Baseball club anticipates spring season
The Utah State University club baseball team has a history of achievement, including conference, regional and national championship titles. This legacy serves as a source of inspiration and motivation for the players as they prepare for the upcoming season.
For the last two years, the team has been named the regional champions, with head coach Jake Anderson sending them to compete at nationals.
Some of the opposing club teams don’t have coaches, but the Aggies have Anderson, who is an Aggie alum, along with Colton Draney and Anthony Peterson as assistant coaches.
This coaching is volunteer based.
“It’s really nice to have a coach so it’s not as personal if someone is pitching bad and needs to sub out. It keeps us all in check, and having someone to make the decisions rather than us is a huge benefit,” said Phil Zahn, senior right fielder on the team.
The team started practicing for the spring season in January. Twice a week, the team practices at the Stan Laub indoor training Center, mainly focusing on the basics – practicing ground balls, infield drills and hitting.
The team also practices batting outside of their normal practice time.
“A lot of us get together outside of practice at Cache Valley Electric. There’s a batting cage in there, and we rotate pitchers and get some live at bats there,” said Trevor Price, a pitcher and outfielder on the team.
With a blend of returning players and promising newcomers, the Aggie roster is full of talent and depth across all positions.
A majority of the starting lineup are upperclassmen, and the whole outfield will be graduating this year.
Zahn eagerly anticipates his last season with the Aggies.
“I have no expectations going into it, I’m just going to have a good time with it,” he said.
One of the many aspects of Aggie baseball he will miss the most is going on the road with his teammates, “my boys.” He said traveling with the team is a great bonding experience and an overall good time.
One of the major strategies the team wants to focus on is acknowledging the pressure that comes with preseason rankings and past performances, but not internalizing it.
“Unfortunately last year we weren’t very successful going in as the NO. 1 seed. I think the biggest thing with that was that we had all that pressure,” Zahn said.
Their goals emphasize staying grounded and focusing on the fundamentals—figuring out the little things, working on the mentality of the sport, putting less pressure on themselves and having fun.
On the mound, Ben Hill, the starting pitcher, wants to focus on improving his velocity by incorporating weighted baseballs into his training regimen to reach higher speeds.
“I’ve been throwing weighted baseballs, and hopefully it leads to being able to throw the actual baseball at higher speeds,” Hill said.
Price looks to take on a more prominent pitching role while maintaining his hitting prowess from the previous season.
“This year, I definitely want to either take a relief position and get some more innings, or I’m happy to start if we need me on the mound,” Price said.
The goal is to win nationals, but having fun on the road there is just as important, according to Brayden Howard, team captain and an All-American player.
“The expectation is to win, and sometimes we go through the motions where we’re like, ‘Oh, we’re going to win and we don’t need to worry about anything.’ But, anything can happen, so we got to keep that mentality up,” Howard said.
The team is currently ranked third in the conference.
“I try to tell the guys not to worry about the rankings because they’re just numbers. We get on the field and play our baseball, then we’ll be successful,” Zahn said.
The competition looms large, with Oregon posing a formidable challenge as the team to beat in the region. However, the Aggies are undeterred. Their true focus lies on the field.
“With the name of ‘club baseball,’ you don’t think it’s going to be very competitive, but some of the teams definitely have potential to be junior college or DII or III teams,” Howard said.
Howard is aiming to make his final season a memorable one.
“I had the opportunity to play junior college baseball for two years before this, and this team is so much more fun,” Howard said.
The team draws strength from the unwavering support of their fans and dedicated sponsors.
aClub sports do not receive funding from the school, so players are responsible for the cost.
“Guys individually go out and get sponsors for posters to hang on the field to help cover the costs,” Price said.
According to Price, sponsors such as Buffalo Wild Wings, BRD Marketing and Aptive Environmental help the team financially.
The support from fans and sponsors alike fosters a sense of unity and camaraderie, driving the Aggies to push harder and aim higher.
“Our team is playing for the small town of Logan, Utah,” Zhan said.