Quick Hits: Joey Young

Xavier University reliever Joey Young made his Upper Valley Nighthawks debut on Friday, pitching a pair of scoreless innings and securing his first win of the season.

Before the game, the right-hander sat down with Nighthawks Beat Writer Thaddeus Sawyer to talk basketball, bench pressing and burritos.

Upper Valley Nighthawks: “Obviously, you go to a Big East school. Are you a big basketball fan?”

Joey Young: “I actually haven't been a big college basketball fan, but going to Xavier games has been a ton of fun. I went there when they played UConn. We have to sell tickets as a team to help raise money for the baseball program, so that got me more involved. That's been a lot of fun. But no, I wasn't a big college basketball fan before.”

UVN: “Who do you have winning the NBA Finals?”

JY: “I hope the Spurs. I think I'm definitely more NBA than I am a college fan and I like [Victor] Wembanyama. I was a LeBron [James] fan growing up, but I think my second team this year was the Spurs coming out of the West.”

UVN: “Do you have a favorite NBA player?”

JY: “I'd say it's LeBron. I say it's LeBron, it's been LeBron. 
I was a Cleveland fan growing up. My dad's from Cleveland, he's from Ohio, so he was kind of a Cleveland fan and a LeBron fan.”

UVN: “How about a favorite baseball player?”

JY: “You know, I'm not a huge baseball fan. I feel like that could be a bit of a surprise because I play college baseball. For me, I liked Mariano Rivera. I know that was a little older than my time, but when I was a kid, that was somebody that I just remember being talked about a lot, so I'd say he's been my favorite baseball player of all time.”

UVN: “Do you have a favorite baseball team?”

JY: “I'd say it's the Chicago Cubs. Again, not a huge baseball fan. 
Like, I didn't grow up in a baseball family, so I didn't cheer on a team growing up or anything like that, but being from Illinois, I'd say the Chicago Cubs.”

UVN: “How’d you end up playing baseball in college?”

JY: “Just the sport that I liked the most. 
Growing up, I knew that I wasn't going to be a basketball player. I just knew I wasn't going to be tall enough, and I just wasn't athletic enough. So, I kind of knew I was going to pick baseball from a pretty young age. 
I was naturally pretty good at it, and I have a lot of fun doing it.”

UVN: “Do you have any baseball superstitions?”

JY: “No. 
No like crazy baseball superstitions for me, I don't think. I guess I just like to go out there and play. That's about it.”

UVN: “You’re wearing No. 31 here and you also wear it at school. Is there a reason behind the number?”

JY: “No, there's actually not. 
There's not a reason why I'm 31. When I went to my junior college [Black Hawk College], I got number 30 and it was just randomly drawn for me. I tried to get No. 30 when I went to Xavier, but it was already taken by somebody who'd been there so then I just went with 31. Now I'm just going to roll with it.”

UVN: “If you were a hitter, what would your walk-up song be?”

JY: “In high school, I walked up to “20 Min” by Lil Uzi Vert when I hit in high school, so I think I'd have to go with that.”

UVN: “Did you ever hit a home run at any level?”

JY: “I did. In high school ball, I hit 10 home runs for my junior and senior year, so that was a lot of fun. 
I wasn't a bad hitter in high school.”

UVN: “What’s your max bench press?”

JY: “I've gotten 315 pounds before, for one, but I think right now, I'm probably around 275, 285.”

UVN: “How often do you lift?”

JY: “ Pretty often. I enjoy the weight room. 
I would say that I lift and I work out because I like to lift and workout, not for the sport. I think, when baseball's over for me, I think the gym is something I'm going to resort to for a long time. So, often, probably five, six times a week. Whenever I can fit it in.”

UVN: “Do you have a favorite postgame or post-lift meal?”

JY: “I'm like a huge rice eater. If I can find a big chicken burrito, maybe if it's a Mexican restaurant or just something I can make. Rice, beans, lettuce, onions and grilled chicken, with queso on top, of course, that would be my go-to meal.”