Universe Sports Log: Spend a semester with BYU baseball’s Austin Deming
Welcome to Universe Sports Log, where different BYU athletes will record their experiences on and off the field to share with The Daily Universe and allow Cougar nation to see some of its favorite student athletes in a whole new perspective.
Our inaugural log comes from Austin Deming, a senior infielder for BYU baseball. Deming was a First Team All-WCC selection in 2022, where he batted .302 with 57 hits, 28 runs driven in and slugging .466 over 54 games.
As the Cougars prepare for their home opener Thursday in Provo, take a look back at some of Deming’s experiences during this past fall semester.
Meet Austin Deming
I am a senior on the baseball team, but this is my fifth year at BYU as COVID-19 took place my sophomore year and granted me an extra year of eligibility to finish up my degree this school year. I am from southern Utah down in St. George, so I have been up in Provo away from home for nearly five years and have really appreciated my time here. It’s been a new experience being able to write about my story this semester, and I hope someone out there will enjoy it.
New changes
The baseball team has a new head coach, Trent Pratt, so that comes with a lot of changes. This is also my last year of baseball at BYU and will be the year I graduate as well. New changes can always be difficult, from figuring out what I’m going to do next year after I graduate to figuring out my process to graduate in April, along with all the challenges of playing and practicing baseball every day.
From waking up at 5 a.m. every day to condition and lift weights during the fall, to weekly study hall hours and practicing multiple hours every day, it gets challenging at times, but that’s how everything in life is and what makes us who we are.
Why I chose BYU
When I first started at BYU, I was only here strictly for baseball. My life revolved around baseball and BYU has a good baseball program. As time has gone on, my answer is still being put together as to why I chose BYU, but a huge part of being here has been the memories and relationships that I have gained over the years, which I will have for my entire life.
A day in the life
Throughout fall semester, the baseball team is allowed to practice five days during the week with two off days. There is a lot of work put in behind the scenes — not just with the baseball team but all collegiate sports together — because that is required from us to be the best we can be. My schedule is different this year, as I am more busy after baseball then I have been in years past, so it’s been an adjustment for me, but everyone’s schedule is different.
Weekly schedule
We practice five days a week in the fall, so we lift for four days and practice for five. We’re pretty busy outside of the classroom, which helps us be the best we can be in the classroom and on the field to represent this great university! Along with practicing all throughout the fall, we are also allowed two “scrimmages” against another school. Over the years I have played UVU, Utah and Arizona, so we’re able to see other squads and reflect on where we’re at. This year we play Utah twice, so that will be a lot of fun to see them and be able to play an actual game.
Focusing on academics
Being a student athlete doesn’t lower the importance of academics in any way, and I’ve found that my experience with baseball has allowed me to learn how to best manage my time.
Days in the fall can get pretty busy with weight training, practice, class and study hall, so a typical day in the fall goes a little bit like this: There is time for us to go to class anytime from 8 a.m. up until 12 p.m. with practices starting around 1 p.m. Obviously practice time can change on occasion, but having a set practice schedule allows us to take classes in the morning and classes in the late afternoon or evening if that is needed.
Most guys have required study hall hours at the Student Athlete Building, which is super crucial in allowing us to focus and get a lot of school work and studying in. To be honest, the few guys who don’t have required study hall hours still go anyway to work on their academics so we can strive to be a solid team academically. BYU is known for its academics and being athletes doesn’t lower our status at all, we are still expected to be just as good as all the other students in the classroom.
