Men Dom Amore: How Jim Penders and the UConn baseball team shook off a nightmare and won the Big East.

[huskymedic]

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-> UConn had struggled though a long, brutal weekend, every bit as brutal as college baseball observers anticipate when a team from these parts plays Texas Tech in Lubbock.

“An environment that couldn’t be less friendly,” coach Jim Penders said.

Three losses, two were close games.

Now the Huskies were rallying to get out of town with one win and took a two-run lead in the top of the 10th. But closer Caleb Wurster, nearing 60 pitches, was gassed, and the Red Raiders hit three consecutive homers, sending UConn off the field with the most excruciating loss imaginable. “It wasn’t fair, what we did to him,” Penders said. “We had no one left.”

When Penders saw Wurster walk off the mound, “chest out, shoulders back,” he was inspired, finding the words when his players gathered in the postgame huddle.

“Listen,” Penders told them, “these guys are an Omaha-caliber team year in and year out, the best of the best, and you went toe-to-toe with them. But I wasn’t ready to beat them — I wasn’t ready to beat them — but I’m going to get better, and we’re going to get better, and I don’t think they’re going to want to see us in regionals here in June.

“We’re a good team. We’ve got a chance to be great. Don’t let this define us.” <-

 

[dbmill]

Seems that Caleb Wurster has a penchant for inspiring Coach Penders. For example, in this story in how he left the mound at Texas Tech. The other recent example is the story from the last post game interview about Wurster being the 36th man on a 35 roster team story that was repeated in that interview. Wurster has not only made a mark on the team with his ability, but with his attitude as well.