After the Ivy games against Princeton and Cornell over the weekend, the Yale baseball team is now more than halfway through its season with only 16 games remaining. Despite some tough losses, shortstop Cale Hanson ’14 has been a huge asset to the team, reahing based in the past 27 consecutive games. The News sat down with Hanson and talked about the state of the team.
Q What did you think about the matches over the weekend?
A It was a big improvement from week one, but we are still having trouble scoring.
Q How is the atmosphere on the team? And how do practices work?
A We go to stadium every day and practice about four hours per day. We focus on team defense in the first half, and then in [the] second half, offense. We are still positive, though we are not playing well. We still trust each other and have high hopes.
Q How is it to be a shortstop for the Bulldogs? Why did you choose that position?
A I was recruited to play any position. I was an outfielder freshman year, and this year I got a chance to play as a shortstop. I like infield better since I played [there] in high school.
Q When did you start playing baseball?
A Very young, when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I have not stopped. I played other sports when I was young, but my favorite is baseball.
Q What is the best thing about playing baseball at Yale?
A History. George H. W. Bush ’48 was once the captain. Babe Ruth has played here. And most importantly, we have great coaches.
Q Tell me about your most memorable match or moment.
A Last season, we swept Dartmouth, which was a defending champion back then. It was awesome. We were in the last place and jumped to first place. Personally, Dartmouth is my least favorite.
Q Who was the toughest to play against?
A Besides Dartmouth, I would say Princeton.
Q How is your relationship with the coach?
A We have two coaches and two volunteer coaches, and I love them all. We are having a tough season, but they are really positive.
Q Was there a time that you could not play because you were injured? How did you feel?
A Not at Yale. I have started every game here. It is really bad to be injured, since you cannot help your team.
Q Any plans on continuing baseball after graduation? The Major Leagues, maybe?
A I hope so. Everyone in our team wants to play at the next level. My ideal place to play would be professional baseball at some level.
Q Going back to the season, what do you think is challenging the team’s performance?
A Baseball is a weird sport. When things are going good, hitting the ball well, baseball is easy. At the beginning of the season, we had a few injuries — just pitchers cannot score runs, and we were on a losing streak. We had a lot of hits, but could not score runs. But we are going to keep our heads high.
Q What would be a practical goal right now for the team? What can Bulldogs fans look forward to?
A We have 12 Ivy League games left. It might sound crazy, but we are not out of it, and one big swing can change everything. The fans should watch for the Ivy Championship.
Q Who do you look up to, a possible role model?
A Derek Jeter, definitely. He is unbelievable. And Craig Biggio.
Q What’s your favorite baseball team?
A The Houston Astros.
Q Harvard is coming next weekend. Any comment on that?
A Yes, Harvard is coming up, and that will be the chance to turn the season around, starting with the Crimson. We are not happy right now, but we are still trying so we are not worried. We need more lucky breaks and then will be fine.