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It would be safe to say that I had this weekend circled on the calendar for a long time. The second of my Powerhouse Weekends was going to be the most dense concentration of raw college talent I'll probably ever see. It started last weekend over in Irvine, but it culminated with a whirlwind weekend of three games in two days. I'm worn out, exhausted, sweaty, and tired to boot, but it was incredible to be a part of such a scheduling wonder.
The first day, Saturday, would eventually see me end up in Fullerton to see Cal State Fullerton play host to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. However, considering I was going to be in Orange County with my car, a trip to Newport Beach was required. So, in addition to my Baseball Road Trip bag, I threw my bodyboard and beach stuff into the trunk and set off to the sand.
With the weather being in the high-70's and low-80's, it was great beach weather. The water was a little cold for my liking, but I still managed to get some good sets in. The swells were around 3-4 feet, but I needed to have those small waves to brush off the cobwebs of a long winter. I forgot just how exhilarating bodyboarding is and I cannot wait for the real beach season to begin this summer. Looking at the schedule for the summer, if there is a day during the weekend I'm not going to a baseball game, I'm probably going to the beach.
Looking back on it, do all of you remember a few years ago when I tried to paddleboard in Newport? It was an awful experience, and I never thought that I'd be combining Newport Beach and Baseball Road Trips again. Well, lo an behold, here I am making it a point to hit the beach before baseball games. The irony is almost humorous.
After a quick bite to eat and a beer at the Newport Brewing Company, I jumped back in the car and headed out on the 55 freeway up into Fullerton to see the Titans of Cal State Fullerton play the number-seven ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. This was the first of my powerhouse games for the weekend as Texas Tech went to the College World Series last year, and was expected to make a run for the Big-12 title again this year. Cal State Fullerton, in addition, is always a perennial National Championship contender and, after the weekend, broke into the Top-25 themselves. Both these teams have had recent successes, and seeing them square-off was definitely a sight to see.
I had been to Goodwin Field last year for a game, and I wasn't very impressed. Last year, hardly anybody showed for the game, and I froze my butt off. However, for this game, the place was packed and entire sections down the baseline were full. I had the opportunity to sit next to a couple that I had traveled to Orange County for the weekend series from Lubbock. Talking with them was a lot more enjoyable than the characters I met the weekend before in Irvine that were from Knoxville. This is why going to college games are so unique, especially early in the season, when these high-profile teams come to Southern California. You get great crowds and the visiting fans are always very interesting.
Cal State Fullerton scored some unearned runs off Red Raider miscues and knocked-off Texas Tech 3-2.
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Then came Sunday. The long-planned Dodgertown Classic up at Chavez Ravine gave me a doubleheader of powerhouse action as the first game featured the defending National Champion Vanderbilt Commodores against the fifth-ranked TCU Horned Frogs. The second game was a crosstown matchup of ranked teams as sixth-ranked UCLA played host to twenty-fifth ranked USC.
Six hours of baseball at Dodger Stadium was no joke. Because it was a college game, all seats were on the field level, so I didn't have the advantage of the roof that I do up in the nose-bleeds. It was hot and cramped, but, especially in the first game, seeing probably the two of the best teams in all of college baseball was pretty fascinating. The second game was kind of a downer because all of the hometown fans came and really became obnoxious. However, it was an experience unlike any other.
I was really excited for that first game. Being a Duck fan, both USC and UCLA can bite me, but seeing the defending National Champions play an up-and-coming College World Series team from the Big-12? Yeah, the baseball fan in me was all about that. Going back on my memories, I don't think I have seen a competitive game with as highly ranked of any teams, professional or amateur, in all my baseball history. Sure, I've seen some good games, and I've seen some good teams, but #1 versus #5? That is unprecedented for me.
Vanderbilt jumped out to an early lead over the Horned Frogs, but TCU got some timely hitting in the middle innings to pull off the upset of the Commodores 5-2. After the win, TCU jumped up to #1 in the rankings themselves. I think the coolest thing about that game was that I got to sit on the field level for the game, meaning I was so close to the action. In addition, aside from the smattering of Vanderbilt and TCU fans, there were real baseball fans there that came to the park to see some good baseball played. I could tell because I saw the caps of probably twenty different professional teams, both Major and Minor League, telling me that there was sophistication in the crowd. I can respect that.
