THE WRITING ON (AND OFF) THE WALL A PITCH FOR COLLEGE BALL.Byline: TOM HOFFARTH The Media When the mood hits you just right, and it's a beautiful day that shouldn't be wasted sitting inside, why shouldn't a college baseball College baseball is baseball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. Compared to American football and basketball in the United States, college competition plays a less significant contribution to cultivating game beckon beck·on v. beck·oned, beck·on·ing, beck·ons v.tr. 1. To signal or summon, as by nodding or waving. 2. ? Especially when it's USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. taking on UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX . What's not to love? Three bucks to park without any hassle on the USC campus, a short walk up Mark McGwire Seven bucks for an adult ticket (two less if you're a student, a kid or a senior), and it's general admission seating. See those two empty seats right behind the backstop? Go ahead and take 'em. Only a buck for a program. Another $3 for a grilled hot dog. Add a bag of sunflower seeds, a bottled water, some suntan oil suntan oil n → aceite m bronceador suntan oil sun n → huile f solaire suntan oil sun n → , and ... Kliiiiink! Like we were saying, you gotta be in the right mood. They do everything right at a college baseball game, especially in Trojantown. Bring in a dozen band members to fire up the school fight song and ``Conquest'' to play between innings. Let the kids run up and down the aisles and chase foul balls that go over the pavilion roof and bounce over on to Pete Carroll's football practice field. There's a air-conditioned Hall of Fame room above the first base line, filled with Trojan memorabilia from their 12 national titles, where USC coach Mike Gillespie There are 3 sports coaches with the name Mike Gillespie:
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Kliiiiiink! One out and a runner on first for UCLA. Chris Denove, the Bruins' sophomore catcher out of Agoura Hills, pops a 2-0 pitch down the first base line. USC senior second baseman Michael Moon glides over into foul territory - and drops it trying to make a basket catch. Moon walks sheepishly sheep·ish adj. 1. Embarrassed, as by consciousness of a fault: a sheepish grin. 2. Meek or stupid. sheep back to his position, blowing his cheeks out and spitting out his tongue. From the stands, there's no booing. The crowd, most of 'em students on their day off from classes, some even sitting in the stands reading textbooks or on their cell phones, plus all the parents who try to make it down as often as they can, all seem to be clapping to encourage instead of demean de·mean 1 tr.v. de·meaned, de·mean·ing, de·means To conduct or behave (oneself) in a particular manner: demeaned themselves well in class. . Because right after that ... Kliiiiiink! Denove sends another one down the right field line - almost the same spot - but this time Trojans right fielder Cyle Hankerd comes in to make the catch, and eventually the Bruins leave two runners on as the game remains scoreless after the top of the fifth. Top of the sixth. UCLA's Matt Thayer, the junior out of Harvard-Westlake of Studio City, has a full count with one out, runners on first and second. USC freshman pitcher Ian Kennedy, already established as the team's ace, just threw one high and inside, forcing Thayer to quickly back out and take a walk. ``Ignore that, Matt, they're just trying to make you think,'' someone yells from seats behind home plate. Thayer thinks he can hit Kennedy's slider A block of material that holds the read/write head of a magnetic disk. See flying head. tailing away from him. As he swings and misses for the strikeout, UCLA's Brett McMillan stops halfway between second and third. USC third baseman Billy Hart, the backup quarterback on the football team, runs down McMillan for the double play. Inning over. Bottom of the sixth and ... Kliiiiink! USC freshman Daniel Perales lashes a bad-hop single over second baseman Mike Svetlic's head, sending home junior Joey Metropoulous with the game's first run. UCLA pitching coach Tim Leary goes out to take starter Bryan Beck from the game. The USC band merrily plays along. Not long after Kennedy leaves the game with a 1-0 lead, the Trojans' Jeff Clement tees off on Bruins sophomore reliever Adam Simon, launching it over the scoreboard and into the parking structure in right field for his fourth homer of the season and ... Oh, wait, we forgot the sound effects on that one. KLIIIIIINK! Seriously, is that anything you can ever get used to, the noise reverberating re·ver·ber·ate v. re·ver·ber·at·ed, re·ver·ber·at·ing, re·ver·ber·ates v.intr. 1. To resound in a succession of echoes; reecho. 2. from those hollow metal sticks when they connect with cowhide cow·hide n. 1. a. The hide of a cow. b. The leather made from this hide. 2. A strong heavy flexible whip, usually made of braided leather. tr.v. ? ``I hate it with a passion,'' admits Rod Dedeaux, the 90-year-old patriarch of Trojans baseball, watching from his seat above the first-base line at the stadium named for him. ``I believe baseball should be played outdoors, on natural grass, with no DH and with wood bats. Do you agree? Sometimes I feel like a voice crying in the wilderness.'' He holds up his cane - it's an actual wooden bat, special made by Hillerich & Bradsby, with a rounded handle. He's got six more of 'em at home, filled with autographs. But he still laughs, enjoying the fans who come by to pay their respects and share a story. The sights and sounds of college baseball aren't changing. It's heavy metal, baby. Just roll with it. The game is played the same. Fundamentals are stressed. The team comes before the individual. Everything added together, it's a sweet day in the sun. Besides, with the Dodgers about to start up their season under murky circumstances, it's comforting to know there'll be games at Dedeaux Field, Jackie Robinson Stadium and all the other college diamonds in Southern California at least through the end of May. CAPTION(S): 6 photos, box Photo: (1) no caption (Kings) (2) BILLY PACKER (3) LARRY EUSTACHY (4) JAKE PLUMMER (5) no caption (Frank McCourt) (6) Rafael Palmeiro, Baltimore Orioles first baseman Box: Sunday PUNCH |
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