Handshakes have made their way across the baseball diamond from little leagues to the major leagues and have now stopped at Sacramento State. 

At the John Smith Field at Sac State, redshirt freshman relief pitcher Ty Nichols and his team has some handshakes of their own.

Whether it is a teammate making a great play or just to focus during a game, Nichols grabs one of his teammates and a handshake is performed.

“Each individual handshake is different,” Nichols said. “It’s all about team camaraderie. It gets players excited and gets players going.”

Whatever handshake Nichols does, which range from high fives to elbow bumps, it usually ends with the two players jumping up to bump shoulders.

“I like to jump at the end of a lot of them,” Nichols said. “They just get us fired up. Not so much as competitive but just as in a good mood.” 

Teammates of Nichols say the handshakes help pump them up for game time. 

“(His handshakes) get me ready to go to the game,” said outfielder Justin Higley. 

The baseball team has 56 games on its schedule and Nichols said it is important to stay loose for the entire season.

“Coach (Reggie Christiansen) gets after me for being a jokester and the clown around the clubhouse, but I think it helps because it puts the guys in good moods and relaxes them,” Nichols said.

Nichols said he needs to name his handshakes and while “middle infielder’s handshake” and “Bang Bros. handshake” are options, he also said the handshakes have given his team the camaraderie the Hornets have needed.

Examples of elaborate handshakes are on display at the major league level as well. Players such as center fielder Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates almost as many handshakes as there are players on the team.  

Elsewhere, Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, former Milwaukee Brewers teammates, throw sweeping hay makers over each others heads when they hit home runs. Of course Fielder will have to come up with something new now that he’s been traded to the Detroit Tigers.

Ryan Kuhn can be reached at @rskuhn