Cook's Message Comes Through Loud and Clear

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FORT COLLINS, Colo. – As she runs out to the field to take warm-up tosses in the first inning, third baseman Kaitlyn Cook stoops down just outside the foul line and writes in the dirt.

Using her index finger, she spells out "Trust", then taps it with her hand. For the Colorado State senior infielder, it serves as her key word, the one she goes back to when she needs to have her composure collected. Throughout the game, she'll go back to it in her mind.

"Trust my religion, trust my teammates and then just trust in my ability," Cook said. "It's something my parents have always told me since I was younger and first started to play the game. I always write it, then touch my hand on it.

"I think I've leaned on P (teammate Peyton Allen) this season, and she told me before that at-bat to keep it easy, trust myself and know that I'm capable of it. When we were in the huddle beforehand, she just said keep it simple and it just really relaxed me before that at-bat."

Say, when she steps to the plate with the bases loaded and two out in the fourth inning. The entire frame was nuts, her squad giving up eight two-out runs to Nevada to surrender the lead, then her team having already scored three to climb back into the fray at Ram Field on Sunday.

Relaxed until she swung and connected. At that moment, Cook knew the offering by Tyra Clary she swatted was going to leave the yard and put her team back in front, where the Rams remained by adding six more runs in the next two innings to lead to a 16-9 victory and a weekend sweep of the Wolf Pack.

The win improved the team to 17-23 overall, 8-10 in Mountain West play as the guests fell to 15-34, 5-16. It was the second home conference sweep of the season for the Rams, who have posted an 8-1 record at home in the Mountain West.

Trust. It's part of what helps Cook during games, even during the week. She also has a cross inked to the left inside of her visor she can see in her peripheral vision, as well as AO1 – Audience of One -- on underside of the front tip.

The team had multiple discussions this week as the news of collegiate athletes taking their own lives recently has made their own mental health take on added importance. Cook's teammates have their own key words and phrases to help them through, not just a game, but a day, and head coach Jen Fisher knows those very personal messages are invaluable.

"They had a really tough week with all the mental health talk going around," Fisher said. "It was a big weekend with the Pride game, but they were so together as a team. I actually thought we're going to come right back after they scored it, and it helped we did it right away.

"The mental toughness, the key words have been really important for us. They've all written on their hat, 'You Matter', and I think they're all starting to really lock into that. I think they're saying that to each other, but also to themselves. When that confidence comes together with the industriousness, it's a really beautiful, beautiful thing."

Colorado State responded to everything Nevada did. When the Wolf Pack scored one in the first, the Rams came back with three. The snowman on the board was discouraging until the team came into the dugout and went to work.

In the middle of all of it was Ashley York and Hailey Smith, CSU's second and third hitters in the order. Both have been swinging it well all year with averages living above .330 most of the season. York leads the team and the conference with six triples, and Smith leads the squad with 38 RBI.

Combined, they had seven hits in eight trips to the plate, scoring five runs with Smith driving in three.

"That's pretty cool," said York, who was a perfect 4-for-4 and scored four times. "I don't mind those. I think being at the top of the lineup you are a sparkplug, but I think through our lineup we have threats everywhere. If the three of us up top are having a bad day, somebody is there to pick you up, and I think that's pretty cool."

When the Rams were scoring, York and Smith were part of the process. It was York's two-run single in the first which put the team in front. York singled in scored in the seven-run response, with Smith driving in her third run with a sacrifice fly.

That's what Fisher has come to expect from the pair of sophomores.

"They're very dialed in, and they have been all year," she said. "I just love they've stayed in it, and we work a ton on two-strike approach, staying strong and staying tough. I think you see that show up. I think they're really starting to trust themselves with two strikes, so even if they get behind, they're still going to fight for their team. York is such a tough out because she has the speed component to go along with the gap-to-gap power she has."

By the time Cook stepped to the plate, the Rams were rolling, and the excitement was building in the dugout. Danielle Serna – who picked up the win in relief -- had walked, and Peyton Allen followed with an RBI single. Jalyn McGuffin was beaned, then McKenna McVay drew a 3-2 walk with the bases loaded to score the third run of the fame.

"I think all of us were thinking that would be amazing, the ideal situation," York said of the grand slam. "At the same time, just base hits, pass the bat, trust the girl behind you she can deliver as well. Still, it was amazing to have those four runs real quick."

And yes, the thought did enter Cook's mind, too. She had three earlier home runs to her credit, and as the idea popped into her head, so did her coach's message to keep it simple.

To trust the process and herself.

"I won't lie. It's fun being in those situations, but at the same time, I also know I have people behind me who are going to be able to pick me up," said Cook, who had a five-RBI day. "I did think about it briefly."

Then the thought was gone, followed by the ball to deep left field.

While Serna spent the final three innings without allowing a run, the Rams kept adding, with four in the fifth and a pair in the sixth. Allen and Cook had two hits each as CSU finished with 16, and McGuffin and Allen each drove in a pair. While eight of the hits came from the first three Rams, the rest of the lineup delivered as well.

"It's momentum all the way through," Cook said. "The top of our lineup has been killing it all season and really allowing us to have pressure on the bases every inning. It's nice for the bottom half to help them out and show teams top to bottom we're a threat."

Which Cook spelled out quite clearly.

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