Have you seen the Baseball Club on social media recently? Well, so have we. Not only have its social media accounts grown, with 2.4k Instagram followers and 3.7k likes on TikTok, the team dynamic has grown as well.
This fall, the team has played 18 games in total (not including the Duel in the Dells tournament, which the club hosts), nine from the Division 1 team and nine from the Division 2 team. The results have been exceptional, with the D1 team earning a 6-3 record, and the D2 team, an impressive 7-2 record.
If you are unfamiliar with how the club baseball team here at Wisconsin works, here is a quick rundown:
It is run by the University Recreation and Wellbeing as a club team, and are a part of the National Club Baseball Association which runs parallel to the NCAA. While they categorize teams into D1, D2, and D3, the teams are on similar skill levels.
D1 plays under exactly the same rules and regulations as NCAA baseball, while D2 and D3 integrate a few small adjustments taken from high school baseball regulations. The only main difference is eligibility, where the NCBA grants five years for playing eligibility, while the NCAA only allows four.
In the spring portion of the season, teams are able to qualify for Regionals, and then able to move on to an eight-team World Series, which the D1 team fell one game short of reaching last season.
Despite the separate categorization by the NCBA, senior Nate Dancer said the divide has lessened since he joined the team his freshman year.
“The program, in general, is way more connected than it used to be between the two teams, Dancer said. “… That’s what I’d say is probably the biggest contribution to us being more social as a whole.”
When asked about what the team has meant to him, Dancer said all his roommates are on club baseball, and he has been playing with two of them since high school.
“It’s just a huge cohort of guys — there’s always someone you can go hang out with,” Dancer said.
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Dancer also credited the increased presence on social media as a medium for their increased team bonding. He cites the in-game content as most beneficial, as it takes the weight off their shoulders and allows them to have fun together while motivating them to perform well.
Junior Soren Apple has been spearheading this increase in popular content as the social chair of the Baseball Club. The responsibility of his position includes running the social media and website and planning social events within the team and with other club teams. Apple has created a posting schedule that provides guidelines of when and what to post on social media and spends a lot of time designing graphics and brainstorming new ideas.
Since Apple was elected, the team has had multiple socials with other club teams, and have gained over one thousand followers on Instagram. With the help of creative assistant Izzy Huehnerfuss, they have transformed the team’s social media.
This fall, the Instagram page has received over 565,000 views, reaching over 40,000 accounts, a 220% increase. Their most popular post garnered 62 thousand views itself.
This season, one of Apple’s main focuses was growing their TikTok account with vlogs, dance trends, hype videos and other funny content. His hard work has paid off, as the team’s account currently has 16 posts made during his time as social chair, with one of them going semi-viral with almost 17k views.
Apple’s dedication to his position stems from his love for his team.
“I think this team is the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball,” Apple said. “… It’s just a testament to what this program is about.”
When talking to President Chris Coolidge, his pride for the club was obvious.
“I think of Club Baseball almost as a social fraternity that still gets to play baseball,” Coolidge said. “… It’s the first club that I joined on campus, and it’s definitely the best one.”
Coolidge also talked about his behind-the-scenes work to keep the club going. He highlighted the importance of setting a good example of strong leadership for the rest of the team, especially the younger members. He was heavily influenced by former President Jakson Amend, and he inspired him to help further the tradition.
While all of this growth is great, it is important to think about the future of the team, not just the present. Apple’s advice and hopes for the next social chair are to continue the momentum on social media by innovating with new ideas, and to continue connecting with other club teams on campus, in order to keep the Club Baseball name out in the open.
Coolidge echoed this, with his visions for the next president including continuing to bridge the gap between the D1 and D2 teams to encourage connectivity, and to pursue increased alumni relations to further the network of team members, both past and present.
When it comes to the team in general, all Apple, Coolidge and Dancer all made similar statements — the growth will continue in some way, and while the current state of the team is great, every future leadership team will bring new ideas on how to continue on this trajectory.
Coolidge expressed an especially positive outlook, saying “I’m confident in the people that are coming after me to keep growing and growing, and social media is the first step.”
All three interviewees expressed interest in a university sponsored baseball team. But, they did acknowledge that the team is not very feasible in the near future and believe that their growth will not change UW Athletics’ mind, and will only further their success, with Coolidge saying that if you support baseball, this is a team you can get behind — especially in the absence of an official team.
Interested in watching some Wisconsin Baseball? The fall portion of the season ended Halloween weekend but the team is poised for an exciting spring season. For more information, and to support the team, follow them on Instagram at badgerclubbaseball, or take a look at their website.