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00:00 >> Are you guys getting ready to start practice?
00:01 What's the feeling like when it gets to this point on the calendar?
00:05 >> Yeah, it's exciting obviously cuz we start playing real soon.
00:09 I mean, we get scrimmage today, everyone's excited to scrimmage,
00:11 just get out on the field.
00:12 Nice weather helps too for sure.
00:15 Yeah, we enjoy coming out here, especially when the weather's good.
00:19 >> What's gonna make this group different than what obviously the end result was
00:22 last year?
00:23 >> Yeah, I would say the culture.
00:25 The type of culture I think this year we've got is a lot more trust amongst
00:28 the players, it's not selfish guys.
00:31 We're playing for one another, we're able to hold each other accountable.
00:35 I think the biggest thing is we love one another,
00:37 we wanna play for each other, which I think that's the biggest thing.
00:40 >> Anything different as far as the work ethic or anything in the off season,
00:43 any preparation that may have been different this time around?
00:46 >> Yeah, I mean, we got after it for sure.
00:48 Especially the new group this summer was a little bit different this summer.
00:51 A few older guys, myself included, got to stay here,
00:54 which helped them get acclimated to that culture of holding each other accountable,
00:59 getting after it.
01:00 Hopefully we taught them the right way on how to work, which is always fun.
01:03 >> In 22, the message for that team from Coach Mack was that, yeah,
01:07 we're gonna try and reset the standard after they miss the tournament in 21.
01:10 Is he kind of incorporating that same message this time around?
01:13 >> Yeah, a little bit.
01:15 I would say it's a little more player driven this time, which is good.
01:18 We're able to hold each other accountable,
01:20 we're able to love one another in a different way.
01:22 It seems this year the culture's a little bit different, which I really enjoy.
01:26 >> What's the competition been like and
01:28 how much does it kind of now even ramp up even more as you begin practice?
01:33 >> Yeah, it's a really healthy competition, which is good.
01:35 We got, I mean, you could probably throw two different lineups out there of
01:38 nine completely different guys, and
01:40 both of them are gonna be just as good as one another.
01:43 And it's real healthy for everybody.
01:45 And it's not the, I'm gonna play over you.
01:49 It's if someone plays over another person,
01:51 we're gonna enjoy watching that other person play, which is real good.
01:54 >> When you say the culture's different,
01:56 is there a higher sense of urgency, is it more competitive?
01:58 I mean, what makes the culture different for this team?
02:01 >> Yeah, I would say the biggest word is trust.
02:04 We trust one another.
02:05 It's not, it is very competitive, obviously, but it's a trust in that
02:09 competition where we're all playing hard for one another,
02:13 not to play over another guy, which is real good.
02:16 >> Here's the Omaha Challenge, but
02:17 what other kind of things do you guys do to build that trust,
02:20 to build that unity amongst each other?
02:21 >> Weight room is one of the biggest things, obviously,
02:23 cuz it's always hard.
02:24 We get our butts kicked pretty well in there.
02:28 That's number one, Omaha Challenge is good, and
02:29 even practice every single day.
02:32 We're always doing small competitions every single day.
02:34 We get to see everybody compete at their highest level in practice,
02:38 which is always really cool.
02:39 >> We know the ACC play is gonna be really difficult, and
02:41 teams like Wake Forest stick out immediately.
02:43 How do you see this team comparing with those teams and
02:46 competing ultimately day in, day out?
02:48 >> I mean, obviously, it's hard to look at it now.
02:50 They obviously, a bunch of teams have big names.
02:53 And right now, we're just focusing on ourselves, really,
02:55 what we need to do to get ready to play and how we're gonna go about our season.
02:59 >> For you, individually, what have you done kind of the offseason and
03:03 what kind of the expectation now for you as you move forward, what will be different?
03:07 >> Yeah, I feel like it's really about getting everybody ready to play, for
03:11 me especially.
03:12 Obviously, getting myself ready to play,
03:13 trying to help the younger guys get ready to play.
03:15 Some guys that haven't done it, the transfer guys that have never played in
03:18 this league, just helping them out as best I can to be ready to play in the ACC.
03:23 >> When these new guys come in,
03:25 how do you express to them what Louisville baseball is?
03:28 >> Yeah, it's not really a verbal expression.
03:30 They figure out pretty quick what it's about.
03:32 I mean, we got Dylan Hoy transferred in.
03:34 He's a team captain this year, so he figured it out pretty quick, I'd say.
03:38 Everybody voted for him to be a captain.
03:40 Everybody loves him, and it's a great atmosphere.
03:43 >> How have some of those newcomers worked over the course of the fall?
03:45 >> I mean, a lot of them came in, they knew how to work already, which is good.
03:48 That's why they ended up here,
03:50 is cuz they fit the mold of what we were looking for.
03:53 And they're taking it and running with it, for sure.
03:55 >> Good?