Tritons to Play in College World Series Championship Game Saturday

Ioana Patringenaru | May 28, 2010

Evan Kehoe came up with big hits in the first and sixth innings during the Tritons’ semifinal game.
Photo/Willis Glassgow/WC Sports Photos

Come watch the game Saturday at 9 a.m. at Home Plate Cafe near RIMAC

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UC San Diego’s baseball team was warming up for its last practice at home, when suddenly James Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind” blasted over the public announcement system. The students kept doing their lunges and running on the field, unfazed. They’ve heard the song at every practice since the beginning of the season. It’s a reminder of their ultimate goal: winning the Collegiate World Series this week in North Carolina.

Postcard from North Carolina On the Road at the Division II College World Series

Sunday, May 23 – Aaron Bauman

Hey San Diego, writing to you from beautiful and humid North Carolina.

Today was an off day from games for us, after a great 4-3 win last night against Georgia College & State. We would like to give a shout out to Ms. Robles (Justin Robles' mom) and her second grade class who wrote us all inspirational letters. We all taped them up in the bus above our seats before our game last night and are all thankful for the wishes. Read Player Blog

The Tritons are now a game away from that goal. They secured their spot in the championship game Thursday by defeating New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce University. It will be the team’s first appearance in the World Series championship game.

UCSD, which ranks first in the nation for Division II baseball teams, will take on ninth-ranked University of Southern Indiana. The game will be shown at Home Plate Cafe near RIMAC at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.

"It was just a great team win tonight," Head Coach Dan O'Brien said. "We found a way to score some runs. This program's all about playing team ball and that was a great team win."

After scoring a total of five runs in wins over Georgia State University and the University of Central Missouri earlier in the week, the Triton offense pounded Franklin Pierce pitching for 13 hits and six runs Thursday, overcoming the team's first deficit of the tournament behind a three-run sixth inning.

The Tritons have had a remarkably successful season. They won their second consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship and their second consecutive NCAA West Regional title. But from the get-go, the World Series in Cary, N.C., has been their goal. This relentless focus is the secret to the team’s success, athletes and coaches said last week.

“It’s been a fun year, with everyone gunning for us and trying to knock us out of the running,” O’Brien said. “It’s really special.”

The team’s drive stems from a stinging defeat at the World Series last year. The Tritons had made it to the semifinals and were pulling ahead. But at the bottom of the ninth, their opponents hit a homerun and the Tritons’ hopes were dashed. O’Brien, his staff and players are determined it won’t happen again this year.

Shortstop Vance Albitz slides into home plate.
Photo/Willis Glassgow/WC Sports Photos

They set the tone during the team’s first practice, when the public announcement system played “Carolina in My Mind” for the first time. Students also received a T-shirt that showed a picture of a dogpile, the baseball equivalent of a victory lap. O’Brien told his players that he wanted to see that dogpile in Cary, after they won the World Series. Someone always wears that shirt during the team’s six weekly practices, or while the students are lifting weights. It’s a daily visual reminder of the team’s goal—and the excitement that comes with it, said shortstop Vance Albitz.

Coaches credit the students’ drive and work ethic for the team’s success. Athletes carry a full load of classes and put in two-hour practice sessions. They sometimes take finals on the road and have to skip classes. The team’s overall grade-point average is 3.0.

Students also buy into Coach O’Brien’s recipe for success, said Assistant Coach Chris Horn. When asked about the ingredients, he said: “It’s just playing good baseball.” O’Brien said he seeks out well-rounded players. “We look for good academics, great athletes—but most importantly we’re looking for great character,” he said. “It’s going to give you a lot of wins—on and off the field.” Balance is definitely a focus on the field too. A strong offense and a solid presence at the mound make up the Tritons’ strengths, said O’Brien.

Students said their team spirit helps them win. To get them to bond, staff members organized several activities at the beginning of the season. Senior athletes put together a scavenger hunt throughout campus for rookies. The whole team also had a sleepover in tents on the baseball field. They stayed up late into the night to talk about their goals during the upcoming season. “The egos are just kind of checked out at the door,” said center fielder Robert Sedin.

Students also credit O’Brien’s passion for baseball for motivating them. “He’d do anything to be able to put on a uniform and go on and play,” Albitz, the shortstop, said. O’Brien has told his students many times that coaching isn’t really a job for him. “It’s in his blood,” Albitz said. Several students and staff members also mentioned the coach’s emphasis on paying attention to details.

Pitcher Matt Rossman took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and allowed a total of just two hits in 11 complete innings.
Photo/Willis Glassgow/WC Sports Photos

That trait was on display during the team’s last meeting May 18, before they flew off to North Carolina May 19. Watch your opponents’ behavior, the coach told students. Do they like to steal bases? Do they rely on homeruns? O’Brien also went over the logistics of the trip. He reminded students to hang up their shirts once they got to the hotel, so they wouldn’t get wrinkled. He advised them to bring a laundry bag.

O’Brien said he doesn’t coach to win games. He coaches to teach his students life skills. “Our students have book smarts, but they don’t always have street smarts,” he said. “I want to give them that mental toughness.”

O’Brien is a UCSD alumnus and was part of the last university team to reach the World Series in 1994, before the Tritons got there again in 2009. Students said they feel they now have an edge because they’ve been at the tournament last year. The experience was a little overwhelming, said Sedin, the center fielder. The fields were beautiful; everyone was nervous and at the same time happy, he said. “This year, we know that it’s just playing baseball,” he added. But O’Brien cautioned the students not to get complacent.

“The experience helps,” the coach said. “But it’s going to come down to who plays the best baseball.”