By Matt Weiner (@MattWeiner20) – BSB Beat Reporter
There was a wicked and magical phenomenon that took place at Excite Ballpark in San Jose from Feb. 18 through Feb. 22. An astonishing 47 runs were produced in a total of five games by the SJSU Spartans leading them to a 4-1 record.
They are now two wins shy of tying their team total from last year and are parasailing through the competition.
In 2021, the Spartans put up 14 runs or more only once in a single game, while this year it’s already happened on three occasions.
Besides the results, the biggest difference between this year and last is the amount of bats providing production.
Ruben Ibarra was a one-man tour de force for the Spartans in 2021, slashing .381/.503/1.353 with 14 homers and 32 RBI’s, all of which led the team by a wide margin. No one with 70 or more at bats came within a country mile of matching his numbers.
Through five games thus far, SJSU has worked around this problem, by getting production from a large contingency of hitters.
Hunter Dorraugh and Charles McAdoo, brain-bashing three-four combo, are the clear standouts. The pair have combined for an outrageous 16 RBI’s while slashing a combined .402/.569/1.480.
So far Dorraugh and McAdoo are like 2007 Big Papí and Manny Ramirez, knocking the red-seams off any baseball that comes within their wheelhouse.
The power numbers have been there early on with the team compiling eight homers and 17 total extra base hits. This is the perfect compliment to a team that puts runners on like its life depends on it. When opposing pitchers and defenses aren’t able to get outs, then they are met with immediate ramifications.
The first inning in Tuesday’s game against UNC illustrated this concept.
Robert Hamchuk got things going with a double that short hopped the wall, carried by the wind going out to right center field. Dorraugh came to the plate with one out following a Colette strikeout, and had a swinging bunt that UNC’s starting pitcher Ashton Mansur threw away, scoring Hamchuk and advancing Dorraugh to second. McAdoo followed up with a hot-slap to right field, scoring Dorraugh and advanced to second on a throw to home plate that wasn’t cut off when it should’ve been.
A few pitches later, McAdoo dashed to third on a passed ball from catcher Craig Kenny. The stage was set for SJSU’s James Shimashita. All he needed to do was advance McAdoo 90 feet and he successfully did it by hitting a sacrifice fly to center that was plenty deep for the speedy McAdoo to skidaddle in.
Just like that a three-run lead was built by taking advantage of two overthrows and one passed ball. It gave UNC a daunting lead to overcome right away which was then extended to 10 when it was all said and done, thanks to fireworks later on.
When a team is able to do the little things like pick up free bases on poor cut off throws and passed balls and launch moon shots, opposing pitchers are flirting with death.