Evan Bruder

Carroll baseball has had many ups and downs for me from my freshman year, when we were a win away from the PCL and one game away from the state championship, to my senior year, when we barely made it into the playoffs. My junior year baseball was completely canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

My freshman year impacted me the most, not because we went the furthest and won the most, but because of the kids I met and friendships I had made. Being the only freshman on the team and it just being my first year in general, of course I was very nervous for the season, but the upperclassmen made it very easy for me to fit in. They all made me feel a part of the team even off of the field and they did not care I was a freshman.

A highlight of that year for me was when we took our spring training trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. This was the first time I was away for baseball with just my team and coaches. It was a really cool experience for me because I got to learn a lot about how the team went about things. Another highlight of that trip was when we got to play on Coastal Carolina’s baseball field. This was such a neat thing to have played and practiced on a state of the art facility like theirs. Looking back on it now I am very grateful for this season and experience because without it I would not be the person I am today and would not have gained the knowledge I did playing with the caliber players I was.

I am very thankful for all four years I spent playing with Carroll baseball. Even though they all didn’t end the way I had wished, I wouldn’t change it for anything.