Baseball Q&A: Chandler Blanchard
12/1/2016 1:31:00 PM | Baseball, Competing With Purpose Blog
Senior right-handed pitcher Chandler Blanchard speaks about the recently concluded Blue and Orange World Series and how it prepares the Pepperdine baseball team for the upcoming season. He also reflects on his time at Pepperdine:
Q: How did the Blue and Orange World Series showcase the skills of the guys, and how did it help with the preparations for the season?
A: We got to see a lot of guys show off their stuff. It was pretty impressive. A lot of guys really stepped up and competed really well. It was awesome to watch, both from the hitting side of the game and from the pitching side.
Q: You were a captain this year. What exactly does the captain do?
A: The captain puts together a lineup and decides who is pitching for that specific game. You determine when pitchers need to go in and come out, and keep track of pitches.It is really like being a true manager. You get to see how the coaches think,and decide what matchups are going to be advantageous for your specific team.It is definitely fun to see the other side of the game than what you are used to.
Q: Is there a draft aspect to the series? How does it work?
A: There is a draft. This year was a little different to previous years. The captains only drafted the position players, and the coaches decided which pitchers were on each team. The coaches chose based on who they wanted to see match up against which hitters.It was a little different, but it was definitely interesting.
Q: Looking back on the three other Blue and Orange World Series you have been in, how did this one compare to the others?
A: There have been some really good series. I remember that my freshman year, the series was won on a walk-off. A couple years ago was a complete five-game sweep. The World Series is all about competition. They are about getting to compete after so many weeks of practicing. It is a chance to get away from practice and get to a game-like situation.
Q: How do you feel the series prepares you for the season?
A: I think that this series showed that our team has a lot of heart and a lot of drive to play.There were a couple of comeback wins in the series, which shows us that we also have a lot of fight in us, and that we won't give in to hard opponents. I think that we are pretty mentally tough, which helps a lot.
Q: Now that the fall is over, looking back on the fall practices that you have been in, how does this one stack up? And how have you progressed as a player throughout the off-seasons of college baseball?
A: It's crazy how fast the four years have flown by. I remember the first time in my freshman year,coming out to the field going through all the "hell week" stuff that we do. And my progression and the progression of my teammates that have been there and been through it is just awesome. It is so weird to think that we are the oldes tof the bunch now, and we are taking the roles of people that we looked up to.Now we have guys that are looking to us to show them what to do, and how to doit. It is pretty cool to think of all the years that we have been through, and I am excited to see what the final year has in store.
Q: As we go into December and winter break, how are you going to prepare for the season to come?
A: I am going to stay on my throwing program and keep lifting. I am probably going to work with Evan Dunn when I am home in Las Vegas, because he is local and I will be able to throw with him. Just stay on all the routines that we engrain during the fall,and stay healthy.
Q: What can we expect from the Waves this year?
A: I think that we have a pretty good shot of going far. We have a lot of pitching depth. We have bats all over the team. One through nine is unbelievably solid, plus guys that can come off the bench and pinch-hit. I think that we are going to be good. We are really deep in all aspects of the game, and I think that is going to translate really well this season.
