May 9, 2008

You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time. - Major League Baseball Pitcher Jim Bouton

It's a feeling that can't really be described until it hits you right between the eyes. It's the smell of the freshly-cut grass. It's the sun breaking through the clouds. It's your family sitting in the stands or standing along the rail near the dugout, seeing you in the new white jersey with the black pinstripes. It's the feeling of pride that you've finally made it, and the feeling of uncertainty that creeps into your mind.

"The first time you walk out on the field, it's just the unknown of what's to come," said Kennesaw State senior outfielder Jay Morrow. "It's a lot different. You were just playing against high school players and now you feel like a little kid going up against grown men. You're not in awe, but you're trying to grasp it.

"I've been able to play this game for the last 18 years of my life," said Morrow, sounding almost too pensive for someone that's really still so young. "There's just something about playing baseball; being on the team, being on the bus, and being at practice...there's just something that brings you closer."

"Walking through the door for the first time, you don't really know how it's going to be," said KSU senior Jerome Wooley. "You don't know how you're going to connect with your teammates or with your coaches. You don't know what to expect from anyone. It was a nervous time for me."

Now, Morrow and Wooley are entering the homestretch of their baseball careers at the university in the northwest Georgia foothills. While the two have taken different paths to reach this place, the two will be forever intertwined on the rest of their journey beyond.

The two are both on pace to graduate, with Morrow wrapping up his degree on-time and Wooley returning as a fifth-year student to complete his degree. Morrow will be getting his degree in Management, with Wooley receiving a Sports Management degree.

Morrow arrived at Kennesaw State from Roswell High School. While Morrow has played for four years and will play his 200th game with the Owls this Saturday, he credits the coaching staff for showing faith in him as a young player.

"Getting to play in my 200th game means a lot to me," said Morrow. "I had Tommy John surgery as I was coming out of high school, but the coaches stuck with me. It's been a lot of fun to be a part of this."

A native of Decatur, Ga., Wooley's path to Kennesaw State included a stop at Georgia Perimeter College.

"I wanted to play at a school that was in-state so that my parents could come to my games," said Wooley. "My junior college coaches persuaded me to give Kennesaw a shot.

"KSU wasn't too far away from home, but far enough away that I could enjoy the full college experience," Wooley continued. "I had friends that came up here and really enjoyed their time here, so it seemed like a great fit."

With a laugh and a smile, Wooley added, "The scholarship offer didn't hurt either!"

If there's one thing anyone that's been around Wooley has noticed, it's been his smile. It's rare to see Wooley in a moment where he is not happy with where he is.

"Jerome is one of the nicest, if not the nicest guy on the team," says Morrow. "Every day he's just smiling and having a good time. You can just tell how much fun he's having by the way he plays. He likes building relationships and enjoys playing in life and playing in baseball."

Wooley is equally as impressed with his roommate for road trips. "Playing the last two years with Jay has been a blast," he stated. "He's the team captain, so he provides a lot of leadership out on the baseball field. He speaks up for the players and for the coaches.

"I've learned a lot from him as a player and as a person as well."

Morrow has been a cornerstone in Coach Mike Sansing's lineup for the past four seasons. A career .300 hitter, Morrow is on pace to set a new career-high in batting average this season. He needs six more hits to match his 2006 high of 67 in a season. Earlier this month, Morrow drove in his 130th career run.

Wooley has battled through hamstring and shoulder injuries ("When you get to the age that Jay and I are at, you get injuries like no other," joked the senior) at the beginning of the season to have a solid year for the Owls. He has set a career-high in extra base hits with six, including his first triple and first home run for KSU. He has crossed the plate 34 times in his KSU career.

The transition to Division I has been a blessing of sorts for both Morrow and Wooley. "It's been fun seeing how far everything has come in the last four years from a baseball perspective and the perspective of the university," Morrow said, one of the last holdovers from KSU's final year in Division II.

"The first thing that really stood out about coming to Kennesaw State was the ability to be able to play Division I baseball," Wooley said.

While the Owls aren't able to play in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament or the NCAA Tournament, Morrow doesn't look back with any regrets.

"People say, `Oh, you have this transition period. You can't play for anything,'" Morrow stated. "But personally, you may not be able to go to the postseason, but every day you get to go out and play against someone else. That's what you're competing for.

"If you don't want to go out to play and win, then you're at the wrong level. That's what you play for every day."

With four games left at home and three games left on the road, the two seniors have made the most of their final seasons in a collegiate uniform. The Owls have gone 25-24 this season and currently sit in third place in the A-Sun with a mark of 16-11. KSU has a chance to finish with a winning record in conference play for the first time since moving to Division I.

"Having fun is fine, but baseball is better when you're victorious," Morrow said.

But what will it be like that final time walking onto the Stillwell Stadium field?

"You started with the unknown, but the last day you walk out, you know the coaches, you know your teammates - your buddies - you just want to soak that moment up for as long as you can," Wooley thoughtfully said.

"I don't know what the last time is going to be like," Morrow said, the realization of what's to come starting to slowly sink in. "As long as you know you've given everything you've had every single inning, it should be a good time. But I really don't know what it's going to be like that last time."

Senior Day festivities will begin approximately 15 minutes before Saturday's first game, which is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.