ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Zach Jaffe — Baseball

Last Saturday, the Hopkins baseball team added to the excitement of Spring Fair with a doubleheader sweep of Swarthmore College, with final scores of 10-3 and 12-0, respectively.

On Tuesday, the Jays tied Gettysburg after a grueling game, but are looking forward to further wins. Sophomore Zach Jaffe’s recent performance has inspired the Jays.

In the second victory of that afternoon, Jaffe smashed a grand slam out of the Babb Field. With that single swing, Jaffe not only delivered his first career homer, but also sent the ball straight onto University Parkway.

Jaffe kindly agreed to sit down with The News-Letter, sharing thoughts on Saturday’s performance, the team’s exciting run that has led them to first position in the conference and the prospect of playoffs.

The News-Letter: In what ways have you seen yourself improve the most since your freshman year? How have you worked to improve on your weaknesses?

Zach Jaffe: The aspects of my game that I have most improved upon are virtually all mental. I came in as somewhat of a head case and often times let bad streaks get worse and wasn’t able to gain the coaches’ trust to perform on the field. Now I’m much more relaxed when I play, and while I was always a jokester in the locker room, now I don’t let that get in the way of my game.

A lot of the improvements come with experience and knowing you’re expected to perform. We have a “next guy up” mentality on our team, so whenever somebody isn’t playing well, the next guy is expected to step up.

N-L: How did it feel to hit the grand slam? What thoughts were running through your head during that at bat?

ZJ: It obviously felt great to get a big hit. Every Conference game at this point in the season is a must-win game, and that gave us a seven run lead in that game. I’ve had some rough moments and some injuries this year, and it felt good to finally deliver. I knew that he was going to come at me with fastballs like he did earlier when I struck out, so I sat back and put a good swing on the 1-0 fastball. It was a huge monkey off my back... It had been well over a year since I had hit a home run in any game situation.

N-L: With the double header sweep of Swarthmore, the team has reached a nine-game win streak. How is the team morale heading into these final two weeks?

ZJ: Team morale is incredible right now. Never have I been a part of a team as close as we are, and when you are winning everything is always better. We are confident that when we play our best, nobody in our Conference can beat us. The team is getting incredible contributions from everybody, and everybody feels as if they are a crucial part of the team down the stretch.

N-L: Do you think your ranking as first in the Centennial Conference is affecting how the team approaches the next games?

ZJ: Short answer is no. We treat every game as if it’s a key game. We put pressure on ourselves as the favorite in every game and expect to win. We know that the longer we are at the top of the standings, the harder every team is going to play us.

N-L: Do you have any personal goals for the remaining weeks? Team goals?

ZJ: Personally, I’m just hoping to contribute where I can, whether it be off the bench as a spark or in the starting lineup holding down one of the outfield positions. I know that I can be an energy booster when I’m on the field.

Our goal right now is to win the Conference regular season title and to host the Conference tournament. It’s very hard to beat us as home. Past that, we want to win the regional and advance to the College World Series in Appleton, Wis. That has been the goal since Day 1.

Jaffe and the Jays will return to action today at home versus the Gettysburg College Bullets, whom they tied in extra innings on Tuesday. Then they will travel to Ursinus College to take on the Bears in a pivotal Conference matchup. With the playoffs just a couple weeks away, the Blue Jay offense is starting to hit its stride at the right time.