Posted 4/27/06
UW-Platteville's Mike Flood is a junior catcher on the baseball team having a standout season. The Madison La Follette graduate is hitting .328 on the year and is second on the team in home runs. He also threw out all three would-be base stealers in Wednesday's game vs. Edgewood.
You started your Pioneer career as a third baseman, but moved to catcher last year. Was that a hard transition?
"I had played catcher before. I started at third in the first half of the season, but coach just felt catcher was a better fit for me to contribute to the program. I thought I picked up on it pretty well. I had played catcher my whole life and some in high school. I knew the basics of it, but just took a little while to get up to speed in college."
Now you're on the opposite end, teaching the college game to a very young pitching staff. How is that working for you?
"Learning each pitcher individually is kind of a challenge. It takes a lot of time to know how each person is and if they're having a good day or not. We also have to know what to throw to the different hitters and then try and hit the spots and get the ball where it's supposed to be."
Are you happy with your own game this season?
"Obviously there is always room for improvement. I've been doing all right, but there is always things I can work on."
What has been your highlight so far?
"I have never really been a home run hitter, so having two in one game (Feb. 25 vs. Rockford) was a good experience. Making the tournament for the first time in school history last year was awesome."
You've become a lot more vocal this year with your leadership, haven't you?
"Being a full-time catcher, that responsibility comes. It's something I need to do, be a vocal leader as a catcher."
As the full-time catcher, isn't it exhausting to catch up to 36 innings in a weekend?
"My legs are in pretty good shape, so it's not too bad. My muscles get sore, though."
What do you see yourself doing after you leave UW-Platteville?
"I'm a phy ed major. Eventually I would like to get a high school phy ed teaching position with coaching baseball and football. (As a junior), I haven't looked into it too much yet, but that is something I would like to do."
Interview by SID Paul Erickson