Stanford honors Jake Sapien at CWS after gruesome injury, gets positive update

Stanford‘s baseball team enters their second game of the College World Series Monday versus Tennessee with some added motivation.

The Cardinal lost their first game of the CWS to Wake Forest 3-2 thanks to a late eighth-inning rally by the Demon Deacons, but earlier in their postseason run they also lost designated hitter Jake Sapien, who was in the face by a pitch in the first game of the Stanford regional versus San Jose State.

Sapien had to leave that game and was rushed immediately to the emergency room, eventually having to undergo surgery. He hasn’t been able to play for Stanford ever since his injury, but his team made sure his presence was still felt in Omaha, hanging his bloody jersey in their dugout for their must-win elimination game versus Tennessee.

In Game 1 of @StanfordBSB’s regional, Jake Sapien was hit in the face by a pitch and rushed to the ER.

The team now hangs his bloody jersey above the dugout. Jake was just cleared to fly after surgery.

If Stanford wins today, they’re flying him out to Omaha. Some motivation! pic.twitter.com/GTTvlmzZw0

— Ana Bellinghausen (@AnaBellMedia) June 19, 2023

Sapien has now been officially cleared to fly following his surgery, and if Stanford defeats Tennessee he will be flown out to Omaha to join his team.

He was a reliable bat in Stanford’s lineup all season, batting .301 on the season prior to his injury. Sapien racked up 28 hits and 16 RBIs in his sophomore year for the Cardinal, making the most of his 93 plate appearances.

Stanford’s big game versus Tennessee has already begun, and the motivation of Sapien seems to have already worked for the Cardinal, as they took an early 2-0 lead over the Volunteers following the first inning.

Better luck next time

Stanford faces elimination in the College World Series thanks to a heartbreaking loss to top-seeded Wake Forest on Saturday.

The Cardinal got out to an early 2-1 lead in the third inning thanks to an RBI single from first baseman Carter Graham. But both teams would go on an offensive dry spell for four straight innings. A weather delay that lasted around an hour and a half put a pause to the game and did not work in the favor of Stanford.

Wake Forrest responded to the rain delay with a two-run inning at the bottom of the eighth to give themselves their first lead of the ball game. Unfortunately, Stanford had zero answers as the Demon Deacons’ pitching staff, as they continued to hold them scoreless to protect their newfound lead to close out the game.

Stanford’s nine hits tie for their worst hitting performance of the postseason, and their two runs represent their lowest-scoring game since they were shut out in the regular season versus Washington in April. And hopefully for the Cardinal, they can revert to their old selves with their backs against the wall on Monday.