Rob Bateman has done this whole college thing before. But it's the one thing he missed on his first go around, a national championship, that's brought him back for a second try.
The senior on the Virginia men's lacrosse team graduated last year from Penn State with a degree in real estate management. With his undergraduate degree taken care of, Bateman now is a University graduate student enrolled in the Professional Development program, which is run through the Curry School of Education.
Lacrosse has always been part of the long stick midfielder's life, starting when he was born in lacrosse-obsessed Baltimore, Md. and continued at Hereford High School where he earned All-American honors. Bateman then was named a second team All-American in 2003 at Penn State while leading it to its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
Bateman played three seasons for the Nittany Lions and earned a reputation as one of the best long stick midfielders in the country before straining his hamstring entering his senior season.
"I kept trying to come back every couple weeks," Bateman said, "It didn't seem like it was something that was serious, but it was. It just kept reoccurring."
Prior to his injury, Bateman had no intention of attending graduate school. But with one year of eligibility remaining, his focus turned towards finding a university with a lacrosse team and a graduate program that fit his needs. That university happened to be Virginia.
"Virginia was a school that was more accommodating," Bateman said. The graduate program "gave me some leeway so I could take the classes I wanted and still be eligible to play."
Fast-forwarding to a year later, Virginia is 6-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country, a complete turnaround from last season. Is it possible that the addition of Rob Bateman is exactly what the Cavaliers needed? Virginia coach Dom Starsia seems to think he's had something to do with the turnaround.
"That long stick [midfielder] sometimes gets a chance to create offense for the team," Starsia said. "He can take advantage of some unsettled transitions."
For those unfamiliar with the position, long stick midfielders play on a midfield line with other short stick players but are allowed to use a defenseman's stick. This means that there is an extra long pole on the field, an advantage that can be invaluable, especially when a player is as comfortable with the long pole on offense as he is on defense, as Bateman is.
"He has a real sense of anticipation of finding the open man, of knowing where guys are around him," Starsia said.
On a team full of role players, Bateman fits right in. He's only had three assists on the season but has started all six games and has 19 ground balls. He also is used frequently on face-offs, combining with senior midfielder Jack deVilliers to create a formidable duo.
Although the addition of a veteran newcomer, especially one who is only eligible for one year, could have been rough on Bateman as well as his teammates, he's had no problems.
"I couldn't ask for better coaches, a better team or a better place to use my last year of eligibility to try to win a national championship," he said.
Saturday, Bateman will return to Johns Hopkins' Homewood Field, a place he frequented in his youth as a student of the game. This time though, being a player instead of a mere observer, he hopes to impart one thing upon the Blue Jays -- This is his second shot at a national championship, but this time he won't leave empty handed.
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