Athlete of the week, Senior Vinnie Fayard. | Job Ang/THE CHIMES
For senior infielder Vinnie Fayard and the rest of the Biola baseball team, it has been a tumultuous year. At the beginning of the season, the team was ranked tenth in the NAIA and had a Preseason All-American at third base in the form of senior Drake Fages. It was not long, though, before Fages was out for an uncertain amount of time with a wrist injury and the team had dropped to a 5-7 start going into Golden State Athletic Conference play.
The regular outfielder Fayard had to fill in for Fages and take over as the regular third baseman for the first time in his career.
“It was cool. I enjoyed playing the infield. I struggled for a little bit, did good for a while. It’s a lot more action, it’s been a lot of fun,” Fayard said.
Fayard had kept himself fresh at third base in the past.
“I always practiced there. Even though I knew I was never going to play the last three years there, I still practiced there all the time. Over the summer and summer ball out in the midwest I still practiced there every day even though I did not play there, but I just tried to stay in shape just in case I got the shot.”
Fayard named to third All-GSAC team
The shot at infield came for Fayard and he only committed 11 errors over the course of the season while hitting four home runs with 44 RBIs and a .367 batting average to earn his third All-GSAC team honor.
“It’s an honor,” Fayard said, who was named along with teammate and junior pitcher Chris Baek. “I had a great time here playing. I had great coaches, great friends and fans. It’s a great honor, I worked hard.”
As it is with most athletes, the team is a major reason why Fayard plays the game. It is the thing the senior will remember most when he graduates.
“I’ll really miss the guys, just being a part of a team. Thirty guys you get to hang out with six days a week,” Fayard said. “A lot of people would think it would get old when it doesn’t. That’s the funnest part about playing a sport, I think. Being competitive is cool, but having a bunch of friends that you can just go to anytime is great.”
Graduation to open up new opportunities for Fayard
Fayard is looking forward to graduation and the opportunity for God to open up new doors and give new experiences following his graduation from Biola.
Despite the rocky start for the team, the Eagles still managed to fight for a spot in NAIA playoffs and claim an at-large bid; they will travel to Daytona Beach, Fla. for the first round.
“I’m looking forward to just getting the chance to actually be here because a lot of us didn’t expect it with our record,” Fayard said. “I’m glad they recognized us; we had a tough schedule this year, some injuries we had to deal with, so it’s nice just being able to play.”
