Herald, Seton Hill staying consistent
With Cody Herald and the
The
Herald collected a pair of doubles and four RBI in two wins over
“Cody was going to be a backup player for us as a freshman,”
Seton Hill coach Marc Marizzaldi recalled. “We were working him in at second
and third base.
“Our right fielder got hurt during the first week of the season, then our backup right fielder broke his hand in his first at
bat. I looked at Cody and said: 'You're in right.'
“He's been out there ever since.”
Herald hit .312 his freshman year, .324 as a sophomore and .346
last year. He has tallied 166 hits, 34 doubles, 51
stolen bases and 98 RBI in his collegiate career.
Seton Hill has collected 41, 42 and 46 wins over the past three
seasons. The Griffins have been to the NCAA Tournament five straight years and
advanced to the Division II World Series last year.
Seton Hill has won 129 of 174 games since Herald joined the
program.
“You get excited when you win in high school baseball, but
college ball is just a different feel,” Herald said. “The games drain you mentally,
physically.
“The games are so upbeat and you're constantly involved. You get
into every single pitch and it's such a great feeling when you win.”
Herald has struck out only 40 times in 505 official at bats in
college. He's walked 42 times and has been hit by a pitch on 17 occasions.
“He was a multi-sport athlete in high school and has always been
a competitor,” Marizzaldi said. “Cody gets into the batter's box and just
grinds on every pitch.
“His attitude is he's not going to let the guy strike him out.”
Herald said he focuses “on breathing and relaxing” when he steps
into the box.
“I'll focus in on a part of my bat, count to three and step in
there,” he said. “I believe in the simple Pete Rose philosophy. See the ball,
hit the ball.”
As solid as they are, Herald's numbers do not concern him. He has
no goals in his senior season in terms of batting average or runs produced.
“Every at bat hinges on the situation,” he said. “I could go
0-for-4, but if I moved a runner to third in a key spot and helped us win a
game that way, I had a good day.”
Herald is a preseason first-team Atlantic Region player. Seton
Hill is picked to win the region by most publications and is ranked as high as
second in some national Division II polls.
“When I see my name on those (preseason) lists, it makes me feel
like my hard work has paid off,” Herald said. “But I have to continue doing
that.
“I'm not the fastest or biggest player in the world. But I don't
want people who saw me play remember me for athleticism. I want them to
remember how hard I played.
“We know what we're capable of accomplishing this year,” Herald
added. “But we're not focused on rankings. We're focusing day to day.”
Herald is majoring in elementary education. He will get his
student teaching in next fall and get his degree.
He may get an opportunity to play professional baseball this
summer.
“I hope someone gives him a shot because he deserves one,”
Marizzaldi said. “Cody Herald is just solid. You count on consistent play from
him and he gives it to you every day.
“You can't measure this guy by a stopwatch or radar gun. You just
have to watch him. He's a ballplayer. He's got the makeup to make it as a pro
ballplayer.”
Herald isn't banking on it.
“For anybody who plays any sport, that's a dream,” he said of
turning pro. “For me, if it happens, it happens. Either way, I have to wake up
the next day and continue with life.
“I want to be a teacher and I'd love to coach, baseball or
basketball. I loved putting on that