Eschewing small ball and emphasizing plate discipline certainly helps UCSB put up runs, but it’s also old hat. Even if college baseball has been slower than MLB to modernize (especially in terms of run production), the game will get there eventually. If there’s a more nuanced lesson to be learned from the Gauchos, then, it seems to be in the power of mentality, enabling players to flourish by challenging them to be the best version of themselves.