Since ten of the 16 players on the Stockton roster are freshmen or sophomores, Tigers skipper Darin Henderson has to get creative.
“It makes it very difficult,” Henderson said. “[It’s a] big difference between 95 pitches and 105 pitches, especially late in games.”
With MSHAA rules limiting the pitch counts of underclassmen to just 95 pitches, these young guns are making make sure to put everything into each pitch.
“It says on the back of our hats: We have the Dirtbag Mentality,” said senior Cade Mehl.
Cade is one of just three seniors on the team. He explains what the ‘dirtbag mentality’ means.
“Dirtbag, it’s mainly just being gritty. Like, you’re playing with everything you’ve got. Like, every pitch counts. You’re just giving it your all every single play,” Cade said.
“Just do our best when we get the shot,” said sophomore Layne Cahill. “Just throw strikes, I’ve got a defense that will make plays behind me.”
Then it’s just up to Coach Henderson to crunch the numbers. “We’ve got seven or eight guys who can do it. We trust all of them in different spots and different roles,” Henderson said.
That can lead to several different pitchers in each game.
“We have a lot of dudes. There’s not just one guy, ” Layne said.
“I think we’ve thrown four or five in one game,” Cade added.
And that means opposing hitters can’t get too comfortable getting to know any particular pitcher.
“Whenever you get one pitcher this inning, and one pitcher another inning, it’s hard to just get comfortable in the batter’s box when you have a bunch of different people,” Cade said.
It’s strength in numbers, and it’s something Henderson is preaching.
“We don’t have any like, I think superstars out there,” Henderson said. “We get after it and we are doing it for each other. It’s all about the kids. Good kids, good parents, and good families.”
It’s a family with a dirtbag mentality that’s leaning up on the mound no matter the pitch count. In the process, they make every pitch count.
