TSSAA Spring Fling 2019: Riverdale baseball brings lucky rock to state tournament

Superstitions are a big part of baseball.

Riverdale's baseball squad has had a couple of those covered during the 2019 postseason.

A streak of winning in the postseason every time the team ate at McAllister's Deli came to an end Tuesday in the first round of the Class AAA state baseball tournament, a 2-1 loss to Bradley Central.

But Riverdale beat Arlington 5-4 on Wednesday, advancing to another elimination game scheduled for 5 p.m.

An adopted rock that was found by Warrior junior Joey Mitchell also began during the postseason. It has accompanied the team through its postseason run.

"I was walking behind the (Riverdale baseball) field one morning and I see this rock that looked pretty lucky," said Mitchell, who fired a one-hitter Tuesday. "I know that sounds crazy, but I picked it up. We all signed it and have had it for the last two weeks. Every time I'm on the mound, I've (touched) it."

Baseball, seemingly more than any other sport, lives and dies by superstitions and routines. As long as you keep winning, why not?

Riverdale was unbeaten in the postseason entering Spring Fling.

"When something works, you roll with it, just like the McAllister's thing," said Riverdale coach Barry Messer. "We figured the rock was a solid, foundation-type thing. It's something that's solid, kind of the way we took our approach this postseason. 

"It's just symbolism of who we are and how we've played in the postseason. They may touch it like the Clemson rock. We've never had anything like that before."

Being a pitcher, Mitchell is accustomed to doing things the same way and not straying from the norm.

"I think that if you find a routine that works, you do it over and over again," said Mitchell. "I keep the same routine every game I pitch, regardless of what happens. I go to the bullpen, do my stretching and running. When I go to the mound, I draw a cross behind the mound and put my grandfather's initials (LJM)."

Riverdale is a senior-heavy team, but Mitchell will return next season. He doesn't expect the rock to graduate either.

"The rock stays," Mitchell said. "I'll probably get more signatures on there, guys that weren't on varsity this year."

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.

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