Monday was a day of firsts for Duke students. First day of school, first day of college for others, and for two national champions, it was their first time taking the mound.
Celine Boutier of women's golf and Will Haus of men's lacrosse were both invited to toss out the first pitch at the Durham Bulls game against the Gwinnett Braves Monday night. Both the men's lacrosse and women's golf teams were on hand to cheer on their teammates at the game. But they weren't the only ones, as the duo threw the pitch in front of a packed Bulls crowd, something the pair relished.
"It feels great," Boutier said. "Because it's not just about Duke, it's Durham."
Women's golf became the first national championship team of the 2013-14 season for Duke, as Boutier led the charge on the final 18 holes to come back and defeat Southern California and nearly take the individual title herself May 23. Just three days later, the men's lacrosse program claimed its third national title in four years when it defeated Notre Dame 11-9. Haus only took one shot in the game, and it found its way to the back of the net following a run the length of the field.
Boutier spent her summer playing the U.S. Women’s Open, led France to a victory in the European Ladies Amateur Team Championship and competed in the European Ladies Amateur Championship and U.S. Women’s Amateur.
With both players fielding a busy summer schedule, the Bulls made sure to reach out to them ahead of time about the pitch in order to allow them to settle in and be prepared to take the mound in front of the home crowd.
When it comes to prior experience—or even exposure—to America's pastime, neither player was exactly a baseball guru.
"I played T-Ball," Haus said.
Although that garnered laughs from his friends and teammates on hand, he was still the more experienced of the two makeshift pitchers when it came to playing on the diamond.
Boutier, who hails from Montrouge, France, had never held a baseball or even seen the sport prior to Monday.
"It's my first time," she said. "I've never watched baseball before."
But when it came to the pitch, Boutier did much better than the now infamous 50 Cent and Miss Texas throws that may come to mind when thinking of first pitch miscues. Her pitch actually had a decent amount of speed and was just a bit outside to the right—respectable and passable for the usually competitive junior.
"It was fun," she said. "Actually, I was expecting myself to be a lot worse."
Haus was a bit more critical following his pitch, as he kept it over the middle of the plate but also nearly sailed it over the catcher's head.
"I'd give myself, out of 10, probably a five," he laughed.
Of course, when it came to advice, both players were told to take deep breaths and just let the throw come natural though that is easier said than done when it comes to the real thing in front of friends and strangers alike.
"I was just told to relax and throw the ball," Haus said. "I wasn't very relaxed though... It was a great experience. It was fun. I've never done anything like that before."
Boutier was given only about a week's notice but jumped at the opportunity when it was extended.
When she took the mound, she may have been all smiles but it was clear she wanted to impress. Just as she is on the golf course, the Frenchwoman was focused, so much so that she failed to take note of her fellow classmate and temporary pitcher's toss to make any judgement calls as to who had the better cannon Monday.
That or she was just too nice.
"I didn't get the chance to see Will's pitch because I was too focused," she said. "Probably him."
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