PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The loss of a teammate has inspired the Seton Hill baseball team to the Division II national championship series starting this weekend.
The Griffins won the Atlantic Regional beating Millersville University in a pair of games over the weekend and face Southern New Hampshire University Sunday night.
"One thing that has resonated with our guys is putting as much value into each game," said 16-year head coach Marc Marizzaldi. "We suffered a terrible tragedy last January, one of our freshman players, Maclean Maund, was killed in a car accident. We are only 16-months removed from it."
"It's really given us a purpose. Every guy will tell you that's the reason we are playing this season is for Maclean."
They have patches on their jerseys and banners at the ballpark to remind them of Maund.
Marizzaldi says they discuss him every day and it's amazing how selfless these 18 to 22 year-olds are. He believes they are playing for 'a greater purpose'.
The year started perfectly, the Griffins battled through the cold and sometimes snow of winter into spring to begin 12-0.
They were rolling until the last week of March when 18 players tested positive for COVID-19. Another 17 were in quarantine for contract tracing.
Seton Hall's season shutdown for 20 days.
To make up the games, SHU played played doubleheaders on April 16, 17, 20, 23, 27, 28, 30 along with May 1, 4, 7, 8, 16, 21. They won 24 of those games.
"I'm just so proud of our kids," Marizzaldi, the only head coach in program history, said. "All the testing we had to go through. The three-week shutdown.
It's just been amazing how we stuck together and stayed united for a common goal. Now here we are playing in a World Series. It's been pretty awesome."
They even overcame a PSAC Tournament loss to Bloomsburg to face them on the first day of the NCAA Tournament.
The Griffins would exact revenge by a 15-3 final.
They would go on to beat Millersville twice to advance to a second trip to the eight-team, double elimination NCAA championship.
"We have a very dynamic team," Marizzaldi said. "We have some speed, some power. We've played fantastic defense. Our pitching staff is arguably one of the best in the country."
"It took a little bit of time for guys to find their roles on the team. I think it all started with recruiting really good athletes and molding them into good baseball players."
Their pitchers have an over 4-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio, but what really sets them apart is their bullpen.
"That's the separator for us," said Marizzaldi, a Baldwin native. "The PSAC is so good and so talented. Our bullpen was the difference. Our numbers 5 through 10 can be in most rotations."
38-6 overall, the Griffins are the number 2 seed for the championship in Cary, North Carolina.
"They've earned it," Marizzaldi said. "That's all that is guaranteed is an opportunity. That's been a big word for us this season every win that we get creates a bigger opportunity."
The opportunity not just for the ones in uniform, but also for the one with them in spirit.
"It really helps keep things in perspective," Marizzaldi said. "I've been just amazed with how they deal with losing games. They have an outlook that losing baseball games isn't that bad. There are a lot worse things we could go through. It makes them appreciate every opportunity."
