SOFIELD SPEAKS TO BLUFFTON ROTARY

Posted by Lisa Carroll

Veteran Major League baseball player, Rick Sofield, now Head Coach of USCB Baseball gave an overview of the start up program and his passion for the game. Sofield has an impressive record in baseball. Upon graduation from the University of South Carolina, he played eight years in the major leagues including three seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He worked with the New York Yankees, the Colorado Rockies, the Montreal Expos, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is also a sought after motivational speaker often sharing a favorite topic titled, The Pain of Discipline versus The Pain of Regret.

Sofield took the USCB job two years ago. "We have a diamond in the rough athletically at USCB," commented Coach Sofield. "We have an opportunity here in this community to make a difference. We are an (NAIA) National Association Intercollegiate Athletics school and we are in the birthing stage both academically and athletically."

He continued by sharing that the USCB men's golf team was ranked 7th in the U.S. The women's golf team cracked the top 25 at one point. Two of the cross country runners made it to the nationals and in track, two of the runners went to the NAIA championships.

In baseball, USCB now has eight scholarships available. They have recruited fifty players this year to play on the Sand Sharks team. He emphasized the need for support from the community. "Come to the games," he said. "Come visit the athletic department. We can use all the help we can get."

He also encouraged Rotarians to visit the USC web site to learn more about the development of their "field of dreams," a new baseball complex called The Shark Park. More information is available at www.uscb.edu.