Over the years, there have been multiple players from the Sacramento State baseball team that have taken their baseball careers to the next level of competition.

Among those players are pitcher Mitch Lively of the San Jose Giants and third baseman David Flores of the Corpus Christi Hooks.

In his junior season, Lively served as Sac State’s main closer.  He totaled eight saves in 25 appearances, which ties him for fourth in Sac State’s history.  Lively is also tied for sixth in program history with 61 appearances in his three seasons at Sac State.

Flores is Sac State’s all-time leader in career at bats, doubles and instances of being hit by a pitch. He also ranks second in career hits, career runs, single-season doubles and hits in a single game.

After playing for Sac State, Lively was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 16th round of the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft. Flores was selected a by the Houston Astros in the 18th round of the 2008 draft.

Though Flores and Lively play different positions on the field, they have both encountered similar challenges since being drafted by their original teams.

“It’s just an all-around grind playing 140 games plus a month of spring training,” Flores said.  “You’re also away from your family, girlfriend, wife and things like that. And when you go through struggle, it’s mentally tough because you have a game almost every day, and you just have to get through it.”

With baseball’s long and grueling schedule, another aspect these players have had to get used to is the thought that at any time, they might lose their job.

“In the back of your head you might be thinking that I could lose my job tomorrow, or they can find someone better,” Lively said. “There’s thousands of people who want to be in your shoes, trying to get to the same spot that you’re in and when you’re slumping, it’s hard to not think about losing your job and things like that.”

Staying mentally tough is a skill that can be used not only on the field, but off the field as well.

“Whenever I struggle or have a bad day, I just leave it in the locker room,” Lively said. “I go home, do my thing and the next day is always a new day for me.  This is my fifth season and I’ve been around long enough to know that there’s always tomorrow to improve on today.”

Since his time at Sac State, Lively has noticed that professional baseball has incorporated some new elements into the game.

“It’s a lot different than I ever anticipated to be. It’s mostly business,” Lively said. “In college it’s all about having fun and now it’s still the same thing, but there’s a business side to it now.”

Lively has learned to manipulate the business aspect of professional baseball to his benefit by showcasing his talents to different scouts to become more desirable by other teams that may be looking for players.

“The thing about pro ball is you’re not just pitching for your team. You’re pitching for other teams as well,” Lively said. “They’re always looking for trades, free agents, and that is one thing that keeps me motivated. I’m pitching for every team out there to get my name out there.”

Flores can also attest to the business aspect of baseball with some of his past experiences.

“They tell you when you get to spring training that there’s going to be competition to keep your job. It’s just the business,” Flores said. “They let you know right away that you’re fighting everyday to keep your job and keep your position so there’s always guys ahead of you and guys behind you that are waiting to take your job.”

Aside from the business aspect of baseball, the level of play and the consistency of players around the league is something that Flores has had to become accustomed to since entering professional baseball.

“Every starter is a good pitcher, every reliever to come into the game is a good player and defensively, all the guys are studs and they know how to play their positions,” Flores said.

Flores said though there is a high level of competition among the players; the amount of success that a player can reach is dependent on the amount of hard work that a player puts in.

“Once you get drafted and you get into the system it all goes out the window,” Flores said. “Once you get into an organization, people are always watching and if you do good, people will take notice.”

Tim Wheeler, Gabe Jacobo and Josh Powers are also some Sac State alumni who played professional baseball.

Though they may not have been first round picks, both Flores and Lively can serve as an inspiration to those who may want to pursue a career in any professional sport.

“I was an 18th rounder but I’m still playing ball after four years,” Flores said. “It’s an example of how if you do good, you can open people’s eyes yourself.”

 

You can reach Anthony Honrade at [email protected]