Photo by Kavin Mistry
By Matt Weiner (@MattWeiner20) — BSB Beat Reporter
There was a thick layer of calm on Opening Day for San Jose State. It began with a cool breeze that greeted fans at Excite Ballpark who haven’t been there since the COVID-19 pandemic began and eventually transcended into the Spartans’ patience at the plate.
The 14 runners that touched home were a byproduct of the eight drawn walks, five hit by pitches and multiple base knocks with a full count. They forced Omaha pitchers Mike Timmins and Harrison Kreiling to throw 113 pitches in the first two innings. Each plate appearance was a masterclass of making the pitcher come to you.
Each inning was like Michaelangelo taking a piece of marble and methodically chipping away at it until it turns into the Pietá.
The fourth inning was a perfect illustration of this.
Hunter Dorraugh sent a 2-1 missile to center field to kick the inning off with the game tied up at four apiece. He was followed by Charles McAdoo, who struck out on a full count and Danny Zimmerman who flew out on a 2-2 count. Obviously, back-to-back outs aren’t what you want after a lead off double, but it’s the 11 pitches seen that matters. With two outs, both Jack Collette and Omar Gastelum drew full-count walks to load the bases for Theo Hardy, who sent a bases-clearing triple down the right field line.
Hardy eventually came around to score on a wild pitch and it would be all Spartans from that point on.
The four-run fourth inning exemplified the Zen aura that led to the avalanche of runs. Colette especially as he accumulated three walks, but many Spartans looked like they were tanning in Cancún at the plate while maintaining precise focus to not chase bad pitches.
Hunter Dorraugh threw his hat in the patience ring again when he sent a 3-2 pitch at the letters in the eighth inning out of the park as a nice nightcap on the barrage of runs.
The Spartans look to build off this super display of discipline as they play a doubleheader at 12:05 p.m. and 3:05 p.m. on Saturday.