Preseason

Above is a late february article in the 1972 Trinitonian school newspaper. In the bottom right corner, there is a short article that describes the expectations of the baseball season that year. It also includes the regular season schedule that the '72 team faced that year.

As the 1972 season loomed, there was speculation about the potential success this Tiger baseball team would have. Just like any university, people were optimistic their team would do well, but they had no idea that a 22 game win-streak during the regular season would ensue. Below is an exerpt from a Trinitonian article about the 1972 season

"Training began for Trinity's pitchers and catchers on Jan. 17 with the remaining players reporting on Jan. 22. All players have come back this year in excellent physical condition as well as having good mental attitudes toward the coming season. Wheeler feels that every player is giving 100 percent and because of this he says the team will be stronger than ever before in areas of batting and fielding." (The Trinitonian)

Wheeler's confidence was indicative of the work that his team had put in during the off season and the winter break. Weight training was not as prevalent in baseball training programs at this point in time, but many of the players on this team already possessed the size to produce stellar hitting and pitching performances throughout the season. Former player Bill Daffin is quoted as saying that not many of the players ran or lifted very much, but that all of them had a natural feel and instict for the game. Daffin went on to say that the extreme amount of time the team spent between the lines together served them much better than time in the weight room could have.