The Alabama State baseball team will get back on the diamond this weekend with three games in the Nicholls State Tournament in Thibodaux, La.
It has been a tough opening week for Alabama State, still seeking its first victory after five losses. The Hornets have been competitive on the scoreboard in three of their defeats, and, while allowing double-digit runs in a pair of big losses, continued to play hard.
“What I've learned about this team is that we're very, very young and it's going to take time for us to get the results that we need,” first-year head coach
Mervyl Melendez said in looking back on the first week of the season. “What we must understand is that it is a long journey. We're trying to do things that are going to get us to play better. We're trying to exercise our minds as coaches to target trigger points we need to play better and not play as freshmen.”
With a new coaching staff, as well as 20 new players, including 19 freshmen, Melendez believes nerves are playing a bit of a role in the slow start, particularly defensively where the Hornets have committed 16 errors.
“I think the guys are going into the game a little nervous because it is their first time playing in college, and even for the returning players, their first time playing for a new coaching staff,” Melendez said. “The nerves are really getting the best of them. There's no reason, as good as I think we can be, that we are making three-plus errors a game. We have to play loose. We have to change our approach and play a little bit looser”
Alabama State will play in the Colonel Round Robin, competing against host Nicholls State and Stony Brook. The Hornets will face Stony Brook Friday at 2:30 p.m., and play a doubleheader Saturday vs. Nicholls State at 1 p.m. before competing against Stony Brook again at 5 p.m. Fans can follow the games all weekend with live stats at bamastatesports.com.
“It doesn't get easier; our schedule hasn't gotten easier since we got started the season,” Melendez said. “Stony Brook won 42 games last year (and the America East Conference title) and have one of the best players in the nation (preseason All-America Travis Jankowski) who was the MVP of the Cape Cod League last summer. Nicholls State is a very good team and very capable as well, then we follow that up next week with Auburn. So, we know we have a tough task ahead of us. My goal is to get the team prepared so that we can start battling and get ready for conference play (vs. Alabama A&M March 3).”
