David Stringer doesn’t take much for granted. The junior right-hander grew up in Palo Alto and played prep ball just a stone’s throw away from Sunken Diamond at Palo Alto High School. So naturally, Stringer grew up on Stanford baseball.

“As a kid, I came to all the games and begged for balls from players up in the bullpen,” Stringer said. “It has always been a dream to put on the Stanford uniform, so now every day is amazing.”

Stringer’s performance has finally caught up to his hopes this year. After not getting to play his freshman season and posting a decent performance last year, he has excelled in his new role as the Cardinal’s closer. So far this season, he has converted four saves in four attempts while collecting a 2.25 ERA in 12 total innings of hurling.

“His arm is like rubber,” head coach Mark Marquess said. “Not many pitchers can come in and throw on so many consecutive days, but Stringer has proven he can throw three days in a row. Hopefully he won’t have to do that every weekend, but his abilities definitely provide us with a huge advantage that will come in handy as the season continues.”

Stringer said he lucked into the closer position after being tabbed to pitch three innings of shut-out ball against Fresno State for his first save on Feb. 11. Marquess attributed more than luck to much of Stringer’s success immediately thereafter.

“Stringer is not your typical power closer,” Marquess said. “Unlike other guys who rely on a good fastball, he’s got good control and three or four pitches. It’s not easy adjusting to a new role, but so far, success has given him confidence.”

After his freshman year, Stringer worked on developing his changeup — a toss that came in handy during his sophomore campaign, when he picked up a few starts with a 4.34 ERA. The following offseason, he worked with teammates on his slider and creating a better stream-line down the plate.

Stringer did admit to being over-anxious early in his Stanford career.

“As soon as I heard my name called for my first appearance last year, I started shaking,” Stringer said. “But I settled down, and since then I’ve been overcoming my nerves. There was a streak last season when I couldn’t seem to throw a strike or get anybody out, but the constant support of my teams and coaches is what kept me going.”

While much of his success can be attributed to hard work, Stringer is not without his superstitions. He said he wore three different pairs of socks in addition to sporting his pants in a different manner for each game of the Fullerton series.

After Stanford opened the season by getting swept in Fullerton and dropping two to Texas, Stringer knew his team was in a hole it needed to get out of quickly. Rather than buckle under the frustration, however, the Cardinal came together knowing what was required of them in the final game at Texas.

“Taking that final game from Texas this season was probably my favorite moment at Stanford,” Stringer said. “It was a hard-fought match, and our guys came in at crucial spots. I gave up the lead at one point, but our offense exploded in the ninth. When [sophomore Brent] Milleville made a huge defensive play in the ninth to prevent the Texas rally, our bullpen just went crazy.”

After such a tough start to the season, Stringer said he and the staff have been working on keeping the ball down — something that’s made a major contribution to the Cardinal’s current five-game win streak.

“More than anything, I just want my teammates to be confident when I go up to the mound,” Stringer said. “It all comes down to me being able to preserve our lead.”

Stringer has already had many enjoyable experiences while on the Farm, and if he keeps up his current stride as the Cardinal’s lights-out closer, he will be able to add at least one more exciting season to his resume — a season he’ll be sure to make the most out of.

“Last year I did take everything a bit for granted,” Stringer said. “I got so busy and worried with my troubles that I fell out of love with Stanford. But my teammates saw what I was going through and helped me learn from my struggles.

“Now, I look down at my chest and see the ‘Stanford’ written across my jersey and realize how awesome it is to go to one of the best universities in the world,” he added. “And that’s something I don’t take for granted.”