What Are We Doing to Athletes?

You know what really grinds my gears? I’ll tell you what really grinds my gears; people that try to make a quick buck at the expense of other people’s reputation. That who is you, journalists; sadly enough, I fall into this category. No need to worry; it’s not just a journalistic problem it’s a problem within this countries society, as well.

In the last five years or so, what have been the most dominant stories in sports? Answer: negative stories about the actions of athletes on and off of the playing field.

These stories included everything from the “Brawl” at the Palace in Detroit between the Pacers and fans to Michael Vick’s imprisonment for funding a dog-fighting ring to Vince Young and Ricky Williams going through difficult times mentally to Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg to, most recently, the problems that Tiger Woods is going through. These stories have dominated sports’ media.

Anyways, you guys get where I am going with this. The list of examples is endless and at the front of our minds. While these stories were going on, you couldn’t turn on ESPN or Fox Sports Net or a sports radio program without hearing about them.

I know you are all wondering: why are you talking about this, Nick? Well, the answer is simple. There are stories that go overlooked and under-reported everyday that include very uplifting and inspirational messages, not to mention, show that there are a vast amount of athletes that dedicate an enormous amount of time and energy into helping their communities. By no means am I saying that the afore mentioned stories are not newsworthy, because they are, but I think that we, as journalists, can show people another side of professional athletes that is a lot less depressing, and these are stories that society should want to hear about!

I know people are generally quite negative about Twitter, albeit unfair in my opinion, because people like Terrell Owens post tweets like “On this historic day 36 years ago, God blessed this world with a specimen like no other! I present to you, Terrell E. Owens!” Uh…that’s awesome!

However, I also stumbled upon Broncos’ linebacker, Elvis Dumervil’s, Twitter and saw something very uplifting and encouraging. Dumervil posted, “Got a couple things lined up today. First off, taking 400 kids shopping at Walmart for an early Christmas treat, have to take care of the kids.” Why don’t shows like Outside the Lines do specials like this instead of talking about the Mark Mangino scandal? During the holiday season, there are athletes all over the country from all types of sports that are reaching out to those in need, and people should be hearing about it. The people need to be hearing about it for two reasons. First, they should hear about it because people need to see that athletes do care about their communities. Second, if people see where these athletes are getting involved, they may also want to get involved with the same charities or organizations. This will ultimately increase the philanthropy in their communities.

I have a brilliant idea. Networks like ESPN should make a more concerted effort to stories like this. I can think of two different times of year that I know for sure that I can find such stories on ESPN. That is in the summer when they are teaming up with the Make A Wish Foundation and the beginning of December during “Jimmy V. Week.”

All I can say about the “My Wish” segments on ESPN is how they evoke such great emotion from their viewers; even the most stoic of people can’t help but get choked up about how happy these kids that are terminally ill or disabled get when their wishes come true. Athletes that have been involved with this segment have included people, among many others, such as Donovan McNabb, Chris Paul, David Wright, and Ben Roethlisberger. Quick poll: Who had heard that Roethlisberger had taken time to play video games and spend a day with a young man who was paralyzed in a tragic car accident and will never walk again? If I were a betting man, I would bet that there is a very small portion of the population that knew about this.

Fourteen year old Hakeem had his wish came true. He spent the day at the Pittsburgh Steelers practice, watching most of it from the sideline. However, he was in for a special treat; Roethlisberger brought Hakeem into practice to participate. After he got over the shock of the idea of being on the very same field as his idols, Hakeem positioned himself in his electric-wheel chair in the backfield behind Roethlisberger. The center snapped the ball to Big Ben who then placed the ball in Hakeem’s lap. Hakeem started through the hole the offensive line had created for him. With an ecstatic smile on his face, Hakeem continued towards the end zone with the Steelers’ defensive players diving to stop him, but it was to no avail for the defense. Hakeem scored a touchdown. His wish came true. The elation that this brought to Hakeem is not only indescribable, but it is also unmatchable. There is nothing greater or more rewarding in this world than being able to change someone’s life, especially a kid that has gone through such tough times.

