Things are really beginning to click for the Tufts baseball team.
While the start of the 2013 season was a bit of a roller coaster for the Jumbos, with an up-and-down spring break trip, they have since churned out a 10-game winning streak, including a crucial three-game sweep of the Trinity Bantams, a team many considered the favorite to win the NESCAC East Division. Coach John Casey's squad now sits comfortably in second place in the division, trailing only Bowdoin, a team the Jumbos have yet to play this season.
"It's been fun," junior tri-captain pitcher Christian Sbily said of the team's winning streak. "We're playing loose, we're playing good baseball, but at the same time, we know we have a lot to work on right now, and while we've been able to string together some wins in the past couple of weeks, we know that we still have a lot to improve on if we want to keep that going, and keep up that level of play going into this weekend."
Leading the way during the past 10 games has been the Jumbos' stellar left side of the infield, comprised of sophomore third baseman Wade Hauser and senior shortstop Scott Staniewicz. Hauser has improved on his 2012 All-NESCAC second team campaign by leading the Jumbos in hits, home runs and RBIs, and coming in second on the team in slugging percentage. Staniewicz, after starting only 17 games as a junior, has emerged as one of the top offensive threats in the NESCAC, pacing the Jumbo attack with a .380 batting average out of the leadoff spot.
While the team played well in spurts earlier this season, Tufts has recently found a way to bring a high level of consistency into each contest.
"It's tough to pinpoint one thing, but I think our overall mentality has really improved," Sbily said. "We come to the ballpark expecting to win, and it's not necessarily that we didn't have that mentality before, but we have this level of confidence now that we know we are playing at a certain level. Having that mentality and playing loose has really done a lot for us."
"We're more confident as a team," junior tri-captain Nick Cutsumpas added. "We go out there and believe that on any given day, we can beat any given team. It's not about how the other team plays, it's about how we play. We are in control of our actions 100 percent."
Looking ahead to the weekend, the Jumbos will travel to Waterville, Maine, to play Colby in a three-game NESCAC East series. The Mules have struggled in the NESCAC thus far this season, posting an 0-6 record, including several blowout losses to Trinity and Bowdoin. Despite some of their troubles, Colby has given the Jumbos difficulty in past seasons, including winning two out of three games last season in a crucial NESCAC series.
"Colby is always a tough team," Sbily said. "We know they lost a lot of guys from last year, but we will treat [this gane] just like we treat all other NESCAC games."
Returning for the Mules is 2012 second team All-NESCAC member Jason Buco, who is on a tear thus far in 2013 with a .415 batting average, four triples and a .610 slugging percentage. Buco has also shown exceptional speed on the bases, registering six stolen bases in only 12 starts.
Despite the Mules' suspect play in the NESCAC thus far this season, the Jumbos know Colby remains a threat no matter what the standings say and plan on treating the team just like any other on their schedule.
"We always say that this league must come through Medford, and everyone is gunning for us," Sbily said. "We're treating Colby the same way we treat Trinity, the same way we treat Bowdoin, the same way we treat Bates. We know we have to go up there and play sharp."
"We don't see the NESCAC opponents as different teams," Cutsumpas added. "Each NESCAC game is worth the same amount, so we have a little payback this weekend. We're going to go out there and play hard."
