By: James Barkley, Contributing Writer
Nearing the end of the season, the Wofford Terriers Baseball Team hopes to keep up the momentum that they have picked up as the season has progressed. Less than a month remains until the team plays in the Southern Conference Tournament and currently they hold a record of 20-17, being 5-4 in conference play. This season did not start out like they hoped, putting them in a hole they had to work hard to get out of.
Now, it seems they are on the right track. “Despite the slow start, this group has really started to come around as a competitive, dangerous team that is going to have a look at the SoCon championship come this May,” says Co-Captain Carson Waln. “We still have a ton of room for growth, but we are certainly pleased to see our hard work beginning to pay off.”
This type of had work will be necessary for Wofford if they want to make a push deep into the SoCon Tournament. No other motivation will be needed as a SoCon championship is on everyone’s mind, as Co-Captain Adam Scott notes: “The only goal for this team that we all truly care about is winning a SoCon tournament championship, plain and simple. We are one of the closest teams that I have ever been a part of and sharing that with this group of guys would be something we would share forever.”
It will be a tough road, but the confidence is clearly there for this team, as Waln confirms: “Though we might not have a bullpen or lineup that is as concrete as some other teams, our depth and competitiveness make up for that. I am very proud of the grit and will to win of this team.”
The team also looks to continue a streak they have experienced in the past few seasons. They have won at least 30 games per season in the last three years and will look to meet that mark once again. Over the course of 10 years, Head Coach Todd Interdonato has established a winning culture and he keeps similar aspirations each season. “When you do something over the course of a few years it certainly becomes your benchmark,” he says.
This kind of mentality has helped push the team to find the same success as teams in the past. Each year’s squad wants to live up to the expectations that have been established before them. “Once you do it three years in a row, I don’t think you can ever reset and go back to lower expectations…I know our guys certainly have not,” Coach Interdonato noted. Despite the slow start, Coach Interdonato believes his team has figured some things out and they are back on the right path winning some of the tougher games on their schedule. “Our guys are pretty confident right now,” says Interdonato. Keeping this confidence in their play will be important when they reach the tournament later this month.
Losing some of their key players to the MLB draft or graduation, Wofford had to look for new players to step up and play a bigger role. However, the team feels there are capable players to fill these spots and is looking forward to the challenge. “The talent and ability to fill those roles were not a problem to find, so to say that it was an obstacle for us is not the case,” says Scott. “All it gave us was another chance to go out and prove what we are made of.” As long as the team believes in each other, things will start to click. This can be seen by how the season has progressed. Although there remains several weeks of game to be played, the more games this team plays, the more their chemistry and performance will improve.
It seems like this team has coming together at the right time and is enjoying the recent success because of it. The Terriers have cruised through April with very few losses. Some of the big wins this month include a three game sweep against Villanova University, a 13-3 win against Virginia Military Institute, a 17-8 win against University of North Carolina Asheville and a 13-4 win against University of North Carolina Greensboro. Look for the Terriers to keep riding this wave and hopefully make some noise in the SoCon Tournament at the end of May.
