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When you look at several of the statistics that usually portend success in baseball — batting average, OPS, ERA, WHIP, fielding percentage — ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ doesn’t stack up well against the field in the College World Series. The Wildcats are no better than sixth (out of eight) in any of them.

So how did they get there? What is it about this team that’s enabled it to go on this postseason run?

“This team is really gritty,� junior closer Tony Pluta said Thursday during a news conference at Charles Schwab Field. “It doesn't matter what gets thrown at us. Even if we get knocked down, we'll get back up. We're ready for anything that comes our way.�

The next challenge is Coastal Carolina — the hottest team in college baseball. The Chanticleers have won 23 consecutive games. They square off against the Wildcats in a rematch of the 2016 CWS finals at 11 a.m. Friday.

Coastal (53-11) hasn’t lost since April 22. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ (44-19) slumped in early May, losing five of six games. Last Friday, the UA got pummeled by a score of 18-2 in Game 1 of its Super Regional at North Carolina.

The Wildcats quickly hit the reset button and, for the fourth time this season, won a series after losing the opener. They climbed out of a 3-1 hole in the eighth inning in Game 3, just like they rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the ninth inning of the Big 12 Tournament.

“We grind out every pitch,� junior shortstop Mason White said. “It's been a long season. There's been a lot of long stretches of good and bad. But this team really adopts that pitch-by-pitch mentality that's been shoved in our face all year by the coaching staff because they know that's how you win baseball games.

“And that's how we've gotten ourselves to this point.�

Rising to the moment

The Wildcats wouldn’t be in Omaha if they weren’t good at baseball. They are, in fact, very good at certain things.

One of them is walk prevention. Three CWS participants rank in the top 10 nationally in fewest walks allowed per nine innings: Arkansas, Coastal Carolina and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has turned 56 double plays, second most in the country behind UCLA (which is also in Omaha).

The Wildcats lead the nation in triples (36) and rank ninth in doubles (133), suggesting their offensive style will play at relatively spacious Charles Schwab Field.

But the stats that stand out the most for the Cats exemplify what Pluta and White were referring to: their resolve.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is 38-0 when leading after the eighth inning. The Wildcats are 12-1 in one-run games.

They play their best when it matters most.

“I think our guys have risen to the occasion when we needed to,â€� said ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ coach Chip Hale, who’s back at the CWS after winning it as a player in 1986.

“We've been much better in the bunt game, the small game. ... Just clutch hitting, grittiness and, again, the pitching keeping it close.�

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s ERA (4.88) and WHIP (1.41) rank sixth in the field. But, as mentioned, the staff doesn’t issue many walks. And the Wildcats generally don’t give up home runs. They’ve allowed 40 this season, the fewest in the CWS field and the second fewest among power conference teams this season.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ won the Super Regional at UNC despite getting only 2â…“ innings out of its first two starting pitchers. In Game 2, the Wildcats rallied from deficits of 2-1, 4-2 and 8-6. In Game 3, it was 3-1 with six outs to go.

Coastal Carolina hasn’t faced as much adversity but sees itself the same way. Chanticleers coach Kevin Schnall described his team as “relentless� and “selfless.�

“We have embraced an ‘own it’ leadership philosophy this year, which was highly influenced and impacted from our former football coach, Joe Moglia, who is an icon here in Omaha, Nebraska,� Schnall said.

In addition to coaching, Moglia was the chairman of TD Ameritrade, the former corporate sponsor of the ballpark now known as Charles Schwab Field.

Schnall continued.

“Coach's ‘BAM’ mentality, which is ‘Be a Man,’ really inspired us,� he said. “Again, what is ‘own it’? For us it's how we win, how we lose. It's a mentality. It's a culture. It's a commitment to personal responsibility and accountability, and this team has absolutely embraced that.�

Wear Down, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥?

It also helps to have exceptional pitching.

Coastal Carolina ranks second nationally in ERA (3.21) and third in WHIP (1.19).

The Chanticleers’ scheduled starter Friday, fifth-year senior right-hander Riley Eikhoff, is one of three Coastal pitchers with at least 15 starts, six wins, a sub-3.25 ERA and a sub-1.10 WHIP.

“In baseball, when the opposing team doesn't score a lot of runs, it's a lot easier to win,� Schnall said. “That's what our pitching staff has been able to do. There's been multiple weekends where we played a three-game series and the opposing team only scored four runs. Auburn had the best offense we've seen all year, and they scored one run on Saturday (in the Super Regional clincher).

“What's more impressive is what opponents are doing with runners in scoring position. That talks and speaks loudly about guts. This pitching staff has guts.�

Eikhoff will face righty Owen Kramkowski, who’s had a breakout sophomore season — but whose stats pale by comparison. The Walden Grove High School product brings a 9-6 record, a 5.48 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP into Friday’s game. Those numbers look better without his first and last starts — 9-4, 4.02 and 1.27. Alas, they all count.

Likely Sunday starter Smith Bailey has been the steadiest member of the weekend rotation despite being just a year removed from high school. His performances in clinching games in the Big 12 Tournament, Eugene Regional and Super Regional at UNC were as gutty as they come.

Although others have provided a bridge between the middle innings and the ninth, no one is more responsible for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s flawless record when leading after eight and its nearly perfect mark in one-run games than Pluta.

The junior closer has all the numbers: 3-0 record, 1.26 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, .183 opponent batting average, school-record 14 saves in 15 opportunities. He also has yet to crack under pressure.

The tension was as thick as the humid air in Chapel Hill when Pluta closed out the Tar Heels Saturday and Sunday. Those were the Wildcats’ 11th and 12th consecutive games away from Hi Corbett Field.

Perhaps nothing better illustrates the team’s resilience than its ability to grind out wins on the road. It even came up with a motto for it. It’s a twist on a familiar battle cry.

“We call it ‘The Wear Down,’� White said. “We're used to going on these long trips, connecting flights, long bus rides. We started this four-week trip ... in Houston. It was hot and super humid. We've just been grinding through that. It prepared us very well for this.