There was about a ninety-minute break between the doubleheaders, so I went and got a Dodger Dog and something to drink. During this time, the USC and UCLA fans really started to trickle in to Dodger Stadium, and the real baseball fans were squeezed out. I found myself surrounded by the USC Marching Band and the remnants of what felt like Rush Week at the USC fraternities and sororities. Loud, obnoxious, and probably drunk college kids surrounded me and became so irritating to me that I couldn't stand it. I left in the sixth inning of the USC-UCLA game.
My folks are coming in to town this weekend, and I am so excited to show them a very big part of my life from last summer. My Mom entered the Catalina Island 10K, so I'll be heading back to Avalon for a day on one of my favorite places of all-time. Catalina is so special, and I am looking forward to spending the day with them and having them see what I loved so much about that place. I think that a trip to the old stomping grounds of the Cubs is definitely in order ;)
After a quick bite to eat and a beer at the Newport Brewing Company, I jumped back in the car and headed out on the 55 freeway up into Fullerton to see the Titans of Cal State Fullerton play the number-seven ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. This was the first of my powerhouse games for the weekend as Texas Tech went to the College World Series last year, and was expected to make a run for the Big-12 title again this year. Cal State Fullerton, in addition, is always a perennial National Championship contender and, after the weekend, broke into the Top-25 themselves. Both these teams have had recent successes, and seeing them square-off was definitely a sight to see.
Cal State Fullerton scored some unearned runs off Red Raider miscues and knocked-off Texas Tech 3-2.
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Then came Sunday. The long-planned Dodgertown Classic up at Chavez Ravine gave me a doubleheader of powerhouse action as the first game featured the defending National Champion Vanderbilt Commodores against the fifth-ranked TCU Horned Frogs. The second game was a crosstown matchup of ranked teams as sixth-ranked UCLA played host to twenty-fifth ranked USC.
I was really excited for that first game. Being a Duck fan, both USC and UCLA can bite me, but seeing the defending National Champions play an up-and-coming College World Series team from the Big-12? Yeah, the baseball fan in me was all about that. Going back on my memories, I don't think I have seen a competitive game with as highly ranked of any teams, professional or amateur, in all my baseball history. Sure, I've seen some good games, and I've seen some good teams, but #1 versus #5? That is unprecedented for me.
Vanderbilt jumped out to an early lead over the Horned Frogs, but TCU got some timely hitting in the middle innings to pull off the upset of the Commodores 5-2. After the win, TCU jumped up to #1 in the rankings themselves. I think the coolest thing about that game was that I got to sit on the field level for the game, meaning I was so close to the action. In addition, aside from the smattering of Vanderbilt and TCU fans, there were real baseball fans there that came to the park to see some good baseball played. I could tell because I saw the caps of probably twenty different professional teams, both Major and Minor League, telling me that there was sophistication in the crowd. I can respect that.
There was about a ninety-minute break between the doubleheaders, so I went and got a Dodger Dog and something to drink. During this time, the USC and UCLA fans really started to trickle in to Dodger Stadium, and the real baseball fans were squeezed out. I found myself surrounded by the USC Marching Band and the remnants of what felt like Rush Week at the USC fraternities and sororities. Loud, obnoxious, and probably drunk college kids surrounded me and became so irritating to me that I couldn't stand it. I left in the sixth inning of the USC-UCLA game.
My folks are coming in to town this weekend, and I am so excited to show them a very big part of my life from last summer. My Mom entered the Catalina Island 10K, so I'll be heading back to Avalon for a day on one of my favorite places of all-time. Catalina is so special, and I am looking forward to spending the day with them and having them see what I loved so much about that place. I think that a trip to the old stomping grounds of the Cubs is definitely in order ;)
The next day, after dropping them off at the airport, I'm going to hit up Dockweiler State Beach for some beaching, then make my way to Page Stadium to see Loyola Maramount play host to Santa Clara.
Amazingly, the College Phase is coming to an end, and the Professional Phase is around the corner. Suffice to say, after a month of games, this has been an awesome experience, so far. I am so glad that I have gotten into this phase of the game as it has opened up so many new avenues of fandom for me. I find myself now looking at rankings and counting down to my next college baseball game.
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
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