Baseball Q&A: Billy Cook

Junior middle infielder Billy Cook of the Pepperdine baseball team talks about the upcoming season, his recent injury and recovery and his transition from high school to college, both on the field and off:

Q: Can you talk about last year's season, what went well and where the team can improve?

A: Unfortunately, it didn't end the way we wanted, it came down to the last game and we couldn't finish it out. Also, we had some injuries, Cooper Chandler wasn't healthy and I ended up getting injured about halfway through the season. Some guys stepped up and did a great job, but this year, compared to last year, I think if we stay healthy we'll be able to finish out more series.

Q: Can you talk about your injury and the recovery process?

A: I tore my left shoulder labrum, and basically I didn't play for the second half of the season. Thankfully I did not need surgery but I had to rehab from April to August just to get healthy. Now I'm 100% and looking forward to the season.

Q: What does the team's preparation and practices look like for the upcoming season?

A: We're lifting four days a week and pitchers are lifting three days. We just started our team practices, so it's a lot of competing and just getting into that game mindset early. Right now, we're doing inter-squads so we are facing live arms and live defense to make it as game-like as possible. So basically, we're creating our own fall season in preparation for the spring.

Q: What are some of the team goals for the upcoming season?

A: The ultimate goal is to go to the College World Series. But first we want to win every series, if we win every series we put ourselves in a great spot to win the conference, then regionals, and then super regionals. Beside that, we want to be one team and have that sense of unity and be the team that everyone looks at and says, maybe they aren't the most talented, but that's a team that works hard and sticks together.

Q: What are some personal goals?

A: Just have a good year. My biggest goal is to help the team, however I can do that, whether it's hitting above .300 or hitting however many home runs, I'll do what I can to improve the team. Also, stepping into whatever leadership role the team needs and holding everyone accountable.

Q: How would you say your game has changed since coming to Pepperdine?

A: I've learned a lot more from a mental standpoint. The game has gotten faster so I had to learn how to adapt to that. Also, physically I've gotten stronger, which is awesome, but the hard part is making sure I still stay smooth.

Q: Why did you choose Pepperdine?

A: Baseball played a huge role in my decision. But besides that, I'm from Colorado, so the idea of not dealing with snow and the freezing temperatures played a big role as well. Also, the coaches are great and they have awesome reputations in the college baseball world. The view isn't too bad either.

Q: Being a student-athlete and in particular, a recognized scholar-athlete by Pepperdine, how do you manage the classroom during the season?

A: For me it's all about dedication to academics and then baseball. My day goes, lift, go to class, go to practice, go to the library and then sleep. You get in that schedule and you have to stick to it. It can be difficult during the day but I always look forward to practice in the afternoon as a way to relieve some of the stress from school.

Players Mentioned

Cooper Chandler

Billy Cook

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