Senior right hand pitcher Jonathon Hanscom and junior right hand pitchers Tyler Conklin and Christian Carew answered some questions about baseball and what their goals are ahead of the 2024 season: 

Q: What is your favorite baseball team?

Hanscom: “The Cincinnati Reds, which I got because of my father.”

Conklin: “The Chicago Cubs. I have been a fan my entire life.”

Carew: “The Colorado Rockies. It’s pretty frustrating being a Rockies fan.”

Q: What is the best sunflower seed flavor?

Hanscom: “It has to be Taco Bell, taco supreme. A very close second is sweet and spicy, but it gets old after a while.”

Conklin: “Spitz smoky BBQ, specifically the Spitz brand.”

Carew: “I actually don’t like sunflower seeds. I’m more of a bubblegum guy.”

Q: What is your favorite meal before a game?

Hanscom: “My favorite meal is a ribeye steak with broccoli and potatoes, made to perfection by right hand pitcher Chaney Trout.”

Conklin: “Something light but with carbs. Scrambled eggs and some toast most likely.”

Carew: “Usually a sandwich from Jimmy Johns.”

Q: What baseball player do you study the most?

Hanscom: “I look at Marcus Stroman to confirm my ideas for mechanics. I also analyze my teammates to see what works for each guy and see how I can implement them into my mechanics.”

Conklin: “Marcus Stroman. We have the same pitch repertoire. We aren’t the tallest pitchers, so our pitching mechanics are similar.”

Carew: “I like to study Jacob deGrom. He’s one of the best pitchers in the league, and I have learned a lot from him.”

Q: What is your favorite baseball movie?

Hanscom: “’The Sandlot’ is my favorite and has been since a very young age.”

Conklin: “’Moneyball.’ I think people that don’t watch baseball would like it too.”

Carew: “My favorite has to be ‘The Sandlot’. It’s an all-time classic and never gets old.”

Q: What are your goals for this season?

Hanscom: “Win the conference in both regular season and the tournament and end the season with 40 wins.”

Conklin: “Win the OVC (Ohio Valley Conference), a regional and OVC Pitcher of the Year.”

Carew: “Defend our title as OVC champs and make it back to another NCAA tournament.”

Cameron Thomas can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].