BATS AND BLUEPRINTS Senior Duuis Richordson catches the pitch ogairzst Missow·i Western State 011 Feb. 7, 2015. Richardson led Harding in most offensive categories batting .322 with six home runs and 35 RBIs. I Photo courtesy of Jeff Montgomery BASEBALL 22i5 By Libbie Turner Harding University was home to student athletes of various majors, and many were recognized for academic excellence. Senior Davis Richardson, however, was the first Harding baseball player to be awarded first-team Capital One Academic All-America honors. Richardson, who spent his first two years of college studying historic preservation at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, transferred to Harding in the spring of 2013. Since then, he has become the starting catcher for the Bisons and changed his major to interior design. Contrary to most stereotypes, Richardson had little interest in the design concepts associated with the major. It was the aspect ofbuilding design that interested him.Though Harding did not offer a degree in architecture at the time, Richardson entered the interior deign program planning to study architecture in graduate school. Associate professor of kinesiology and head coach Dr. Patrick McGaha said other players liked to have a little fun joking about their teammate's untraditional major, but Richardson went into the interior design program expecting as much. "There are definitely a lot of jokes in the locker room, but it's all good," Richardson said. "In high school, I never expected to say my major was interior design. If I'd known it would be my major, I'd probably have made fun of myself." Between long studio hours and baseball practice, Richardson managed to keep a 4.0 GPA. He identified time management as the underlying necessity to being a student athlete. McGaha said Richardson's attitude was what made him an outstanding performer in the classroom and on the field. "Playing catcher, you've got a lot of responsibility as far as what goes on in the infield, and Davis just has great leadership qualities," McGaha said. "His work ethic is just what sets him apart. He always makes a point to give you the best effort he can put forth, and if it's not good enough one day, the next day he's going to come in and make it better." Noah Chandler was Richardson's roommate and the third baseman for the Bisons. Both players transferred to Harding from different schools - a unique circumstance Chandler identified as the foundation for their friendship. "Davis is very committed, not just to doing well at school, which is what most people are dedicated to at this point," Chandler said. "He's dedicated to his career. He's on a path, and he's interested in learning, not in just getting the grade. I know that's why he's doing so well." Looking back on his time at Harding, Richardson said he was thankful for his experience in the interior design program. Richardson hoped taking classes that differed from what some future architects might take would give him an advantageous new perspective in the field of architecture. "Architecture is very much about form and the details of a building from more of an exterior perspective, but throughout school, our professors have done a great job of making me understand that a building is way more about people than how it looks on the outside," Richardson said.
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