MTheol student Sam Davidson was awarded the title of Best Pitcher in a ‘Battle for Britain’ tournament in Kent, 25-27 May 2019. Image Sam Davidson with his Outstanding Pitcher award Image Baseball Scotland team An online report at baseballsoftballuk.com describes Sam’s performance for Baseball Scotland as “electric,” in a competition which featured teams from England, Scotland and Ireland. Sam plays Catcher, Pitcher and Third Base for the Scotland National Team. “I'm from Texas, where baseball is as much a part of the environment as air and water,” he explains. “I've been playing baseball since I was five years old. “I played on competitive club teams all through high school, spent a year at a small university playing in the lower level of NCAA competition, and then ran the club team at Baylor University where I finished my undergraduate degree. While I was in seminary at Baylor, I got a campus job as the bullpen catcher (who practices and warms up with the pitchers) for their ‘varsity team, so I've never gone very long without being involved in baseball in some way.” Edinburgh Cannons Sam continues: “There are three Edinburgh teams in the Scottish Baseball League, and I joined the Edinburgh Cannons as soon as my wife and I arrived in Edinburgh last September. I thought it would be a great way to make friends from the area and a fun way to stay in shape while my days were spent hunched over books. It's turned out to be even more fun than I could have expected, and an incredible way to meet a hugely diverse group of people. “From my team alone I think we have ten or eleven nationalities, and there are plenty more making up the rest of the Edinburgh teams when we have group practices. It's fun to get to be a teacher and coach as well, because most of the British-born players have only been playing baseball for a few years and are eager to learn.” Why choose to study in Edinburgh? “I decided to come to New College because of the great opportunity that the MTh by Research would give me to explore my (drastically) varying academic interests, and for the chance to work with faculty whose interests were just as broad in Joshua Ralston, David Fergusson, and Sarah Lane Ritchie,” Sam says. “I would say the biggest highlights of being here have been traveling all over Scotland, England, and Europe, and the opportunity to make connections with faculty, students, and baseball teammates from literally all over the world.” Links Article at baseballsoftballuk.com Baseball Scotland This article was published on 2024-03-19
