Inside the Locker Room

After unexpectedly leaving Nebraska Wesleyan University and its baseball team last year, Junior John Rust has returned to make up for lost time. Before his departure, Rust was named to the First-Team All-GPAC as a sophomore and led the team in batting average in his two seasons. Rust took some time to clear the air and answer some questions about his decision on leaving and coming back.

Corey Hilgenkamp: What was your reason for leaving NWU in the first place?
John Rust: I felt like I wasn’t sure what major I wanted to pursue at NWU and that I was wasting money going to school if I didn’t have a plan. Also, the financial part played a role.

CH: Where did you go after you left NWU?
JR: I went to Southeast Community College. I felt that the Radiology program there was something that I wanted to get involved in but quickly realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to do.

CH: Was it tough to see the team do so well last year?
JR: It was tough to see, since I knew I would have been part of that team’s success. Also, I was very proud of the guys on the team. All of them worked hard to be the best team in the GPAC. I hope that we will be just as successful this year as last year.

CH: What was the determining factor in your decision to come back?
JR: I realized that Sports Management was the major I wanted to pursue when I came back. Wesleyan is a very good school and for me to transfer to another school; I wouldn’t be able to graduate in two years or less.

CH: Do you think being away from baseball and your teammates for a year will hurt or help you for the upcoming season?
JR: I don’t believe being away from the teammates will hurt me. I’m good friends with a lot of teammates and continued to hang out with them last year while I wasn’t on the baseball team. Taking the year off should make it interesting to see how the start of this season goes for me. I still believe I should be able to perform as well as I did the last two years on the baseball team.