Panthers take on Golden West Rustlers in a three-game playoff series; Q & A with Head Coach Andrew Smith

Ticket Pricing Information:
General Admission: $12.00
Staff/Students/Seniors/Children 12 & Under: $8.00

The following game schedules:
Friday, May 2 (1 game) at 2:00pm
Saturday, May 3 (~2 games) at 11:30am;
Game 3 to start 30 minutes after conclusion of Game 2 (if needed)

Question:  Coach - three conference championships in a row. How does this one feel, especially with a year that seemed to have its ups and down —- do you feel as if this team is finally clicking on all cylinders?

Coach Smith: It feels outstanding because of the guys that are here with us-they have worked hard all year and are deserving of this. They have been bought in from day one, have had an unwavering belief in one another, and have been resilient all year. I don't believe a team needs to be firing on all cylinders to be successful. They just need to have enough in the tank to overcome adversity when one of the cylinders isn't firing that day, and that's what happened in this last one.

Question: 18-4 in the conference, had one of the best starts in your career — did you know early on, there was something brewing?

Coach Smith: I knew over summer from the recruits we were able to land and the returners we had that on paper, we would be competitive. In the fall I knew it was the most talented group I've had in my time here. On opening day, I knew this team was unique by how the banded together following a very scary situation we had the morning of. They rallied for their brother that sustained a season-ending (and life threatening) injury. The way they responded to that and played that day was inspiring. 

Question: Who are your team MVP's so far, and why?

Coach Smith: Ryder Young has had a special year. He is setting records left and right and is on his way to another all-American recognition. You can't deny what he's done this year and the consistency he's done it with. AJ Hurtado is a more under the radar player that has been extremely consistent and reliable for us on both sides of the ball, handling the bulk of the catching for us this year. And Joe O Regan, Jackson Price and Connor Luetto have been huge for us on the mound all year as well. 

Question: What are some of the things that you think we can still improve on, especially when we approach playoff ball? 

Coach Smith: I've been hard on these guys lately because it's easy to get complacent in the midst of consistent success. But we are staying focused on continuously getting better in all phases. We want to be having our best practices and playing our best baseball late. The details are the equalizer in playoff baseball, so we are harping on the fundamentals of the game a ton lately. 

Question: With three games remaining, what are you telling the players to do, as to not relax, and go into playoffs slowly? And how do you keep them focused on that? 

Coach Smith: It's not optional. It's Chaffey Baseball. This is how we operate. This is how we do things. We play to win, we play hard, we work hard. They understand this by now, but there is still consistent communication to that message. 

Question:Will you be doing anything different?

Coach Smith: We aren't going to change anything too drastically. Our process all year has been on cleaning up areas of deficiency while maintaining our ability to do what we've done all year, which is hit. So we will still hit a lot, and challenge them in our batting practice routines to better prepare them for playoff caliber pitching.

Question: The makeup of the team changes all the time, what do you think is the makeup of this team? What type of team have you become from the first game, to now?

Coach Smith: This team is and has been a resilient, gritty, and a well-connected group. Everyone is pulling on the same rope. Everyone understands their role. I think the only thing that has really changed has been their evolution of a group of guys that cares about doing things the right way all the time. We aren't perfect at that yet, but it's something they have grown a lot in.