Stetson sets an achievement level for LU to strive for
On Sunday, I attended the Stetson vs. Okla State regional game in Deland. Fortunately I had superb seats directly behind home plate just 3 rows back. Surrounding me were former players of Stetson and the Jeff Altier, the Stetson AD.
What this small school of 3,000 students has accomplished in baseball is outstanding. I arrived more than an hour before game time. Walking around I met the father of the Stetson starting pitcher. The proud dad told me his son was 10-2, had a 2.56 era, was a junior, and expected to be drafted in a high round. The son pitched a masterful game with 13 strikeouts, 1 walk, 3 hits, and a complete game. And he is the at best the 2nd best pitcher on the team.
The former players around me were a fountain of info on Stetson, the players and the stadium. I sat beside a former catcher with his 90 year old dad and wife and we chatted the whole game. Going solo, this was as good as it gets as baseball allows one to talk with others while enjoying the game.
Since students were away only baseball fans were in attendance and 1,600+ attended in the 2,000+ seat stadium. The two previous Stetson games on Friday and Saturday drew over 2,000.
The team: as UNC is Goliath, then Stetson is the ultimate Davey. The 3,000 students, small faith based school has the leading ERA in college baseball. The Dh hitter is also the nation's saves leader and the team's leading hitter, who was the Regional MVP. Ironically, he did not pitch in any of the 3 games this weekend as he was not needed.
As great pitching is the best equalizer in baseball, Stetson has a chance to pull it off and win it all in Carolina. As an ABC fan (anybody but carolina), I'm heavily rooting for Stetson to win the Chapel Hill Super Regional. Some other tidbits, Stetson is 37-3 at home and has the longest winning streak in the nation.
This team is for real. Fun to watch. And has a legitimate chance to advance to the College WS. If one is a baseball fan, here's an opportunity to pull for a future conference member who is representing the A-Sun well. It is going to be special when LU plays at Stetson next year. And LU will have a conference foe to judge it's own quality of play. Play today of a very high standard.
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Stetson sets an achievement level for LU to strive for
