New team, new attitude
Duck baseball
is gone,- some
players play on
By Paul Daniar
Of Emerald
With two outs and two men on
base, Dean Hummel steps into
the batters' box. He drills the
first pitch deep to center, scor
ing what proves to be the win
ning run, salvaging a double
header split for the home team.
The scene described above
might have been played out at
Howe Field this spring But when
Oregon last year decided that the
national pastime's time had
passed. Hummel and his Duck
teammates were forced to look for
different places to play
For Hummel and four other ex
Ducks, the new place is Portland
State University, where the Vik
ings are making their first foray
into the newfangled Pacific 10
Conference Hummel’s heroics
came several weeks ago as PSU
split a double-header with Lin
field
Joining Hummel on the trek
north were Eric Austed, Dan King,
Bill Gwmn and Steve Crumm
Only Austed did not see action
against Linfield King got his arm
loosened up in the first game,
coming on in relief as the Viks lost
10-5
In the second game, the
transfers displayed the kind of
power that makes PSU coach
Jack Dunn pleased with his new
additions
Along with his seventh inning
smash, Hummel drilled a shot to
score a run in the first inning
Gwmn collected a double down
the line, one of three hits on his
second day back from a broken
wrist
r
But it was Crumm who really
displayed his power, crushing the
first pitch of the third inning and
driving it over the right-center field
wall to give the Viks their first lead.
"One obvious way they have
helped us is that they supply us
with more power,” said Dunn of
the contributions the ex-Ducks
have made to his program
Unfortunately for Dunn, the
numbers don’t back up his claim,
which is part of the reason the
Viks have struggled in the early
going of the Pac-10 season.
Other than his two home runs,
Crumm had turned downright
crummy at the ptate through the
middle of April, hitting at a .184
clip through 27 games
The numbers are no better for
Hummel, who is the first to admit
he is happier throwing baseballs
than trying to hit them In 22 at
bats the pitcher-outfielder had
collected just four hits, good
enough for a 182 average.
"Crumm is such an outstand
ing hitter that he was putting
pressure on himself to come
through for us,” Dunn said of
Crumm's slow start at the plate
While Dunn continues to
believe that Hummel can help at
the plate, he rs really happy to
have Gwinn back in the fold
Although he had played in just
12 games through the middle of
April after breaking his wrist when
hit by a pitch in the first game of
the season, Gwinn was hitting
400 Last week against the rival
University of Portland Pilots,
Gwinn knocked in the winning run
in the first game and scored the
winning run in the second
contest, as the Viks pulled off their
first sweep in league play
The renovation of Portland's
Civic Stadium left the Viks without
a place to practice this spring, the
only major problem which has
thrown a kink into the transition to
PSU for the ex-Ducks
“It's hard to compare/' Austed
said of the change tp PSU. "It's
hard to do anything without a
field Practicing in a gym makes it
hard to do anything.”
But even without adequate
practice facilities the ex-Ducks
are generally happy with their
situation at PSU.
“It's nice not to have the ax
hanging over out heads," said
King, referring to the pressure at
Oregon last season when the
program was on the chopping
block.
Besides being able to relax and
play ball, the players all agree that
with three coaches as opposed to
the one they had at Oregon, the
Vik program is more organized
and more serious than the Duck
program was.
“This team is a lot more orga
nized," Gwinn said "We have a
lot more things to do here than we
did playing for Oregon.”
“I’m learning a lot more
baseball here," Hummel said.
"The whole situation is much
more relaxed, probably because
we have three coaches as op
posed to one ”
Despite their shaky start, the
ex-Ducks expressed confidence
in their new team’s ability to
compete in the Pac-10. "We're
strong all around, ” Hummel said,
"Sure we can compete ”
“We have a lot of good players,
a good team and a good coach.
It's a lot of fun," added King.
Gwinn echoed King's comment
with a message to the baseball
players he left behind. “Say hi to
all of the ex-Ducks. I wish they
were here, they don’t know what
they're missing.”
Neither do the former Howe
Field fans.
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Cultural Forum and
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presents an evening with
PAUL WINTER
WED. MAY 5, 8P.M.
EMU BALLROOM
*550 U of O Students *6*° General public
Tickets available at EMli Mam Desk, Everybody’s Records in Eugene and Corvallis
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Open 10-6 Mon thru Sat
446 E 13th St
Next to Bijou Theater
342-8339
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