If you’ve been to a Men’s Baseball game this year, you’ve probably noticed that it can get loud. I’m not talking about fans, though they are enthusiastic given that many stand for two-hour games. Nor am I talking about the music blasted on the speakers between at bats.
The baseball team is quite vocal from the dugout. Sometimes players yell to cheer on their teammate at-bat or on the mound. Sometimes they yell baserunning advice. But the volume never drops, and the encouragement never ceases.
“We like to be really rowdy and create energy and momentum for our team,” junior right fielder Jake Hertz said. “We also yell animal noises, nicknames for each other […], really anything that makes a ruckus.”
Being so vocal presents some clear benefits. The team currently holds a decent 12–12 record despite a 1–5 start. “I legitimately attribute a lot of our team’s success to the dugout’s energy,” Hertz said.
He also said it creates great energy for the team and allows all players to contribute, even from off the field.
“It helps our players know that they feel and hear their teammates behind them in big situations,” head coach Joe Reina said. Vocal encouragement is key to the team dynamic and makes the games more fun for the players.
But the din can sometimes get out of hand. “We have always been vocal in the dugout but at times it can be misdirected,” Reina said. “We have really focused on supporting our guys at the plate or in the field instead of focusing on the other team.”
Hertz agreed that vocal participation isn’t always positively directed. “Sometimes we get a little too rowdy and our coach reminds us to calm down or, as he says, focus on ‘our guys.’ It’s better to be too loud than too quiet, though.”
One of the reasons that vocal encouragement from the ‘Jackets is so noticeable is that other teams seem to never be anywhere close to as loud, nor as constant in their barrage of sound.
“It makes the game more enjoyable when everyone is invested in it,” Hertz said. Showing his love of the team’s vocal identity, he soon added, “Rochester baseball rules.”