Unfortunately, this isn’t what the general public knows about Roethlisberger. Instead, we know that he is an accomplished quarterback that has looming allegations involving a civil suit against him. The outcome of the civil case has not yet been settled, but it looks a lot like the Kobe Bryant case many years ago where there were relations which were consensual.

My point is this: there are people today that are trying to get rich, get ahead in their job, or get television ratings even if it is at the expense of someone else’s reputation. This really grinds my gears. It is morally unacceptable take advantage of someone for your own personal gain, and we should hold ourselves to the highest of standards in this regard. It is important to distinguish, however, that you don’t mistake taking advantage of someone and taking action against someone by whom you have actually been wronged. There is a huge difference.

Let’s move on to Jimmy V. Week. Fortunately, Jimmy Valvano has never been the subject of an ugly story that would ruin him in any way whatsoever. Valvano is a man that will forever be remembered for what a great person he was. The tragedy of his story is not what we know about him; the real tragedy is how many of us know about him and what he has accomplished as a man, as a coach, and as a foundation for cancer research. Yes, he himself is a foundation for cancer research. His name, ever since his death, is synonymous with cancer research.

Valvano was a collegiate basketball coach that had the greatest days of his coaching career at North Carolina State University. More important than his coaching career was his relentless love for those around him. He is a man that will always be remembered by those who knew him as a family man that would do anything for those he loved and even those he didn’t. He, along with the support of ESPN, started the V Foundation for Cancer Research that has raised over $90 million for cancer research. Valvano truly understood how important and powerful people helping people is. In the most memorable speech that I have heard, Valvano said, “Try if you can to support, whether it is AIDS or the cancer foundation, so that someone else might survive, might prosper, might actually be cured of this dreaded disease.” This is so important because this demonstrates a vital value that has been lost or downsized in our society today. Do not do things because it will help you. Do things because it is right.

I think this is a value that people have somehow lost sight of; we have put it into the background. Instead, much of society is looking for who they can exploit, who they can take advantage of in order to help their lives. Unfortunately for athletes, they are the easiest target for society as well as the media. They are young and rich and are very vulnerable to exploitation. Just recently golfer, John Daly, found out that his ex-wife and her father had been stealing money from him throughout his marriage. Sure, Daly has made more than his fair share of mistakes in life, but that in no way makes it acceptable to take advantage of him. This, along with countless other examples, is an example of how people in society take advantage of athletes. The media does the same thing.

Last season, Vince Young of the Tennessee Titans, went through a rough time on the field which surfaced potential issues that Young was going through mentally and emotionally. In no way were we, the media, sympathetic towards this. Those who covered the story were ruthless about it. When all of these things were going on, this story dominated sports’ media. It was an important story to cover; unfortunately, it played a role in Vince Young’s reputation being hurt dramatically. Fortunately, he is doing a great job earning that back with his on-field play right now. What many people don’t know is what Vince Young has done in a positive way as a man, not just a quarterback. The late Steve McNair was an important mentor to Young before he was murdered earlier this year. In an attempt to show his appreciation for everything that McNair did, as well as do the right thing as a person, Young took McNair’s kids to their school’s “Dear Dad’s Breakfast.” This must have meant the world to these kids to not have to go through this day alone. My point is this, just about everyone that tuned into ESPN during last year’s football season heard about the problems Young was going through, but hardly anyone knows about the extraordinary thing he did for the McNair family.

Not only should we be sure not to take advantage of athletes, but we also need to remember that they are people just like us. They have families and lives outside of the sport that they compete in for a living. What happens on the playing field while they are working is fair game, but we as a media base do not have the right to know every intimate detail of their lives. The most recent example of this is Tiger Woods. Tiger is probably the most recognizable athlete in the entire world, and he is currently going through a very difficult time in his personal life. We don’t have the right to know exactly what is going on with him nor does he have the responsibility or obligation to give us an explanation. The only people he needs to apologize or explain things to are his family, friends, sponsors, and the PGA Tour. If he were to engage in misconduct on the golf course or during a charity event for the Tiger Woods Foundation, which has helped millions of underprivileged kids learn the game of golf in an attempt to keep them away from juvenile delinquency, then he would owe us all an apology. But what happens in his home with his family is none of our business. He deserves as much privacy, in this regard, as anyone else.

