Coming back from an injury last season, junior pitcher Lucas Hamelink is excited for the upcoming baseball season. He said the team is ready for a great season, and he’s looking forward to being able to play healthy.
How long have you been playing baseball, and what got you started in it?
I’ve been playing for as long as I can remember. When I was three or four, I started playing in the front yard with a cardboard tube and a ball of tape. I started Little League T-ball when I was five, and I haven’t stopped playing since. I’ve been pitching since I was nine. I’m not sure exactly what got me into baseball, because no one in my family has played, but God has definitely given me a passion for the game, and that’s what’s kept me in it.
What is your favorite thing about playing for the Chargers?
It’s got to be my teammates. I’ve been blessed with some amazing men on my team that I get to call brothers. There’s nothing better than hanging out with the guys in the dugout or on road trips. We have a saying: “For the boys,” or FTB for short. Whenever we do something, it’s for the team. We’ve got great chemistry this year, and that will be a huge factor for us. The Halloween game is a close second.
You suffered an injury last season. What was it like to come back from that?
Yeah, I broke a finger on my throwing hand right before the season started. I had surgery and four pins sticking out of it, so I couldn’t do any throwing. It was definitely a lesson in patience. I just had to wait for the pins to come out and then slowly work my arm back into shape. The athletic trainers here really took great care of me. I was able to pitch for a full summer at 100 percent, so I think it’s all behind me now.
So did you not play at all last season? Were you doing conditioning or anything to stay in shape while you were out?
I got into four games at the end of the year. We had a shot at making it into the GLIAC tournament at that point, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to chase a title. Before that I just did a lot of biking and leg press to try to stay in shape.
What are you most looking forward to this season?
Personally, I’m just looking forward to having a full healthy season. I’m really excited about what the team can do though. Coach T is in his second full year as head coach, so we’re much more familiar with his coaching style and philosophy. Also, we have returning starters at all but one position, so we have a lot of experience on the field. We’ve had a lot of potential that we haven’t seen fully realized in the past, and I’m excited for the opportunity for us to turn the program around.
Do you have any interesting pre-game rituals?
I have a few. I always play MLB 2K12 on Xbox the night before a game to visualize success. I play as Verlander. I also try to eat spicy foods the day before a game. The more heat you eat, the more heat you throw – it’s scientifically proven. I like to eat the sriracha flavored sunflower seeds, and I used to get the Volcano Taco from Taco Bell, but they stopped serving that. They just came out with a sriracha queserito, so maybe I’ll give that a try.
How do you feel about this weekend’s game?
I think it was definitely a positive weekend. Obviously, it was great to start the season with a win, but even our losses were encouraging. Bellarmine is a pretty good team that we might see again in regionals, and we fought until the end in all four games. In each of our three losses, we had the winning run on base or up to bat in the seventh inning. We fought hard and put ourselves in good positions to win, and we were just a base hit away at that point.
What do you think the team’s biggest challenge will be this season?
I think our biggest challenge will be our spring break trip. We’ve got twelve games over eight days. None of them will count for the conference tournament, but they will be crucial for the rest of the season. How we play these games will set the tone for the rest of year.
