By Andrew Smith
Sports have the power to inspire and teach valuable lessons. Current senior Alec Maag, who plays catcher on the men’s baseball team, reflects on what he has learned during his time here at Adelphi and the individuals who inspired him to play collegiate sports.
Maag came from a big baseball family and was first exposed to the game at the age of four. Maag explained, “My dad, cousin, grandfather and uncle were all catchers, which is why I chose to be a catcher myself. I looked up to my dad and he helped me with everything in developing as a player.”
The backstop also discussed how three-time Stanley Cup Champion Sidney Crosby, a professional hockey player, served as an inspirational figure. Crosby, who is currently captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League, will go down in history as one of the greatest players of all time, according to Maag, who sees him as an inspiration. He credited his work ethic and how he carries himself on and off the ice. “He’s a winner, plays 110 percent and works harder than anyone and as a result has solidified himself as one of the best hockey players of all time,” Maag said.
2023 marks Maag’s second season on the baseball team. He intends to play another year when he is a graduate student and is “pretty confident it will all work out.”
Maag reflected on his sports career at Adelphi and which experiences have had a lasting impact. “I’ve made a lot of great memories here at Adelphi and I’m proud of a lot of things we accomplished last year. My favorite specific memory is probably the extra inning game we played against Saint Rose in the first playoff game last year that we walked off and sent us to the conference tournament.”
But this season has not been going as planned. “We’re not playing as well as we expected or to our true potential, in large part because of some big injuries,” Maag said. “We still have a shot to sneak into a playoff spot though and if we do, we can be dangerous. Overall we have the talent to make a run; we just need to get hot at the right time.”
A struggling season or a slump at the plate cannot only help an athlete grow in the sport, but also in life. Maag explained, “Baseball is a game of failure and I’ve learned so many life lessons from it, including to never take things for granted. I’ve had my fair share of injuries that I’ve battled through here and it has really taught me the importance of not taking being healthy and playing a sport for granted.
“We’re all here with the same goal, and we work hard to get the results we want. When we don’t, it’s tough to deal with, but we believe in ourselves to turn things around,” Maag noted.
The backstop had a strong showing in the home series against the College of Saint Rose. During this four game set, Maag totaled a personal season high of three hits in one game, a homerun and a personal season high of two doubles in one game.
Be sure to come out and support our baseball team during the final stretch of the season! Go Panthers!