Feb. 14, 2008

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - USC Upstate senior baseball player Andrew Maddox wants to be the best teammate and leader he can possibly be for his team. As a utility player, Maddox can play any position in the field and is willing do whatever it takes to win.

Maddox, who finished last season with a .299 batting average, 17 runs batted in and 36 runs scored, is looking for big things from the Spartans in their first season in Division I. Upstate opens the season on February 22 against New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Recently, Maddox sat down with Adam Walker of upstatespartans.com to talk about last season, his goals for this season and Alabama.

US.com: How much is the baseball team looking forward to the upcoming season?
Andrew Maddox: We're all ready to step on the field next Friday (against New Jersey Institute of Technology). We've practiced hard, ran a lot and I think that we're prepared for the start of the season.

US.com: Are you personally looking forward to facing Division I competition?
AM: Yes, I think it will be a new challenge. It's a step-up from the Peach Belt Conference, which people feel is the most competitive conference in Division II. I feel it will be a good challenge for all of us.

US.com: You had a pretty good season last year. How hard have you worked to build off of that for this season?
AM: I really try to feed off of the tips that coach (Russell) Triplett, coach (Matt) Fincher and coach (Berry) give me. You just try to listen to them and take in what they have to say.

US.com: You are listed as a utility player, which means you can play any position on the field. Have you ever thought about playing all nine positions in one game?
AM: I can't really say that I have wanted to do that. It could be the first time anyone that has played for Upstate has ever done that if it happens, but I've never thought of that.

US.com: How much have you enjoyed playing with your fellow senior teammates that you've played with every season since coming to USC Upstate?
AM: When we got here as freshmen, we really had to create a bond with each other and the fourth-year seniors such as Kyle Bowley, Andrew Runion, Scott Eckard and myself, we've bonded pretty good and we're looking to trying to win 30 games for the fourth consecutive season.

US.com: Who is your favorite music group and why?
AM: Probably, Alabama. I like old rock and roll and country music is my favorite genre.

US.com: Other than baseball, what do you follow closely in the world of sports?
AM: Alabama football because I've grown up with it all my life and it has been etched in my skull since then.

US.com: What is the best thing about going on road trips for away games?
AM: I think it's a good time to create team chemistry by being around your teammates. When you're on the road, it creates a little bit of a different dimension than when you're playing at home.

US.com: What is one thing you can say about head coach Matt Fincher that no one knows?
AM: Some people may view Coach Fincher as being hard on people sometimes, but he's a really good guy. If you really get to know him, you can see that.

US.com: What are some of the goals that you have for yourself and the team this season?
AM: The only goal I really have for myself is to do whatever I can to help the team win and, as I said before, I think it would be great accomplishment for the seniors and the incoming freshman if we could win 30 games for the fourth straight year. I don't think the program has ever done that before.