By By Matthew Nascone
Playing baseball can be tiring, and Escambia County Blue Devil seniors Chris Frost and Alvin Simmons can attest to that. Baseball is life for these two Devils and they said they would have it no other way.
"I love playing baseball man," Simmons said. "I am always playing baseball and I definitely want to play in college."
Both members of Big Blue do value their down time, whenever they get it.
"I love to relax as much as possible, Frost said.
"When I am not playing baseball I like to sleep and hang out with my friends playing Xbox," Simmons said.
But when game time approaches, these two guys are ready to play and they each have their own way of preparing for the game.
Simmons, a right fielder for the Devils, takes a more physical approach to the preparation.
"I like to take some dry swings in the cage and imagine I am facing today's opposing pitcher," he said. "And I take a lot of cuts in the cage before the game and then I clear my mind and get ready to play."
Frost, the team's starting second baseman, approaches the day's game with a clean mental slate.
"I will imagine what I need to do in the game at the plate and on the bases," he said.
After graduation in May, the duo of Devils said they want to pursue a career in baseball in college and beyond. There is no doubt in either boy's mind about the desire to play, but rather where they will play.
Frost said Faulkner State Community College and Jefferson Davis Community College are two of the viable options for a try out. He said ECHS head coach Keith Nall is helping them snag tryouts at various colleges.
"These two guys are hard workers and they have played well this season," Nall said.
Marion Military Institute in Marion has also taken a look at the two boys, Simmons said.
Frost and Simmons are two of the seven seniors on the ECHS baseball team.
Of course there is always the need for support on the home front and both Frost and Simmons say they have a strong family connection.
"I have to give my mom her props because she is always there for me," Frost said.
Simmons said he is a family man and that is the aspect of his life that he loves the most, besides baseball of course.
"I love being around my mom, my brother, my sister and my step-dad," Simmons said. "I love to sit outside on those cool evenings and not worry about anything. And of course spending time with my friends is always good."
A backup plan is always a good thing and both guys have one set up. Frost wants to go to school and study in the field of marine biology and Simmons wants to become an architect.
Some people speak badly of ECHS, but Simmons and Frost don't buy into any of it.
"I love this school and I don't see any problems with it," Frost said. "I have been here four years and I have not been involved in one fight."
Simmons echoes his teammates' comments.
"It is a good school and all my friends are here," he said.
As Frost and Simmons walk through the doors of ECHS for their 10-year reunion they both said they plan to be married, have children, have a good job and be living a good life.
Simmons has monetary hopes for that time.
"I want to be financially set in 10 years," he said.
Frost, on the other hand, wants to have a lot of something else.
"I will have many kids because I love kids," Frost said.
The future seems to be bright for these two senior ECHS Devils and they both have expectations for themselves. Only time will tell how these expectations play out, but one thing is for sure, baseball will be a part of these two teammates' lives for as long as possible.