After starting Friday’s series opener down 3-0 to host New Mexico, the Creighton Baseball team rallied to beat the Lobos 4-3. Saturday, the Jays swept New Mexico 4-3 and 10-6. Then, on get-away day, the Bluejays battled back to win 8-7 in extra innings, claiming the series sweep.
Creighton is 7-1 and back in town before heading to Arkansas to play against Arkansas State and Central Arkansas during Spring Break. We caught up with head coach Ed Servais to talk about the team’s performance in New Mexico and what’s in store for his team this week.
White & Blue Review: Congrats on the sweep in Albuquerque. What was feeling amongst the guys after such a successful weekend?
Ed Servais: This group brings a lot of intensity and they are fun to be around. They have fought hard in every game, and Sunday was a tough one. The guys are really getting along, which is really important, and they seem to enjoy each other’s company. They know that they are capable of playing better, but they fought through those games and never gave up.
WBR: You don’t post a 4-game sweep without some solid starting pitching. Your staff, led by Ty Blach and Jonas Dufek, turned in some good efforts. What do Jays fans need to know about your pitchers, that they can’t see from the box scores?
ES: I would say this is one of the better pitching staffs we have had here in a while. I think our fans will see our pitchers attack more this year and in turn will see a lot more strikeouts, a lot more batters taking swings and missing. With Ty and Jonas especially, you see a lot more power out of them than we have in the past. I think our fans will enjoy seeing more Ks this season.
WBR: Reese McGraw pitched well, individually, picking up a few wins and a few saves last week. What does McGraw bring to the bullpen, besides the submarine style release?
ES: The submarine style is a big part of it. It is a look a lot of players are not used to at the college level. Also, he is big, 6’4″, and confident. It is great to have a confident pitcher like Reese on the mound as it affects the other players on the field. He is a no-nonsense guy on the mound, and he is there to get the job done. I am really pleased he has been able to have such a good start.
WBR: Alex Staehely seems to be seeing the ball pretty well, both offensively and defensively. What does he bring to the batter’s box for you in the middle of the lineup?
ES: He is very confident right now and he brings more power than you would usually see from a second baseman. He is very aggressive at the plate and has really settled into the number 5 spot and should be there for the most part of the year.
WBR: How much can it help a team’s confidence to post some come-from-behind victories this early in the season, especially on the road? What does that do for a team’s chemistry?
ES: It is huge. We now know early on that we can overcome the bumps we will see in games. We have had some slow starts, but this team just does not give up. They will continue to give their all and they believe they are always in the game.
There have been a few games where we have been down by 4 runs and they guys just seem to say, “we can do this,” without hesitation. They are a really confident group of guys and that is great to see early.
With Spring Break coming up, we will really see what they are made of. I have always thought that Spring Break is a really telling time for your team. You are with the same group for six or seven days in a row and you will hopefully see a lot of growth on and off the field. We will use these early successes and come from behind victories as motivators down the road.
The thing that I am most excited about is that we have been able to pull off a few one run games. Come conference time, we will have a lot of one run games and it is good to know we can win those close ones.
WBR: Next up is a trip to Arkansas: what can you tell us about Arkansas State and Central Arkansas, the two teams you’ll face during the first part of spring break?
ES: Arkansas State has had a bit of a slow start, but it is tough to judge a team by its record this early in the season. They have losses against Auburn, who is a top 10 team and Virginia, who is probably a top 5 team. I am excited to play at their stadium, as it is nice to give the guys different looks and feels. Central Arkansas is a team we played last season and is very similar to Arkansas State. They have new coach this year, and whenever you get a new coach they usually bring a lot of excitement and energy to the team. Mid-week games are always tough, and these should be no different.