Roseville baseball team was not going to be denied

Roseville High School had 10 players returning to its baseball team who played in last year's CIF NorCal Regional Division III championship game, a 2-1 loss to Rancho Cotate. That game left a rotten taste in each player's mouth, and they weren't going to let it happen this year, as host Roseville won the title Saturday with a 4-2 win over Menlo School. Senior Dustin Holcomb was the starting pitcher a year ago, and he allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings and took the loss. On Saturday, Holcomb was the winning pitcher, as he pitched 3 2/3 innings in relief and allowed no runs, two hits and struck out three and hit one batter. "My mindset was I had to get revenge from last year," said Holcomb, who entered the game with a 3-2 lead and left leading 4-2. "I couldn't stand losing that game last year. I knew I would be coming in and I was full of adrenaline and I was ready to deal." Benjamin Jordan, a freshman on last year's team, also remembered the loss. "I remember the sour taste from last year and we weren't going to fail again," said Jordan, who put Roseville in front for good with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning after Menlo scored one run in the top of the first. "It felt great to hit the home run. I had been in a slump for a while, but I hit one last game. I just remember swinging, but I don't remember anything after that. Coming back into the dugout I went to celebrate with Devin (Johnson) and he just straight-up uppercutted me and now I can't close my mouth." The Tigers have won 53 games and lost 16 the last two years and have a league championship, two Sac-Joaquin Section crowns and now a NorCal title. "It's a dream," said senior pitcher Tyler Ritter, who next school year will pitch at UC Davis. "It's crazy. Last year, I feel like it all happened unexpectedly. This year, we had three goals: to win the league, to win the section and to win NorCals, and we did all three. We had a perfect season." Coach Eli Garcia and his staff pushed the team to be its best, and the players responded. There's a sign on the locker room door that reads, "Dear players, we will never apologize for being demanding! You're welcome. Sincerely, Your coaches." "This group of boys were really tough and they went through a lot of adversity, and the coaching staff was tough on them," Garcia said. "We were their toughest critic, and we knew if they could handle us being on them 24-7 that they'd be able to handle any situation in the game of baseball. I'm so proud of everything they've overcome. Last year, winning sections and losing NorCals, and this year they were able to finish the job. Hats off to the boys. This is all for them and the amount of work they put in. It's been awesome to watch. It all comes back to mental toughness and this team was mentally tough."