Shortly after the Arizona Wildcats were crowned as the champion of the 2012 College World Series (CWS), Arizona right fielder Robert Refsnyder was chosen as the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
With good reason.
He hit .476 with 2 HR and 5 RBIs during the series, leading all other players in home runs (2), hits (10), runs scored (6), total bases (16) and his five runs batted in tied him for first.
Throughout the week, Arizona coach Andy Lopez has been referring to his team doing things the right way, on and off the field.
"They all go to class, do the right things," Lopez said about his players after Arizona defeated the Florida State Seminoles 10-3 on June 21. "I have two rules in my program, I've had it for 36 years: Be on time and do things right. That's it. Be on time and do things right.
"Doing the things right, they learn day in and day out we've got to hustle and keep the clubhouse clean. If we leave a visiting dugout, we keep it cleaner than when we arrived."
I had a chance to interview Refsnyder after he won the Most Outstanding Player award. Knowing that he bought into Lopez's philosophy, I asked him how doing the right things, and the little things like cleaning the visiting dugout when his team is on the road, helps to bring results on the field.
"When you see your peers doing the right things on and off the field, it helps guys respect each other," Refsnyder told me. "In athletics, respect is the biggest thing."
He went on to talk about seeing teammates who battled through difficult performances this season because they wanted to see the team succeed and how much that inspired him.
"It makes you want to bust your butt for them -- to work extremely hard for them," Refsnyder said. "Try to take the extra base, try to score, just take your at-bats a little more seriously because your best friends on the team are the guys that you've been in the trenches with."
The CWS All-Tournament Team was also announced:
Catcher: Riley Moore, Arizona
First Base: Christian Walker, South Carolina
Second Base: Devon Travis, Florida State
Third Base: Sherman Johnson, Florida State
Shortstop: Alex Mejia, Arizona
Outfield: Evan Marzilli, South Carolina
Outfield: Joey Rickard, Arizona
Outfield: Robert Refsnyder, Arizona
Designated Hitter: Bobby Brown, Arizona
Pitcher: Michael Roth, South Carolina
Pitcher: Konner Wade, Arizona
Lee Warren is a freelance writer who lives in Omaha, Nebraska and is covering the 2012 College World Series for YCN.
