Pav's Pad: Edition 1
The Month of January-
Welcome readers, to Pav's Pad. First off, here's a little background on Pav's Pad. Jenn McGhen, Director of Ticket Operations came to me with the idea of an internship that would allow me to provide fans and Titan baseball supports with some insider information on the Titan Baseball team and family. With this great idea, I took the concept to Derrick Fazendin, Director of Athletics Communications for our team. He fell in love with the idea and wanted to help.
About the author...yeah, that's me. I am a fourth-Year baseball player Jake Pavletich and my hometown is Bakersfield, Calf. In my four years, here at Cal State Fullerton, I have created bonds with many Titans who have come and gone. I continue to foster great friendships with players and friends of the Titan baseball program that are deeper than most. I have an innate ability to sit back and take in everything going around me. My current major is Communications Public Relations and I'm on track to graduate in the Spring. I come from a large athletic and loving family from the Central San Joaquin Valley. I am one of four siblings, with two sisters, Jessica 24, Jordyn 19, and one brother Josh 17. My parents, John and Deanna brought me into this world to be the best man I can be. Enough about me, let us get to the team...
After arriving back to Fullerton after a two-and-a-half-week holiday vacation the Titans returned back to Goodwin Field on January 8th. We were all expected to be in good shape. The starting pitchers were expected to be able to toss four innings without strain, while the relievers were expected to throw two innings. The physical demands of an NCAA Division I pitcher are extreme and in addition to the innings, each pitcher was expected to run a six-minute mile…. if they couldn't…well…let's just say you better be able to run it. As for the position players, head coach Rick Vanderhook, wanted the guys to be able to bench press four times more than the most they could do in November.
Without school in session yet, we as athletes need to find something to do during the down time from practice, weights, and conditioning. Most guys go to the Rec Center at school. We travel as big groups and play pickup basketball against each other. As with most athletes the games can get very intense, (we only had to be separated once). By far, the best basketball player on the team is Junior Gavin Velasquez. He's what we like to call "a baller".
Speaking of Gavin Velasquez, he is a junior RHP on this year's team. To start last season Gavin pitched 17 straight scoreless innings. It doesn't get much better than that. It's time to get to know a little bit about "Gee".
Q: What is your favorite thing to do outside of baseball?
A: Play basketball, Fortnite Videogame (PS4), Hangout with my family.
Q: If you were to have a superpower what would it be and why?
A: Fly, because I don't have to sit in this brutal California traffic.
Q: Honestly, how many times a week do you make your bed?
A: I make my bed seven times a week.
Q: Do you have any pregame rituals?
A: Yes, I always eat Chipotle before a game, I listen to the same music playlist and my left shoe is put on ALWAYS before my right, and of course, don't step on the chalk line.
Q: What is the best thing that has happened to you since arriving at CSUF?
A: Running out of the bullpen in Omaha, it was a dream come true, to hear my name get called while coming into the game.
Q: Dog or Cat?
A: Dog, 100%.
Supporters of the Titans Baseball program often refer to the Titan Players as grinders. We're tough, blue collar, and most importantly we're one big family. Well I'm here to tell you firsthand, this is absolutely true.
We are purposely put though tough situations in practice, so that the games are easy. Coach knows if you can overcome his training, well, you can pretty much overcome anything in life. When you look at facilities at Clemson, Vanderbilt, UCLA, Mississippi State or USC you see big buildings specifically training facilities for each sport. Well here at Cal State Fullerton, we as an athletic department share one training room. Although that might seem problematic, our team wouldn't have it any other way. Yeah, the sweet gear and facilities might be appealing to some, but to the 36 grinders on this team, that's all gravy. All we care about is winning baseball games.
The Titan Baseball Family. Wow. That's all I have to say, playing here for four years, I've been on the field with Justin Turner, Matt Chapman, Chad Wallach, Michael Lorenzen, JD Davis, Carlos Lopez, Tom Eshelman, Dustin Garneau, and many others. The guys always come back to their old stomping grounds to remember days where they were running in the stadium, struggling while running that mile, getting taught how to play the game of baseball. It is quite special to see.
Have you ever seen the famous hockey movie "Miracle on Ice" where all the players hated Coach Herb? If you have, this is how I see our program. Coaches just like Hook, push you so hard, train you even harder, and get in your face all to do what? Well, yes, it is a learning experience, but also, he'd rather you be mad at him rather than at each other on the field. Seriously, it works.
After practices, we are able to laugh with teammates, be around each other and create lifelong bonds that Kurt Suzuki recounted for us at the recent Dinner with the Titans event. Just looking back to last year, I recall the physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion we endured in preseason. It helped prepare us for freezing conditions at UNLV last year. The lifetime friends established, the memories made - like dog piling on our rival Long Beach State's field last year after advancing to the 2017 College World Series - are why this game is so special. When I was young I can always remember my dad's, buddies hanging out at someone's house laughing about things that had happened to them in high school, I've always thought to myself, "Dad, close the yearbook, you're 46", now as I get older my reaction to that is "No, let's keep that yearbook open and the stories flowing."
I had the same mentality and thought at last week's Dinner with the Titans. It was so much fun listening to some the older alumni share their stories, whether it was recounting that walk off home run or hearing about how legendary coach Augie Garrido used to rip each one of them. The friends we make and the brothers we play with are much more than just teammates and as Titans we are connected to each other for decades to come.
As the season rapidly approaches, we have been preparing to showcase our team's skills on the field soon. Check-in to Pav's Pad leading up to our February Stanford series and follow up with our insider scoop about the team.