The unseasonably sunny afternoons enjoyed by Sacramento State students the past couple of weeks aren’t the only thing appearing brighter than normal on campus. One only need to go to Hornet field to see that this year’s baseball squad has an extraordinarily optimistic and enthusiastic attitude.

The 2007 Hornets are coming off a disappointing and injury-ridden first season in the Western Athletic Conference. They finished 20-37 overall and 8-16 in conference play. The Hornets placed sixth in the conference, qualifying them for the final spot in the conference tournament, but lost both games in the tourney to end the season.

Those statistics are a distant memory in the minds of the current team. Last year’s finish has failed to deter the team’s outlook for this season.

The team’s optimism is mainly due to its depth this year. Several key injuries at the end of last season crippled the Hornets’ shot in the conference tournament, but this year the team is going into this season healthy.

“This team is capable of finishing in the top three (in the WAC) and giving ourselves a better seed in the tournament,” said coach John Smith, “and all of a sudden we have a chance to actually win the tournament.”

“We are very, very solid and we are going to be very competitive, and if we can get a break or two and not lose anybody to injury, we’re going to be in the hunt,” Smith said.

Smith is entering his 29th season as the school’s baseball coach and is seven wins shy of 800 career victories. He is the second winningest coach in school history, behind Bob Mattos (84), and will likely become first on that list this season.

Smith said that this year’s team appears to be an extraordinarily tight-knit group that really gets along well, on and off the field.

“The chemistry of this team is incredible, which I did not see in last year’s team. You can see it in their faces, the smiles they have when they come to the park and walk through the clubhouse,” Smith said, “but they know how to go from being relaxed to being intense.”

In a coaches’ poll released by the WAC on Jan. 23, Sac State was predicted to finish last in the conference, and only sophomore first baseman Gabe Jacobo was voted to the pre-season all-conference team.

Smith embraces the role of the underdog, saying that he doesn’t mind the negative predictions because it will give them the opportunity to sneak up on teams.

Junior third baseman David Flores was snubbed from the pre season All-WAC team, despite being a 2006 all-conference second team selection as a sophomore. Flores is the team’s top returning position player and an important team leader.

Flores batted .331 with 28 RBI and three Home runs in 52 games last season and finished in the top five in every notable offensive statistical category.

Smith said that Flores has unlimited potential and has the kind of work ethic that will give him a solid chance to play at the pro level.

Smith expects Flores to continue to lead by example, given that he is well respected throughout the team for his humble and business-like approach to the game.

“He’s a quiet leader. He just goes out and does his job every day,” Smith said. “He’s a big time player, and if he stays healthy, he’s going to accomplish a lot of big things in baseball, whether it is here or professionally.”

Despite having individual success a year ago, Flores said he is focused on looking to the future and helping the team concentrate on each game individually this season.

“It’s important to take every game one at a time, focus on every game, because every game is important,” Flores said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Stanford or Davis or North Dakota, I treat every game the same.”

The Hornets’ top returning starter is senior left-hander Mick Joyce. Joyce had a solid 2006, leading all starters with a .309 ERA and a 5-1 record, but the big lefty was slowed in conference play by an elbow injury. The injury limited him to only three starts with an 8.36 ERA and a 0-1 record in WAC games.

Joyce said he is anxious to prove to conference foes that they did not get his best stuff last season.

“I’m looking forward to Fresno (State) because that was when I felt my arm go. They didn’t see what I really had,” Joyce said.

Other notable returning players are senior second baseman Gary Johnson, who was third on the team in batting with a .312 average in 2006.

The team will also depend on senior relief pitcher Billy Sinacori to give it solid innings out of the bullpen again this season. Sinacori led the team in saves and appearances a year ago.

Another exciting player to watch this season will be freshman Tim Wheeler.

The 6’4″, 195-pound outfielder was recognized by several local and statewide media outlets as one of the top prep players in the state as a senior at El Camino High. He will compete for the starting job in center field and is expected to play an integral part on this year’s team.

Smith is excited about Wheeler’s upside and said the program is fortunate to have landed the mature and talented freshman.

“He’s light years ahead of his time. He’s not your typical freshman,” Smith said. “He’s a man among men already. People will watch him play this year and have no idea what they’re going to see a few years from now.”

Wheeler earned a .653 on base percentage as prep senior, while batting .535, with 11 RBI and three home runs in 71 at bats. Www.Californiabaseballzone.com ranked Wheeler the 36th best player in Northern California and 82nd in the state in 2006.

Smith expects several other players on the roster to play an important role on the team, but said he won’t single any one guy out over another.

Instead, he expects every player on the roster to step up as a leader and do his part to make this a successful season.

“I’m depending on all of them. I’m depending on all 35 guys on our team. Every guy has a role and every guy has a job,” Smith said. Mario Martin can be reached at [email protected]