With nearly two weeks left before finals, the baseball team is not hitting baseballs; they’re hitting the books.

During the beginning of the fall semester, the Wolfpack practiced for six weeks.
They worked on several fundamentals, including hitting, pitching and fielding to get themselves prepared for the inter-squad three game World Series the team held in November.

But with practice officially over, their primary focus has shifted from athletics to academics as the winter break approaches.

“Loyola is such a school-oriented university so you have to get your books in order first because a lot of us want to make sure we are eligible before the spring,” Brien Delahoussaye, accounting sophomore, said. “That’s why we finish up fall practice early so we’re ready for the spring academically and also physically,”

According to Gerald Cassard, head baseball coach, the Wolfpack will not be practicing again until January.

“Basically right now our guys are hitting the weight room and getting their heads back in the classroom trying to finish up the semester with their grades,” Cassard said. “They’re doing individual stuff on their own but there isn’t a whole lot of things going on for us right now as far as practice. We’re shut down until we come back to practice in January.”

David McChesney, business marketing senior, said most players are utilizing this time to make sure their grades are acceptable while others are just lifting weights.

However, McChesney is using the break to strengthen and rehabilitate a knee injury he suffered last season.

“I’ve been working out about three days a week. I’m rehabbing my leg every day from Monday to Friday with the team’s trainers and swinging the bat only a couple of days, nothing too crazy,” McChesney said.  “Just giving it a little break so I can recover.”

Delahoussaye is resting his body during the downtime.

“Since the World Series ended, I’ve started working out more because time has opened up. I haven’t really thrown or done much hitting,” he said. “I’m trying to give my body a rest because we had a pretty intense fall compared to the last fall we had last season.”

Despite the break Cassard is giving the team for individual workouts, they are required to come back in shape and ready to resume practice on Jan. 11.

The Wolfpack’s opening series against William Carey University is Jan. 29.

Craig Malveaux can be reached at [email protected]