Trojans take the field
The 2009 Trinidad State baseball squad won 43 games. They won the Empire Conference title. They were ranked 19th in the nation. They also won a first round playoff series before falling in the championship game of the Region IX playoffs. That was last year however and this weekend it is a fresh start for the 2010 Trojans.
“I’m looking forward to getting started,” said Head Coach Scott Douglas. “It has been nine months since we played our season ending playoff game. That loss in the final has sat with me for the entire summer and fall.”
“We have played in three straight championships, won a region, won a conference, been ranked nationally, but all of that is old news. This is a new season and all of that is in past. We will not make any predictions as a program; I never have and never will. We simply will try and accomplish stuff daily, weekly, monthly, and see where that puts us at the end. The formula will be the same as it has been for the past nine years. Others will put expectations on us after winning a bunch of games but we will stick to what we are about and see where it puts us.”
The Trojans again play in the extremely competitive Region IX with teams from Lamar, Otero, Northeastern, Western Nebraska and McCook. The conference could be one of the most competitive, from top to bottom, that there is in the nation. Two of these teams will be left out when the playoffs start in May.
“The conference is as solid as ever and all six teams are 0-0,” said Douglas. “We will shoot to get in the top four so we can take a run at it. I’ll let you know how we did come May. Right now we need to focus daily on what it will take to become a solid team. We have a long way to go with 56 games to see if we get to play some May baseball.”
Coach Douglas returns for his tenth year at the helm of the tradition rich TSJC program. His overall record has improved each season with the high point being last season’s 24-6 conference mark. He will be assisted by Colter Faverino who is now in his fifth season, Matt Cover in his second season and Mitch McGill who is in his first season with the squad.
The Trojan team is young with only nine sophomores on the roster.
“As far as a team, we are a bit inexperienced so we need to get out there and get some,” commented Douglas. “We have strengths and weaknesses just like every other team I’ve coached here. We set our goals and will try and accomplish them starting this weekend in Texas.”
The Trojans will play four games in Odessa, Texas this weekend. They will face Odessa for a doubleheader on Friday and then play Grayson and New Mexico JC on Saturday. Trinidad State’s first home action will come against CSU on February 20 at Central Park.
