I was at the UT Pan American v. Grand Canyon game last night. Both are small D1 schools playing in the WAC. Total attendance on a drizzly night was a couple hundred, maybe. The attendance was swelled by a couple dozen GEAR-UP high school students and their chaperons. It was open admission, sit anywhere you like, and with so few fans in attendance, you could have your pick of site lines. The early drizzle played in favor of the hitters, it was 5-2 GCU after 2 innings. Then the drizzle stopped and the UTPA pitchers came around. The game ended 7-6 for UTPA.

 

I was thinking how much I just love to watch baseball. The teams are evenly matched. Friday's game ended in 10 with UTPA winning 2-1. There were some great plays in the outfield that major league players would have made look simple. But they still looked spectacular last night. There was a runner thrown out at second trying to steal. The ball and the runner arrived at about the same time. Yeah, MLB the runner would have been faster, the throw thrown with more velocity, but the result, bam-bam at second would have been the same.

 

No traffic jams. No lines at concessions. No lines at restrooms. No lines getting in. No lines. A few local kids on the squad (wait, it that Juan and Jasmine's son?), more players from around Texas, along with guys from Australia and the Bronx.

 

Now if they would just get rid of the "ping" of the bat and add beer when it gets warmer, I'd be content.

College baseball is great, but there's nobody at the University of Kansas level who can hit home runs anymore. There's no long ball.