The Western baseball team scored just one run in its Northern Pacific Regional opener against Utah State University on May 11, losing 7-1. One more loss and the Vikings’ season would end in the regional tournament for the fourth straight season.
The bats had other ideas.
Western erupted offensively, scoring 49 runs over its next four games, and earned its first trip to the National Collegiate Baseball Association World Series.
The end result was a mixture of euphoria and relief for Western. After losing each of the last three years in the regional championship, the final out against Seattle showed this team had finally overcome its demons.
“I don’t know if it has really sunk in yet,” coach and shortstop Dan Skillman said. “I have the trophy up in my room and I have just been looking at it. I guess it’s kind of like a dream come true to finally get over that hump.”
The Vikings rebounded after the opening loss to beat the University of Montana 16-4, Utah St. 11-4, and capped it off with two straight wins against the regular season champion Seattle University 12-10 and 10-6.
“It is one of the greatest moments I have ever had,” pitcher Bryan Simpson said. “When we were mobbing that hill after the championship game it was just awesome.”
Centerfielder Joe Fike had a monster tournament. In the 16-4 victory over Montana he batted 4-for-4 with three home runs, a double, six runs batted in and four runs scored. He finished the tournament 9-for-19 with four homers and 10 RBI.
“This is my senior year,” Fike said. “So it was really just a do or die opportunity for me. I was feeling it out there. But I’m just glad it’s finally over. I was exhausted out there.”
Western enters the World Series alongside Division I schools such as Texas Tech University, University of Michigan, Florida State University and the University of Iowa. Its opening matchup is against the University of Massachusetts at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 27, in Columbus, Georgia.
The Vikings have the least amount of wins of any team in the World Series and have played the fewest games. But despite the difference in school size and wins, they aren’t feeling any pressure.
“The pressure was getting to regionals and we jumped that hurdle,” Skillman said. “I feel like we are the underdogs. I don’t feel any pressure and the guys aren’t either. We’ll go down there and just play relaxed baseball and have fun with it.”
