NMSU Aggies vs Chicago State Cougars Baseball 3-26-16

Ah, another beautiful day here in the desert Southwest.  I’m not gonna lie.  If the weather hadn’t been so amicable this spring, I wouldn’t be going to all these games.  It seems almost criminal to stay inside on the weekends this March.  While we’re being spoiled, I’m going to enjoy it.  It was fairly warm and sunny, but occasional gusts of cold wind would get your attention.  The wind increased during the game, but wasn’t a factor for the most part.    

After three Aggie Softball losses last weekend, I needed a win in the worst way.  Today’s game for the baseball team was a conference match, and with big wins on Thursday and Friday, the Aggies were going for a sweep against Chicago State.  As a pulled into the complex parking lot and drove past the softball stadium, I saw softball pitcher Kayla Green outside and in uniform.  The team was there practicing while the boys were playing.  I could catch glimpses of activity through the tree screen between the stadiums.  I admit that I was kind of hoping that they’d put in an appearance at the game after practice, but I didn’t see them.

This rare Saturday rubber game was scheduled to give everyone Easter off.  As such, the Easter Bunny himself was in attendance.  EB was everywhere.  He (well, it was a big pink bunny and it’s difficult to say anything about the person inside, but we’re going with the male pronoun anyway) was greeting fans at the entrance.  He was dancing in the Aggie dugout.  He was throwing out the first pitch, not well, but I doubt anyone would throw a strike in that outfit.  He was working the aisles during the game.  He had a dance party with the kids in the sixth.  That big, furry costume must have been murder on the occupant in the heat, though at other times when a blast cold wind blew through, it seemed like a very practical fashion choice.

The crowd filled out nicely as the game started, with an announced attendance over 500.  There were several families with kids.  Plenty of good-looking young women were there as usual, including some I’d noticed before.  They must be attached to the players somehow.  Some majestic blondes were seated in the Visitors section, but I think they were Aggie fans.  There was a very attractive Punk/Goth-ish girl who, perhaps somewhat strangely, was carrying a large Victoria’s Secret handbag.  (My heart really wasn’t into the girl-watching today, regardless of the attendance, so I don’t have much to say here.)    

I was initially seated behind home plate.  In front of me were a mom and a little girl with a pink glove and a fellow in a wheelchair with a cowboy hat.  He had a professional scorebook and was using ink.  There was also a single crimson seat which I assume had some significance.  Myself and a mother with two kids next to me were also evicted from said seats in the second.  Oops, they were reserved for season ticket holders.  I had never even noticed there were actual seat numbers printed on the ticket until today.  (I doubt anybody else has either.)  No problem.  There were plenty of other seats.  This turned out to be a good move.  I was in the sun and getting cooked where I was, so I found the shade.             

Adam Young was out sick for the radio broadcast.  Sorry I wasn’t able to hear him, but the veteran voice of Jeff Matthews, who’d done the game in El Paso, was there.  William Peck was name I heard as the analyst, who’d chip in with some comments.  The PA and the radio gave out different Aggie lineups pregame, and I chose the wrong one to initially list on my scorecard.  Lucky I decided to use pencil this time.  (Also lucky that the game was tidy enough that I could actually fill out the whole thing for a change.)    

I noticed Chicago State’s road uniforms were a virtual copy of the Chicago White Sox’s.  They must be from the South side of town.  The broadcast said they’d spent all but two games this season on the road.  Much like Maine, bad early spring weather at home had them out on the road a lot every year.  They also seemed undermanned.  Once, while they were in the field, I looked into their dugout and only saw a couple players and some coaches on the rail.  Maybe the rest were sitting on the bench?  They were mostly quiet during the game in any case.

Finally, for the anthem, I noticed the flag was at half-mast.  I guess this was for the massacre in Belgium.  It feels like the flag has been displayed at half-mast every other week this year.  Also in attendance were some low-flying birds checking out the game in the early innings.  I kept waiting for a Randy Johnson-esqe bird explosion in front of home plate, but the birds had apparently seen that highlight and stayed away.  Play ball!

#24 Marcel Renteria started the game for the Aggies on the mound.  Throwing in the low 90’s, the broadcast mentioned that he lead the conference in strikeouts looking, which he did on cue to the first batter.  He had his own little cheering section encouraging him in Spanish.  Renteria had a pretty good game, scattering a handful of hits over his six innings with seven strikeouts.  Of the two runs allowed, one was on a delayed steal of home.  The other was an error caused by the old fake-to-third-throw-to-first move where the throw accidentally sailed over the head of the 6’5” first baseman.  This move is not only a balk in the MLB, but it never works and is a waste of everyone’s time.  Please NCAA, make this move illegal. 

In the bottom of the first, #7 Daniel Johnson scored the game’s first run by getting a single, stealing second, stealing third on a double steal, and finally scoring on a wild pitch.  The Cougars would tie the score in the second with a delayed double steal of home.  They threatened again in the fourth with the bases loaded, but a double play started by #4 Brent Sakurai ended the inning.  He must do those turnaround jump throws often in practice for the shortstop to be that ready for them.  #18 Greg Popylisen drove in #33 Joe Koerper in the bottom of the frame to put the Aggies back up, but the afore mentioned bad pickoff throw allowed Chicago State to tie the score again.      

In the fifth, DJ just cleared the right centerfield wall for a line drive home run, probably into the wind, to put the Aggies up for good for the day.  While it was just one run, it felt bigger.  In the sixth, #22 Austin Botello hit one off the batter’s eye for a triple.  Any place else in the outfield, it would have been a home run.  He was digging for an inside-the-park home run anyway, but held at third.  That was a good move, as the Aggies would then hit three doubles and drive in three runs.   #10 Trey Stine’s RBI double was bit of a gift, as the Cougar left fielder lost his fly ball in some combination of wind and sun and it landed nowhere near him.  In the seventh, the Aggies would load the bases off of the reliever.  (His identity is still in question. #50 Ortega was announced but wasn’t on the program, but the broadcasters identified him as #20 Arteaga, in spite of his shirt number).  He’d unload two of the bases off of wild pitches, pretty much putting the game away.  The Easter Bunny was up front trying to clap for the rally, but his furry paws muffled the sound (which was as funny to watch as it sounds). 

#30 Tyler Erwin came in in the seventh with two on and finished out the game without allowing a run.  He also had a cheering section of several attractive young women in the home section.  I assume he’s pretty popular.  For the eighth, the Cougars moved the right fielder #44 Zach Thomas to the mound to pitch.  Like I said, they seemed shorthanded, but the broadcasters said he’d pitched before.  His first warm up pitch took out the backup catcher, but Thomas worked a quick inning.   Final score 8-2 Aggies in a crisp two hours and 45 minutes.

The umps must have done a decent job, as the complaints were generally few.  “Come on Blue!  Put some thought into it!” was the loudest comment.  There was an Easter egg hunt in the outfield after the game, but I’d gotten hungry and didn’t stay to watch the surely amusing merriment.  Parents and kids milled around the “kiss and cry” area waiting to get on field.  A very quiet Chicago State team unfortunately had to leave the stadium out the front gate for some reason, going through that crowd.  I genuinely felt bad for them.  They’d had long three days in Las Cruces. 

My players of the game are #24 Marcel Renteria for his starting pitching, #7 Daniel Johnson for going three for four with two runs scored and an RBI from a home run, and #4 Brent Sakurai for two great defensive plays.  I may be being dragged to see Batman vs. Superman Sunday, but I have a feeling this game will beat it in entertainment value.  (I’ve got two movie passes.  We could probably see Deadpool for free instead.  Damn it!)