Servais With a
Smile
In an exclusive interview with
BaseballSacramento.com, Creighton head coach Ed Servais revealed the secret formula for the
Bluejays winning ways: play disciplined, solid defense, score five runs or more using
creative offensive plays (re: “small ball”) and do it all with high energy.
That recipe failed him the past two days, as
Creighton dropped to 5-5 after losing to Cal yesterday 7-5 and to Sac State today
7-2.
The formula has served him well over the past
eight years, as Servais has compiled a 299-165 record, making him the winningest coach in
Creighton baseball history. Last year, he led his team to a 45-16 overall record, Missouri
Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles and a berth in the NCAA Tournament for
the first time since 2007. Servais was named the MVC Coach of the Year following the 2011
season, the fourth time he has earned the award at Creighton. His .644 winning percentage is
tops in school history.

Creighton Head Coach Ed Servais (in blue) is seen smiling before the game during a
discussion of the ground rules at John Smith Field. At far left is home plate
umpire Tom Galdos, who would eject Servais in the second inning. Hornets head coach
Reggie Christiansen is in the center.
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Asked how he’s done it, Servais admits it begins
with defense. “Nobody has committed fewer errors than Creighton in the past eight years of
college baseball,” he says proudly, pointing to a .977 fielding percentage during that
period; best in the country.
“We don’t play for the big inning,”
he added before today’s game. “We’re not going to sit around and wait for a 3-run
homer.” He noted his team last year finished fourth in the country in sacrifice bunts
(84).
Servais said his 11-game Western road trip is
probably “two days too long,” but it helps to prepare his team for conference play. He
complimented the West Coast weather, saying the 55-65 degree range is comparable to
Omaha’s spring temperatures, providing the perfect weather complement this time of year. As
one Creighton parent said during today’s game, “Back home, there’s still snow on the
ground.”
Servais believes his team’s annual spring break
road trips—which alternate annually between Texas, Arizona, California, and
a southeast trip—are a plus for recruiting top talent. Players enjoy the
opportunity to travel and see places they've never visited.
Located in Omaha, Creighton last year began its
playing home games at the spanking new TD Ameritrade stadium, new home for
the College World Series. The Jays lost three of their first four games last year, then
won 13 of the next 14. “Once the players got comfortable, because it’s a big ballpark, it
fits right into what we’re trying to do.”
Winning the MVC also brought out the local fan
base. Creighton finished in the Top 10 nationwide in college baseball attendance,
Servais said, drawing 18,000 for a home game with rival Nebraska. The Bluejays also won
the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at home, the first time Creighton has won both the
conference title and the tournament. The Jays finished in the Top 25
rankings.
“It was one of the special years in Creighton
baseball,” Servais admitted. It’s not surprising he’s looking forward to the
future.
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