Redshirt senior infielder Robby Taul talked about his reasoning from transferring from Winthrop University, located in Rock Hill, South Carolina, to Eastern and his favorite memories playing at Eastern.
Q: When did you first start playing baseball?
A: “I think right around kindergarten. Around 5 or 6 years old, I started playing tee ball, and I just never stopped.”
Q: What’s your favorite meal before a game?
A: “The Jersey Mike’s subs are good. I usually have any leftovers I have, like pasta with some sort of meat in it.”
Q: How did you like your time at John A. Logan College?
A: “It was good. I loved my two years there. It was a good stepping stool for where I was at in baseball to get better.”
Q: Apple juice or orange juice?
A: “Apple juice.”
Q: Do you think the Earth is round or flat?
A: “I think it’s round, but I can see why people think it’s flat.”
Q: What made you transfer from your junior college to Winthrop?
A: “They’re the only team that reached out to me at the Division I level. I had a couple Division II offers that were around the area, but I just wanted to play the best level of baseball I could, so I went down to South Carolina.”
Q: What made you transfer from Winthrop to Eastern?
A: “I really wanted to be closer to home and have family and friends come to watch me play. I love the coaches here, and it seemed like a great fit.”
Q: What is your favorite flavor of sunflower seeds?
A: “The dill pickle [flavor].”
Q: What do you think the hardest position in baseball is?
A: “I think [the] catcher because you have to block the balls, you have to let it hit you and you’re in every single play of the game.”
Q: Who would you give the aux to before a game?
A: “Grant Lashure has a variety of music. You never know what you’re going to get.”
Q: How do you like your steak cooked?
A: “Medium well.”
Q: What’s the best type of water?
A: “Anything besides Dasani.”
Q: What is your favorite memory of being on this team?
A: “From this year, just going to practice every day with [the team]. I think the OVC challenge was fun in the fall because we were all together every day, and it brought everyone closer. Last year, it was winning the OVC Tournament.”
Q: What’s your favorite post-game meal?
A: “I like having pizza because it’s a lot of food, but whenever we played in Louisiana, they all cooked for us. That was really good.”
Q: Do you have any superstitions before a game?
A: “I don’t touch the lines before a game, and I always take my bat out of my bag first when I unpack.”
Q: Who’s the funniest person on the team?
A: “Cade Zalewski.”
Q: Pancakes or waffles?
A: “Waffles because they always have them at the hotels, and they never have pancakes.”
Q: Do you put anything on your waffles?
A: “Just syrup. I feel like whenever I put butter, it takes too long, and it doesn’t taste too well.”
Q: What’s your favorite weird smell?
A: “Fresh cut grass.”
Q: What sport would you play other than baseball?
A: “I was really good in track when I was in middle school, but I don’t think I got it like that anymore.”
Q: What song do you have to listen to before a game?
A: “I’ve been listening to a lot of reggae because I don’t know the words, so I just listen to it without thinking too much. I listen to Bob Marley, but I also look up playlists, so it just plays.”
Q: What’s your walkout song(s)?
A: “One is ‘Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked’ (Cage The Elephant) and ‘You Make My Dreams Come True’ (Daryl Hall & John Oates).”
Q: Knowing everything that you know now, what would you tell 10-year-old you?
A: “Continue to have fun through the highs and lows of any part of life, and just enjoy the ride because you never know what’s coming next.”
Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or zhflippin@eiu.edu.
