What to say but 'Good job, Holdey!'

Published online on Saturday, May. 30, 2009

IRVINE -- The answer, to me, will always be Holden Sprague.

Because someday people will ask how this came to be. How did the Fresno State baseball team win the 2008 College World Series? A team not good enough for an at-large postseason bid, let alone to be ranked. A team without its star pitcher.

And then the next year, how did they make the postseason with a team barely old enough to vote? How did they win the Western Athletic Conference tournament one more time, give everyone another taste of hope?

That's how crazy last year's run to Omaha was, that when Fresno State made this Irvine Regional, you could actually think, "Maybe they really could do it again."

Which is absolutely preposterous, to think a No. 4 seed that had to win a conference tournament to get into the postseason could make a run. But, well, we've seen it with our own eyes.

The miracle run ended Saturday on a new baseball field on the UC Irvine campus. San Diego State swatted the Bulldogs away 4-1. There will be no Fresno State repeat championship, which seems silly to even say, like holding your newborn son and wondering why it wasn't twins.

As a journalist, you're not supposed to cheer for teams, but sometimes you can't help but root for people. You can't help but root for Holden Sprague.

He's a prankster, of course, the one who at last year's College World Series wrote on an ESPN survey that his dad is an astronaut. And then after it was repeated in all seriousness on the air, a text was sent from one of the station's producers: Holden Sprague 1, ESPN 0.

This year he wrote on a WAC survey that his dad is a jockey, which he never expected to hear himself, but it made him happy to think that in Ruston, La., or Las Cruces, N.M., that "fact" would be repeated to the giggling listeners at home. Except someone in the Fresno State media-relations department caught him and changed it.

On Saturday, Sprague did what he almost always does. He came into a game when Fresno State needed him to stop the damage. He came in when starter Matt Morse got into some trouble in the fifth inning, and from there Sprague pitched to 13 San Diego State batters and gave up just one hit. He didn't allow a run. He did let one of Morse's runners come in on a wild pitch, but it was an 0-2 pitch in the dirt that the catcher should have stopped.

That's what Sprague has done the past four years at Fresno State, gotten people out with grit and three pretty average pitches. He doesn't throw that hard. He's never been drafted. Sprague's pitching is like real estate. It's all about location.

When asked in Saturday's news conference what his future holds, he talked about school, not baseball. But if you had to choose an MVP of that championship team, he's the guy I'd take. He started and got the win when the Bulldogs beat San Diego in the regional final. From there, he was a part of almost every win from there to the championship.

He came on in relief in both Super Regional wins over Arizona State. In Omaha, he threw three amazing innings against a great North Carolina team. Coach Mike Batesole brought him in again and again and the Fresno kid just kept getting future professionals out.

In the Aztecs' last half inning Saturday, there were runners at first and third, one out. Sprague got a flyball to short center, and then a chopper back to him. His career ended throwing a shutout inning and making the final out himself.

After the Bulldogs' hitters made the last three outs, it was Sprague who led the line to shake hands with the Aztecs and then an impromptu line formed to hug him. First Danny Muno, then Jordan Ribera, then Dusty Robinson, then Tommy Mendonca, then Steve Detwiler, then Trent Garrison, then another of last year's heroes, Sean Bonesteele. They all hugged Sprague, though he's just one of three seniors and at least a few others who won't be back.

"Good job, Holdey!" a woman yelled from the stands.

Pitcher Jake Floethe watched from the crowd, his elbow still in a brace after Tommy John surgery, as player after player went to Sprague.

"He's one of those guys you can just look at and know he's a great guy," Floethe said.

He's the one who teases everyone, and everyone loves him for it, the guy who never misses a chance to make a kid's day. He's the human glue in a long season. This year, he finally got a chance to be the No. 1 starter and halfway through the season he volunteered to be the closer. Because that's what the team needed.

Truth is, a guy named "Holden" was meant to be a reliever.

At the news conference, there was no name card for him, so he took a piece of paper, folded it in half and wrote "Sprague" on it, smiling big. Champions should all be so grateful.

"The friendships I've made the past four years, will last forever," he said. "I don't think that will ever come to an end."