High hopes for Omaha

Alyssa Synakowski, Assistant Sports Editor, @synakowsk

Springtime has rolled in with bats swinging and the Utah Valley baseball team averaging nearly five runs per game.

Western Athletic Conference play has begun, so UVU fans can finally go see their college team play because to this point they have played 25 of their first 31 games away from home.

In April, spectators can see the Wolverines play at home against the likes of Texas-Pan American, Utah, Northern Colorado and Utah County foe BYU. The Wolverines and BYU have already faced off this season with UVU taking the win.

If you are not excited to watch these games, you should be.

College athletics are beautiful to watch, and the intensity is often unmatched in professional sports. Of course, it is fun to watch the Chicago Cubs compete in Wrigley Field or the NBA Pistons play in The Palace, but the actual play is better in college.

I love the passion that the student-athletes play with. To me, professional sports are boring to watch because there is no excitement in their play when the athletes are only there for the money and endorsements.

College baseball is especially exciting to watch as the guys go out each season, hoping to play at the TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha for their final destination.

Each year the teams that win the Super Regionals go on to play in the double-elimination College World Series in Omaha, Neb. To go watch the CWS teams play and visit the old Rosenblatt Stadium is quite possibly the only reason to ever go to Omaha.

The WAC has seen success in tournament play, accounting for seven total championships with the most recent national winner being the 2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team.

Fresno State now plays in the Mountain West Conference.

The Wolverines were picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll decided by WAC coaches, but they’re currently ranked second in the league after three series played.

The top eight out of ten teams in WAC standings go to the conference tournament in Arizona, meaning the currently ranked second Wolverines have good odds at winning their way into the NCAA tournament if they can make it past Sacramento State (20-12, 9-0 WAC).

UVU has averaged between 600 and 1,000 fans coming out to watch baseball over the past four seasons at the Brent Brown Ballpark. Attendance is likely to increase this season as fans buy into the potential of the Wolverines.

But the environment of a baseball game is so much more than the stats behind wins and losses. A game is fun because the fans can enjoy a warm, breezy day while watching players perform with drive and passion.

Out of 31,264 college baseball players, an average 806 are drafted every year, with the majority of the players not making it out of Triple-A ball.

College ball is fun to watch because these players know they are probably not making it to the MLB, so they play each game because they love everything from the freshly mowed grass to the sound of the bat connecting with the ball.

Watch UVU baseball as the season gets into full swing with eyes ahead, dreaming of Omaha.