On the sidelines with Brock senior baseball player Sawyer Strosnider
Apr. 19—Get to know Brock senior baseball player Sawyer Strosnider on and off the field.
When did you first start playing baseball and how has your passion grown over the years?
"I first started playing baseball when I was around 4 years old. My father had always been a baseball player, and he bought me a glove a couple days after the first day I was born. Unfortunately, it was a right-handed glove, so he had to get me a left-handed one after a while. It's always been satisfying to hit the ball far, run around the field and have my family with me every step of the way — it's always been a passion of mine. Now that I'm getting some bigger looks, it just drives it even more."
Who is a baseball player or coach you've looked up to throughout your life and how have they impacted you?
"My summer baseball coach, Brett Bergman, is someone I've always looked up to. He played at Baylor and was a big-time baseball player there. When I first started playing for him, he taught me so much about baseball that I never knew. Now, every day and every game, I'm looking at stuff I wouldn't have known before until I found him."
As a senior this year, how have you been able to lead the team effectively and how important is it to you to be as strong a leader as you can this season?
"As a younger kid being on varsity since my freshman year, I kind of led by example already. When the younger guys see that, they know that I've been there and done that before. I just try to stay on them and make sure they're locked in. I feel like most of the guys listen to me just because I'm a little bit more experienced. It's not like I'm getting onto them, it's more like I'm just trying to help them out."
As you wrap up a stellar career at Brock, you will soon move on to play baseball at the next level for TCU. How excited are you for the next chapter and what are you most looking forward to?
"After I wrap up this Brock career, I know I'll have a lot of neat stuff to look at, but I'm definitely ready for the next level. I've been ready for a while now, and I'm just excited to get out there and face some big competition. I'm excited to have some college baseball experiences and maybe even to the next level after that."
You have a goofy cast of characters you share a dugout with. Talk about how much fun you have just being a part of a team like this?
"As a baseball player, you want to have the so-called 'dirtbag players' on your team and luckily I do. They are the guys that just want to get the job done, who have a lot of grit and it's amazing to play with them. They are always going to be happy for you and your successes, and they will rag on the other team as much as possible. I'm really happy to share a dugout with the guys I have on the team — it makes things 10 times more enjoyable."
What would you say is the best hit or play you've made in your high school career?
"The best stretch I had in my baseball career was in the playoffs my junior year. I hit three home runs in our series against Holliday in the third round. The first game was a close game and I hit a two-run bomb to put us on top. In the next game, I hit a solo home run to get us on the board and then hit a grand slam later in that game."
If you could play baseball in any era other than the present day, which era would you choose and why?
"If I had to play in any other era of baseball other than the one I'm in now, it would definitely be the 'steroid era' because I would love to play with people like Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire. They would make me look good because I'd be scoring a lot because of all the bombs they hit. It would be crazy to get to meet all those players and see the crazy home runs they were able to hit."
Would you rather be trapped in a cage with a hungry Tiger for 60 seconds or walk on your hands around the entire baseball field 10 times?
"I think I would rather walk on my hands around the baseball field 10 times just because I'm not trying to die to a Tiger."
