Oregon daily emerald., June 01, 2005, Image 9

Sports
Oregon Daily Emerald
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
“I want to coach... I love this team. I think I’ve
said that 100 times. No one wants to write that. ”
Detroit Pistons head coach Larry Brown on rumors
that he may become Cleveland’s new team president
■ In my opinion
BRIAN SMITH
LEFTY SPECIALIST
A look back
at the highs
and lows of
a columnist
I’ve been thinking for a while now about how
to go out on top, in terms of column writing.
You see, this is it.
My last sports column.
And now that the thunderous applause and
jubilation has ceased, I’ve figured out how to
go out.
It’s exactly how I started way back in
September.
In my own curious, sometimes sappy and
mostly circuitous way.
I wish I would have pulled a Rulon Gardner
and left my pen and pad in the middle of
Mac Court.
I wish this column could have the fanfare that
Lou Gehrig had when he announced his
retirement in front of a sold-out Yankee Stadium.
I wish that I could have the audacity and
pride to announce that “I am the greatest sports
writer of all-time,” a la Rickey Henderson.
I wish that this announcement meant my
five-year waiting period started today, or that I
could go out on top with a Pulitzer Prize (the
Vince Lombardi trophy for journalists) in one
hand and a happy sports editor standing next to
me, being showered in confetti.
But instead I leave (I know, I know, wrap it
up already) with 20 or so columns that go from
foul line to foul line in terms of topics.
Oregon sports.
Baseball.
Hashing.
More baseball. Basketball. Sports and busi
ness. On and on.
In the end, I’m happy with about four of
them. The other ones just leave me scratching
my head wondering what would have hap
pened if I had started them earlier in the day and
with a solid base of knowledge about the topic I
was writing about.
I’ve let you in on some of the thoughts that
occur in the eloquently placed dome at the top
of the column and for that, I apologize.
I could use a cliche about learning, but I can’t
tell you how much of art education it is to re
ceive feedback from a person outside the coun
try who happened to stumble across some of
my work.
However, I don’t regret anything I have put
into print, including that disastrous Jose
Canseco column, which turned out to be my
thoughts on another sportswriter’s made-up
Canseco quotes. The moment you regret putting
anything into print is the moment you need to
step back and decide whether you want to con
tinue writing. I may not be in love with every
thing I have written — and in some cases, I
don’t even agree with what I said a month ago
— but I will not stray from anything I have put
under my byline.
The only thing I wish I would have done is
educated myself more about the men’s track
program. Only now I realize that I spent the last
ten weeks covering one of the most prestigious
programs in the country.
SMITH, page 10
■ Club Sports
I
Tim Bobosky | Photographer
Oregon’s Jonathan Loomis, seen here earlier this season, collected four of his team’s 14 total hits in Club baseball’s trip to the World Series in Florida The team was
bounced from the tournament after three games.
Baseball bows out of World Series
Oregon recorded only two runs in their final two games of the
tournament against Colorado State and Wisconsin Eau-Claire
BY LUKE ANDREWS
DAILY EMERALD FREELANCE REPORTER
Despite an opening round victory over
North Carolina State, the Oregon Club baseball
team was eliminated Saturday from the
National Club Baseball Association’s World
Series in Bradenton, Fla.
The Ducks finished the tournament with a
1-2 record.
“We all walked out of there with our heads
held high,” head coach Bradley Ficek said.
“(The tournament) was a great experience.”
Oregon, after defeating North Carolina State
3-1, was beaten 6-1 by the eventual champion
Colorado State Rams. Oregon then fell 8-1 in an
elimination game against Wisconsin Eau-Claire.
“I think we would have gone further in the
other bracket, but to be the best you have to
beat the best,” Ficek said. “We were fortunate
to have the opportunity to play against some
of the top teams.”
Against No. 1 Colorado State, Oregon fell
behind early 2-0 after a two-run home run in the
first inning. Oregon cut the lead in the third
inning after two Colorado State errors and a
Tfavis Chock single allowed Marcus Denney to
score. But the Rams posted four runs in the
bottom of the inning, opening a 6-1 lead, which
proved to be the final margin of victory.
“We made too many errors at inopportune
times,” Ficek said. “If we could have come up
with a clutch hit here or there, it would have
been a different story.”
Oregon was again punchless offensively
against Wisconsin Eau-Claire. After managing
an early 1 -0 lead after Adam Dexter scored on a
fielder’s choice, the Ducks were outscored 8-0 in
the final five innings. As a team, Oregon man
aged only three hits.
“We just ran up against a team that was
hungry and took advantage of opportunities,”
Ficek said.
Colorado State went on to beat Wisconsin
Eau-Claire and Illinois, giving the Rams their
second consecutive World Series title.
“They (CSU) are a great team and very well
coached,” Ficek said. “I think we played them
as well as anybody though. ”
For the Ducks, Jonathan Loomis and Marcus
Denney led the offensive charge. The pair
accounted for half of Oregon’s 14 hits in the
tournament. Loomis finished with a combined
4-9, and Denney went 3-9 with an RBI.
Though the season may have ended in dis
appointment, the future of Oregon baseball
looks encouraging. The Ducks return starters
TYavis Brown, Matt Oss, Jordan Denney and
Adam Dexter. Oregon will also have the
benefit of a deep and experienced pitching
staff next season.
The Ducks will return every pitcher who
pitched significant innings last season, includ
ing: Denney, Jay Tlougan, Tim Hegdahl, Greg
Wells, David Schott, Nicholas Hall, Jonathan
Jwayad, Tom O’Brien, Brent Sasser, Donald
Udell, Geoff Ziemer and Scott Sullivan.
Sullivan will return as the team’s ace after
producing an undefeated season including a
near-perfect game in the World Series opener
against North Carolina State. In all, the Ducks re
turn 24 players from a team that won both
league and regional titles.
“If we continue to work hard, I only see good
things for our program,” Ficek said. “Everyone is
so hungry and really excited. We are only going
up from here.”
Oregon, however, must part ways with much
of its offensive firepower with the departure of
Gavin Wahl-Stephens and Tfavis Chock. The
two finished tied with a team-leading four home
runs. Chock also led the team in hits, runs, RBIs
and stolen bases. In addition, the Ducks lose
Marcus Denney, who led the team in triples.
Other key losses include Tory Caputo,
Jerry Wahl-Stephens and catcher Loomis.
“We accomplished a lot of our goals this sea
son,” Ficek said. “We know what it takes now.”
IN BRIEF
Oregon State baseball team
enters playoffs as No. 8 seed
CORVALLIS — It was a busy holiday week
end for the Oregon State Beavers baseball
team, which landed the Pacific-10 Confer
ence title, an NCAA regional and the No. 8
seed among 64 teams in the postseason.
Next weekend, the Beavers will share Goss
Stadium at Coleman Field with Virginia, Ohio
State and St. John’s.
“They won the Pac-10 and if you look at
who they play, it is an outstanding league,”
Ohio State coach Bob Todd said in a statement.
“We know they are a good team and are excit
ed to be heading out there to play.”
The Beavers are led by outfielder Jacoby
Ellsbury, who is batting .415, and sophomore
right-hander Dallas Buck, who is 11-1 with a
1.93 ERA.
Ohio State’s appearance in the NCAA tourna
ment is the 17th in school history and the 11th
under Todd. Virginia is making its fifth NCAA
tournament appearance.
The winner of the weekend’s regional ad
vances to a Super Regional at a site to be de
termined. The eight winners will play in the
College World Series, which starts June 17 in
Omaha, Neb.
— The Associated Press