The weekend vs. Stony Brook proved to be a good one for the Danes.  The weather continued to dampen the conference weekend and provide a number of scenarios for all the conference teams. The matchup against the Seawolves would be a major test for a club playing must-win games for another weekend. 

Saturday was a doubleheader, and we needed to find a way to beat two monster arms facing us.  The first game was a duel, and we managed to hold on for a 4-2 win. Good news was our ace was pitching the back end, and we knew if we made plays behind him, we would have a chance for a sweep. We continued forward and won the second game and waited for Sunday's DH. The rain came and did not allow the teams to finish the series. I knew we would meet again if we could get it together.

For Stony Brook, it meant having to sweep UMBC in order to have a solid chance to get in. We headed to Binghamton for the series finale and a date with the top pitching team in the conference. Three out of four would guarantee us a spot, but a split would give us a few outs.

More importantly, our family awaited the birth of our first son on Thursday night.  Thursday, I missed practice and celebrated a successful birth of Jaxon Cormier Mueller into the world. For those of you who knows what that feels like, it is the greatest thing in the world. Better than a 4 for 4, or a perfect game. It feels like when you get all of a ball and it leaves the yard in a hurry - but it never stops feeling good. 

Back and forth to Binghamton after the games proved to be challenging. No time for sleep during playoff time, and during the post-birth. We won on Friday and split on Saturday to set up a possible win on Sunday. Problem is, all of our ways to get in the tourney discipated on Saturday. We needed to win or wait for a playoff game on Monday between Stony Brook and Binghamton. We lost 4-2 on Sunday, and Maine won its game vs. Vermont, so we needed for the Bearcats to fall on Monday.

 I woke up Monday not sure if the season was over. It was 4:45, and my son was wailing away. My 2-year-old woke up and asked me if she could watch TV??? My wife told me she thought the medicine wasn’t working, and my boss was calling to say good job on the weekend. I thought my heart would just stop, and that way I could escape all of the heat. 

Then, 3 p.m. rolled around, and things got together. The wife and two kids were asleep, and I waited patiently for the Gametracker to post the lineups. As the game progressed, I noticed Stony Brook was playing to win, and Binghamton seemed to be struggling. I cannot imagine what a challenging battle it was for them after playing a tough series with us, and arriving in Long Island at 2:30 a.m. with their postseason on the line. At 6 p.m., the game was over, and there was a sense of relief. We were in. As a coach I have lost enough tough games to realize the agony of the Bearcat team. I was thrilled to get in, but felt for the kids who played so well throughout the year. Most of those kids will be back for them, so I am sure they will make it next year.

Thursday night, our team gets to face a Vermont team that beat us us pretty good this year. At that point, we were 5-7 in the conference and 8-23 overall. I wondered how we had fallen so fast? I also wondered if I could take another near miss on the tourney. You question everything you do at this point. Am I organized enough? Am I teaching the right stuff? Did I do a good enough job of recruiting? Is it time to teach high school social studies? The team decided to answer all of those questions for me. We went on a run to get in and know its time to settle a score.  Two years ago, we got in with a team weary from a long season. We were riddled with injuries, and could not overcome. This year, we were left for dead, and now realize we are a good team. We do belong, and we will not go back to Albany without throwing some hooks.

In the very popular game Texas Hold 'Em, there is a time when you decide to fold your hand or make a play. The ultimate play is called All In.. This is when you go for the jugular. I will be throwing BP this afternoon like it’s just another game to get ready for. And when I leave, I will go home and watch Lilo and Stitch with my daughter, and rock Jaxon until he shuts his eyes. All of you players out there are someone’s son, and now I understand a little bit more why parents get so frustrated with coaches. It's time to say so long until next week. It’s also time for the call of

ALL IN...