Mustang baseball started in early March and so far, roughly 14 games have taken place. The guys had played 13 by last weekend, and played Dove Creek Saturday, April 20, winning 8-7. Head coach for the Mustangs Randy Gabriel told the Forum many of the games have been close.
He said he’s really enjoying the current group of players. They’re young, but they’re good kids, and they work hard.
“We come up short sometimes, but they never whine,” he said. “These kids come back.”
Comprised of Nucla and Norwood students, there are 21 of them out this year. Ten are freshmen. Everyone from last season returned, except for P.J. Hulst, who graduated. The guys practicing nightly, and Gabriel is again assisted by Ben Kirk, of Norwood, and Kelly Arnold, of Nucla. Managing are students Kendra McCluer and Viviana Zunich, and coach said the girls are very good help.
High school senior Steele Arnold is pitching and leading the state in strike-outs.
“He hides the ball well,” Gabriel said. “He’s not overpowering, and he mixes in a curve.’”
Jake Hulst is pitching the second game, and Brycen Rummel is the relief pitcher.
The Mustangs do have a history of success, Gabriel admitted, and the players know it well. It can feel like pressure. The Nucla team has been in the final eight, or finished even higher, the last decade. They’ve taken the state title in recent years.
Gabriel said he tells the guys to just be the team they are now and to get better every day. He added that the record — right now the Mustangs are 5-8-1 (they tied for one game) — doesn’t truly matter at this point; it’s what happens at the district tournament on May 3.
“You win districts, you are the No. 5 seed,” he said.
He’s hoping it all lines up by then. And, it usually does, despite the guys not playing travel baseball. Come springtime each year, he said he’s got to turn the kids back into high school baseball players. It takes a few months.
At the same time, some of the guys are running track too. In a world where some coaches would balk, Gabriel supports it and is happy the kids are representing their small school well.
He, Kirk and Arnold have given the team more than their regular season too. Two weeks ago, they traveled to Colorado Mesa University to watch college baseball. He said it was an opportunity to experience the game together, and he’s big on establishing team values.
They also traveled to Holly, Colorado, a few miles from the Kansas border to play Holly, Stratton and Sublette, Kansas. The kids had a 10-hour bus ride just to get there. Coach said they were treated ‘“like gold,” served three meals and invited to participate in games with other guys like basketball and corn hole. He said it was a great experience for the kids, and included more than varsity baseball.
This week, the Mustangs face Rangely and Ignacio, both strong 2A teams. Most every team on the Western Slope is a 2A team, except for Nucla and Dove Creek.
As May 3 approaches, he’s hoping the kids want it bad enough to step up and win districts.
“We’ve got the right intangibles,” coach said. “We just need to pitch, and hit a lot better. We will be alright.”
