I made sure to pick a stall that was between two other empty stalls. I didn't want to be close to others while being naked. I turned the water on, got undressed and hurried through my shower. The shower stalls all had dispensable body wash and shampoo so it made things simple. I wasn't picky and was simply in a rush. I dried off in the stall after turning the water off. Then hurried to put on my pajamas.
I came out of the stall, hair still dripping. I put my towel on my shoulders and headed out. I coincidentally ran into Kenny, who was on his way in.
He gave me a weak smile. "H-hey, good job out there today."
"Thanks." The tension in my shoulders dispersed. I knew Kenny wouldn't be the same as the others. I gripped my towel. "And...thanks for asking me to warmup with you."
Kenny smiled. "Sure. Let's partner up again tomorrow." He walked into the showers.
Relief washed over me. Tomorrow, I'll have someone on the team to warmup with. Great. I went back to my room with a smile of my own.
Noah was already dozing off, so I turned off the lights and used the light of my phone to get to bed. It was already 11pm. I yawned and got comfy under the covers.
The next morning, I was as stiff as a statue. Everything hurt. My legs. My arms. My abs.
Noah laughed at the way I was moving on our way to the cafeteria for breakfast. "Don't worry. Once we start playing again and warming up, your muscles won't be so tight."
"I don't think so." I groaned, shifting my baseball bag on my shoulders. "I can't even imagine playing this morning, let alone all day." I really just want to go back to bed.
"Practice in the morning might be the hard part. Games won't be so bad. It's not like all the ground balls will come at you. And you only bat like three or four times a game."
"There's also team practice..." I pointed out.
"Oh." Noah hummed.
We entered the cafeteria, dropped our bags off against the wall, and went to find some food.
"Well, Rhys is there to watch out for you. Plus, the coach can't say much if you want a break." Noah told me. "So just do your best until you can't do anymore." Noah started to pile his plate with eggs, bacon, and hash browns.
I stared at his back. Play until I can't play anymore? What kind of advice is that? I'm not like him, an energizer bunny with unlimited vitality. I followed behind him, loading up my own plate with food.
We both sat at a table with some of the guys we knew. There were a few new faces, but no introductions were made. Everyone was focused on eating.
"Hey, Jake, great game last night!" Dylan spoke to me directly as he sat down at our table. It drew attention from the guys around us.
"Were you in the stands..?" I asked, trying to be polite. I know for sure he wasn't on the other team at least.
Dylan nodded. "My team did some basic introductions and the coach gave a speech. Then he took us to the stadium to watch the game. You are crazy good."
I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. "Thanks."
"What did Jake do?" Travis asked, sitting down with Landon. "Hit a homerun or two?" He chuckled, probably remembering my evaluation.
"He got a hit in every at-bat." Dylan told everyone who was listening. "He drove in most of the runs. Practically carried his team to a win."
I shook my head. "That-"
"Don't be shy!" Someone else said. "You faces four different pitchers and you didn't struggle for a second."
A few of the guys who watched the game started to share with the ones who didn't get to see it.
I looked down at my food and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. The guys around me were acquaintances now, but I couldn't tell them that my team was upset with my given playing time.
Noah nudged me. "C'mon. This isn't something to be embarrassed about. You're great, own up to it."
I gave him a weak smile. Sure. Easy for him to say.
The conversation shifted from me and the game to the upcoming games for today. This morning we were to split up, going by positions, and get some regular practice in so they couldn't wait to play until their own games.
"You're going to be well-known, Jake." Travis told me as he, Adam, Noah, and myself, all went to the practice field together. "I bet all the coaches have their eyes on you. I know you said you're only going to be a sophomore this year, but do you know what you're going to do yet? Like college or pros?"
I shrugged.
"Pros. For sure." Adam said. "Jake is already this good at batting. I don't see how he can waste time in college."
I looked at him. Waste time..? "Zeke chose college."
Adam was surprised by my comment. "Yea, but isn't your bat better? Heck, you're already using a wood bat. Imagine the damage you can do with an aluminum."
Damage? I shivered at the thought. I know exactly what an aluminum bat can do.
Noah threw his arm around my shoulders casually. "Jake has years to decide. There's no rush. Zeke changed his mind a few times during his senior year. Who's to say that Jake won't do the same."
"True." The other two echoed together.
"I'll be entering the draft my senior year though." Noah declared. "So if you guys want my autograph, better ask for it now."
"You're so cocky." Travis gave him a light push, tripping us both up.
We both got steady and Noah took his arm back. Noah smirked. "Just wait. I'll be the best shortstop since Derek Jeter."
"You'll have to get a better swing." Adam laughed.
"I'm working on it." Noah stated. "Three more years of watching and learning from Jake...do you really doubt me?"
Travis and Adam laughed.
We reached the spot we had gathered for evaluations. Chandler was waiting for us as the familiar faces joined our group.
Chandler waited until we were all present. "Day two. There will be no scoring, but there will still be plenty of judgement from the coaches. Today, we'll practice fielding. Not just routine pop ups and ground balls, but also, turning double plays, fielding bunts and how to cover other bases. We'll even practice rundowns, tagging runners, and tagging runners that slide, trying to steal second."
Noah grinned, looking forward to practice. He nudged me and winked.
I smiled back, but it was fake. I wasn't looking forward to this. I'm tired and sore. I'm not in a good place mentally. This morning is just a recipe for disaster.
"We're going to warmup first." Chandler waved his hands around. "Drop your bags here. Grab your gloves and hats. Let's move and use this time wisely."
Our group followed obediently, not wasting any time. Chandler led a brisk warmup, but a lot of us were accustomed to it now. There was no slacking off in a warmup. It's a necessity to prepare your body for intense activity. And like Noah said, my joints and muscles started to loosen up after some movement. I was still tired and sore, but I wasn't a statue.
Chandler took us to an open area after we were deemed ready, placing two cones about ninety feet apart. The same distance between first and second base. "We'll practice routine grounders first. I'll mix in quite a few backhands so be mindful of your legs. Get low for a better chance to field it cleanly and make a crisp throw." He brought a bucket of balls to one cone and motioned for a player to step up. "You roll me a ball like a grounder so I can demonstrate." He jogged to the other cone and stood a few feet away from it.
The player picked up a baseball and gave it a fast roll. Chandler moved to his right, stretched out his gloved hand to catch the ball, then neatly made the transition to his right hand to throw the ball back.