Baseball Q&A: Brad Anderson
12/8/2015 11:08:00 AM | Baseball, Competing With Purpose Blog
Brad Anderson, senior first baseman for the baseball team, has had an impressive three years in Malibu. Last year he was second on the team in home runs with 10, and was a key part to the Waves winning the conference championship for the second year in a row. We caught up with Brad after his final Blue and Orange World Series as he reminisces on his four fall seasons with the Waves and anticipates his final spring season. The Waves make their season debut on February 16th against Oakland University at Eddy D. Field Stadium.
Q: What team were you on and what was the outcome of this year's Blue and Orange World Series?
A: I was on the Blue team this year, and the Blue team won for the third year in a row. It was a fun series.
Q: What does the Blue and Orange World Series mean to Pepperdine baseball?
A: The Blue and Orange World Series really signifies the end of the fall and kind of gives us a little glimpse of what season is going to be like. It's a fun time for the players to reward them for their hard work and everything they did during the fall.
Q: This being your last Blue and Orange World Series, did it have a little bit of a bitter sweet feeling, knowing that your last fall is out of the way and your last season asa Wave is upon you?
A: Yeah, if I stop to think about it, I get a little sad. On the plus side, though, there are no more morning lifts for the fall, so that is always nice. But it was my last one, and it was a good one. I'm sure, down the road, it will affect me a little more,but for now, I am just getting excited for the season to start.
Q: How do you think you did over the fall season?
A: I think I had a pretty good fall. It is really about finding yourself as a player and what you need to work on for the season as well as staying in shape for baseball and getting hacks in. I think it was an okay fall. We worked on some things and hopefully it will translate to the spring.
Q: How do you feel you did over the Blue and Orange World Series?
A: I think I did okay.There are always things that you wish you could have done better, but overall I feel as though I did well. We did a really good job as a team, we really came together well.
Q: Does the Blue and Orange World Series add a little more camaraderie to the team? You have two different teams, and you want to win, but at the same time, you are all part of one team and at the end of the day a little competition never hurts.
A: It definitely helps,especially since we get to coach ourselves. You really get to see how people think in different situations. You see how players would approach different coaching situations as the games go on and get their perspective on the game. The teams that I have been on, at least, have done a really good job at getting everyone on the same page and getting everyone involved in the game. It definitely brings us closer together as season comes along.
Q: What are your goals for this season, and how do you think the fall season prepared you for those goals?
A: Our main goal is to win the conference championship. Since I have been here, we have won it twice,both in the last two years, so it is definitely a trend that we would like to continue. After that, of course, we want to make it as far as we can in the postseason, hopefully all the way to the College World Series. This fall has helped us with getting an idea of our coaching staff. We changed coaches this year, so the fall gives us a little rundown on how things are going to be.Also, it gives us an idea of which freshmen can come in and immediately make an impact, and how those freshmen will help us in our upcoming season.
