Hatters take streak into Super Regional
DELAND – The Stetson baseball team is headed to a Super Regional.
Fans of the Hatters have waited decades to hear those words, but coach Steve Trimper is admittedly a little surprised the wait wasn’t longer after he replaced Hall of Fame coach Pete Dunn prior to the 2017 season.
“Eighteen months ago when I was hired, I didn’t think we’d be here this quick,” Trimper said Sunday night following the team’s regional-clinching win over Oklahoma State.
The No. 11 Hatters, however, left no doubt that they belong with their performances during the DeLand Regional. Stetson went 3-0 with a 29-7 run differential. The Hatters punched their ticket emphatically, using a 10-run third inning Sunday against the Cowboys. It was the most runs the Hatters had scored in an inning since 2002.
Stetson’s offense doesn’t get as much press as its pitching staff, which leads the nation in ERA. But Trimper believes the team’s critics aren’t paying close enough attention.
“Over the last 20 games, our hitting has been much better, and I wish they would look at those average because we got hot towards the end,” Trimper said. “I think we might have proven some people wrong.”
Four Hatter hitters — third baseman Jonathan Meola, shortstop Jorge Arenas, center fielder Jacob Koos and designated hitter Brooks Wilson — were named to the regional’s all-tournament team. That quartet went a combined 22-for-60 at the plate with 15 RBI. Wilson was named the regional’s most outstanding player, an honor that caught him off guard.
“I’m sitting there and I’m like, ‘I didn’t even throw.’ I hit it pretty well, but I didn’t even get on the mound, my main position,” Wilson said. “And they said my name and I was like, ‘All right, guys, I appreciate it.’ ”
The Hatters didn’t need Wilson and his nationleading 20 saves because Stetson’s starting pitchers dominated all weekend. Logan Gilbert, who was a first-round MLB draft pick Monday night, struck out 14 batters in his seven-inning effort versus Oklahoma State on Saturday. Then Jack Perkins wrapped up the regional with a 13-strikeout complete game.
“I didn’t feel any more pressure than I usually feel,” Perkins said about pitching in an NCAA Tournament environment. “Like a regular season game against NJIT, I just felt like I needed to go out there and throw strikes, and that’s what I did.”
The Hatters will now take their hot hitters, bevy of formidable pitchers and school-record 18-game win streak to Chapel Hill, N.C., for their Super Regional matchup with the North Carolina Tar Heels. The best-of-three series will begin Friday.
The Tar Heels, the No. 6 national seed, also went 3-0 in their regional and capped it with a 19-11 triumph over the Houston Cougars on Sunday. UNC has won 29 of its past 36 games and will also be putting a streak on the line this weekend. The Tar Heels have won 16 consecutive home games.
Trimper likes his chances as his team and the Stetson baseball program enter unfamiliar territory.
“The sign of a good team is a team that gets better, and now we have won 18 in a row, so we are playing our best baseball towards the end of the season,” he said.