http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2014/05/19/paly-grad-tj-braff-helps-scu-baseball-reach-wcc-playoffs
Palo Alto High grad T.J. Braff delivered a two-out, RBI single in the ninth to score Greg Harisis from second with the winning run as Santa Clara topped visiting St. Mary's, 7-6, to qualify for the West Coast Conference Baseball Championships on Sunday. Santa Clara overcame an early 5-1 deficit to win in walk-off fashion and finish the regular season with five straight WCC series victories.
"You can't script a better Senior Day than that, a day filled with memories that will last a lifetime," head coach Dan O'Brien said. "And after what these guys have been through, I can't think of a group who deserves the postseason as much as these seniors do. They've been model Broncos, tireless workers, great leaders, and have overcome so much. I'm just so proud of them."
Braff was 1-for-4 with two RBI, including the game-winning hit and a sacrifice fly in the fourth to help the Broncos improve to 16-11 in league, 26-28 overall.
"It says a lot about our team that we're coming back from these big deficits," Braff said. "People don't stop when they get at-bats, just taking it one batter at a time and we've been able to come back. Going into the playoffs that might happen to us, and we know that even when we're down, we always still have a chance. I've played three years with the seniors now and I just wanted to send them off right."
Braff is Santa Clara's third starting first baseman this season. The Broncos have won all five WCC series since he became a full-time starter in the San Diego series April 17-19, filling in for the injured Mac Hess. Braff has been a clutch hitter and a skilled, mobile defensive first baseman.
The Broncos finished 2014 West Coast Conference play tied for fourth place with San Diego, and finished ahead of the Toreros by way of a 3-0 head-to-head record. Santa Clara will face regular-season champion Pepperdine in the first game of the WCC Baseball Championship on Thursday at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton at 3 p.m.
TJ Braff
Palo Alto High grad T.J. Braff delivered a two-out, RBI single in the ninth to score Greg Harisis from second with the winning run as Santa Clara topped visiting St. Mary's, 7-6, to qualify for the West Coast Conference Baseball Championships on Sunday. Santa Clara overcame an early 5-1 deficit to win in walk-off fashion and finish the regular season with five straight WCC series victories.
"You can't script a better Senior Day than that, a day filled with memories that will last a lifetime," head coach Dan O'Brien said. "And after what these guys have been through, I can't think of a group who deserves the postseason as much as these seniors do. They've been model Broncos, tireless workers, great leaders, and have overcome so much. I'm just so proud of them."
Braff was 1-for-4 with two RBI, including the game-winning hit and a sacrifice fly in the fourth to help the Broncos improve to 16-11 in league, 26-28 overall.
"It says a lot about our team that we're coming back from these big deficits," Braff said. "People don't stop when they get at-bats, just taking it one batter at a time and we've been able to come back. Going into the playoffs that might happen to us, and we know that even when we're down, we always still have a chance. I've played three years with the seniors now and I just wanted to send them off right."
Braff is Santa Clara's third starting first baseman this season. The Broncos have won all five WCC series since he became a full-time starter in the San Diego series April 17-19, filling in for the injured Mac Hess. Braff has been a clutch hitter and a skilled, mobile defensive first baseman.
The Broncos finished 2014 West Coast Conference play tied for fourth place with San Diego, and finished ahead of the Toreros by way of a 3-0 head-to-head record. Santa Clara will face regular-season champion Pepperdine in the first game of the WCC Baseball Championship on Thursday at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton at 3 p.m.
TJ Braff
