Australian pitcher Paul Mildren was finishing his pre-game work out for a World Baseball Classic opener when he noticed the celebration in the Mexican dugout.
"I heard it. They had a little mariachi band or something in there, and I just felt like it was almost a turning point for me where I started concentrating, saying I want to get this more because we're on their turf.
"Something inside of me wanted that more. That was a big one."
So was Australia's 17-7 upset of first-round group host Mexico on Sunday, sending the unfancied Thunder from Down Under into a matchup against Cuba on Tuesday to qualify for the second round group that starts Sunday in San Diego.
The Aussies smacked a Classic-record 22 hits in a romp that was halted after eight innings under a blowout mercy rule.
But Cuba set a one-game Classic record as well with six home runs in Mexico City's high-altitude thin air, setting up a repeat of the 2004 Olympic final won by the Caribbean island.
"They are a tough team. We've got a lot of respect for them," Australian manager Jon Deeble said. "We're not afraid of them. Everybody keeps underestimating this team and we keep knocking off the big boys."
Deeble credited the team's improvement to the opening of US Major League Baseball's academy in Australia that produced 12 players on the team.
"Without that, baseball in our country would be dead. There's no doubt in my mind about that," Deeble said.
"We're trying to get better. It's not the No. 1 sport in our country. It's the No. 10 sport in our country. What these guys achieved day in and day out, the respect shouldn't go unnoticed. These guys are great ball players."
So is Australia ready to fight into the second round against defending Classic champion Japan and reigning Olympic champion South Korea and even win the Classic against the American major league millionaires?
"Of course we are. We always have been," Aussie catcher Andrew Graham said.
"We came into this tournament knowing that we can win this. It's not back 10 years ago where we were just trying to gain respect. We're a force, a team that's going to bring some force.
"People didn't think we were going to come out and we won. We're going to try to do the same against Cuba. We're going to come out and execute. Whatever happens happens."
Copyright 2009 AFP Asian Edition