It is difficult to change the media let alone the dominant discourses of society. However, it is possible. It starts with society not wanting to hear about people in high places, such as athletes, falling. Stop demanding that we cover these negative stories and dismissing the positive ones. Next, we as a media can help the situation by trying to cover more of the uplifting stories; show that they really are out there and that there are more than what people are aware of.

Finally, I urge us as a society to think about the implications of our actions in everything we do. That includes good and bad. Are we going to help someone else today, or are we going to step on someone in route to trying to accomplish our goals. I would hate to go back to quoting an athlete’s Twitter page again, but… Wait, who am I kidding? I would love to. Chad Ochocinco, yes, the very controversial Bengals’ receiver, said “If you’re already great, take the next step and make history. Change a life, and make somebody around you great.” Ochocinco talks about trying to be great every day, and he understands that greatness goes well beyond a football field. True greatness is not only making ourselves great, but it is also bringing others to greatness with us. We all need to adopt this philosophy.

CSU Goes 4-2 on Their Successful Trip to Arizona

CSU vs. #6 Arizona State

After beating Chandler-Gilbert twice on Saturday, the Rams took on 6th ranked Arizona State University. This game was close for the first couple innings and quickly turned into a blowout when CSU got their bats started.

The game started off pretty relatively slow for both teams, and the score was 3-2 in favor of ASU after four innings. Catcher Tommy Johnson got the offense going with a double that began a large rally for the Rams.

Johnson once again proved to be the offensive star for CSU He went two for three on the day, and the only time that ASU was able to retire him was on a hard-hit line-drive right at the shortstop. Johnson was also hit by three pitches including one in the head. 

He played a great game defensively as well; he was solid behind the plate for the first eight innings, and he completed his day by running down a ball in the right-center gap from right field to record the final out of the game.

CSU went on to dominate after the 4th inning and won the game 19 to 8, and it was a game that the team will never forget. It was a great honor being able to play at Packard Field where many of the best players to ever play the game have played.

CSU Gets Swept by Yavapai

After beginning the trip to Arizona with three solid wins, CSU ran into a great team that was playing great baseball at the time. Going into the series, Yavapai had won their last 17 games. 

This was a great lineup from top to bottom, and they also had the best pitching the Rams have faced thus far. Both of CSU's starting pitchers threw well, but the Yavapai offense proved to be too much.

The first game ended with a score of seven to one and the second game was similar with a final score of six to one.

CSU had a chance to steal the second game from the Yavapai Roughriders. The score was two to one after four innings, but Yavapai broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth, and the Rams couldn't quite ever get the offense started. 

Senior second baseman Reggie Rossi was the lone bright spot offensively for the Rams, driving in both of the CSU runs on the day. 

CSU Put a Beating on Glendale to end the Trip to AZ

The Rams finished the trip by traveling to Glendale to play the Glendale Gauchos. CSU had no problem from the very beginning of the game by getting on top early, and it was smooth sailing from then on. 

Bobby Moller was outstanding for the Rams once again. He carried a shutout into the 8th inning which was broken up by a weak single to center field. CSU went on to win the game eight to one.

The Rams now have a record of 20-5 on the year and are off to a great start. Coach Abernathy has instilled another goal for the Rams. They will begin another ten game span, and the new goal is to get ten wins over that period. 

Their next game is scheduled for Wednesday, March 25 against Western Nebraska Junior College. After that CSU welcomes University of Northern Colorado for CSU's second conference series.

CSU Starts Off Strong With Sweep of Chandler Gilbert

Series One vs. the Chandler Gilbert Coyotes

The Rams began their road trip to Arizona with a great day against Chandler Gilbert Community College. It was a beautiful day in Chandler, Arizona and a beautiful day for baseball. 

Game one turned out to be a pitchers duel with ace Bobby Moller starting for CSU and Devyn Rivera for the Chandler Gilbert Coyotes. The final score was 2-0 in favor of CSU. The game was tied at zero for much of the game until the Rams were finally able to get on the board in fifth.

