It is your first year of professional baseball and you're doing everything you can to succeed.
You want the big club to be happy with your results. You want to move to the next level. In the meantime, you're just focusing on that day's game, that moment, that pitch. These are the moments that you waited for as a boy, watching major league games, and hoping.
All that seems incredible and must be.
But playing in the Cape Cod League, somehow, still manages to inspire the most awe-struck emotions.
"That was the best baseball experience I've ever had in my life," said Mariners pitching prospect Blake Hauser. "We won the championship. And I got to play against some first rounders."
With the Harwich Mariners, he marked the first time he'd closed baseball games, in what is considered the best wood bat league in the country. How's that for an introduction to the bullpen?
Drafted by the Mariners in the 13th round out of Virginia Commonwealth University (where he notched 10 saves), Hauser, 20, was assigned to the Northwest League, playing short-season ball for the Everett AquaSox.
In in 24 innings of work, mostly as the closer, the righty went 3-1 with a 3.75 ERA.
"I wasn't sure what to expect. Mentally it was the toughest because I was away from home for the first time."
Hauser's family home is just a few miles away from where he went to college, giving him a sense of comfort. He was born in Midlothian Virginia (population aprox. 38,795), and the closeness to home helped, as he worked toward getting noticed come draft time. He'd already been there, in 2007, when the Indians drafted him in high school, but he declined to sign, opting to attend VCU. Now was the time and he was pitching brilliantly to again earn that notice.
He made 30 appearances in relief, posted a 3.03 ERA, and received All-Colonial Athletic Association honors.
Developing relievers is a tricky business. Many starters just wind up there, and many go kicking and screaming. Not Hauser.
"I kept asking them to let be a closer (in college). I was a starter up until my junior year. Being a closer is what I wanted."
He said he's open to other roles in the pen, but so far, he's proven to be effective in closing games out. He issued just 13 walks and struck out 26, his outings varying between 1-2 innings. Hauser minimized damage when he made a mistake and put a guy on, but he credits his teammates for a lot of that.
"Knowing I had such good defense behind me was huge. I knew they had my back and that I could trust in them. Plus, my catchers were so good. I knew if they put something down, I could have faith in them. Trusting them was huge."
Catchers Marcus Littlewood, Christian Carmichael and Tyler Marlette were behind the plate, with an infield that included shortstop Ketel Marte and first baseman Taylor Ard.
Hauser was at the back end of a bullpen that notched a league best 26 saves, and an overall pitching staff that surrendered the second least amount of home runs (49), trailing Salem-Kaizer by just six.
He also gives credit to pitching coach Rich Dorman. As good as the season went, Hauser knows he needs to sharpen some areas of his game. Fastball command is on the list, so he can pitch inside to guys more effectively. There's also the walks.
"I'd like to eliminate them. Keep them from getting a free pass."
The process of his first professional season was the usual learning experience, though with few bumps. And Hauser thinks something might have been helpful entering the season.
Cape Cod League.
"That helped me get prepared. If you have success there, you get a little confidence. I think it gave me an edge."
You can follow Blake at @JBHauser