Cougar baseball at College of the Canyons wrapped up their outstanding 2023 campaign on May 21. With 13 conference wins and eight losses, the Cougars really
They picked things up when they won 8 games out of 9 in the middle of the season.
The Cougars lost a few before the end of the regular season, but starting pitcher Brooks Snyder knew they had to keep their heads up and stay strong for playoffs.
“Yeah, we definitely hit a rough patch, but we know we’re a lot better than
most of these teams out here, and we all want it more than all these other teams, so I think that really helped,” said Snyder.
After ending the regular season on a losing streak, catcher Dane Flashberg saw leaders in the team as the fuel to their success.
“We had a couple of leaders on the team that come together and put little player meetings in, and we just all came together, and all fought for the same thing,” said Flashberg.
Resilience kept this team together, and Coach Chris Cota helped keep
his guys on the right track, playing hard when it mattered most and pushing through even when they were losing.
“Well, you’re always gonna have some highs and low points. You need to try to
get through the low points the best you can, keep your guys focused, and let them know to keep grinding and hopefully get on the right track, and we’ve seemed to do that,” commented Cota.
That leadership translated, both on and off the field. Relieving
pitcher Xavier Stoker felt good knowing he’s not one man out there but that he’s part of a team.
“It’s nice to be the one that’s called upon when the game’s on the line, you
know, so it’s nice to have the ball in my hands, but it’s even better knowing that my teammates have my back, you know,” said Stoker. “If I get out of it, great, I know that they will have my back. If I don’t get out of it, I know that they’re still going to pick me up.”
Resilience, confidence, team chemistry, and the wins came rolling in for the playoffs. A win against Orange Coast in the regional round of playoffs pushed the Cougars to the Super Regional Round. Following Super Regional Success, the Cougars reached the third round of regional playoffs, where their great season ended against Saddleback on May 21, 2023.
Their success story was truly inspirational, and it was a season to remember.
