SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Summer and baseball have always seemed to fit together perfectly. For fans of the game, summer is a time to enjoy the sights, sounds and atmosphere of America's pastime. For college baseball players, it is a time for development. In summer 2015, 15 Santa Clara baseball players are competing for 12 different teams from the Bay Area to New England. The "All Summer Long" series, in its fifth season, chronicles these Broncos as they play in various summer leagues nationwide. The 2015 series begins today with Santa Clara rising junior Stevie Berman.
Stevie Berman – Harwich Mariners – Harwich, Mass.
Berman, a .328 hitter in two seasons and the team's reigning batting average leader (.336 in 2015), is on the East Coast for his second straight summer capmaign, this time with the Cape Cod League's Harwich Mariners. SantaClaraBroncos.com caught up with the Saratoga, Calif. native to talk about summertime in New England and the competition in the CCBL.
SantaClaraBroncos.com (SCB): The Cape Cod League is widely regarded as the toughest league in summer college baseball. What makes this league one of the best?
Stevie Berman (SB): The Cape Cod League is considered one of the best because of the pure talent. The guys that come out here are really good and extremely talented. It's a very competitive league and also a lot of fun to compete versus some of the nation's best players.
SCB: After spending last season with the Sanford Mainers, how is playing in the Northeast for the second summer in a row?
SB: The Northeast is awesome. Everything is completely different from where I am from — buildings, restaurants, people, etc. Then again, baseball allows me travel to very unique areas, which is awesome.
SCB: Harwich's average attendance is more than 1,000 per game. What is the gameday atmosphere like at home?
SB: The home gameday atmosphere is pretty cool. Having a big attendance at every game shows the dedication of our fans, host families and friends, and makes us feel like we have a home-field advantage. Playing in front of big crowds, which kids make up a big part of, always motivates you to play harder and better for them.
SCB: On the roster, 20 of your 27 teammates are also rising juniors. What common ground have you found with guys heading into the second half of their college careers?
SB: The common ground is everyone wants to play at the next level. For most, it was our dream to play college baseball, then it was our dream to play in The Cape, and lastly it will be our dream to play professional baseball.
Check back with SantaClaraBroncos.com as well as Facebook and Twitter for more of the "All Summer Long" series.
