Scoop27
06-10-2015, 11:40 AM
Big stage nothing new for El Campo
By Mike Forman From Victoria Advocate
June 9, 2015 at 11:21 p.m.
Updated June 9, 2015 at 11:25 p.m.
0
EL CAMPO - El Campo hasn't been to the UIL Baseball State Championships in 22 years.
But the big stage will be nothing new for many of the Ricebirds.
A number of them played at AT&T Stadium when El Campo advanced to the state football championship game in 2012.
"They are ready," said El Campo assistant coach Elliott Babcock. "They understand the moment. The ones who played football in the state championship game know. They've been under the giant Jumbotron in front of 20,000 in that game. They know where we're at. It's a dream for everybody."
The dream will become a reality when the Ricebirds (29-5) play a Class 4A semifinal game against West Orange-Stark (26-10) at 4 p.m. Wednesday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin.
The winner will advance to Thursday's 6:30 p.m. final against the winner of Wednesday's 1 p.m. semifinal between Abilene Wylie (28-5) and Argyle (28-7).
"We thought this was possible going into the year," said El Campo head coach Russell Krenek. "You never how the story is going to unfold or how your season is going to go because you can't take anything for granted.
"It's been a special year. It hasn't fully set in where we're at and what magnitude. I know it's a big deal. I'm just super proud for the boys."
El Campo's run has been spurred by the players' willingness to accept their roles, especially the team's 12 seniors.
"There's no selfishness," said senior Seth Pustejovsky. "That's the best thing about our team. We have true team players. It has turned out well for us."
The Ricebirds are hitting .364 as a team and have nine players with 57 or more at-bats hitting over .300.
Andrew Saucedo (.457), Chad Quinn (.410) and Brock Brandl (.405) are hitting over .400.
Brylan Crivellari (2.00), Collin Quinn (2.80), Clayton Harp (2.56), Chad Quinn (1.04) and Riley Stock (0.97) have pitched over 21 innings and have earned run averages lower than 3.00.
"There's not any one written way that this has happened," Krenek said. "It's just the battle, the approach. These guys are competitive from start to finish. Whatever part of the game it happens, once we get some momentum going, we really try to build on that and it's a lot of fun."
The Ricebirds don't know much about the Mustangs, but are more concerned with their own approach.
"We thought at the beginning of the year that we could be pretty special," said senior Ridge Whitley. "We're all pretty good and we know how to be around each other a lot. I think we need to play the same way we've been playing."
El Campo has performed well enough to become the fifth team in school history to reach the state tournament.
The Ricebirds won state titles in 1962, 1968 and 1982, and lost in the semifinals in 1993.
"The beginning of every season you want to go play there," said senior Clayton Harp. "You want to go play at Disch-Falk Field where Texas plays. You want to go do it. Not everybody gets to do it and luckily we're one of them."
By Mike Forman From Victoria Advocate
June 9, 2015 at 11:21 p.m.
Updated June 9, 2015 at 11:25 p.m.
0
EL CAMPO - El Campo hasn't been to the UIL Baseball State Championships in 22 years.
But the big stage will be nothing new for many of the Ricebirds.
A number of them played at AT&T Stadium when El Campo advanced to the state football championship game in 2012.
"They are ready," said El Campo assistant coach Elliott Babcock. "They understand the moment. The ones who played football in the state championship game know. They've been under the giant Jumbotron in front of 20,000 in that game. They know where we're at. It's a dream for everybody."
The dream will become a reality when the Ricebirds (29-5) play a Class 4A semifinal game against West Orange-Stark (26-10) at 4 p.m. Wednesday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin.
The winner will advance to Thursday's 6:30 p.m. final against the winner of Wednesday's 1 p.m. semifinal between Abilene Wylie (28-5) and Argyle (28-7).
"We thought this was possible going into the year," said El Campo head coach Russell Krenek. "You never how the story is going to unfold or how your season is going to go because you can't take anything for granted.
"It's been a special year. It hasn't fully set in where we're at and what magnitude. I know it's a big deal. I'm just super proud for the boys."
El Campo's run has been spurred by the players' willingness to accept their roles, especially the team's 12 seniors.
"There's no selfishness," said senior Seth Pustejovsky. "That's the best thing about our team. We have true team players. It has turned out well for us."
The Ricebirds are hitting .364 as a team and have nine players with 57 or more at-bats hitting over .300.
Andrew Saucedo (.457), Chad Quinn (.410) and Brock Brandl (.405) are hitting over .400.
Brylan Crivellari (2.00), Collin Quinn (2.80), Clayton Harp (2.56), Chad Quinn (1.04) and Riley Stock (0.97) have pitched over 21 innings and have earned run averages lower than 3.00.
"There's not any one written way that this has happened," Krenek said. "It's just the battle, the approach. These guys are competitive from start to finish. Whatever part of the game it happens, once we get some momentum going, we really try to build on that and it's a lot of fun."
The Ricebirds don't know much about the Mustangs, but are more concerned with their own approach.
"We thought at the beginning of the year that we could be pretty special," said senior Ridge Whitley. "We're all pretty good and we know how to be around each other a lot. I think we need to play the same way we've been playing."
El Campo has performed well enough to become the fifth team in school history to reach the state tournament.
The Ricebirds won state titles in 1962, 1968 and 1982, and lost in the semifinals in 1993.
"The beginning of every season you want to go play there," said senior Clayton Harp. "You want to go play at Disch-Falk Field where Texas plays. You want to go do it. Not everybody gets to do it and luckily we're one of them."