Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Baseball Gauging Its Progress With Fall Tests — Duke Next
10/15/2021 3:43:00 PM | Baseball
Fall baseball is about establishing a foundation for the spring, and Davidson coach Rucker Taylor said Saturday's game against Duke in Kannapolis is just another step in that process.
The Wildcats and Blue Devils, familiar opponents during the regular season, will meet at 3 p.m. at Atrium Health Ballpark, the home of the minor league Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. Admission is free and open to the public.
It's the second of three fall games the Wildcats will play. They met the Ontario Blue Jays on Sept. 27 and will host Erskine at Wilson Field Saturday, Oct. 23.
The games — two exhibitions against college programs and one international game are allowed — are good tests to see where the Wildcats are, Taylor said.
"In the fall we look to build team chemistry and the foundational concepts of team baseball as well as individual skills," he said. "Individual strength, speed and quickness are focuses. We want to help each guy have consistent daily habits and an understanding of how to improve on and off the field."
And also, the Wildcats encourage failure in the fall. Not ultimately, of course, but this is the time to test new approaches, mechanics and mindsets and learn from all of it.
"We encourage guys to try new ideas and push themselves outside of their comfort zones," said Taylor. "We try to create tough, game-like practice environments once we have established core ideas and introduces skills. We want failure to be part of practice and the fall. We want there to be mental and physical betterment as a result of the time, both from good results and from failures."
Outside of exhibition games, here's what the Wildcats are up to this fall:
• Start of School to Mid-September: 4 hours of strength and conditioning and 4 hours of baseball skill work each week
• Mid-September to End October: 20 hours per week week of combined strength and conditioning and skill work (27 practices allowed in 45-day window)
• November to Exam period: 4 hours of strength and conditioning and 4 hours of baseball skill work each week
The Wildcats and Blue Devils, familiar opponents during the regular season, will meet at 3 p.m. at Atrium Health Ballpark, the home of the minor league Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. Admission is free and open to the public.
It's the second of three fall games the Wildcats will play. They met the Ontario Blue Jays on Sept. 27 and will host Erskine at Wilson Field Saturday, Oct. 23.
The games — two exhibitions against college programs and one international game are allowed — are good tests to see where the Wildcats are, Taylor said.
"In the fall we look to build team chemistry and the foundational concepts of team baseball as well as individual skills," he said. "Individual strength, speed and quickness are focuses. We want to help each guy have consistent daily habits and an understanding of how to improve on and off the field."
And also, the Wildcats encourage failure in the fall. Not ultimately, of course, but this is the time to test new approaches, mechanics and mindsets and learn from all of it.
"We encourage guys to try new ideas and push themselves outside of their comfort zones," said Taylor. "We try to create tough, game-like practice environments once we have established core ideas and introduces skills. We want failure to be part of practice and the fall. We want there to be mental and physical betterment as a result of the time, both from good results and from failures."
Outside of exhibition games, here's what the Wildcats are up to this fall:
• Start of School to Mid-September: 4 hours of strength and conditioning and 4 hours of baseball skill work each week
• Mid-September to End October: 20 hours per week week of combined strength and conditioning and skill work (27 practices allowed in 45-day window)
• November to Exam period: 4 hours of strength and conditioning and 4 hours of baseball skill work each week
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