CSU was finally able to manufacture two runs on some bunt singles and a couple mistakes made by the Coyote defense. Sophomore outfielder and leadoff hitter Casey Reale began the rally with a great bunt down the first base line. The first run came in on bases-loaded walk and the next on a wild pitch. 

Those runs were all that Moller needed because the Coyotes could not figure out how to score on him. Moller was able to get out of a couple big jams and really showed well, winning the duel between him and Rivera who is a pro-prospect. 

Game two featured more runs but the same dominant pitching from the Rams. Cooper Liggett got the start and threw an excellent game. There was one pitch that he probably wishes he could have back, but other than that he was outstanding. The Coyotes catcher hit a grand slam in the third that put them up four to one, but the Rams quickly answered in the top of the fifth. 

They scored four runs during a big two-out rally in the inning making the score five to four in favor of the Rams. Liggett has shown how tough he is and how vital he is to the Rams team. He is pitching through some adversity this year, but no matter what, he goes out there and gives everything he has for his team.

Nick Childs came on to pitch the bottom of the fifth and two outs of the sixth. After a two-out walk Kyle Swets came in to close out the game. Luckily, the Rams offense added a run in the top of seven to go up by two runs. Swets gave up one run in the seventh that proved to be worthless, and the Rams completed their sweep. 

Next for the Rams

We are off to a great start on the road trip and on the season. We are now 18-3, and the rest of the week will still be a great challenge and really test what we are made of. It has been a blast so far, and I can't wait to see what this season has in store for us. 

Today we have the distinct privilege of playing on Arizona State University's Packard Stadium. The same stadium that some of baseball's all-time greats have called home, players like Barry Bonds, Paul LoDuca, Reggie Jackson, Andre Eithier, and many more. It will be a great experience and will be one that we will never forget!

Two walk-off wins and sweep of CU makes for a good week for the Rams

After having Sunday and Monday off, the Rams began the week of March 2nd by taking on Western Nebraska on Tuesday followed by Northeastern on Wednesday. CSU then took on University of Colorado in their first conference games. 

The last game against Western Nebraska got intense with some extracurricular activities. This game would prove to be just as exciting, but it was all because of the baseball this time.

On Wednesday against Northeastern Junior College the Rams once again in walk-off fashion. This time it came from a pinch-hit single from Mike Roberts. With two outs and runners on first and second, Roberts came to the plate for the first time in the game, and he came through for CSU in a big way. 

While this wasn't the hardest ball that Roberts has hit so far this year, it may have been the most important. Off the bat it seemed as though the center fielder may have had a play on the ball, but his effort was for not and the ball fell in front of him.

Outfielder Matt Kurtz who reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a balk came racing home to score the game-winning run. 

The Rams didn't play their best game of the year, but they found a way to win. CSU scored their four runs on four hits by capitalizing on mistakes by Northeastern. One offensive bright-spot of the game came from fifth-year senior Wes Castle. He hit his first home run of the year on a shot to deep left-center.

The CSU pitching wasn't what it has been for much of the year, but they found a way to get out of most of the jams that they found themselves in. Hunter Haggerty started the game and didn't have the command of his off-speed that he is used to. He did manage to throw the first two innings without giving up a run, and it looked to be a good rehab start for him in preparing to return to the Rams' starting rotation.

Jared Osif followed Haggerty and threw three very solid innings for the Rams. Jared gave up zero runs on the day. Senior Cooper Liggett came on to throw the 6th and 7th innings, and he didn't quite have his best stuff that day. Liggett allowed one run in his two innings of work. 

Junior Nick Childs followed Ligget and like Haggerty didn't have control of his off-speed. Childs hit three Northeastern batters, all of which were on curve balls. Without recording an out, Childs was replaced by Kyle Swets.

Swets got out of the mess that Childs left him with the game tied at three. Swets again was very clutch for the Rams. He allowed no runs in the three innings that he threw and was able to escape two jams with minimal damage. Roberts' walk-off single gave both CSU and Swets their second win on the week. 

After two exciting walk-off wins, the Rams traveled to Greeley to take on rival, University of Colorado. This was the first conference games that the Rams played, and they started off very well. 

In the first game, the expected pitchers duel between CSU's Bobby Moller and CU's Patrick Darrow turned into a CSU rout. The Rams scored early and didn't let up after that. CSU went on to win game number one 14-4 in just five innings. 

