Former Minn. Baseball Rivals Training For College As Teammates
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- They had a drive to play baseball, so they found a way to practice year round.
Two local high school players are rivals during the spring. But after intense work in an indoor facility for the last several years, They will be teammates on scholarship next year.
The snow becomes a test of endurance by this time of year in Minnesota. That's when baseball training moves indoors, so players don't fall behind.
"You have to work on your arm strength. That's where players in Minnesota tend to fall behind," Matt Paulsen of Hit Dawg Indoor Facility said. "Your speed is important, and then hitting over and over again."
That's what brought Chaska catcher Luke Roskam and Eden Prairie third baseman Jeff Athey to Hit Dawg -- a passion for baseball that gives crosses seasons.
"I've learned so much from coming here. I've been coming here since my 7th grade year, and I've learned how to play the game right," Roskam said. "I've grown so much as a baseball player here.
Athey he comes to Hit Dawg to stay sharp.
"Practicing makes perfect," he said. "When you create bad habits, baseball is a game of reaction, so then you just react. And your habits will make it so you're playing the game right."
It worked for the two current rivals who will become teammates in college -- they both were recruited to play at the University of Nebraska next year.
"It's awesome. I've been going up playing against Jeff my whole life," Roskam said. "I'm good friends with him too, and I can't wait to get down there and play with him."
"Me and Luke have grown up together, since we were, like, 5 playing each other," Athey said. "Then we were on a couple all-star teams together and we ended up training here at Hit Dawg together. He's just one of my good buddies and it's awesome to be able to play with him in college."
That's the idea of Hit Dawg -- find kids that want it and allow them the opportunity to train year-round, to chase their dreams.
"These two have an amazing work ethic, which is part of the reason they're as successful as they are," Paulsen said. "Part of it is that they're just great athletes, but there are a lot of great athletes out there, and Minnesota has tons of them. Places like this give them a chance to compete with players who are down south, and playing baseball all the time."