NMSU Aggies vs Towson Tigers Baseball 2-20-16

It was the most perfect day for a baseball game ever.  The temperature was a pleasant 80 degrees with a light breeze.  Overhead, the light clouds thoughtfully covered the sun to keep everyone from getting burned.  The new infield turf looked beautiful.  The crowd was large and happy.  Here we are for a lazy Saturday afternoon at the ballpark for the opening season series for our New Mexico State Aggies.

It really was that idyllic.  You missed out if you weren’t there.  (Well, when the breeze shifted, there was a distinct whiff of manure.  It is an Aggie college after all.)  My boss was with me, as I’d invited him on Friday after continuously selling what a pleasant place the upgraded Presley Askew Field was to see a game.  He had to get a “hall pass” from his wife to get the afternoon off.  While we were there, he was sending her pictures of the field and scoring updates.  “Are you having to prove that you’re actually at the ballpark?” I asked.  “Yep,” he answered. 

The large parking lot for the baseball/softball complex was nearly full.  The softball complex was hosting a tournament at an overlapping time.  The baseball field features a canopy and is fortuitously placed to avoid the afternoon sun.  The softball field has neither of these features, so the crowd there was getting a face full of sun for probably the whole game.  I had a profound appreciation for the outfielders in this game.  I lost track of every fly ball in the partly cloudy sky.  At one point, a foul ball actually dropped in on the canopy and down into the crowd.  I don’t think anybody saw it until it hit in the stands. 

I’m not sure how big the softball crowd was, but I could hear them all the way from the baseball field.  At one point, through the tall pine trees behind the ballpark, I could clearly see a troop of fans wearing bright orange shirts moving through the softball stands, probably Oklahoma fans, who were the Aggies’ opponents.  In the sixth inning, we at the baseball park lost our PA announcer to that game, and we got a reliever.  I don’t know if there’s some precedence for the softball over the baseball or what.

The ticket for the baseball game was still $5 and for another $5 I had a coke and a hot dog (it was a wee bit soggy).  The boss had a big bowl of popcorn later in the game.  They were also selling beer at the stadium.  Unlike the softballgame from last week, the baseball team didn’t have any schedule posters, media guides, or scoring sheets out that I saw.  The bookstore had a table out selling shirts and other paraphernalia.  The boss needed an Aggie shirt, since this was his third sporting event for the college, but declined to look over their wares.  I already had my new shirt.

Well, they had the bunting out all over the stadium, since it was opening weekend for the team.  The new infield looked good for a synthetic surface.  The mound was still dirt, but around the bases, it was also turf, colored to look like dirt.  It didn’t seem to bother the players in the game, but they did have the same digging-in habits as though they were still on dirt.  I wonder what it was like to slide on.  There was a clear seam beyond the infield where it met the outfield grass.  I’d wondered if that would cause a problem.  Listening to the Sunday game on the radio, I found out, as one of the Aggie infielders fell down trying to throw to first.  Will it take an injury before somebody takes a second look at that seam?

I noticed immediately that the Aggie team seemed different from last year.  Perhaps I didn’t see them do it before, but the team gathered in a gang circle for an enthusiastic group cheer before the game.  During the game, they kept up a fairly constant chatter hanging on the rail and did quite a bit of celebrating in the dugout.  The Aggie softball team came to visit during the Sunday game.  I’ve wondered if the baseball team does the same and judging from what I saw, I think they do.  After a home run on Saturday, they almost all charged the plate like the softball team, but were correctly held back by the umpire.  For the college game, I’m okay with some exuberance, as long as you’re not holding up the game or showing up the other team.  For the pro’s (and the softball team), it’s a different standard of conduct.

The crowd for the ball game was good.  The boss thought it was about over half.  From the radio, the Sunday game was reported at 600+ and said to be a good crowd.  I have no idea how they calculate attendance.  Just paying patrons?  Students and other sports teams included?  How about the fans that came with the opposing team?  Towson, from Baltimore I understand, traveled pretty well, filling up much of the visitor’s section near their dugout.  They were easy to identify in their matching shirts.  The Aggie crowd was sometimes wearing crimson (including me), though much of the rest were wearing a mish-mash of team gear.  Surprisingly, the San Francisco Giants seemed best represented.  There were little kids in their little league uniforms.  Here on this warm sunny day the many young women in the crowd were in little shorts and tank tops.  The boss may have liked the ball game better than the Aggie basketball and football games.  He was often not watching the game.  (I was mostly busy screwing up my scorecard.)  Much of the crowd cleared out in the 7^th, with the game pretty much in hand.  The Towson section had to stay for the whole thing.  They had nowhere to go during a blowout. 

