team meal, then
back to the hotel for some much needed rest.
Day two, Friday, had a bit more scheduled for our boys. We started by raising the STAC flag to announce our arrival. "We're Here!" shouted members of the team, which has been an on-going joke for us throughout the season. After that we had our official team photo taken and then it was on to our first practice on the main field at the complex where all of this week's games will be held. We were surprised by our college president, who had made the one day trip to come and spend some time with us. She tossed the ball around with Coach Muscat and had some laughs with the team. Again, the excitement was unreal. Following practice, the team, along with Dr. Fitzpatrick and Athletic Director Gerry Oswald, had to rush (as usual) to get to the NCAA Dinner Banquet held at the PNC Arena, home of the Carolina Hurricanes and North Carolina State Basketball. We were the last team to show up, just the way we like it, and were able to walk around the Hurricane's locker room prior to the dinner, which by the way was an incredible experience. At the dinner, all eight teams were recognized for advancing this far. Coach Muscat, along with the seven other head coaches were brought up on stage for a quick Q and A. The tournament was beginning and all teams were ready to go.
Today, the tournament was officially underway. Despite us not having to play until tomorrow, the games started. We practiced and went through a simulated batting practice game. Game One of the tournament was taking place between University of Tampa and Southern Indiana, which we caught the last inning of on our way out to the bus. The atmosphere was electric, as the ballpark crowded with fans. It finally dwelled on me that this is it...no bigger stage than this one and I am ready for the competition to begin.