INTRODUCTION: Aaron Whitley couldn't wait to get started with the excitement of UR baseball. And he's played his part - hitting .458 in a 5-2 start to the season.

---

When did you begin playing organized baseball?
I was 5 when I played rookie ball, which was coach pitch, but I was 7 when I first played actual travel ball, with regular rules and everything.
 
How did you become involved with it?
My brother played, so I had always played in the backyard and whatnot with my family, so when I was finally old enough to play for real, I went for it.
 
At Niskayuna HS in the Capitol District, you also played football. So you were busy in the summer getting ready for fall, then busy in the winter getting ready for spring. Did you ever wonder when you'd get a break?
Yeah, it was kind of tough having no real offseason, but I would just take two weeks off after football season ended, and then just go straight through for the rest of the year.
 
Did you play summer league ball when you were in HS?
Yep, I played American Legion ball for my team, the Schenectady County Indians, coached by Jim DeMidio.
 
How good did it feel to finally get out on the field and play this spring?
It was electric, finally being able to get out there and get some action, especially with the great weather we've been having. And it was kind of funny too, because it was actually my first time playing on Towers, which is strange as a sophomore.

Coaches sometimes talk about adjustments that players have to make, now on the college level after playing in high school. What adjustments did you have to make?
Well I had to make a big adjustment with my stance. I used to be real closed off, but that was taking away power and ability to cover the inside pitch, so they opened me up and we went from there.
 
When you were heading into your first season here, UR was coming off a Liberty League championship and an NCAA playoff appearance. Did the veterans talk to the younger players about that playoff run?
Oh for sure, the guys always let us know how great that felt, and how we should chase that level of success, and more, every year. And those dudes just connected so well with all of us, there was no sense of not belonging that a lot of freshmen often feel.
 
When you are home, do you plan to work with any youth programs – coaching, counseling, working behind the scenes, etc.? What do you like about doing that?
I definitely would if I was gonna be at home, but this summer I'll actually be out in Wisconsin playing in a summer league. But I used to work camps over the summers, with kids 5-12, and I just love being able to teach them and really just hang out with them. They're always a good time, and the baseball ends up being a bonus.
 
Which of the UR coaches contacted you first, football or baseball?
Coach (Chris) Sapp from football contacted me first, at the beginning of my senior year of high school. I didn't even meet Coach (Joe) Reina until the middle of September, during my freshman year here. I had actually just been concussed, and our trainer, Eric Rozen, had to take me to get my noggin looked at. As it turned out, he and Coach Reina had been in cahoots the whole time to get me to play baseball, and before he took me to the specialist, Rozen took me to meet Reina! And the rest is history.
 
What led you to the University of Rochester?
When I was looking at schools, my pops would always say, "make sure you choose somewhere that you'll be happy at if anything ever happens to sports," so when I took that into consideration and compared UR to the other schools I was looking at, it was easily the best option. Another big factor was everyone I met on my visit was awesome, and I felt like this was the place where I would really love the next 4 years.
 
Did you speak with any UR alumni before making the decision to come to UR?
Not really, I knew one kid who had graduated a year before I got here and I talked to him a little bit about it, but that was really the only connection I had to the school before I arrived.
 
Why did you choose Psychology as your major?
I find it fascinating learning about why people behave the way they do, which can only be a benefit in any career that I pursue. Plus, my classes have been so cool, and it's something I really enjoy.
 
 Do you plan on working with any campus groups tied to your studies?
With both sports it's hard to find free time to do things like that, so unfortunately I won't be able to do anything.