Simas’ home run to left field was the most unpredictable of the season for Nevada
Wolf Pack back-up catcher Travis Simas said he was “pissed off” when he entered the batters’ box in the eighth inning of Sunday’s series finale with Fresno State.
“I was trying to use a football player’s mentality,” Simas said.
Simas stepped to the plate with two outs and Nevada down by two runs, but with one swing of the bat he erased the deficit.
His three-run home run gave Nevada the 3-1 series win against Western Athletic Conference first place Fresno State, moving the Wolf Pack within two games of the Bulldogs in the WAC standings.
“I’m so happy for (Simas),” Nevada coach Gary Powers said. “He just stayed the course and kept battling in his at-bat. His at-bat was as good as (at-bats) get.”
Nevada (25-18, 12-8 in WAC) had an 8-6 lead in the eighth inning of Sunday’s game, but the largest Wolf Pack crowd of the season (1,309 in attendance) deflated as Fresno State (26-20, 14-6 in WAC) came back to take a three-run lead.
The Bulldogs capitalized on Nevada third baseman Jason Rodriguez’s throwing error in the eighth inning. Rodriguez threw to second after fielding a ground ball, trying to turn a double play, but his throw was off track and carried into the outfield. Fresno State hit two home runs after the error and scored five runs in the inning.
Nevada rallied in the bottom of the inning, though.
Mike Hale singled with two outs to score Matt Bowman, who doubled to leadoff the inning. Designated hitter Terry Walsh followed with a single, putting runners on first and third base for Simas.
Simas hit six pitches foul in his 10-pitch at-bat against Fresno State pitcher Jason Breckley.
“I think I was more nervous for him (in the dugout) than he was at the plate,” Nevada center fielder Jason Sadoian said.
The Fresno State outfielders played Simas to hit the ball to the opposite field, but the junior pulled to ball down the left field line instead.
“I knew that with runners in scoring position, at that point in the ball game, I needed to get those guys in,” Simas said. “Ten pitches into it I knew I had that guy.”
Simas came in as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning for Tyson Jaquez, who has played the majority of the season behind the plate for Nevada.
Simas has been used as a defensive replacement in late innings for the Wolf Pack this season, but on Sunday it was his offense that shined.
“Offensively I’ve struggled this season,” Simas, who is hitting .188 this season, said. “I had a talk with coach Powers at the beginning of the game and he told me ‘don’t do too much because sometimes you try to do too much.’ ”
Simas admitted that his poor hitting this season has driven his teammates to criticize him.
“(Sadoian) calls me a marshmallow,” Simas said. “There are marshmallows, which means you’re soft, and then there’s jelly beans, which is someone who acts like they’re tough but they’re really not. I call (Sadoian) a jellybean.
“Then there are rocks, which is what we are all trying to be.”
Simas may not be a ‘rock’ yet, but his dramatic home run on Sunday went a long way in removing his marshmallow label.
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