Occidental’s baseball team beat the University of Puget Sound (UPS) and the University of Willamette in three games played between Feb. 9 and 10. The Tigers overcame UPS Feb. 9 with 8–0 and 12–3 wins, and then went on to beat Willamette 9–5 the next day.
Jack Brancheau (senior), who went a perfect 5–5 at the plate Feb. 9 against UPS with a homer, a double, four runs scored and three RBIs, relished the win but also has an eye on the future.
“I think it’s certainly a good start. I think we worked really hard since we came back to school and in the fall, so it’s really rewarding to see the fruits of our labor so early in the season,” Brancheau said. “But it is early, so we can’t really put too much money on us being too good because it’s still too early.”
Jake Fredrickson (sophomore) also performed well in the games against UPS. He went 4–8 with two runs scored, six RBIs, a double and a home run. Fredrickson compared the differences between Occidental and the opposing teams.
“We showed a lot of the potential that the team has,” Fredrickson said. “But in terms of competitiveness, we’re going to have to do a lot better than that. Both of these teams [UPS and Willamette] had the issue of playing with the rain so their games got canceled in the week. So we had the benefit of being able to be on schedule, being able to [be] ready to play, being able to play at home, while they had to travel.”
Head baseball coach Luke Wetmore — now in his 11th season — suggested that UPS and Willamette had a role to play in their loss.
“It was a staff day, so they [UPS and Willamette] didn’t throw their top pitchers for a long period of time like we did,” Wetmore said. “They threw, I think, like eight to ten pitchers? I don’t think the score is reflective of what a three-game series against that team [Willamette] would’ve looked like. They would’ve been, I think, a little bit more competitive, especially through those middle innings.”
Wetmore emphasized how he would like the team to continue playing into the postseason, while Fredrickson added that the team needs to finish as one of the top four teams in the SCIAC conference to advance to post-season games.
There are currently six seniors and seven first-year players on the team. Players from all different class years and backgrounds have good relationships with each other. Eamon McNeil (senior), captain of the baseball team, looks forward to seeing this camaraderie manifest itself in the team’s performance this season.
“Everybody’s excited right now. I feel like we have all the pieces we need to have the success we want to have this year, and enjoy doing it, and have good team chemistry,” McNeil said. “I feel positive right now.”
McNeil spoke to the motivation he received from his coach to perform, even as early as the first day of the season.
“Our coach actually left an alumni shirt in each of the senior’s lockers on the very first day we got here this semester, to kind of remind us this is our last opportunity to try and maximize our potential,” McNeil said. “For my last season, I’m really excited to have people we have on the team to be in a position to do well.”
Diego Ramirez (first year) said that the team is having fun but also working hard. McNeil echoed Ramirez’s sentiment, saying the team dynamics is better this year than in the past. Wetmore similarly recognized and appreciated the mutually supportive atmosphere.
“One of the keywords that they brought to the table — we did a little bit of a core-values conversation during our camp week — was ‘family.’ That resonated with them,” Wetmore said. “So you know, it’s a tight group. I think they really like each other. I like them a lot, it’s been really fun to coach them for the first month of the season.”
The baseball team’s next game will be against Whitworth University Feb. 23.
