Bull: The grind

Lopes View provides GCU's student-athletes a platform to express their lives through stories within their sport, academic studies and community outreach.

GCU student-athlete Austin Bull is a member of the GCU baseball program. Following his freshman season at Grand Canyon and first summer baseball experience, Bull talks about how 'The Grind' made him a better person physically, mentally and spiritually.

AUSTIN BULL / BASEBALL

F reshman year: a year defined by new experiences and how one adjusts to them. This past year, learning the routines, faces and responsibilities of college was, for me, a constant endeavor. In terms of baseball, it didn't exactly end at my post-season exit meeting with the coaches. And it surely didn't end as I collapsed into my own bed at home after the three-month season. I was about to experience for the first time the second half of what teammates and coaches were calling "The Grind".

Earlier in the year, Coach Stankiewicz called me into his office. When he gave me the opportunity to go play summer ball in southern California, I was ecstatic. Even better, I was going to make the trip with another fellow Lope and teammate, Zach Malis. It was going to be baseball, beaches and temperatures actually less than 100 degrees. And on top of that, combined with the season, my time in the California Collegiate Summer League would be the first time I would truly understand what playing professional baseball feels like.

Bull was named to the All-WAC team as a freshman for the Lopes in 2016.

I noticed a few things right off the bat. There was not as much free time as I thought! Coupled with morning workouts, my body did sometimes feel exhausted. I was eating more turkey sandwiches and PB&J's than I had ever eaten before in my life. California traffic was pitiful, and the host family dog wished I wasn't there (until the last week). I was becoming proficient at ping-pong, but these were just superficial things and as I would come to know later, the summer had more in store for me than I thought.

Of course I improved as a player. Tony Gwynn once said in his Hall of Fame induction speech, "If you want something, you can't be afraid to ask." In my own way, I enjoy seeking the wisdom of great hitters like Ted Williams, Wade Boggs and coaches like Tom Robson through their books. It was just me, my books and time. A good combination for learning. And this gave me the ammunition I needed to make adjustments on the field.

My time in the California Collegiate Summer League would be the first time I would truly understand what playing professional baseball feels like.

But what I appreciate more, however, are the bonds and relationships that I formed with different people. People in any given situation can make of it what they choose. Luckily for me, the people involved with my summer team really invested themselves to make the experience a good one.

And it all started with my host family. Wiffle ball. Backyard barbeques. Late night talks before bed. Water slides and Nerf gun wars. Winning over the family dog. I do not know if the two Coppock boys or the two Grand Canyon boys enjoyed each other more. It was hard at the end to leave because, after just two months, we had become family.

One thing I have noticed about baseball is that every team I play on is unique. This team was one of the most enjoyable ones I've come across. We represented almost every level of college baseball, region and vernacular in America.

But something was special. The team really did care. We cared about each other, and we cared about how we played. Sure, it was summer ball, and it was not the real season, but I liked how each guy put their best foot forward. It was an attitude from the beginning, and we had one of the better summers that the program has had yet. And for that I am proud.

Bull spent his summer playing in La Mirada, Calif. for the So Cal Catch. (Ashley Turner / So Cal Catch)

And within this group of guys, I think most can all say we gained one thing: perspective. Playing on the So-Cal Catch, a Christian, faith-based summer team, I personally was reminded that it is important to label my priorities and then live accordingly.

I was challenged to pursue my faith more. We were also given the opportunity everyday to pour into each other's personal lives. Through Bible studies and small group discussions we grew to know, love and respect one another on levels that, if not for the environment, would not have been reached. And this I think made my time here worthwhile and a success.

While being away from home and my family was certainly not ideal, through the grind of the summer, I learned more about how to endure physically, mentally and spiritually. I had my fair share of practice dealing with failure as well. But I was reminded of the need to enjoy myself.

As Rickey Henderson once said, "Once you can accept failure, you can have fun and success." When I allowed myself to do this, things fell into place, and I played better.

People told me this summer would be a grind. But all it did was grind down my outer layers and expose the areas that I needed to improve. At the conclusion of my first year in college baseball, my back pocket is full. It is full of experiences that I can use as reference in the future.

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Grand Canyon University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Austin Bull

Zach Malis

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