The Stockton University baseball team, looking to build on last year’s 22 wins, the second most in program history, has done a lot of traveling this season: The Ospreys played just twice at home through their first 18 games.

Stockton began the season on a high note, defeating nationally ranked Salve Regina University 9-5 in the second game of the year. In the latest D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25 rankings, Salve Regina is No. 8.

The Ospreys took a 4-3 record into their annual trip south for the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. After dropping its first four games in Auburndale, Stockton rallied to win the final four games.

“(We) kind of had a rough go about going into Florida, going 0-4,” junior pitcher Reece Miller said after the Ospreys lost 9-7 to Westminster College on March 22. “We’ve really turned it around. The team has just really come together these last few days. … We really just jelled together. Lot of motivation from the guys. Everyone’s pushing each other.”

It’s been a streaky road to their 9-9 record. The Ospreys won their first two games, lost the next three, then won another two before dropping the first four in Florida. Five wins followed before two more lossses.

“I think we were just tired (of losing),” Miller, who has a 3.27 ERA and three saves in seven games, said of the five-game winning streak. “Four losses is tough. To get beat how we did, nobody wanted to do that again. Going after each other, (having) each other’s backs, picking each other up. We were as loud as possible in the dugout during that four-game stretch in Florida.”

“Being able to pick each other up really helped us,” he added. “Nobody wants to lose one, nobody wants to lose two, but when you lose four, it’s tough. You gotta find a way to turn it around and flush everything that you can. The mindset completely switched up.”

Coach Rich Gawlak said his team has “done a really good job of fighting to get to 27 outs. It’s a really, really competitive group. I love the competitiveness that they have and how hard they work.”

Outside of practices and games, the players continue to spend time together. Whether it’s doing homework, going to the gym, or just sitting around talking, the players say their friendships with each other help them reach their potential.

“We’re a really close-knit team,” said junior second baseman Jordan Nitti, who is hitting. 368 with 13 RBIs. “When we play together, we can really do some damage, and we’ve seen that the last five games that we’ve played.”

All that time spent on the road has helped strengthen those bonds. The Ospreys have played games all over: Washington, D.C., Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Patchogue, New York; Auburndale, Florida; Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania; and Westminster, Maryland.

All that travel has been to help them prepare for New Jersey Athletic Conference play. Stockton was ranked seventh in the NJAC preseason coaches poll.

The NJAC is filled with strong teams. Rowan University, ranked sixth nationally in the latest poll, was 12-3 through Friday. TCNJ, ranked 19^th, was 12-3. Montclair State, ranked 23^rd, was 17-3, Rutgers-Newark 15-5, Rutgers-Camden 13-5, and Kean 12-7.

“NJAC is probably the toughest conference in D-III baseball,” Miller said. “I think a lot of people don’t see us moving on pretty far forward. I think a lot of people think we’re gonna roll over and just kinda die, but these teams in our conference have got to watch out for us.”

Gawlak knows that the conference is “as tough as they come” but has high hopes for his team’s ability to compete in the NJAC. Stockton will open its conference schedule with a doubleheader at Rutgers-Newark on Saturday.

“I’ll hope that we continue to evolve a little bit offensively,” Gawlak said. “Continue to do the little things. We’ve done a really nice job at stealing bases so far. I think we can be a little bit better. We’ve done a good job of playing small ball when we need to. … When we get into conference play, that stuff becomes really, really important.”

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story appeared in The Press of Atlantic City.