I am back from the Sunshine State and I have (as I usually do) Mustangs baseball on the brain. It was a fun, rewarding, exhausting ... very good trip. Of course, we always want to get into the higher divisions and compete for a championship, but on the whole, I was pleased with how we played and especially how we finished with two good wins on our last day.
There is a lot to be gleaned from our third trip to Auburndale. Here are some of my thoughts in that regard:
1) With such a young roster (we had a number of players making their first trip to the HWS and another group who were making their first appearance as starters), we held our own and resisted the temptation to be overwhelmed. We were a little-bit wide eyed vs. Memphis in the first game, but we settled down after that. In 2013, we will bring an experienced roster and be prepared from the first pitch.
2) Overall, we played well in Auburndale. This is what we have come to expect. Our challenging schedule and practice routine have us prepared when we come here. Thus, we generally play some of our best baseball here, and that was again the case. Once again, we saw nothing that was surprising to us, or that we were unprepared for.
3) Our conditioning was good. We played double-headers in the Florida sun twice during the week. Normally, we would play two only once but we were up to it. I thought we played hard and pretty well in the second games on both occasions. We rallied late against Tulsa, and we played a complete game against Hendersonville. In both games, I thought our opponents were dragging late, and we were still strong.
4) Related to 3), we used our whole roster, thus allowing our team to be prepared to play in each game. Utilizing courtesy runners, pinch hitters, and rotating starters, we go to Florida with team goals and this helps us in the end. This is why it so important for players to buy in to sacrificing individual desires for team goals. In the end, it's a lot more rewarding and fun for all when we do so.
5) We have a long way to go to get where we want to be. We have work to do in building arm durability, athleticism, and command, running the bases, making solid decision in the field (consistent with the "R's"), and also in becoming a more complete offensive team that can win any type of game. We will get to work ASAP on doing these things.
6) The Mustang Nation was great. Our fans did their part, and they kept the Mustang tradition of great support and sportsmanship alive. Of note, I appreciated how our fans were so supportive, regardless of how the games were going. And the horns were ... fun ... and nice touch.
7) We grew up a lot this week as a team, I think. That's good, because we need to bring a more businesslike approach to Florida in 2013 both on and off the field, and you have my word that we will do just that. Our team will return with the goal and plan to have our fun on the field ... and complete our work on late Saturday afternoon.
See you on the field ...
3) Our conditioning was good. We played double-headers in the Florida sun twice during the week. Normally, we would play two only once but we were up to it. I thought we played hard and pretty well in the second games on both occasions. We rallied late against Tulsa, and we played a complete game against Hendersonville. In both games, I thought our opponents were dragging late, and we were still strong.
4) Related to 3), we used our whole roster, thus allowing our team to be prepared to play in each game. Utilizing courtesy runners, pinch hitters, and rotating starters, we go to Florida with team goals and this helps us in the end. This is why it so important for players to buy in to sacrificing individual desires for team goals. In the end, it's a lot more rewarding and fun for all when we do so.
5) We have a long way to go to get where we want to be. We have work to do in building arm durability, athleticism, and command, running the bases, making solid decision in the field (consistent with the "R's"), and also in becoming a more complete offensive team that can win any type of game. We will get to work ASAP on doing these things.
6) The Mustang Nation was great. Our fans did their part, and they kept the Mustang tradition of great support and sportsmanship alive. Of note, I appreciated how our fans were so supportive, regardless of how the games were going. And the horns were ... fun ... and nice touch.
7) We grew up a lot this week as a team, I think. That's good, because we need to bring a more businesslike approach to Florida in 2013 both on and off the field, and you have my word that we will do just that. Our team will return with the goal and plan to have our fun on the field ... and complete our work on late Saturday afternoon.
See you on the field ...
