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-> "We're going to Sunken Diamond, it's one of the most iconic ballparks in college baseball, hallowed ground," Penders said. "I think our guys handle that. ... They're not here if they'd be intimidated by that. Stanford may have the better team, that's why we're going out there to find out.
"In some ways it's more comfortable than being home. It's very much what we do." Being a major underdog on the road is right in UConn's wheelhouse. The Huskies are 25-9 in away games this season.
Maryland, the top seed in the College Park Regional, couldn't take advantage of home field. UConn quieted a hostile crowd and pulled off the upset to advance to Super Regionals for the first time since 2011. Now, the Huskies are ready to stun another home team. "We get to play in front of a good crowd again in Stanford against a historic team," said ace pitcher Austin Peterson. "It's going to be a lot of fun. <-
-> As a program, Stanford has a rich tradition, reaching the College World Series 16 times and making 31 NCAA appearances.
UConn's challenging schedule has prepared it for the Super Regional stage. "It's one of the reasons we play USC, I want them to see all those national championships on the outfield wall, and we play Wichita, a national champ, and Coastal Carolina, a national champ, and Pepperdine, a national champ," Penders said.
"The pedigree doesn't beat you, the history doesn't beat you, unless you let it. ... So, they've been conditioned to not let it." It's another opportunity for UConn to show what it is made of and silence critics. <-
