First-time alums find cross-over experience relaxing
Juan Villa / The Collegian
Last season, Christian Vitters (left) and Brian Lapin were teammates under head coach Mike Batesole. Vitters, however,
was drafted as a junior and thus made the switch to the alumni squad, allowing him to tag Lapin in a rundown. |
By Jeff Christian
The Collegian
It was a case of déjà vu for Fresno State fans as they watched Nick Moresi swing his bat and pull a line drive over the left field wall at Beiden Field on Saturday.
Only this time, his swing was different.
The difference between Moresi’s swing on Saturday and the previous home run swings that fans had witnessed was that this time it was Fresno State pitcher Rashad Tucker who had to turn his head and watch the ball clear the outfield wall.
The atmosphere in the dugout was much different for Moresi and two other starters from the 2006 Fresno State baseball team that participated on the opposing squad in the school’s annual alumni game.
“It’s great this year because you don’t get made fun of and chewed out when you mess up,” Moresi said.
Moresi had a .301 batting average and a .990 fielding percentage in his final season playing centerfield for the Bulldogs. Moresi left Fresno State after his junior season and spent his 2006 summer with Tri-City ValleyCats in the New York-Penn League where he had a .180 batting average and scored 17 runs in 57 games played.
“Moresi’s home run and his little dance was pretty memorable,” Christian Vitters said.
The talented shortstop batted .340 and led the team in RBI in his junior season before leaving early.
Vitters suffered a broken hand injury that limited his play with the Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League to only 12 games. The former Fresno State shortstop was moved to centerfield and in limited time had a .244 batting average and 7 RBIs.
“It’s a lot more relaxed and playing with some of the pro players is fun,” former first basemen Kent Sakamoto said.
Sakamoto started all 63 games in his senior season at Fresno State and his 84 hits led the team.
Last summer, the first baseman hit .228 in 47 games for the Williamsport Crosscutters in the New York-Penn League.
Vitters believes that despite a potential lack of experience, the 2007 baseball season could be memorable for the Bulldogs.
“They lost a lot of us older players but they just need to keep a high confidence level and have fun,” Vitters said.
All three former Bulldogs played in the minor league short season last year and will report to Florida for minor league spring training in the coming weeks.
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