Elon University's men's cross country runner Nick Schneider steals second, sliding into the base just before the ball hits the fielder's glove. A natural runner, Schneider acted in a baseball movie, "Gibsonburg," about a comeback team from Gibsonburg, Ohio, this summer.
"Gibsonburg" is based on a true story about the 2005 state championship high school baseball team. The team went into the playoffs with a 6–17 record, overcoming the odds and ending the season with eight consecutive victories and a state title.
The Golden Bears are the only Ohio high school team to win a state championship with a losing overall record (14 – 17).
"It is an inspiring story that was a lot of fun to play a part in," Schneider said.
Schneider plays one of the athletes on the team, chosen specifically for his role as the speedster for the Golden Bears. Schneider ran the ninth fastest 5,000-meter time in Elon history last year.
"My character is quick and can steal bases," Schneider said. "I am also a jokester and play a part in the love story in the film."
The baseball scenes were filmed at three Columbus-area high schools close to Schneider's home. There were also a number of scenes in "Gibsonburg's Ideal Bakery," which serves as a hangout for the high school players.
An exercise sports science major, Schneider fell into the role because of a family connection. The writer and director of the film, Bob Mahaffey, is a close family friend who also has a son Schneider's age in college.
"I loved getting to know other actors, and it was really interesting to see how the whole process works," Schneider said. "From the filming to the acting and watching them edit the material."
A few big names such as comedian and actress Judy Tenuta and rising star Lili Reinhart are other actors in the film. Behind the reins of Gibsonburg is an Emmy-award winning cinematographer Ginger Kathrens, along with assistant director Jessica Bown and award-winning music producer Kelly Bryarly.
With a $200,000 budget to shoot the film, most of the actors are college-aged students like Schneider, looking to make their big break into the business.
After taking some time to edit the film, Mahaffey plans on entering Gibsonburg in the Sundance, Tribeca and Toronto film festivals in 2012.
"Hopefully I can use this to lead into another role in the future," Schneider said. "It is important to put yourself out there for experiences like this because you never know what may happen."
The trailer for the film can be found online, along with the movie's website and social media pages. There is no official release date yet.