| USU
baseball: Playing for the love of the game
By Cameron Cutler
May 4, 2009 | There is a reason it is called America's
pastime.
Millions love baseball. People of all ages play the
sport in leagues of varying competition, while others
have a passion for watching and following stats and
teams closely. Whatever your fix, the USU baseball team
has options for both.
The USU baseball team, which consists of only USU
students, plays games both in the fall and spring. The
team plays 10 to 15 games in the fall, which are considered
preseason games and don't count against the team's conference
record, according to Gavin Johnson, the team's catcher.
Johnson said the team plays an additional 30 games
during the spring, with the majority of those games
being played against conference opponents.
USU belongs to the Northern Pacific East Conference
of the NCBA, a national organization for college baseball,
according to Kevin Hall, the team's other catcher and
center fielder. Other teams in the conference include
Boise State, Weber State, Montana, Montana State, Idaho,
and Idaho State, Hall said.
"This year has been frustrating," said Hall " We've
had some games where we just couldn't finish the game
out."
Both Johnson and Hall said that during this season
the team has lost a lead late in the game several times.
"The low point of the season had to be blowing
an 11 run lead to Boise late in the game," said
Johnson. "If we could have won that game we would
have won the series and could be in second place."
Being in second is important because the top two conference
teams go to playoffs.
Despite some of the frustration and the time commitment,
both players agreed that playing for the team has been
a rewarding experience. Both mentioned being with their
teammates as the main reason for being a part of the
team.
"Road trips are by far the greatest thing, no
girls just the fellas playing baseball," said Hall.
Johnson said that on all the past teams he has played
for there has always been a "guy or two" whom
he didn't really care for, but his experience with his
USU teammates has been different. "We all have
to pay our own way, so I know that everyone on the team
wants to be here and wants to compete, I honestly love
everyone that I play with," said Johnson.
Because USU baseball team is a school club none of
the players are on scholarship and the amount of funding
the team receives from the school is limited. Hall said
that each player pays $250 in fees each year. Johnson
added that, in addition to those fees, each player is
responsible for their own food and transportation on
each of the team's road trips.
Hall said that the team plays its home games at LeGrand
Johnson Field in Providence and a schedule is available
on the teams website. The team currently has 11 players
and would like up to 15 Hall said.
If you are interested in donating, following or joining
the USU baseball team visit www.usubaseball.com or contact
coach Bret Al-Imari at 435-757-0160.
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