Springtime means baseball for Club Sports
■Games begin this month,
offering baseball fans a slice
of the American-pie pastime
Peter Martini
for the Emerald
As spring approaches, so does
baseball season. With profession
al players in spring training, the
University team gears up for an
other season of Club Sports base
ball.
The Ducks are coming off their
first winning season since 1993, as
they finished 6-5 last season under
coach Rich Faye. The student-run
team, coordinated by Regan
Schaller, a senior psychology ma
jor, is entering this season with a
new coach.
We are just a bunch of
guys who want to keep
playing baseball.
Kurt Langworthy
student coach,
club baseball
Kurt Langworthy has taken
over as coach after spending last
season as the pitching coach.
Langworthy, a senior biology ma
jor, said he believes this group
can complete another winning
season with the players added to
the roster.
“I’m excited about this season
because we have more left-hand
ed pitching,” Langworthy said.
The club sports baseball team
is the only option for baseball
fans in Eugene during the school
year.
The University is the only Pac
10 school that no longer has a Di
vision I baseball team. The ath
letic department dropped the
baseball team as well as men’s
and women’s gymnastics in 1981
due to a debt of more than
$450,000.
After choosing to drop gymnas
tics, the athletic department,
forced by the restrictions of Title
IX, had a choice to drop either
baseball or wrestling. They chose
to drop baseball.
One factor in the decision of
keeping wrestling over baseball
was the popularity of wrestling in
Oregon. Another was that
wrestling competes indoors at
McArthur Court, and baseball was
played outdoors at Howe Field
where the weather often forced
cancellations.
Senior Associate Athletic Di
rector Sandy Walton said the de
cision to drop the baseball team
was unpopular with the Eugene
community. The athletic depart
ment gave the community a
chance to raise money to save the
team, but they were unable to
raise enough.
Walton, who has been with the
department since 1978, said
every year in March there is talk
from the community about bring
ing Division I baseball back to
the university. But because of the
lack of funds and a facility to
play there has been no serious
talk within the athletic depart
ment.
Some in the community feel
the University should drop track
and field because of the decline
in ticket sales and popularity
over the last 10 years, but Walton
emphasized that this is not an
option.
“Because of the tradition, track
and field is safe,” Walton said.
During the summer, local fans
support the Eugene Emeralds.
The Emeralds are one of four half
season minor league baseball
teams in Oregon. Major League
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig
is making efforts to improve base
ball, including a possible salary
cap and possibly moving teams to
new cities.
According to a recent article in
The Oregonian, the Portland area
is the 22nd largest market in the
country, putting Portland near the
top of a list should Selig force a
team to move.
Langworthy said the team
draws pretty good crowds during
tournaments played at the Emer
alds’ Civic Stadium, but when
©TARGET
Train i n g
&FITNESS
The Training and Fitness Challenge is a one day CROSS
TRAINING competition open to all students. There will
be two divisions - Men's and Women's. Each team will
consist of 2 competitors who will compete in 5 events
to win a trip to the National Championships in Los
Angeles. All participants compete in these events:
Climbing Wall Competition
Who can make it to the top
in the fastest time?
SAC Obstacle Coarse
Your Speed, Agility, Quickness
are put to the test
fONRUN
Team relay (2 x 3/4 mi)
Basic Fitness (vents
Sit 'n reach, sit-ups, and more...
Team Tog 0’ War
Event Date: Saturday, April 21st
Cost: FREE! v
More Into: Drop by 102 Esslinger or call 346-4113
(All participants receive a FREE*
; T-shirt, product samples, and ;
( more. Champions will receive
an expense paid trip to
compete at the National
1 Championships in L.A.. Prize |
(package includes travel to and:
from nationals, 3 nights 1
(lodging, local transportation, (
| and a team adventure day. (
Laura Smit Emerald
Micah Bodner, who plays on the University baseball team, gears up with the other players for the upcoming baseball season. The
student-run team, coached by Kurt Langworthy, will compete against other college teams in the Northwest starting March 10.
they play at high schools, the
crowds are a little slim. Langwor
thy said he thinks Eugene could
support a Division I baseball
team, however.
“If we had our own field, the
University could support one
[Division I team],” Langworthy
said. Until this happens, Eu
gene’s only baseball choice be
fore the summer is the club
sports baseball team.
The team is run by students
and funded by students. Univer
sity students try out in the fall
and raise funds until the season
begins in March. No player on
the team is an athlete from a Di
vision I sport at the University,
and the coaches on the team do
not recruit players from high
school.
“We are at about an all-state
high-school level,” Langworthy
said. The team plays other col
lege club sports teams in the
Northwest.
Oregon opens its season in the
Sunnyside tournament on March
10 and 11 in Yakima, Wash. East
ern Washington, Montana and Ida
ho State will also participate in the
tournament. The Ducks will play
Humbolt State on March 17 and 18
at Marist High School. They also
host Western Washington, Hum
bolt State and Weber State in a
tournament April 7 and 8 at Civic
Stadium.
“We are just a bunch of guys
who want to keep playing base
ball,” Langworthy said.
Visit one o f Oregons premier wineries
right in Eugenes backyard...
Located just 15 miles from
Eugene, Hinman Vineyards
Silvan Ridge will provide the
perfect setting for a perfect day.
We invite you to visit our
newly remodeled facilities and
sample our award winning wines
Tours, Tasting, Special Events and Gifts
Featuring artwork from
The Grassroots Gallery
through the end of March!
Open daily from noon to 5pm
We look forward to seeing you soon!
27012 Briggs Hill Road
Eugene, OR 97405
(541) 345-1945
www. sil vanridge .com
011317
HINMAN
VINEYARDS /&&&