Game two did go all seven innings, but it wasn't very close either. Wes Jeanette started on the mound for the Rams and went five strong innings, and Kyle Swets threw the last two. The Rams won the game 9-3. CU scored their only runs on a three-run home run from their shortstop.

Eric Zaruba had a great weekend going six for seven and was the spark for the CSU offense all day. 

After a great weekend, CSU set out to prepare for their spring break trip to Arizona. They practiced Tuesday then traveled to the frozen tundra of Sterling, Colorado to take on Northeastern Colorado. It turned into another exciting game. 

The Rams were in control for most of the game, and they took a three to one lead into the ninth inning. Junior Nick Childs came on for the save. After a defensive miscue due to the strong winds and a walk, Kyle Swets replaced Childs. 

Northeastern scored the two runs that they needed, so the Rams went to extra innings once again. CSU scored in the tenth on a double down the first-base line by outfielder Matt Kurtz, and Swets got through the tenth unscathed. 

The Rams who are now 16-3 will head to Arizona for a week full of baseball and fun in the sun. With temperatures expected to be in 80s all week long, it is sure to be a good time for CSU.

Today, Saturday, March 14th the Rams take on Chandler-Gilbert Community College in a double-header. Chandler Gilbert is currently ranked eighth in the nation at the junior college level. Then on Sunday the Rams play Arizona State University who is ranked 6th in the latest NCBA poll. 

After ASU the Rams travel to Prescott, AZ to play a double-header against Yavapai College who is ranked 18th in the preseason junior college poll. CSU will get two days off and then take on Glendale Community College. Glendale is currently ranked 12th. 

Stay tuned; I will be updating the blog after each day that the Rams play to keep everyone up to speed on how CSU's trip to beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. 

Sweep of Western Nebraska to cap 12 game road trip and University of Denver in Rams Home Opener

For the week of February 23rd, Coach Abernathy stressed that we needed to have a great week of practice in order to have the success on the field that we wanted.

The Rams went 7-3 in their first ten games, and Coach wanted the next ten to be 10-0. So far so good for CSU. The Rams were able to take two games from Western Nebraska Community College and two from University of Denver.

The week began Tuesday with a practice that focused on defense and fundamentals, and it showed on Wednesday when the team traveled to Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

Western Nebraska Sweep

The CSU offense jumped on Western Nebraska early, scoring two in the top of the first inning, and that was all pitcher, Bobby Moller, needed. He was nothing but dominant in the first game of the double header; he went six strong innings allowing zero runs and just one hit. He tallied up eight strikeouts in the game.

The Rams went on to add four more runs to make the final score 6-0.

The second of the two games proved to be much more eventful and dramatic. It began in the bottom first inning when Rams starting pitcher, Nick Childs, had trouble finding the strike zone. Childs walked two and hit one batter in the inning. Needless to say, I didn't have the start I was looking for.

With the bases loaded, one out, and the score already 2-0 in favor of Western Nebraska, the batter hit a high fly ball to shallow center field. Rams center fielder Hunter Haggerty camped under it and positioned himslef to fire home. The runner on 3rd tagged up and took off for home once Haggerty caught the ball. Haggerty threw an absolute strike to catcher, Wes Castle. While trying to catch the ball, the Western Nebraska baserunner lowered his shoulder and took out Castle. Everyone in the yard was shocked. The umpire did not know what to do; luckily, Western Nebraska coach, Mike Jones, knew exactly what to do. He came running down from the third base coaches box screaming, "You can't do that! He is out."

The umpire proceeded to call out the runner, and in the mean time, this ignited a spark in the CSU bench. Castle would go on to feel the wrath of that hit for the next couple days, but he remained in the game.

Everything died down, and we went to work. I vowed to the team that I wouldn't give up a run the rest of the game and asked for their help with some offense. The next three innings went smoothly for Childs, allowing no runs, just one hit, and four strikeouts.

