Name: Hudson Williams
Sport: Baseball
Position: Middle Infielder
Year: Redshirt Sophomore
Hometown: Elk Grove
High School: Wheaton Academy
Lily Goodfellow: When did you start playing baseball and how did you decide to play at COD?
Hudson Williams: I have been playing baseball since I was four years old. My brother played it, my dad was bad at it but they [both] got me into it. And I came to COD because I went to school around here and didn’t have a ton of options. My mom passed away and my grandpa had cancer and I wanted to stay home and take care of my family, drive my younger sisters to school, cook dinner, whatever it was. COD was a good mix of competitive baseball and also being able to stay home and take care of my family.
LG: You hit a grand slam in the first game of the season. Have you ever hit a grand slam before? How did this one feel?
HW: I’ve never hit a grand slam before, so that was a first for sure. Off the bat, I knew I hit it well. The bases were loaded and we were only up by one, so I just wanted to come through for my team. When I saw it go over the fence, I was rounding first base and I had a lot of emotion. I was yelling a little bit, but it wasn’t because I did something good, it was because I came through for my teammates and that’s what I care about.
LG: Baseball can be a mental game. How do you stay positive when you aren’t playing well or your team is losing?
HW: The mental game is something I have been working on a lot this year. I started reading a lot of books about it. But the biggest thing for me is my faith. I am a Christian and I tell myself before every game that I’m playing from a stance of victory. Jesus died on the cross and three days later that tomb was empty and the stone was rolled away. And I know that I’m just here to please the Lord. I am here to do His will and if I can do that in baseball, so be it. But a win or a loss, a good performance or a bad performance doesn’t define who I am as a person. What defines me is my faith in Jesus. My faith definitely helps me stay even during the ups and downs of baseball.
LG: Do you have any rituals before a game?
HW: I don’t have many rituals and I try not to be superstitious. But I listen to worship music before every game. There’s one song I always listen to before I take my airpods out. It’s called “Wise Men” by Frank Ocean and the chorus says, “…your mother would be proud of you.” I lost my mom when I was 16 and I miss her very much. She never got to watch me play high school baseball or anything like that. Knowing that I go out there and am making my mom proud, just like when I was a kid and I wanted my mom to be happy for me and wanted to make her proud. I’m 21-years-old now and I still try to do the same thing.
LG: What are your goals for this season?
HW: Just win as much as we can. Baseball is a team sport. Obviously I have personal goals and I love playing well. Playing well is fun. But I want to go out there and win. I like seeing my teammates succeed just as much as I like succeeding. I want to move on and play at a four year college, hopefully a good one. But most of all, just go out there and honor Jesus by the way I treat others and my teammates and by the way I act on the field. My only job is to glorify Him, so that’s normally my goal.
LG: What is the most memorable game you’ve ever played in COD?
HW: My freshman year, we went to the NJCAA World Series out in New York. It was the fourth place game and we were playing Herkimer College from New York. Nobody expected us to make it that far. We had some stuff happen earlier in the season and people thought we were delinquents. We went out there against a team that everybody thought was going to beat us and we ended up winning in a very defensive game. I remember being so fired up for my teammates and that we could come through and get that win.
LG: Are you a Cubs or Sox fan? Why?
HW: I’m a Braves fan. My family is from Alabama, and the closest professional team near them is the Atlanta Braves. So, I’ve grown up a Braves fan and I still am. But, if I had to pick, I’m a Cubs fan. I think the field’s a little cooler.
LG: Who is your favorite baseball player?
HW: My favorite player right now would be Bobby Witt Jr. He’s a really good shortstop. That’s who my brother tells me I play like. I’m not nearly as good as him but he’s fun to watch. And my favorite player ever is Evan Gattis. You probably don’t know who that is, but he used to be a catcher and a DH (designated hitter). He is big on the men’s mental health front and mental health is something I’ve struggled with my whole life, especially since my mom passed away. He talks about how to handle mental health, especially in a sport like baseball where you fail 70% of the time. I love the way he talks about his hard life story but also can use that story for good. That’s something I would like to do as well.
LG: Where do you see yourself in five years?
HW: What I am passionate about and am praying that I get to do is start a foundation in my mom’s name called the Agent of Hope. My mom’s name was Hope, and I want to help people who have lost loved ones, family members [and] friends to suicide. It’s a very taboo subject. I remember being 16 after I lost my mom to suicide and wishing I had somebody there for me. My goal is to be there for people as much as I can. I’d also like to become a special education teacher. I’ve been working with students in special education since high school. If I get to do both of those then I’m a very blessed man.
LG: What one word best describes you?
HW: Redeemed. I’ve had a lot of struggles in life. As you can see, Lily, most of my life revolves around my faith. Christ redeemed me. The old creation is gone and the new has come. From where I was, struggling with depression, with anxiety, with the loss of my mom, the loss of my grandpa, to where I am now. I didn’t love life but now I love life and every day I get to honor God and love others and try to make people happy. That’s what I want to do. Redeemed is the word I’d use.
LG: Thank you so very much, Hudson.
HW: Thank you, Lily.
