Off-Topic Forum

...if you're a fan of college baseball, season opens tomorrow (Friday) with 141 games. Of course, being college baseball in February, I figure about 80 of those will be postponed or cancelled due to weather.  If the south is getting the rain we got in the north, there may be a lot of unplanned double headers on Saturday and Sunday.

Does anyone else besides me go to college baseball?  I know at least one or two of you used to play college baseball.  It will be another month before any teams in my area have home games.  And there aren't a ton of new teams (for me) coming to the three nearby schools for weekend series this year.

I will add, the teams I go watch are Eastern Illinois, Indiana State, and Illinois.  Of the three, only Sycamores charge admission to games.

I go to a whole bunch of Coppin State games, less than a mile from my house and free admission. Weekday games start at 3, so I can walk from the bus to the games. I also usually go to a few UMBC and Maryland games (MD only charges for weekend games, but you pay to park.)

They use metal bats in college correct?  That's why I could never get into it.  I took stats for high school baseball but stopped after about a year or so for much of the same reason.  Its just something about metal bats hitting the ball that makes it wrong to me.  I would love to catch a wooden bat summer league sometime, but never looked how close any teams are to me.  I think the closest one is in Hannibal which isn't very close.

I went a few times when I was in college. The local stadium here hosts an annual game between Marist and Army that we try to go to each year (depending on the weather). We cheer good plays made by both sides, but root for Army because they don't recruit athletes for the sports programs. (We have also been over to West Point for football, basketball, and hockey games.)

I'll watch any level of baseball. One day, my son (when he was like 3 or 4) and I were driving past the stadium and saw that there were people playing. So we looped back around and went in. No admission. We grabbed a couple seats and realized were had crashed a high school game. There were only a couple innings left. It was fun.

I like the sound of metal bats. It brings back memories of playing as a kid. In high school, sometimes during practice I would just stop and listen to the sounds of the bats striking the ball. Reminds me of spring.....which is pretty exciting in Minnnesota.

Hannibal's Prospect League team (now known as the Hoots) is starting up again this summer after not having a team last season. If you ever make it up this way, let me know; if it's before I move I'll meet up with you for a game.

My former teammates opened up two weeks ago in Dallas (NAIA opens up a lot earlier than NCAA) and are currently down in Springdale, Arkansas where they played a triple header yesterday trying to outrun the weather.

Probably because I was always playing during college baseball season, but I've only been to two college baseball games: Notre Dame-Western Michigan in South Bend when I was in high school, and Arizona-Utah down in Tucson a few years back when our college team traveled down for Spring Break. 

However, I watch the CWS every summer. I'll watch anyone play on television when it's baseball; I don't care the level or the teams. Maybe now that playing days are over with I'll have some time to catch a few more games.

 I go to Monmouth U and Rider U games.    My former neighbor's son pitches for Monmouth so I go to see him and visit with his family.   About 100 mile rount trip to Monmouth for me, only 40 to Rider.   I go to the Rider games when Monmouth is visiting.