Nick Bredeson crouches down in the on-deck circle on a quiet afternoon at Bob Wren Stadium, he's awaiting his next plate appearance.
When the redshirt junior walks up to the plate, the atmosphere at the stadium shifts.
DJ Ivy's "Cash Me Outside" Remix — Bredeson's walkup music — blares from the speakers.
As Bredeson digs into the batter's box, the catchy beat causes several fans to bop their heads and give a little dance in their seats while some Ohio players do their own dances on the dugout steps.
The song fits Bredeson's personality on the field well, as the catcher holds the core of Ohio's energy that has helped propel the team to the top of the Mid-American Conference standings and turn around its defensive and pitching woes from last season.
Bredeson is simply embracing every moment on the field. He hasn't gotten too many of those in the past.
• • •
Unlike most freshman in college sports, Bredeson received plenty of action behind the plate his freshman year.
The catcher played in 42 games with 36 starts and hit .212 with seven multi-hit games, a double, nine RBIs and nine runs.
While there was certainly some room for improvement, there was no need to panic on Bredeson's part. With another three years of college baseball ahead, there was plenty of time to work up the numbers and solidify himself as Ohio's starting catcher.
But throughout his freshman year, Bredeson battled through soreness in both hips. Hoping the pain, which started in high school, would subside on its own. He spent time rehabbing the injury while still getting innings behind the plate.
The pain, however, gradually worsened as the season moved along.
Bredeson finished the season and spent the summer focused on resting up and preparing for his sophomore year.
But Bredeson realized the injury wasn't healing early during his sophomore year. He was unable to get in the proper crouch behind the plate without feeling a strong surge of pain. He knew then that the only way he'd be healthy enough for baseball was through surgery.
Bredeson soon underwent double hip surgeries and would redshirt the rest of his sophomore year, but his recovery was ahead of schedule and he was on pace to get back behind the plate for his junior year.
During the ensuing fall ball season his junior year, Bredeson suffered a minor setback with a broken thumb. After six weeks of recovery, he was still set to finally be healthy and become the team's starter for the season.
Bredeson just couldn't find any luck.
In the first inning of the first exhibition game of the spring, he dove back to first base awkwardly, suffering a dislocated shoulder.
Unable and unwilling to sit out for a second consecutive season, Bredeson found himself in rehab again, taking a cortisone shot in hopes of nursing his shoulder and returning before the year ended.
Bredeson would see the field again that season as he made two starts, but his return was cut short. His shoulder continued to dislocate after simply swinging a bat, which forced him to go under the knife a second time in two years and miss the rest of the season, cutting more time out of his already-shortened college career.
• • •
The game is tied at 2-2. With a runner on first base and no outs, Central Michigan is threatening to break the tie.
Right-hander Jake Rudnicki delivers the pitch as the runner takes off from first. Bredeson takes the pitch, quickly emerges from behind the plate and fires the ball to second.
As second-baseman Ty Black applies the tag for the out, Bredeson is already roaring as he stomps over home plate. After a fist-pump, the catcher points at his second baseman, the momentum shifted back in Ohio's favor.
Rudnicki and Bredeson strike out the final two Chippewas to end the inning and escape further trouble. As Bredeson caught the last pitch, he hopped up and sprinted to the dugout and, among the fans' cheers, can be heard again motivating his teammates to get off the field and get the bats going.
The scene of Bredeson, who is finally enjoying a healthy baseball stint, sprinting and roaring off the field after a final strikeout is frequent at Bobcats' games. His motivational cheers are a perfect display of the energy and passion he brings to the field.
“That’s always been a big part of my game," Bredeson said. "I have a hard time being quiet no matter the situation but I love being the guy on the field that can speak up a little bit. I think someone on the field needs to do it and I think the best spot for it is from behind the plate.”
But Bredeson's value sticks out in more ways than one. The catcher is currently second on the team in batting average (.284) and on-base percentage (.354) and has knocked in 13 RBIs and has scored for 10 runs.
"He's a team leader," coach Rob Smith said. "He's our spark-plug and an energy guy. He is, without question, a big reason why our team plays with energy. It's reflective from him."
Defensively, Bredeson has earned his starting spot behind the plate, throwing out four of 11 base stealers and owning a .993 fielding percentage, a big reason why Ohio is ranked fourth-best in the nation in fielding.
“He’s awesome back there," sophomore first-baseman Rudy Rott said. "Whether he’s in the dugout, catching, in practice, wherever he is, he brings a lot of positive energy and he’s a guy I think the whole team leans on to just lead us and stay vocal and keep things moving.”
While the success is a huge bonus, Bredeson isn't taking anything for granted as his time with Ohio winds down.
"When you’re out for an extended period of time, in my case almost two and a half years, you come back kind of hungry," Bredeson said. "You appreciate the little things a lot more, like practice and extra work. I try not to take anything for granted just because I know where I’ve been and it sucked. I think it definitely made me tougher.”
At 15-15 and sitting in the middle of the MAC standings, Ohio will look to continue feeding off their catcher's energy as they head into the second half of the season looking for momentum.
"He is the glue that holds everything together," Black said.
