Some might say the U.C. San Diego baseball team is on a nice roll. Others might say they’re the hottest team in the nation.
Everyone would be right.
The Tritons are headed to the Division-II College World Series in Cary, NC (their first game is Sunday, May 27, against Texas A&M-Kingsville) on a crazy winning streak.
Not only have they won 12 straight games, with eight of them coming in the post-season, but they’ve won 22 out of 24 and their only losses were by a total of three runs. They take a whole lot of momentum with them to the CWS.
If only they were big on momentum.
“I think momentum is on the next pitch. I know that sounds cliché-ish but I do think we’re a tough team to beat,” said Tritons Head Coach Eric Newman. “I think the winning streak and all the wins have a lot more to do with we pitch, we defend, we don’t beat ourselves typically. Our offense is pretty potent. And that to me is where the momentum really lies.”
Basically they’re one of the most complete teams in the nation and good teams tend to win ballgames. And now UCSD has a target on its back.
“If they put a target on use, that’s fine,” said Newman. “We’re just moving forward with playing the way we play.”
One of the things that makes them so tough to beat is the Tritons can play so many different ways. During the post-season they’ve won games 19-1 and 22-3 … but also overcome a pair of 6-run deficits with late-inning rallies.
“We just never feel like we’re out of a ballgame,” said junior catcher Michael Palos. “No matter what the score, no matter what the inning, we just really trust in every one of the guys that steps in between those lines that they’re going to get the job done.”
In their eight post-season wins, six different players drove in the game-winning run. So yeah, depth is a strength. But so is their overall approach to baseball. The Tritons preach not changing anything, even during perceived high-pressure situations. Or, put another way …
“What team plays the most normal is the team that’s going to win it all,” said Palos. “That’s what we say going in to games: just play normal, play our game, play how we’ve been playing all year.”
And if they do that they just might be able to bring a big ol’ trophy home from Carolina.
