Club Baseball Returns Following COVID-19 Pandemic First Games are Scheduled to Begin Soon — Making a Comeback

BEN WOLF ‘26 (HE/HIM) SPORTS WRITER

The vast majority of competitive athletes see their varsity careers come to an end after high school. However, at Davidson, there is no shortage of options for the 75% of the student body not participating in Division I sports. Those who want to remain involved in their sport–or even those who have not played in a long time–often turn to club teams, which practice regularly and also face off against other schools’ counterparts.

Club Baseball returned to Davidson in Fall of 2021 following a COVID-19-induced hiatus the previous academic year. Then a sophomore, Michael Callahan ’24, the club’s president and de facto head coach, felt a void in his Davidson lifestyle. “After playing competitive baseball my entire life, I realized that not having the sport be involved in my college experience was a complete disservice to myself,” he explained. Getting the club off the ground was no small task. Between limited interest and limited field availability, simply practicing once a week was an ambitious goal that did not come to fruition.

This school year, participation has skyrocketed. For firstyears new to the club, it is difficult to imagine struggling to even field a full roster. Practices occur every Wednesday, and despite the uncanny tendency for Tuesday night rain to muddy the IMACs, the team saw a consistent turnout of around 15 players during the fall campaign. As the weather begins to warm and the ’Cats near the start of their intercollegiate game schedule, that turnout should grow even further.

Callahan and his fellow upperclassmen have fostered a motivated yet welcoming culture that has incentivized involvement among Davidson’s newest students hoping to continue their careers without pause. “After my high school career ended, I wasn’t sure what my baseball-playing future would hold,” said Thomas Kade ’26, one of many first-years who quickly found a solution to that uncertainty. “I think my main draw towards club baseball was finding a group of guys who loved baseball but wanted to enjoy their time playing instead of having a strict schedule,” added Aaron Argo ’26.

Ben Hale ’26 cited a desire to “keep the competitive feel of sports that I had in high school” as a primary reason for joining the team and has not been disappointed: “Practice is something I look forward to every week […] I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone on the team better and more laughs and good times.” The youth movement is not lost on Callahan, who takes comfort in knowing that “after my time at Davidson is over, the team will be left in great hands.” While the camaraderie built through practices is more than satisfactory for the players, the prospect of the first games in the club’s history this semester only adds to the excitement. The Cats’ schedule is headlined by a trip to Appalachian State University, whose ballpark is complemented by a beautiful mountain backdrop. Naturally, on-field success is a priority, but no matter the win-loss record, this year has indisputably been a key step in the development of a program poised to prosper for years to come. Callahan summarizes this sentiment well: “Considering everything this team has accomplished in the last couple years, I expect us to be able to compete and give every game our all, regardless of the outcome.”