Parker Gryskevich ’24 is from Brownsburg, IN and he is a catcher on the Wittenberg baseball team. Austin Luther ’24 is from Hughesville, Maryland, and he is a pitcher on the Wittenberg baseball team. Luke Thomas ’24 is from Tallmadge, OH and plays both infield and outfield on the baseball team.
Bailee Lyons: How long have you played?
Parker Gryskevich: Since I was about 3 years old.
Austin Luther: Probably about the same, 4 years old.
Luke Thomas: Yeah, probably about the same, 4 or 5.
BL: What got you started into playing?
PG: My parents threw me in there to play and I ended up enjoying it.
AL: A majority of the time my dad was around a lot of the sports I grew up playing so baseball kind of just stuck.
LT: My dad played, so he basically threw me right into baseball when I started getting to the age where I could play.
BL: What is your major?
PG: Marketing and Sport Management.
AL: Business Management.
LT: Sport Management.
BL: Are there any challenges with your major that may interfere with your sport?
PG: No, not really.
AL: The only thing that might are outside of class activities. We had a little tour of a different business around here and not that it cut into practice time or anything, but that would be the only conflict.
LT: There are none for me.
BL: What are you involved in outside of sports?
PG: I’m not really involved in anything.
AL: I’m not either.
LT: On campus I am not either.
Who would you say is the team’s biggest rival?
PG: Our team’s biggest rival is definitely Denison.
AL: Denison for sure.
LT: Denison or Wooster, they have been at the top of the conference for so long and now we are starting to get up there too.
BL: What’s your favorite part of Witt?
PG: Mainly when I visited, I saw The Steemer, and I loved that. I also love Witt because it is like a small community, and you know a lot of people around here. I liked the class sizes as well.
AL: When I came on my visit it was the people that really drew me to this place. A lot of the guys I stayed with for my overnight were just super fun-loving people and took care of me, and that’s the great hometown vibe I wanted even though I am so far away from home.
LT: Baseball, the facilities here and the small campus feeling, the professors want you to succeed, and you build relationships easier that way.
BL: What is your main goal as a player during your career at Witt?
PG: I want to make an impact on all the younger guys and show them how to be a player in this program and in the end, I want a NCAC Championship.
AL: The biggest goal is to win. We go through so many struggles throughout the year, time management obviously. A personal goal is to keep my grades up, but another goal I care about is winning.
LT: I feel like the end goal is to win a NCAC Championship, but as a senior I want to be a leader and be someone the underclassmen can look up to.
BL: What is the biggest piece of advice a coach has given you?
PG: Show up and give best effort every day, always show 110% in everything you do, and if you give the effort, you will see the outcomes from it.
AL: One of my pet peeves is being late and that has been reinforced through every coach I have ever had. I hate being late. I want to be on time, I want to be early, I want to get here and get work done. Stay late, come early, just be here, be present, be on time.
LT: You get out what you put in. Not just with baseball but with everything in life.
BL: If you did not play baseball, what would you play instead?
PG: Basketball, but obviously I’m not that tall, so it would never work out.
AL: Golf, I got into golf like 3 summers ago and love it, but I was never good at it. I am starting to get better but if I could master another sport or put my effort into another sport it would be golf.
LT: I played football and basketball in HS so probably one of those two.
BL: What is your pregame ritual?
PG: I don’t really have a ritual, but I always drink a Reign energy drink and a Liquid IV, and a superstition I have is I always have my socks inside out for games.
AL: Taking care of my body, I get up, go get food because it is usually a long day with double header games, making sure I am fueled for the day especially when I throw the second game of a double header. Keeping myself prepared mentally and physically.
LT: One thing I do is listen to music before games.
BL: What’s your pregame song?
PG: I don’t have a pregame song, but I listen to a lot of YoungBoy.
AL: I used this as my walk-up song sophomore year, but one of my mom’s favorite songs when I was younger was “Umbrella” by Rihanna. I love that song, so I will listen to that pretty frequently.
LT: For me, I don’t have a specific song either, but I would say anything country just makes me stay calm.
BL: What is your pregame meal?
PG: Usually Peanut Butter sandwiches, some chicken, a sub from Jimmy John’s.
AL: In the morning, I will go to McDonald’s. I love their hashbrowns. But for lunch probably Chipotle.
LT: For the weekend games, I would say a Sausage Egg sandwich.
BL: What’s your favorite part of practice?
PG: My favorite part of practice is doing live AV’s and hitting as much as possible.
AL: The weekends where we get to throw live, it is a good way to get better simulating a game, it is tiring at times because we are playing 12 innings in a day, but if we get our work in and everyone is having fun it is a good way to work and have fun.
LT: Being outside taking on field batting practice and just being there with the guys enjoying my time with them.
BL: If you had one word to describe your teammate, what would it be?
PG: For Austin, I would say goofy or clown.
AL: For Luke I would say “Silent Assassin” …for Parker, I would say rock.
LT: For Parker I would say funny, he is one that makes you laugh especially if the team is down, he is funny at practice and the games. Austin is unique.
Last minute thoughts? “Watch out for the Tigers! Come to games, we have a huge stadium for a reason, we want it filled, not only because a majority of our parents show up, but also because we have a lot of friends, and it is a great atmosphere, and we have a lot of fun with it. The Tigers are coming, and we have something to prove!”
