Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Lucas Merrill & Jeffrey LaMonde/Senior Photographers Sophomore Robbie Harman is in his first season playing for the baseball team after playing two seasons for the men's basketball team. Harman started his first game Tuesday against Hillsdale. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: File Photo by Patrick Siller/Senior Photographer Harman drives past Cal State Fullerton's Junior Russell on Dec. 8. [Click to enlarge]

Robbie Harman heard his name called for the starting lineup and rushed out of the team's huddle for the start of the game.

Only this time, he wasn't on the basketball court.

Harman, a Traverse City sophomore, is in his first season playing baseball after recently completing his second basketball season at CMU.

He took the field as a starter for the first time Tuesday in CMU's 16-8 win against Hillsdale. Harman started in center field, but also played shortstop. He went 0-for-3 with a walk, was hit by pitch and scored a run.

"It was fun," he said. "I had a lot of fun, breaking the ice - getting into the season."



The baseball team completed its first 12 games before Harman was done playing basketball.

"Basically everything I'm doing right now is catch-up and I'm just trying to work as fast as I can and get up to where everyone else is," he said.



Transition

Harman knew he wanted to play baseball even before he came to CMU.

"I talked to the baseball coach a little bit coming out of high school. And I just decided I wanted to play basketball last year," Harman said. "But after I got that season under my belt, accustomed to going to school and playing sports, I thought I could handle doing baseball, too."

Baseball coach Steve Jaksa said the two didn't talk a lot during Harman's freshman year, but they started to more last summer.

"Through the course of this past summer we talked a little more and got him into the office and talked, 'Hey do you want to continue to do this?" Jaksa said.

Jaksa and men's basketball coach Ernie Zeigler then discussed how to handle Harman's fall and winter training. During the fall, Harman was able to train with the baseball team before basketball season.

"Robbie had come to me and coach Jaksa about it actually back in the fall, prior to basketball season beginning," Zeigler said. "And started to do dual workouts with baseball and basketball, with basketball the main priority."

But because of basketball commitments, Harman was unable to travel with Jaksa's team to Florida.

"It takes time. He's trying to make up for last time - lost ABs," Jaksa said. "He's been hitting a lot in the cages. Now he just needs to see the live stuff and he can't get that unless he plays."

Harman said he not only had to adjust to the two sports, but different coaching philosophies as well.

"It's different. I guess you have to know the different personalities," Harman said. "Know when one's mad and one's joking and I know it changes. Each one has their own little way of getting points across, so you just got to adjust whatever they like."



High School

In Harman's years at Traverse City Central High School, he was a standout in three sports: football (three letters), basketball (four) and baseball (four).

He earned All-State honors in all three, was named 2006 Traverse City Record-Eagle Male Athlete of the Year and led all three teams to conference championships. He was also inducted into the Trojan Student-Athlete Hall of Fame.

"He's one of the top athletes that I've had the privilege of seeing in my tenure," said Ian Hearn, Harman's baseball coach and athletic director in high school. "He's what you call a true competitor. … He was the guy that was going to get it done."

In basketball he took over the school records for career and single season steals, assists and 3-pointers made. He was named Big North Conference Player of the Year twice and was an McDonald's All-America nominee.

Despite being a standout in three sports, Harman said he was still undecided about which one to pursue until near the end of his senior year.

"It was tough because I loved playing all three sports," he said. "Basketball was just something I thought I really wanted to do coming out of high school. But I found myself playing baseball again too, so I guess I couldn't stay from it very long."



Basketball

As a freshman walk-on, Harman averaged 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. But in his sophomore season, Harman took on a larger role.

"The first year was tough because I was having to fit in and try to prove myself being a walk-on," Harman said.

This past season, Harman started 21 games and played in all 31. He averaged 5.4 points per game overall and 7.2 in Mid-American Conference play.

Harman now will be expected to take on an even larger role next season with standout point guard Giordan Watson graduating.

"I learned a lot from Giordan and hopefully I can take what I learned and turn it into something good next year," he said.

Even though the basketball season is over and he is on to baseball, Harman still works out with the basketball team. The NCAA allots two hours of training per week.

"He's still doing his individual workouts in the mornings or in the evenings around baseball now because he's going to be one of our main components as we strive to continue to develop a championship culture in basketball," Zeigler said.



Down the road

Harman sees things going even better next season now that he has adjusted to playing both sports.

"I think next year will go a lot smoother - being able to transition well from basketball to baseball and I'll probably put in a little more work for baseball when basketball's going on and vice versa," he said.

Harman is not just satisfied with playing both sports. He wants to succeed.

"I just want to have the best career I can have - hopefully I can," he said.

Jaksa can see Harman contributing in the future as he continues to catch up and adjust.

"He's in there. He's going to get some action - he knows that," Jaksa said. "The more comfortable he gets on both the offensive and defensive sides, the more he'll contribute down the road."



sports@cm-life.com

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