Marlins Baseball

Sam Bordner – University of Louisville

What was your biggest learning experience once you got to college? What was different and what did you have to focus on to succeed in college.
 

The biggest learning experience for me is adjusting to living by myself. Everybody says they are so ready for college but when you show up and live without any of your family or friends around is one of the hardest things to get used to. The biggest thing that I had to change was to study and to actually do my homework. College is only a little different than high school but there is a lot more homework and the tests are more thorough in college.

How long is your average school day? How long do you spend in the weight room? How much time do you spend at practice? How do you balance it all?
 

In the fall semester I 4 classes on Monday-Wednesday-Friday from 8am-noon and only had 1 class Tuesday-Thursday from 11-12:15. My spring semester is a tad easier. I only have 2 classes Monday-Wednesday-Friday from 10am-noon and 1 class Tuesday-Thursday from 9:30am-10:45am, but I am also taking 2 online classes which posts lectures every day for me to watch. Each day I spend around 1 hour in the weight room and 45 minutes in the training room doing shoulder prehab, shoulder workouts to help prevent shoulder injuries. Right now we are doing individual pitchers practices and they normally only last 30 minutes tops, but when we have full fledge team practices, the practices normally take about 3 hours. Balancing sports, school, and a social life is tough. Really what you have to do is work hard during the week and get your school stuff done so you don’t have to do any over the weekend and spend time with friends.

How has the Marlin program prepared you for the next level?

The Marlin program helped out a lot when it came to the weight room. The workouts were high-intensity, fast-paced workouts just like most college programs have. It also helped me meet some of my best friends/ brothers that I will never forget about.

Where are you playing summer ball this year? What summer league are you in so Marlin fans can follow?

I am playing summer ball up in Vermont for the Vermont Mountaineers. The Mountaineers are a part of the NECBL, New England Collegiate Baseball League.

What position are you playing in college? And what will your role be to your team?

This season I am strictly a pitcher. I will be a relief pitcher. Next season my hopes are to get some at-bats and hopefully be a starter.

When does your season start? Are you taking any trips to start the spring season? If so where?

Our first scheduled game will be on February 19th against Southern Illinois University. For out 3rd weekend of the season we are traveling down south and playing in a weekend series against Ole Miss.

What are some of your favorite memories of Midwest marlins baseball?

One of my favorite memories as a Marlin are all the road trips that Bailey, Hayden, and I took to all the games together. The most unforgettable road trip was traveling to Cincinnati and playing the Midland Redskins and various other teams. 

Would you refer someone to the marlins program and why?

I would refer someone to the marlin program because it has a unbelievable training program. Not a single player goes to the team and doesn’t get better. The Marlins organization is a recipe for success on and off the baseball diamond.

What do you miss most about high school sports?

What I missed most about high school sports was playing in from of my hometown and playing alongside all my greatest friends.

What motivates you to be successful?

What motivates me to be successful is my Poppop. My Poppop has untreatable leukemia and has been given only months to live. I strive to be successful because that man taught me the greatest game on the planet. I wouldn’t be here at the University of Louisville without him. He constantly pushed me to play better when I was younger and now to repay for all that he has done, I am going to play the hardest I can on the diamond and show him that all his work didn’t go to waste.

LOVE YOU MARLIN FAMILY!!!

Sam Bordner

University of Louisville