Bothof makes move to SDSU, difference on baseball field

Faith Moldan

Faith Moldan

After moving around the country during most of his life, senior Tyson Bothof, has found a home here at SDSU.

Bothof, a pitcher from Green Bay, Wis., transferred from the University of Kansas to SDSU along with the coaching staff of the KU baseball team.

“I played with all the assistant coaches at KU,” Bothof said.

The communications major had to adjust to the small town feel of SDSU and Brookings coming from a school of 24,000 students. But adapting to a new environment is nothing new for him.

His father, Ken, is currently the director of athletics at Wisconsin-Green Bay and has been in that line of work all of Bothof’s life causing them to move repeatedly as Ken got promoted and received new jobs.

“I always had to meet new people and join new teams,” Bothof said.

Besides moving from state to state, Bothof has had to recover from surgery on his pitching arm. He underwent “Tommy John” surgery to replace a torn ligament in his right arm. The surgery, which lasts about an hour and a half, consists of extracting a tendon from the hand, wrist, forearm, leg or toe and threading it through holes drilled into the bone above and below the elbow. Patients begin physical therapy as soon as possible.

Bothof said he rushed back into things after his surgery and began throwing too soon causing him to need one more, smaller, surgery. His coach at KU told him that he would most likely pitch one more year but would not make it the next year. After the ultimatum from his coach, Bothof began thinking more about his future in baseball and life.

“I wanted to make sure I could play catch with my kids some day,” Bothof said.

When the KU coaching staff got the news they were moving to SDSU, Bothof called to congratulate coach Reggie Christiansen on his new job. That is when Christiansen asked if Bothof wanted to come to SDSU and play.

“I started rolling it around in my head,” Bothof said of the idea of moving to SDSU. “I didn’t want to regret it if I had one more shot and didn’t take it.”

After talking it over with his parents and thinking some more about it himself, Bothof packed up and hit the road.

As a senior with Division I baseball experience, Bothof has been able to help SDSU shift to D-I little smoother.

“It’s a big transition; they’re taking it really well,” Bothof said of his new teammates.

Though he has the most D-I experience Bothof said he doesn’t want to be overbearing in any way.

“It’s been hard work with all the road games. We need to control what we can, like bunting and our pitchers,” he said about the season. “We need to show we belong in D-I and gain gradual respect.”

Bothof knows he has his parents’ respect.

“My mom wants to see me do well. She’s looking out for the best,” Bothof said. “I know both my parents support me.”

Bothof has had many athletic accomplishments in his life, but said he has put them behind him and is concentrating on the current season and his future.

“I want to try to get to hit, but it probably won’t happen,” he said.

He hopes to have a career in baseball. There have been a few scouts looking at Bothof, but he said it is a tough road ahead if he continues with baseball. If baseball doesn’t pan out, he plans on getting a job in sales or advertising.

#1.885092:2367956305.jpg:tysonpitching.jpg:Tyson Bothof hurls the ball towards the plate.: