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Joe Persichina is a junior middle infielder
for Arizona State who will contribute a weekly journal to CollegeBaseballInsider.com in 2006. Persichina, a native of Torrance, Calif.,
started 42 games as a freshman and was an honorable-mention all-Pac-10 selection
after hitting .320 and fielding at a .985 clip. Last year, he started 28 games
on the infield and hit the go-ahead homer - only the third of his career - that
lifted ASU past Cal State Fullerton and into the College World Series.
Feb. 3, 2006
Getting Your Mind off the Game
Today is big day for our team: We begin our second weekend series of
2006 against Northern Illinois tonight.
I don't know much about them, but we expect to play well and hope to take all
three games. We began our season slowly with a loss to Cal State Northridge last
Friday, but did rebound to win the series. It was upsetting, but I think we are
much better prepared for this weekend.
On the Thursday night before the day of a game, I like to do something fun and
relaxing to get my head off baseball.
Last night, I watched the Phoenix Coyotes play the Los Angeles Kings in the
Glendale Arena. I love going to hockey games, and to the dismay of our
Phoenix-area fans, I am a big Kings fan.
I love the intensity of the game: the checking, fighting and scoring. The one
thing I love the most about hockey is the willingness of players to take a hit
or even start a fight with an opponent for another teammate.
Kind of reminds me of how important it is to be a good teammate for my pals
here at ASU.
At a game in the past against the Sharks, one of the Kings' players was
illegally elbowed in the head by Joe Thornton, one of the largest players in the
NHL. The player got knocked down, but his teammate about half the size of
Thornton defended his Kings teammate by fighting Thornton. If that's not being a
teammate I don't know what is.
Other nights before a game, I'll go fishing with guys on the team at Tempe Town
Lake, which is conveniently placed right by our field. We haven't caught
anything yet, but I plan on breaking the lake record before the year is done.
Down time is a precious thing, because most of our time is spent on the field
and studying. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Putting on the
maroon and gold is something I'm proud to do every day!
Well, it's time get ready to play some ball against Northern Illinois tonight.
Let's go! See you all next week.
Joe Pa
(photo courtesy of Arizona State Media Relations Office) |
