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Sarah Jackson '14
Redshirt junior pitcher Chris Heckert explains the importance of the mental aspects of the game and how Bronco baseball has applied them to this season. Heckert also reminisces on his times as a Bronco and shares one of his favorite memories from Santa Clara baseball.
SCB: With the season just starting, how have you prepared yourself up to this point?
CH: We've spent a lot of time the last few months going over the mental aspects of the game, one of which being reacting to adversity. Coach O'Brien has stressed the importance of reacting positively when things don't go our way. This is one aspect of baseball that I've been striving for leading up to the season.
SCB: How are you guys preparing for the next games coming up?
CH: A big focus for us going forward is fine-tuning and sticking to our routines. One loss doesn't determine thaw we're a bad team just as a win doesn't determine that we're a good team. As a team we bring the same intensity and focus every game, and that starts with a solid routine.
SCB: What is one of your favorite memories as a student-athlete here at Santa Clara?
CH: One of my favorite memories is our first road trip my sophomore year to Texas where we went 3-0 and surprised a lot of people who've probably never even heard of Santa Clara before that weekend. We had two extra-inning wins and played into the early hours of the morning because of a rain delay. The way we played that weekend I think defines Bronco Baseball.
SCB: Civil Engineering is not an easy major. Have you been able to balance all the work with your athletic responsibilities?
CH: There's no doubt it's been challenging but having Zach Looney (also a Civil Engineer) there with me finishing up some homework late at night has made it a lot easier.