INDIANAPOLIS — In Indianapolis, the Month of May means racing. Everybody knows that.
However, lost in the craziness of the Indianapolis 500 is what's been going on down on the south side of the city. The University of Indianapolis baseball team has burst onto the scene, culminating with a trip to the Division II College World Series for just the third time in program history.
"(This year) has been nuts," junior infielder Drew Donaldson laughed.
"We've had our back against the wall since the third weekend in conference," Head Coach Al Ready agreed.
The season began with UIndy winning 11 straight games.
"You have the feeling of just being unbeatable at the beginning," Ready recalled.
What followed, though, was nine straight losses – eight of which came against conference opponents. It brought the Greyhounds down to Earth, but also closer together.
"Those nine games allowed us to realize we can handle any adversity," Donaldson said. "It didn't matter who we were playing or what we were going through — in the end, we were coming together as one."
They certainly came together, going an impressive 16-3 down the stretch of the season – rolling through regionals and super regionals against all odds.
"Here we are, back in the World Series," Ready grinned.
It's special for the fifth-year head coach. Not only are the Greyhounds the only team ever to lose nine straight games throughout the season and make super regionals and the College World Series, but he's been apart of all three of the program's CWS runs. First as a player, then as an assistant coach, now as a head coach.
"I didn't know that until the UIndy radio guys told me," Ready said. "That's really special to me."
And it's a feeling his players share.
"It's been surreal, and we are showing that all year this is where we were meant to be," Donaldson said. "Even though everybody has doubted us."
The players are using those doubters as motivation to make history.
"We have a mindset right now that nobody can beat us," Donaldson said. "Being the underdog, that just fuels us. We want it."
"When we have our backs against the wall, we play our best baseball," Ready said. "They've tabbed us as the eight-seed going into this national championship, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
It's been a roller coaster of a season, one the players believe will end with hardware coming back to the Circle City.
"As a team, we 100% are thinking we are coming back to Indy with the trophy," Donalson said.
Serendipitous or perhaps the result of preparation meeting luck — whatever you call it, this team is hot at the exact right time as they look to make history heading to Cary, North Carolina.
UIndy faces off with the No. 1 seed Millersville University Saturday night. Odds are against them yet again, but it's hard to doubt this UIndy baseball team.