University of Minnesota Athletics
Senior Spotlight: Kyle Crocker
5/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Kyle Crocker (Baxter, Minn.) is on the Minnesota baseball roster for his fifth year. During his collegiate career, he has played at all four infield positions, traveled all over the country and made plenty of friends on the Gophers.
Q: You have come into games at first, third and shortstop this season. Do you have a favorite position to play?
A: Yeah, I like shortstop the best. I have the most fun playing at shortstop. But overall, any position is really fine.
Q: What has been one of your favorite road trips during your time as a Gopher?
A: I really enjoyed Florida State. I thought that was fun to go down there and see that environment and that atmosphere. That ball field was fun to play on. That was just a fun trip overall.
Q: You've had the opportunity to play on old Siebert Field and new Siebert Field. What does it mean to you to be able to play on this field?
A: It's big. It's important. The old field wasn't a very good playing surface towards the later part of when it was around. Playing on this field is totally night and day as far as the playing surface. It was a good thing for this program to get a new field.
Q: With this being your fifth year, you've had a lot of teammates during your career. Who are some of the close friends you've made?
A: Dan Olinger, obviously, and Bobby Juan, my roommate who I lived with every year. Every year he was here, we lived together. Us three would always be at my place playing video games. I got really close to those guys. Overall, it's just a lot of friendships here and there with other guys. It's a good experience.
Q: What will you miss most about Gopher baseball when you graduate?
A: Mostly, being around the guys. That's the best part of going to practice--seeing the guys, seeing your friends, going out and doing whatever, hanging out. That's probably what I'll miss the most leaving the program.
Q: Being from the Baxter-Brainerd area, have you spent a lot of time on the lakes up there?
A: No, I didn't. I'm one of the rare few that did not get really big into fishing. We never had a boat. So I mostly spent my days golfing or doing some sort of outdoor activity, but never on the lakes.
Q: On bus trips, are you one of the guys who gets really into games of mafia and cards?
A: Yeah, I play mafia. Usually the back of the bus gets really into mafia. It gets pretty loud. Ruins a lot of trust, playing that game, but it's fun and it gets the bus rides to go a little quicker.
Q: It seems like you enjoy listening to country music, but a lot of the guys on the team prefer more rap or pop. Are there ever arguments about what music is going to play on the bus or at the field?
A: Usually one guy has the aux cord and he handles the music. Guys throw in requests to play, and they're pretty good about playing whatever they want to play.
