Asbury baseball’s pitcher Will McDonald, a senior, has built an impressive resume during his time here. The Shelbyville, Kentucky, native has already set a new program record for wins in a season with 18, but he knows he didn’t get there alone.
“It’s hard to put into words what it means to me, I think of a lot of people in my life that have played a huge role in getting me where I am,” said McDonald.
He also set a new record for strikeouts, becoming Asbury baseball’s all-time strikeout leader.
“Truthfully, I am just grateful for the people who always had faith in me, specifically Coach Cervantes,” said McDonald. “This record is just evidence of trusting the process and reflecting success that not only I have had on the mound but the effort by my coaches and teammates.”
New program records aren’t the only things McDonald has achieved this season. On March 1, he was named conference pitcher of the week, throwing a complete-game shutout against Grace College and adding 11 strikeouts while only allowing 3 hits.
“It’s hard to take credit for this recognition. Truth be told, my job is easy because of the guys I have playing defense behind me,” said McDonald.
There are a lot of moving pieces that go into the success of an individual. McDonald realizes the importance of his teammates and coach.
“[I’m] throwing to a catcher like Matthew Baker, who I know will always give me his best game, staying dialed in on every pitch, and pushes me to throw my best game,” said McDonald. “Coach Mattingly deserves a lot of credit by coming up with a specific game plan on how we will attack the hitters and relaying that information to me. Without his guidance and dedication to me I do not know if I would have developed into the pitcher I am.”
McDonald doesn’t lose his focus with individual awards or setting records.
“I think we need to keep working on focusing on the game at hand, careful not to check out, and make sure we leave everything on the field,” said McDonald.
McDonald and the Eagles are back at it on Friday, March 19, against Indiana University Kokomo.