Going into the top of the 5th, the Rams finally got the offense started. A huge two out rally was ignited when Jake Fox hit a ground ball to third which the 3rd baseman couldn't convert the throw on. After Fox scored to tie the game at two on an errant throw to second base, Mike Roberts hit a huge pinch-hit double that scored two runs. This put the Rams up 4-2. Childs got two quick outs in the bottom of the 5th but couldn't convert for the third. After giving up a single and a walk, Kyle Swets replaced Childs.

The first batter who Swets faced hit a weak ground ball between second and first scoring one run for Western Nebraska. Swets went on to retire the next batter. The Rams went on to score two more runs in the top of the sixth, and Swets pitched a scoreless sixth for CSU, and Wes "Cheebs" Jeanette came in for the save. Overall, it was a good trip for the Rams. We achieved our goal of two wins. On to preparing for University of Denver.

Bring on the Ball Cannons and Home Field Advantage at City Park!

After a long twelve game road trip, CSU finally got to return to Fort Collins and play their first regular season games at City Park.

The Rams offense showed their appreciation for the solid home crowd as well as the metal bats that they were allowed to swing against the University of Denver. After Cooper Liggett retired the Pioneers in the first, Brian Chuckran was hit by a pitch, and Brian Dilley crushed a double down the left field line. Designated Hitter, Mike Roberts, came to the plate and hit a monster shot to left-center field that left the yard in a hurry. Roberts' three-run blast ignited the Rams offense. CSU went on the score 15 runs in the game.

Liggett threw four strong innings, Swets threw two, and Matt Dotterweich closed the game out. The only run given up by CSU was unearned making the final score 15-1. The Rams hit three home runs in the first game, and they came from Roberts, Eric Zaruba, and Brian Jenkins. Finally, someone other than Dilley hit a home run.

The second game, similar to the trip to Western Nebraska, was much closer than the first. The CSU offense slowed down, scoring only three runs, the biggest being a home run from Dilley.

The Rams went with a pitcher by committee approach to the second game. Jared Osif started the game and threw two strong innings. Unfortunately for Osif, the Rams didn't get on the board until the bottom of the third, and by that time Bobby Moller had entered the game making him the pitcher of record and giving him his second win on the week. Moller and Jeanette went on to throw two strong innings each, and Childs came in and recorded his first save on the year despite surrendering three hits.

Overall, this was a very good week for the Rams; they went 4-0 and outscored their opponents 30 to 5.

This week in my player spotlight, I am going to tell you about catcher, Tommy Johnson, and pitcher, Bobby Moller. This section of the blog will be devoted to introducing you, the fans, to the players and coaches of the the CSU baseball program. Each player and coach has a very unique road to CSU and these are their stories.

Bobby Moller

Bob sparked my interest for being one of this weeks highlight players by going 2-0, allowing no runs, on one hit, and eight strikeouts over the course of the week.

Bobby is a junior from Highlands Ranch, Colorado. He is currently studying Microbiology at CSU, and the team loves to joke around with him about being a nerd. But, man can that nerd pitch!

Moller has compiled an impressive baseball resume over the years, and he has succeeded at every level that he has played at. While attending Highlands Ranch High School he played on varsity for his junior and senior season. He not only pitched, but also played second base his senior year. Bob to this day tries to show Coach Abs that he can do both at CSU. Abs still isn't convinced. Bobby also had the honor of playing in the Top 50 Showcase game which included the 50 best players in the state, and he was voted honorable mention all-conference his junior and senior season.

After high school Bob signed with Lamar Community College. For many reasons his experience there wasn't the one that he was looking for. He transferred to CSU after the fall semester of his freshman year at Lamar and he immediately became a top tier pitcher at CSU. As a sophomore at CSU, Bob posted a 9-2 record with a 2.45 ERA. He threw 66 innings and struck out 71 batters while only walking 17. Bobby is off to a very strong start this year with a 3-0 record in his four starts and an ERA of 1.86.

When Bobby is done at CSU he plans to get his graduate degree and become a pharmaceutical engineer. On breaks he lives with his Mother, Father, and two younger brothers. Off the field he loves to rock out on Rock Band 2, study Organic Chemistry, and have a good time with his teammates.

