Michigan State University Athletics
Q&A with Erik Morris
4/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 14, 2005
East Lansing, Mich. - The only senior on Michigan State's baseball team this year is utility man, Erik Morris. Morris, who catches and plays first base, will offer veteran leadership on an otherwise young team. Morris returns as the Spartans leading hitter, after posting a .321 average, ten home runs, and batting in 44 runs last year. He ended his stellar junior campaign with a 13-game hit streak and was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the late rounds of the major league draft. Morris returned to East Lansing, though, for his senior season to better his skills and help a young Spartan team improve on their surprise third-place showing in the Big Ten a year ago.
Q: What are some of your goals for your senior season at Michigan State?
A: I want to finish up with a winning season and a total winning record here at Michigan State. We want to make it into the playoffs and that would give us a chance to maybe win a championship at the end of the year, with all the craziness going on in the Big Ten already this year after the first weekend. Getting into the tournament is obviously a big goal of mine. Anything can happen from there. If you win the tournament you go on to regionals, which would be something no one here has experienced in 40-some years. Obviously, I want to hit better and see the ball better so I can become a true asset in the lineup, which is one of my all-time goals for this year.
Q: You were drafted last year, what was that like and why did you come back for your senior season?
A: I got drafted late. They didn't get the MRI results of my elbow until the second day of the draft, so I went real late in the 44th round and they didn't have any money to offer me. The Phillies didn't expect me to sign at all; they just wanted to see me play during the rest of the summer. At the end of the summer they were going to offer me something, but I got hurt again, so ultimately I came back for another year.
Q: How has your dad, former major-leaguer Jack Morris, helped you along in your baseball career?
A: Having a major-leaguer as a father is something most people don't have as an asset. I think the most important thing I've learned from my dad and being around the major leagues is the mental aspect of the game and how you have to carry yourself during close games, even blow-out games. With that said, mentally, I think I have a lot of control over the game. Also, being a senior, I've been through a lot and through him I can learn a lot. He has been in tough spots, like game sevens where he was pitching, being in the play-offs, he went out there like he owned the place and nothing really got to him. Just the approach to the game is one of the things I learned most from him.
Q: You are a captain this year. Has your approach to the team and the game changed, being in that leadership role?
A: No, not really. I've always played the part of a leader. Guys have joked about that the last three years by telling me I was a senior captain when I was a sophomore. I'm not one of those guys who is going to yell at players. I'd rather lead by example and help other players as they go along, instead of nagging them. I just want to be a friend to the guys, someone they can look up to, and that really hasn't changed since I've got here.
Q: What does the team have to do to be successful in the Big Ten this year?
A: It ultimately comes down to pitching. I know it's easy for me to say that, not being a pitcher, but if you look around the league, the teams that compile the best records have four starters that consistently go out there and throw strikes. Obviously, you have to have a good line-up as well. I think we have a good line-up with a good core coming back from last year. You have to have both pitching and a good line-up, but consistency is the key word. You have to go out there every day like it is the most important game of your season or career. You have to take that mentality.
Q: At the beginning of the year you guys were on the road a lot, what was it like to finally have a home game and get your first home win against Saginaw Valley State?
A: It was weird playing at home. I didn't know how to take it. We love playing at Kobs and being at home is a lot easier than the strain of traveling. I've been playing summer ball the last few years and we play everyday. Road trips that are five or six hours and you pretty much live on the bus, so traveling doesn't really bother me that much. The freshman and sophomores, being the young team that we are, traveling might take a toll on them early, but eventually they'll get used to it. In Iowa, we were accustomed to being on the road and we walked away with a split.
Q: What keeps you hungry and striving to do better and progress in your abilities?
A: Winning. I hate losing. I hate losing more than anything. I just want to win and be the best player I can. It doesn't change from game to game. If we play Wayne State and lose it's going to upset me just as much as losing to the University of Florida. Losing just takes a toll on you and I don't like it.
Q: Who do you think are going to be the toughest teams in conference this year?
A: According to Baseball America, they had Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State above us. Right now Michigan is sitting 0-4 (now 1-7) and Ohio State is 0-4 (now 3-5) as well in conference, so you never can tell until you face a team. Obviously, we're not going to take a Michigan or Ohio State lightly just because of their record. There a powerhouse, Ohio State and Minnesota, and in my four years here they've done well in the Big Ten. Michigan has always battled with us too. Then there are sleeper teams like Illinois, which could be a team like we were last year. We were predicted ninth and came back and finished third. In all likelihood, they could do the same thing. I think those four teams and us will be tops in the Big Ten.
Q: Coach Mahan describes you as a versatile player. If you were filling out the line-up card where would you be playing everyday?
A: If I could stay healthy and not get sore, I would catch everyday, but catching takes a big toll on your knees, on your body and on your arm. In Big Ten games, I like to catch because I like to control as much of the game as possible and catching allows you to do that. Playing first base on the weekdays allows me to be a better catcher on the weekends. That way, I don't have constant strain on my knees or my arm.
Q: The team will play some games at Oldsmobile Park this year and you played there last year, where do you prefer to play? At Olds or Kobs Field?
A: I love playing at Olds, but I love playing at Kobs too because it seems like the wind is always blowing out. Olds is always fun to play at, it's a minor league park and we always pack the crowds in. It makes the guys feel like they're playing at a better level than we are. It's always people's dream to go play at professional parks and good facilities. It doesn't really make a difference where we play, the fields are a little different, it's only 301 down the line at Kobs for example. The freshmen obviously haven't played there, but all the guys coming back agree we love playing there just because of the atmosphere.
Q: You were a hockey player, what position did you play and why did you switch to baseball?
A: I played center actually. I've been playing hockey longer than I have been playing baseball. I started when I was three. It was part of my life and always will be a part of my life. Obviously, I had more connections with baseball than hockey, so I chose that route.
Q: Any special reason why you wear number 31?
A: They gave me that number my freshman year. I walked on and they said, "Here. Here's your number." So I kept it.
