Despite their 4-10 record during the 2020 season, the Hofstra baseball team surged at the plate early. The Pride sported one of the top offenses in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), leading the conference with a .302 average as a club and scoring at least ten runs in four different contests.
The overall success of the offense begins with catalyst Austin Gauthier, the team’s junior shortstop. On Friday, February 14, Gauthier came out of the gate red hot in a matchup against Purdue University, homering in his very first at bat of 2020, one of his three on the year. He continued to perform well throughout the season, with his name among the top in nearly every offensive category of the CAA. Gauthier led the conference in slugging percentage (.714), ranked second with a .411 batting average, second in on base percentage at a .515 clip and tied for second in hits (23) and runs batted in (15).
“It was just staying simple. We’re a big mentality [team], a big gritty team,” Gauthier said.
That approach allowed for the team to flourish at the plate. Those performances inspired the Pride as the offense stood out in matchups against major Division I talent.
“We wanted to win, especially against the bigger teams,” Gauthier said. “A smaller team from Long Island playing Purdue and New Mexico University; it motivated us to just go after them.”
As a team that averaged seven runs per game to start the 2020 campaign, the Pride eagerly awaited the chance to truly kick the season into gear back in Hempstead. After only one game at University Field, the team received the deflating news that the remainder of their season would be cancelled due to COVID-19.
The abrupt end of a season is devastating enough, but the uncertainty of the future of key Pride players, particularly the seniors, sent an even more crushing blow throughout the club.
“I was heartbroken. It was an emotional night,” Gauthier said. “[At the time] we did not know the seniors were going to get an extra year. It was emotional to see them get upset. I had that feeling in my stomach that won’t go away. I will always remember that.”
Fortunately, in the time since the cancellation of the season, the NCAA announced they would be giving spring athletes another year of eligibility to make up for the lost time this spring, and in turn continue their collegiate careers.
After watching how quickly the pandemic flipped the world upside down, the Hofstra shortstop recognizes the incredible value of a second chance and will always appreciate the opportunity to take the field and play the game he loves.
“I’m definitely not going to take it for granted, especially after this year. It can be taken away within the blink of an eye. I am just going to work day in and day out with my brothers and hopefully come out with a CAA Championship,” Gauthier said.
Based on the consistency of the bats, Gauthier expressed absolute confidence in the Pride’s potential if the season had played out under normal circumstances.
“We were for sure making the playoffs. Offensively, we were just doing dangerous things and I think we could have translated that into the conference for sure,” Gauthier said. “We could have even gone deep into the playoffs and maybe won a CAA Championship. I honestly think we were one of the most dangerous teams in the CAA.”
The role of Hofstra as a sleeper team in the conference is a valid assessment. With the way the offense put up runs through the first 14 games of the season, the bats could certainly drive the squad to a win on any given day against any opponent.
The potential of the Hofstra Pride in 2020 will only live on in “what if” scenarios.
With an extended offseason, members of the Pride will now have time to rest their bodies while training and focusing on their next goal: the return of the next baseball season.
“I’m just going to try to push myself every day,” Gauthier said. “Work out, hit, throw and try not to get stagnant. It’s pedal to the metal right now.”
The lost season of 2020 will remain in the back of each player’s mind until the team returns to action at University Field. In the meantime, the Pride will continue to work hard to pursue a CAA title in the future.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
