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Sparked by Young's Mental Approach, Tiger Baseball Back in Ivy Title Series
By Bill Alden
Utilizing a Zen-like approach to baseball, Princeton University senior infielder Steve Young has gone from an unheralded prospect to one of the top players in the Ivy League.
Living in the moment and not letting his mind stray into the next inning, Young has seen his batting average progress from .214 as a sophomore to .287 as a junior to his current figure of .377.
Sparking the team from his lead-off spot in the order, the fleet 5'9, 165-pound native of Granada Hills, Calif. has scored a team-high 40 runs and leads the Tigers with 14 stolen bases.
Last weekend, Young played a key role as Princeton took three out of four from Cornell to clinch the program's ninth straight Gehrig Division crown. Young and his mates will play Rolfe Division winner Dartmouth this weekend in the best-of-three in the Ivy League Championship Series and the winner will get the Ivy League's automatic berth in the upcoming NCAA tournament.
In reflecting on his progress, Young believes it has come down to sharpening his focus. "I just try to go from pitch-to-pitch," explained Young. "Even when I'm out there in the field, I focus on this pitch, this moment. I think that has also helped at the plate, just clearing my mind."
Young credits Princeton head coach Scott Bradley with creating the type of environment that has allowed him to thrive.
"I just feel really fortunate to be playing for Coach Bradley," said Young. "I love the way he is, he just lets his players play without a lot of pressure. Sure we all want to win but he's not going to yell at you every single time you make a mistake."
As a result of Bradley's encouragement, Young has learned to battle through the slumps that inevitably come with playing baseball.
"To play this game, you have to be even-keeled," added Young. "You can have up days, you can have down days but if you keep that mental approach the same every day you come out here, you need to cherish all the at-bats, all the plays, and good things will happen."
Bradley has certainly cherished his time with Young. "Stevie has been unbelievable," asserted Bradley, a former major league catcher who is in his seventh year guiding the Tigers. "Stevie is an absolute baseball player. He does everything well. With his instincts, his leadership, Stevie may be the best we've ever had here in terms of intangibles."
Young's attitude and resulting improvement has seen his stock rise in the baseball world. "For someone who came in here without a lot of accolades like Stevie, I think you're going to get a chance to see someone play pro ball," said Bradley whose squad has gone 24-18 overall and 12-8 in Ivy play. "He's got as good a mental approach to baseball as any player I've been around at any level. I think the scouts have seen that."
Bradley knows his team will have to bring a sharp mental approach this weekend into the ILCS if they are to topple the Big Green, who are 25-14 overall with a 15-5 Ivy mark. "We're still kind of a streaky team, especially offensively," acknowledged Bradley. "We just have to play solid and hit. This is what we shoot for. When we sat down at the beginning of the year, we talked about putting ourselves in a position to play for a chance to go to the NCAA tournament."
While Bradley would've preferred to have seen his team post the best Ivy record and earn the home field advantage for the series as it did last year when it bested Harvard, he doesn't believe that playing for the title on the road will faze his squad.
"We've only played 13 games at home all year," said Bradley with a smile. "We will have had 30 games on the road after we play Rider on Wednesday so going on the road doesn't make a difference for us. In fact, I think, our guys might be more comfortable in gray."
Young believes the team's post-season experience will give it a comfort level in the showdown with Dartmouth. "A lot of us have been in this position before," said Young.
"Every year, we've been in the Ivy League championship series, I think that's a big advantage for us. You have to keep doing what got you here. Even though this is for the championship, you have to just play your game."
If Young's teammates can emulate his ability to focus on the moment, they may enjoy some special moments this weekend up in New Hampshire.