The crowd was a bit listless during the game, in spite of the game action.  We were sitting in front of the loudest Aggie fans, in particular one dedicated lady.  The campus fire department was also behind us.  They at least had the funniest jeers.  After one Aggie player seemingly got hit (which would have entitled him to first), but instead took a strike, one fireman shouted, “He just wants to get a hit,” which he ended up getting.  One of the Towson players had long, curly blonde hair in a short ponytail eliciting this response, “Hey #7, are you sponsored by Head & Shoulders?”

Pistol Pete was in attendance.  He tried to get the crowd to do the Macarena to no success.  Like I said, “listless.”  (Like I’m going to do the Macarena either, regardless of my admiration for the school mascot.)  A couple of the cheerleaders showed up and said “hi” to Pete.  I’ve seen these girls enough to where I think I could recognize them without their uniforms.  They were all actually at the game to help dedicate the new press box.  The benefactors of the stadium improvements were there and got a round of applause.       

 

On to the game itself.  The Aggies got out in front early.  The Tigers had some chances, but didn’t get them to pay off.  The fourth inning proved pivotal.  Aggie pitcher #24 Renteria may have tired as the Tigers began to consistently hit off him.  As I found out during the next day’s broadcast, a reliever wasn’t ready to come in.  He was going to get through it himself.  The Tigers cut the lead to one with the bases full when a double play ended the inning.  I was happy to be able to actually scribble on a scorecard a 1-2-3 DP, as the pitcher fielded a bouncer, threw to the catcher, who then threw to first baseman.  If I can ever record a triple play, my life will be complete.  

Then the bottom of the fourth happened.  Let’s look at my crappy scorecard and run down the events: ground out, fly out, single, single, walk, double, double, hit by pitch, double, (continued at the bottom of the page), home run, home run, fly out.  In sum, nine runs scored, all baserunners occurring after two outs.  The Aggies had batted around, thus completely destroying my scorecard.  The boss was amazed.  I’d seen more impressive hitting displays, but not many more.  Certainly taken altogether, this game was a very impressive offensive performance.  Final score 17-3 Aggies. 

The obvious standout was #7, centerfielder Daniel Johnson.  He had two home runs and wouldn’t have even made an out in the game if he hadn’t tried stretching a single into a double.  (But I’d say his worst decision was his orange Mohawk.)  He also had a great diving catch to end the eighth inning.  I’d also mention #11 shortstop LJ Hatch.  His bases clearing double in the fourth broke the game open.  #21 Koerper’s grand slam to center pretty much finished it.  Defensively, the Aggies had a couple of errors.  (In Sunday’s game they got sloppier.)  Last year’s walkup jams were also better, but it’s probably too late to do anything about that.  Renteria had a pretty gutty performance getting out of that fourth inning jam while still keeping the lead.  #21 Matt McHugh came in for the rest of the game and completely locked it down.      

After the game, I was pleased to see Adam Young still broadcasting the game, especially after how rough last year was.  I went up to the press box to say “hello,” and was surprised that he recognized me from last year when I’d come up to tell him I’d enjoyed his game call.  Adam was beaming.  Certainly Saturday’s convincing win, coming off a Friday win, would be bound to please someone who’d called the team going 0-11 to start the previous year.  Listening to the game the next day, Adam was joined this season with another commentator, Nolan Fox.  This is probably a good thing to help save some voices.  Tim Haggerty of the Chihuahuas losing his voice last year makes me wish they’d pair him up with someone.  

  

After the game, me and the boss went to Scholotzsky’s, across the street from the university.  We stayed there for a while, mostly by ourselves, but long enough that the Aggie softball game had let out.  A number of Aggie fans (and an Oklahoma fan) showed up to eat.  I’d come there myself after the games I went to last year.  Could this be one of the unofficial hangouts for Aggie fans?  Next door, there was once a Dairy Queen with awesome food and an Aggie room filled with memorabilia.  Currently, it’s an empty lot.  The whole building was leveled.  I miss the burgers and Blizzards, but the sandwiches and the Caravel ice cream are pretty good too.

The Sunday game completed the Aggie sweep.  They won 9-8 on a walkoff hit in the 9^th no less.  It was a pretty exciting game (even though I missed several innings watching the Daytona 500) as the lead changed hands a couple of times and the score stayed tight.  It probably would have been a better game to watch.  Maybe.  Saturday’s game was played in a crisp 2:45.  Sunday’s game was in 4 hours even, which might have been a bit uncomfortable to sit all the way through.  However, as I told the boss, “It’s never a bad day at the ballpark.”  Hey, I learned something during the game during the trivia contest.  Aggie baseball has been around for 65 years.