Senior Salute: Corey Knauf

Throughout the spring semester, we are honoring our senior student-athletes with a "Senior Salute" series. Today's featured senior is Corey Knauf, an environmental geoscience major from Vienna, Virginia. Knauf is a member of the baseball team.

Q: Why did you choose to attend The College of Wooster? 
A: I wanted to be challenged academically while also experiencing a high level of competitive baseball. I saw Wooster as a school that would help me excel after college. 

Q: What does being a Fighting Scot student-athlete mean to you? 
A: It means being in a tight-knit community that is supportive of each other. 

Q: What are some of your favorite memories as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: The 2022 postseason run and traveling across the country with the team. The Florida trips have also been highlights of being a student-athlete.  

Q: What is the best part about being a student-athlete at The College of Wooster? 
A: The many traditions that are in place. 

Q: What else were you involved with on campus besides your sport? 
A: I am a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Geology Club. I also work stats for basketball and football games and in the equipment room.  

Q: Which College of Wooster faculty or staff member has made the greatest impact on you and why? 
A: Dr. Shelley Judge and Dr. Meagen Pollock have both been my advisors, and I have made personal connections with both. They have been exceptionally supportive for me in the classroom and baseball field. Dr. Pollock has especially been helpful in guiding me in my I.S. project and beyond college.  

Q: What other people or resources impacted your Wooster experience in a positive way and how did these people and resources set you up to be successful at Wooster? 
A: Coach Matthew Johnson has been a mentor for me on and off the field. He has showed me how far hard work can get you and has kept me motivated through my four years. He has shown me how to persevere through challenging times.  

Q: Tell us a bit about your Independent Study project? 
A: I am testing the stickiness and effectiveness of baseball rubbing mud. The Lena Blackburne Rubbing Mud is the standard mud used for baseballs. I am comparing that mud to other soils I have acquired through tests. I applied this to pitching by running a test that looks at different metrics of pitches, such as spin rate, velocity, and movement. I am conducting tests to find the physical properties of each soil and the stickiness of the soils. 

Q: Tell us a bit about something cool you did as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: The spring break trips with the team stick out to me. The trips have been a great balance between leisure time to hang out, play cards, and get to know the guys better and playing baseball in beautiful Florida weather. These trips will be core memories of my time at Wooster. 

Q: Reflecting back on your time at Wooster, what advice would you give your first-year self? 
A: No matter what obstacles you face, enjoy every moment you have here.  

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