NMSU Aggies vs Sacramento State Hornets Baseball 4-30-16

Today was the “Stuff the Skew” promotion.  $2 tickets were actively sold to the community before the game.  Our business bought 250 of them.  Including ourselves, I saw five employees at the game.  I hope at least some of the remaining tickets got used by somebody.  The official attendance was 810.  I still don’t know how they count that.  It wasn’t stuffed, but there was a really good and interesting crowd present for the game.  (I talk about the crowd, because more than other sports, they are a part of the game in baseball.)  This weekend in Las Cruces also featured a Country music festival downtown (I love you, Bri Bagwell!).  On the road to the stadium, there were signs to a rodeo also taking place on campus.  At the stadium, Ron and I found the street blocked.  Across from the game was the “Convoy of Hope” fair.  I think they were handing out food, but there was also stuff for the kids and they put on a concert, which we could easily hear at the ballpark.  It was a busy weekend in town. 

As usual, there were many attractive young women present (including a co-worker).  Actually, there were even more than usual today, so the promotion worked great as far as Ron and I were concerned.  A couple of NMSU volleyball players were present, also lovely.  The regular “fashionable” girl was there, but disturbingly dressed in the other team’s colors.  Meanwhile, Ron’s nemesis from the softball field, the old man wearing two hats, was there cheering louder and more obnoxiously than anyone.  There was also a large hawk circling the stadium during the game.  I wonder if it’s the same bird that’s been attacking people around campus.  It’s nesting there, but it’s a federally protected bird so they won’t do anything about it.  Well thankfully, he wasn’t a baseball fan and didn’t stick around. 

There were plenty of kids.  One little one was in full military fatigues, complete with a helmet.  Don’t know where he was going after the game.  Another little boy was a full-on, serious cowboy.  He had a number on the back of his vest, so he was probably competing in the rodeo.  A group of Little Leaguers occupied the pavilion next to left field.  I wonder if groups can rent that out.  Sac State also brought a kid with them as their bat boy. 

 

Broadcaster Adam Young, hustling out of the press box before the game, stopped by us for a second and said, “Hi” and told us that there wasn’t any radio today, since they were doing a TV broadcast.  (Just as well, I discovered my little radio wasn’t charged and was dead.)  Wow!  Me and Ron are now officially regulars at the ballpark.  I wish there had been radio.  The team’s usual pre-game ritual, now seemed to involve venerating a pineapple.  This demands an explanation.  I dubbed it the “Rally Pineapple,” which Ron found rather amusing. 

The large crowd was fairly into the game.  The PA called out “audience participation time” in the 8^th while playing Sweet Caroline.  They dropped out the sound during part of the chorus, and the audience chipped in a loud “Bum Bum Bum!”  That was fun, but that’s really a Boston Red Sox tradition.  Anybody else doing it is just carpet bagging.       

 

I had a moment of friend infidelity.  A guy behind me and Ron was talking knowledgeable baseball the whole time.  He was talking MLB, Aggie baseball, and even Aggie softball.  I briefly considered trying to work a trade with whoever he was talking to for Ron.  Well, good thing I didn’t.  Ron bought pizza afterward, so I think I got the better of the deal sticking with him.  (We went to Zia Pizza.  They changed their crust.  It’s really good, crispy, but chewy.  Highly recommended.  It was so good, we overate and got bellyaches.  Show some restraint.)     

Throwing out the first pitch today was NMSU’s new basketball coach, Paul Weir.  Him and his little son were warming up with the players before taking the mound.  He’s taking over a pretty good program.  Men’s basketball is the only local team that really matters in Las Cruces as he’s about to find out.  Not SEC football-like pressure, but failure will not be tolerated.  Oh, and this opening pitch was brought to you by Ron and mine’s rival bank.  Our bank president was invited to throw out a pitch next week, but turned it down.  Maybe he didn’t want to be sponsored by them either.        

I felt reasonably good about the Aggies’ chances going into the game.  They had won Friday night 14-4 in a run-rule shortened game.  #38 Kyle Bradish worked into some trouble in the first as an opening single ended up at 3^rd after a bad throw from the outfield.  A couple of hits brought in a run, but a double play ended the inning.  Aggie scoring started in the 3^rd as #7 Daniel Johnson hit a two-run homer, getting the Aggie dugout cheering.  #44 Dan Hetzel drove in another to put the Aggies up 3-1. 

The Hornets tacked on a solo home run the next inning to tighten up the score.  In the bottom of the inning, Johnson would double in another run, making it 4-2 Aggies.  The 6^th was decisive.  In the top of the frame, Bradish hit a batter and the ball ricocheted into his face.  I don’t know if there’s any history there, but there was no reason for it to have been intentional otherwise.  The batter and the dugouts got chippy and the finally the ump issued a warning to both teams about retaliation.  In the bottom of the inning, #25 Mason Fishback lead off with a home run that I lost track of that might have gone over the scoreboard.  That one got a gasp from the crowd.  Johnson doubled in another run.  I feel like I just wrote that earlier in this paragraph.  It must have been déjà vu for the Hornets too.  6-2 Aggies. 

        

After six innings, coach Brian Green, went Kansas City Royals and brought out three relievers to lock down the last three innings.  It worked well.  In the 8^th, the Little League team from the pavilion was standing at the rail behind home plate, cheering.  In the 9^th, the Aggie dugout was screaming as #27 Joe Galindo ended up striking out the side.  Your final is 6-2.  Aggies win. 

Here’s your stat of the game.  There were no walks issued today.  I had to recheck the scorecard, because I didn’t believe it when I noticed it.  No wonder the game only went 2 hours and 45 minutes and seemed to have great pace.  Let’s eliminate the walk to improve pace of play.  I’m talking to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Monday.  Seriously though, the players were all either putting the ball in play or striking out.  There were several errors today by both teams, but also several good plays.  The standout was #18 Greg Popylisen making a great jumping catch at the wall in the 3rd.  Bradish also fielded his position well in the 5^th, catching a liner, then doubling off a runner at first.  He came out of that inning fired up.      

Can there be any doubt for the player of the game?  #7 Daniel Johnson only went 4 for 5 with 4 RBI’s, including a 2-run homer.  We only have three questions about DJ.  What can we do about his hair?  (Orange Mohawk?)  What can we do about his walk-up music?  (Seriously, the PA played the Beastie Boys’ Fight for Your Right to Party from the 80’s one inning, and it sounded like an opera aria compared to the rap music the players are using.)  And finally, why did Sac State keep pitching to him?  Really, you might to pitch around him with guys on base.  Johnson also had the play of the game, though it didn’t occur on field.  After the game, the Little League players rushed to the fan area next to the Aggie dugout yelling “DJ!  DJ!”  All smiles, Johnson appeared and started signing autographs.  Shoot, I wanted an autograph after that performance.  This is what’s great about baseball.  It brings out the little kid in everybody.