Written by Monica Griffith '10

Redshirt Junior Cory Hall, a right handed pitcher from Regina, Canada and junior Pat Terry, a catcher from Sammamish, Wash. are spending their summers in Wisconsin, playing for the Woodchucks in the Northwoods Summer League. They took some time out in between games to fill us in on their team, their host family and their takes on the state of Wisconsin.

SCU: How are you enjoying summer ball so far? Have you gotten the chance to do any sightseeing in between games and practice?

Pat Terry (PT): Summer ball is always fun.  It's more laid back and everyone is here because they want to get better. We have gotten to go a few places.  We visited the Wisconsin Dells, "Noah's Ark." It is the largest water park in the nation.

Cory Hall (CH): So far the summer is going well.  We are finishing up in a couple weeks and our team is right in the middle of a playoff race. We haven't had much chance to do any sightseeing because of our busy schedule, but we did get to see Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

SCU: How is your team doing? How much playing time are you seeing?

PT: Our team is doing well.  We were in first place most of the first half of the season, and are currently in first place at this point in the second half, putting us in a good position to secure a playoff bid. I bat fourth and play left field or catch everyday, so it is fun coming to the park knowing I will be in the mix.

CH: Right now we are in a playoff race with a couple other teams in our league. I am starting on the mound once a week, and also coming out of the bullpen a little bit in between starts.

SCU: Have you ever been to this part of the country before? How would you describe it? Do you like it there?

PT: No, I have never been to this part of the country, but I will tell you that the weather is absolutely crazy. It will be sunny one minute, and tornado weather the next. But I do like it out here because the people love baseball. However, outside of baseball, we don't do a lot.

CH: No, I have never been to Wisconsin. There are a lot of trees and not much sunlight, but it is fun being to a new part of the country.

SCU: Which team are you most looking forward to playing? Why?

PT: Madison is always fun to play.  They bring big crowds and good competition consistently. However, right now Eau Claire, because they were the first half champions and are currently fighting with us for first place here in the second half.

CH: San Diego and Stanford, because they are good competition and it will be fun to see where we stack up against some of the top teams on the West Coast.

SCU: Any favorite memories from off the field so far?

PT: There are a lot of memories made during summer ball. But anything involving coach Guido is most likely very memorable.

CH: Yes, Pat and I bought a cop car. You might be seeing it on the SCU campus soon.

SCU: How do you think your experience on this team will translate this spring at Santa Clara? Are you looking forward to your upcoming year with the Broncos?

PT: The competition out here is great.  Experiencing it on a daily basis is helping my game tremendously. I look forward to improving my game here, and coming back to Santa Clara well prepared for the Spring.

CH: It only has a positive impact.  Playing more games and getting more experience against good competition is going to help. I am definitely looking forward to the upcoming year and helping the Broncos get a playoff berth.

SCU: Are you living with a family? How are you enjoying that? Any good stories about your family?

CH: Yes, Pat Terry and I are living together with a few other guys on our team with a host family. The entire family is super nice and we just had a birthday party for our host mom, Sharon.

PT: I live with an angel. She makes us monstrous meals, does our laundry, cleans our room and too much more. Sharon runs "The Zoo at Sharon Stadium." That is what we named it, because with six guys from the team living with her, her husband Randy, her daughter, and her two grandkids, it is more like a frat house with all the activity. If there is one thing I will remember most about this summer it is my host family and the great times the "Merrill 6" have enjoyed in Sharon Stadium.

SCU: Are there any players from Santa Clara or other WCC players on your team? Any other players that you already knew?

PT: There are a lot of WCC representatives in the Northwoods League actually. On our team alone we have myself and Cory, but we also had Sam Wolff and Zach Sullivan from USD, as well three players from Pepperdine. While I didn't know any of these guys before coming out, I did know a few other guys from around the league.

CH: Yes, Pat is on my team and a bunch of other Broncos are also in the league, so we get to play them quite a bit.  Pretty much each team has a player that I know or have played against in the past.

SCU: When is your season over?

CH: It is over Aug 16, and goes about a week longer if we make the playoffs.

PT: Hopefully the Chucks won't be finished anytime soon!