Wright State rounding into form just in time for NCAA baseball tournament

“We went through a lot more adversity on the field since I’ve been here,” fourth-year coach Alex Sogard said. “We struggled. But I’m just proud of the way the guys stayed together and continued to compete and focus on the goal.”

The objective is always the same for the Raiders: win the Horizon League tournament, which they did with a 24-0 rout of Oakland on Saturday, and advance to the NCAA Regionals.

And while Sogard might have a few wide-eyed players when they take the field at 7 p.m. Friday against third-ranked Virginia Tech (airing on ESPN+) in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Blacksburg, Va., he knows he has a couple of stars who won’t be overwhelmed by the NCAA spotlight.

Sophomore right-fielder Alex Sayre is the Horizon League player of the year and had three hits in each of the Raiders’ three conference tourney wins.

Sophomore catcher Sammy Sass, a 2021 first-team all-league pick, would have been the front-runner for the tourney MVP award if not for the Babe Ruthian hitting of teammate Zane Harris.

Sass batted .400 with four homers (including three in one game) and 13 RBIs. But Harris, the designated-hitter, was even more productive, going 10-of-13 with two homers, four doubles and 17 RBIs.

“We’re just going to try to carry over what we did in the tournament to the NCAA — keep the pitching good and the bats hot,” Sass said.

Sayre has been sizzling all year. He’s a two-time first-team all-league pick and leads the Raiders in hitting (.361), runs (60), doubles (17), total bases (128) and on-base percentage (.450). He’s also second in RBIs (52) and tied for second in home runs (10).

The Dover, Ohio, product is the fourth-straight Raider to win the league’s top honor, joining Hamilton, Peyton Burdick and Gabe Snyder.

“I’m proud of him,” Sogard said. “He had a really good year last year. It was a breakout year for him, and sometimes when teams get to know you a little more, it can be tougher. But he’s been hitting from the get-go.

“He’s an even-keel guy. He’s the same guy every day. It’s pretty cool to see that (POY) tradition continue.”

Sayre is known for being a man of few words. He’d probably rather take a fastball to the ribs than talk about himself.

Asked about being named the HL’s best player, he replied: “It felt good. But it wouldn’t be possible without my teammates getting on base.”

On his approach to hitting, he said: “Just try not to do too much, work the middle (of the field) — try to be an athlete in there and barrel-up the ball.”

As far as his level of optimism going into the regionals, he said: “We’ve been putting up good at-bats and playing as a team. … At the end of the season, we became more tight. I think we’re playing good ball right now, so anything can happen.”

Sass is Sayre’s roommate and wasn’t surprised when told by a reporter that his buddy would never be described as chatty.

“He’s not a big talker. He does it with his actions. He gets the job done. He’s a great person and great hitter,” the Upper Arlington native said.

“There’s nothing he does bad. He’s an awesome player. He’s super deserving of player of the year. And I’m happy for him.”

The Raiders will take a 30-25 record into NCAAs. They’re tied for fifth-fewest wins in the 64-team field and far below their standard of the last six years of 40.5 victories per season. But they’re riding a five-game winning streak, and confidence is soaring.

Their near-miss in last year’s opener — a 9-8 loss to host Tennessee on a walk-off grand slam in the ninth — has convinced them they can handle what comes their way.

“We played good last year. We just had a little bit of a hiccup. We’re trying to right our wrongs and make it farther than last year,” Sass said. “We have as good or better a team than last year, and we’re going there to make some noise.”