Sports

UWF baseball player to blog for College Baseball Lineup

By Lauren Haggett, University Communications

UWF baseball player Philip Ebert, a redshirt junior, has joined the roster of bloggers on College Baseball Lineup (CBL).  Formerly known as PING!Baseball, CBL focuses on highlighting Division I and II baseball.

Ebert plans to blog about the team’s ups, downs and in-betweens to help gain exposure for UWF and for their baseball program.  “We have a chance to be highly ranked this year and people everywhere should know about us,” said Ebert. “This is the most exciting year since I’ve been here, and the talent just keeps on growing.”

At the beginning of January 2011, Ebert decided he wanted to start blogging for CBL. He wrote CBL an email about his aspirations and soon after was added to the roster of bloggers.

“I noticed that none of the bloggers were from the South. I wanted to help highlight what goes on down here so people start to recognize us more,” said Ebert.

He was right; there are no bloggers representing any teams located in the southeast. Ebert hopes his blog will help expose UWF and its baseball program to more people.

“So many more people are walking around campus and local stores wearing clothes with UWF athletics on them and it’s exciting. Athletics have grown at UWF and have become more important since I’ve been here,” claims Ebert.

UWF Baseball Head Coach Mike Jeffcoat says Ebert has always taken initiative when it comes to leadership responsibilities and is always willing to lend a hand.

“Philip is a great person to blog about our team,” states Jeffcoat. “He truly wants to be a part of the team and be a good teammate that lends moral support and encouragement.”

Ebert has been playing baseball since he was five, and for the past three years he has played in the outfield for UWF. However, this year he has decided to contribute to the team in a different way by being a sidearm pitcher for the team.

“I knew I wouldn’t play much in the outfield and I wanted to contribute as much to the team as possible,” explains Ebert.

Brandon Brewer, a fellow teammate, claims Ebert is what every coach looks for in a player. “He has the ability to be everyone’s friend, but in the same sense he’s not afraid to push people if they need a little motivation,” he said.

The team chemistry is great according to Ebert, and his favorite thing about being a part of the team is the camaraderie.

“Philip is a great motivational leader for our team and a hard worker. He gets everyone going and always makes sure we are on the same page,” said Gregory Pron, a senior on the team.

The team plays its first game against Montevallo on Feb. 1 at home, and after that they are off to Orlando to play at Rollins College.

“Coach always reminds us that baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. We are just excited to start the season and show everyone what we are capable of,” said Ebert. “We have to make every game count, so we have just been trying to stay focused and make sure we take care of business.”

Ebert plans to blog about once a week, so be sure to check out his blog at www.collegebaseballlineup.com. To view the schedule for the Argonauts, visit www.goargos.com.