Freshman Bobby Campbell stepped to the plate Sunday in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded. He sat on a 3-1 breaking ball and smacked a base hit into left field to tie the game.
The base hit led to the eventual victory, the series win and sent the Colonials back into the playoff hunt.
For most of the season, GW has struggled as one of the youngest teams in the country – one of two teams in the nation that has started seven freshmen in more than half its games. The team entered conference play with an 8-10 record and lost seven of their first nine Atlantic 10 games.
“Coach said when we were struggling earlier that the time for being young is over. There’s no more ‘it’s ok, it’s a freshmen mistake.’ That time is over,” freshman shortstop Kevin Mahala said.
During the last 10 games, under a head coach who has big league experience in rebuilding, the Colonials have started to turn their season around, winning their last two A-10 series.
“It’s been a whirlwind of emotions, but we fly together, and that’s what we need,” freshman first baseman Cody Bryant said.
Last year, under a completely new coaching staff, the Colonials’ veteran talent led the team to its first A-10 Championship bid since 2006.
By season’s end, the team graduated its starting shortstop, second baseman and center fielder, among nine total graduating seniors. To make up for the loss, Ritchie brought in a recruiting class of 20 freshmen.
“Coming into the year, we weren’t exactly sure how we were going to do because we were coming out of high school,” freshman outfielder Andrew Selby said. “We knew we had a talented group coming in but we weren’t sure how we were going to do at the college level.”
The young roster has brought a rash of growing pains, however.
In the first game of a home series with Massachusetts this past weekend, head coach Gregg Ritchie called for Selby to pitch hit in the bottom of the ninth, down two runs with runners on first and second and one out. Selby chased a couple fastballs above the letters and returned to the bench.
GW lost the game, but they came back the next day to pick up the win. Down two in the eighth, after a leadoff walk by Mahala and singles by freshman Joey Bartosic and sophomore Gabe Scott, Campbell came through with the key hit of the game to drive in the tying runs. GW would go onto win on a go-ahead single later in the inning.
The freshmen said they have found comfort in playing among players their age and learned not to press in critical situations.
“There’s never really been an, ‘Oh, crap, this is different,’” said freshman Eli Kashi, who came in as a highly-ranked shortstop and now plays a sure-handed second base. “But it’s like ‘Alright, I can play at this level but I just need to make myself better every day.’”
GW typically starts just two upperclassmen, senior Owen Beightol and junior Ryan Xepoleas. In comparison, the top teams in the country and the rest of the A-10 average about six upperclassmen.
Beightol leads the team with his bat, Xepoleas to in years of experience and grit and sophomore Matthieu Robért to steady the guys from behind the dish, the situation for the ‘fab freshman’ seven – as they call themselves – has never seemed too overwhelming.
The team has struggled offensively, with no freshman hitting over.300. Outfielder Colin Gibbons-Fly and Campbell – the team’s three-hitter of late – have driven in 14 RBIs – good for a tie for second most on the team.
Ritchie likes to talk to hitters about tempering their heart rates at the plate. The experience Ritchie brings to the club may include stories from the big leagues, as the former Pittsburgh Pirates batting coach, but it also focuses on how to beat the game from the mental end.
“We knew we were going to be young, but we couldn’t make mistakes. Got to put on your big-boy pants and play with the juniors and the seniors, like we can’t treat it like we’re younger as excuses,” said Mahala, who came in as a highly-ranked third baseman, but has made the switch to shortstop.
The team will face University of Maryland-Baltimore County at home Tuesday and at University of Maryland-Eastern Shore on Wednesday, before they head to Richmond for conference play this weekend.