Tommy Johnson

Tommy is a senior this year, and he had a great week this week. He went five for twelve with four runs, two doubles, two RBI, and two walks. This is the second straight week that Tommy has been outstanding both at the plate and on defense. He has been a great leader this year and has been a vital part of this team.

Tommy's journey to CSU starts at Mullen High School in Denver, CO. There he played three years as the starting, varsity catcher. He accumulated many honors. He was voted 2nd team all Centennial League three times and was honorable mention all-state his senior year.

After Mullen, Tommy signed a scholarship to play college ball at Gonzaga University. He spent his entire freshman year and the first semester of his sophomore year at Gonzaga before transferring to CSU. The Rams have reaped the benefits from that decision ever since.

In his junior year, Johnson put up a .380 batting average with 18 RBI and 22 runs in 28 games. He is a vital part of a two catcher system that CSU utilizes. He is off to a good start to this year hitting .389 with a .528 slugging percentage. He adds another dynamic to the team with his pitching. He is solid on the mound and adds depth to the pitching staff.

Tommy is a Liberal Arts and Sociology major with a concentration in Criminal Justice. He isn't sure what he wants to do with these degrees, but he thinks he may want to get a job working for the government.

Tommy lives with his parents and younger brother over breaks. His brother is currently attending Mullen, and he plays for the basketball team. He is hoping to play in college but is undecided on where that is going to be.

Off the field Tommy enjoys eating cereal, watching the spin cycle on the washing machine, fishing and going to the beach on the east coast, and falling asleep at the library.

Next up for the Rams are games against Northeastern Colorado and Western Nebraska on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, and then the Rams go to Greeley to play University of Colorado to start conference play. Should be a great week!

Bringing you all of your CSU Baseball News,

Nick Childs

Welcome to the CSU Rams Baseball Blog!

Hello everyone.

My name is Nick Childs, and I am a journalism and communications major and a pitcher on the CSU baseball team. I will be writing a weekly blog bringing you a summary of this weeks action for the team as well as a behind the scenes look at some of the athletes and coaches in the program. I will begin with myself to give you all an idea of where I came from!

My road to Colorado State began at Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, CO.  I  played baseball for four years there, and due to lack of options as far as baseball is concerned, I began my collegiate studies at Phoenix College. It was there that I had absolutely no idea as to where my life was headed. I didn't know what I wanted to do when I graduated, what I was going to study, or where I would be in two years, let alone ten! 

Life in Arizona was glorious. School was easy, baseball was a blast, and I lived on the Arizona State University campus, but after getting my AA degree in Business Studies and ran out of Junior College eligibility for baseball, I enrolled at Colorado State University. This is my first year at CSU, and I can't say that I have any complaints. 

I originally intended to study business at CSU, but the classes generated no interest for me, so I took a journalism class to see if I enjoyed it. I was hooked. I am an opinionated person, and I have a passion for sports, so I now intend on sharing those opinions in return for a salary. Sounds nice, right? 

Back to baseball! This program has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success in the last five years. Having won four out of the last five NCBA World Series Titles, CSU has become the team to beat year-in and and year-out in the NCBA, and we begin this season being ranked number one in the nation. As I learned in high school, however, preseason rankings are irrelevant, and we need to prove ourselves and show that we deserve that ranking. 

I have enjoyed some success on the diamond, but what I get out of it the most is being able to compete on a daily basis and getting to meet all kinds of people. My coach in Phoenix, Mike Rooney, always told me that, when you are done playing baseball, you are going to remember the people you played with, not the baseball, so enjoy your teammates and get to know them. I couldn't agree with him more. CSU Head Coach Mike Abernathy has a similar approach, describing our program at CSU as our "fraternity." This is our family. There are some great times and some very tough times, but there are MANY good times. This blog will give you a summary of games and introduce you to the CSU baseball family. 

The Rams began the season 7-3 and are off to the best start thus far under Coach Abernathy. The season began with a 3-1 start at Otero Junior College, a clean, three-game-sweep at Lamar Community College, and a tough 1-2 trip to Trinidad State Junior College. Everyone on the team played a large part in compiling these wins, and it looks to be the start to a great season!

The next post will give a summary to CSU's trip to Western Nebraska Community College, and the Rams' home-opener against University of Denver.