Finally at home

May 6, 2017 was the last time Southwestern baseball played an organized competition on its home field.

Tuesday that streak ended after 80 consecutive road games.

The Spartans lost to Iowa Central 13-6, but getting to finally take part in nine full innings on their home field carried a special weight for some of the Spartan sophomores.

For those sophomores it was their first home game since joining Southwestern and even without a positive final result, it still had some extra meaning.

“It’s exciting. You know we spent the last year and a half on a bus, playing in front of other people’s crowds,” said Spartan third baseman Quentin Sefrit, a Bedford High School alum.

“It made you feel like a freshman again,” said fellow sophomore Cade Cox. “You get those goosebumps of getting on the field for the first time again.”

It may have taken 710 days, but even the more mundane parts of playing at home, like field prep work had to be recalled by some of the Spartan players.

Sefrit and Cox laughed realizing it was just a simple walk home instead of attempting to relax on a bus that will meander its way down roads that aren’t necessarily suited for comfort.

Cox, Sefrit and a few other sophomores finally had a chance to experience their home field advantage, even if it’s still taking a little getting used to.

Other sophomores such as starting pitcher Ronnie Wiggington will have to wait just a bit longer to step out on the grass infield in a live environment.

“Man I would have loved to play today,” said Wiggington. “Not being able to play a game in a year-plus at home is crazy. ... Just a lot of excitement. I knew I wasn’t going to play today, but I wanted the younger guys to really understand kind of what they’re getting here. This is a big deal for us.”

Whether it was the added motivation of playing at home, the Spartans bats battled at the plate throughout the game, fighting back from an early 5-1 deficit.

Cox took full advantage of his at-bats he received in the batter’s box he had spent so much time practicing in, lacing a solo home run over the fence in the fourth inning to make it 7-2 Tritons. Cox finished the contest 2-for-4.

John Figueroa manufactured a run in the fifth inning, getting on base after drawing a walk. Figueroa swiped second base and then took third on an errant throw from the catcher before stepping on home plate on a wild pitch to trail 7-5.

Before the fifth was over, Southwestern had tacked on two more runs after an RBI sacrifice fly from Jadriel Pantoja and a RBI double from Raul Cosme.

Iowa Central’s bats kept pace with the Spartans as the Tritons put runs back up on the scoreboard every time they surrendered them.

“I think we’re slowly turning into the team we thought we would be,” said head coach Kenny Namanny of the Spartans, who finished with 11 hits.

Finding the discipline throughout the lineup is something the more veteran players have taken on, holding player only meetings in hopes to address the final stretch of the season.

“We’re only one game out of first place in our four-team league so they know what’s at stake,” Namanny said.

Home cooking

Even with the loss, Namanny was glad the sophomores finally got a chance to see the home hops.

“It was a little rough on the dirt because we messed with it so much in the past trying to get it ready that it kind of did more damage as far as it being a smooth surface, but we got that worked out today,” said Namanny. “We’ve got a good group of sophomores that have done a lot over the last couple years and for them to finally get to play at home it’s big for them.”

“Compared to yesterday it felt like a dream today,” said Sefrit. “Yesterday it was a little rocky and you never knew what kind of hops you were going to get, but today ... from the hops I was watching they all seemed pretty good.”

Though the current sophomores may not have been on the squad in 2017, after 80 consecutive games away from Southwestern the relief of finally getting a shot at home and finishing the season in Creston isn’t lost on anyone.

“It’ll be nice. Shorter drive for the family you know, so it’ll be good to have some more home games,” Wiggington said.

UP NEXT – Southwestern (6-24, 3-9 in the ICCAC) will look to get every bit of home field advantage it can find as the Spartans are set for two doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday against NJCAA Div. I No. 13 Iowa Western (29-5, 10-1) in Creston.