Fuquay vs Middle Creek

State Championship

POUND, POUND, POUND, I open my eyes and hear my mom bnging her fist on my bedroom door. I felt extremely dizzy. I quickly look and check my phone and it is 7 oclock in the morning. My first class starts at 7:25 and I had to be there to be able to play in today's game! I quickly throw my game day jersey on and brush my teeth and hair and sprint out to my truck. By then it was 7:10. I lived 10 minutes away from the school and somehow made it there in 5. 

When I sat down in my first period class the first word I heard of the day was Fuquay. Sitting there reality set in. I was about to play the biggest rivalry game of my entire life and everything I have ever done for baseball led up to this moment. Sitting in my first period I could not focus. All I could think about was getting to the field and starting preparing for the biggest game I have ever played in. This game would determine if our season was over or if we advanced to the state championship. I had my first period class with the second basemen, Ethan Lavinder. He was just as nervous and I could tell by his shakiness. He looked at me and said “you ready?” I looked at him and said back “heck yes I am ready” not like I was nervous or anything.

As lunch rolled around the nerves really started to roll in. I started to shake more than the earth during an earthquake. My limbs were tingling and my stomach was weirdly queasy and I couldn’t figure out whether I was hungry or not. I went to MCdonalds for lunch with all of my teammates and they made me feel 10x better. Everyone was so hype and could not wait to get to the field and get ready for the biggest game of our life. 

Finally, it was the end of the day and I was about to go home and get my stuff to head to the field. Game time was 7 o’clock. We had to be at the field at 3 oclock. Usually we would get to the field at 4 oclock and hangout in the locker room until 5 just messing around but the coach wanted us there by 3. So I had to go home, pack my stuff and hurry to the field. I did my pregame ritual and stopped at AJ’s gas station on the way to the field and got an energy drink. 

Today AJ told me good luck and to do good in my game. He had never done that before. That put a good feeling in my entire body. 

As I got to the field everyone arrived at basically the same time. I could tell everyone was nervous but super hyped up at the same time about our big game. Once everyone was in the locker room we turned on our tv and started to watch the NC State baseball game that was going on. They were playing Longwood in an out of conference game. Once it got closer to 4 oclock we turned off the tv and started getting our pants on to go out to the field and do our pregame. 

At 4:30 Fuquay arrived at our field. They were completely silent and showed no emotion towards us. At 5 oclock we were supposed to take batting practice on the field and I was one of the first groups to hit. My batting practice round was average. All I focused on was hitting line drives into the aps and not try to do too much with the ball. 

Fuquay was staring us down hard. They had their eyes glued on all of us. It wasn't very intimidating at all, no one seemed to pay mind to it. At 6 oclock we went back into the locker room to chill and sit down until we needed to go out and take in and out. When 6:15 rolled around we went back out, tossed for a little bit and then went to our positions to take infield and outfield. People were showing up quickly. Almost the whole stand was filled and it wasn’t even time for the first pitch. At 6:55 it would be time to run out and take our positions on the field. As they called my name and I spinted out I got the best feeling in the entire world, adrenaline. It hit me in the face and I was ready for anything as the crowd chanted my name “Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike!” 

I woke up, It was the bottom of the 7th inning and the bases were loaded. I was up to bat and we were down 3. We needed 4 runs to win the game. 

I take the first pitch and it's a fastball right down the middle. I say to myself that it’s okay and I need to see a pitch. The next pitch was the same thing and I fouled it off right back into the net. The count was 0-2 and the pitcher was ahead. I had to battle and protect myself from striking out. I watch three balls go by after that shaking in my boots. I foul off one high fastball and the crowds go crazy. It's every kid's dream. 3-2 count, bases loaded, 2 outs and we needed 4 to win. As the next pitch came out of the pitcher's hand It was like I levitated from my body. I planted my left foot and took the biggest hack of my life. This ball went 410ft over the scoreboard and the rest is history.