Ecl Baseball Tourney To Provide Early Scouting Report
Real baseball games that don’t count.
Steve Hertz is enamored with the idea. That’s why Gonzaga University’s longtime baseball coach gushes whenever he talks about the Evans, Cravens & Lackie College Baseball Invitational, which kicks off this morning at GU’s August/A.R.T. Stadium.
“It’s just a wonderful scenario,” Hertz said of the three-day event, which also features teams from Washington State, Oregon State and the University of Portland. “Even though the scoreboard will be flipped on and the games are real, they don’t count against your record next spring.
“That way, my gut will only be kind of twisting.”
Hertz’s Bulldogs, coming off a disappointing 19-33-1 record and last-place finish in the West Coast Conference last spring, will open the three-day Invitational at 11 this morning against WCC rival Portland (20-33). Pacific-10 teams WSU (13-42) and OSU (38-12-1) play at 2:30 p.m.
Each team will play three games in the round-robin event and, while none will count on next spring’s record, all will count against the 56-game limit imposed by the NCAA.
That’s why some of the bigger-named baseball schools like Washington, Notre Dame, Southern California and Fresno State turned down invitations to this year’s third-annual event, Hertz explained, adding that he understands such reasoning.
“But I don’t mind burning the games now,” said Hertz, who has had his team practicing for the past three weeks. “These games always seem to heighten our sense of urgency in the fall. They give us a chance to see ourselves against good competition and let our new kids get their feet wet - before it really counts.
“Then we have the entire winter to make adjustments.”
Hertz said he expects all four teams to use the majority of players on their roster.
“You want development and you want to answer some questions,” he explained, “so you use your roster. But you also want to be competitive.”
Still, Hertz said he has decided against using sophomore pitcher Steve Bennett. Bennett, who finished 3-4 with a team-best earned run average of 4.09 in 1996, missed last season after undergoing elbow surgery.
“He’s doing well and he probably could throw,” Hertz said of Bennett, the projected ace of next year’s staff. “But we’ve decided to wait until next spring to use him - when it counts.”
Tickets are $10 for an all-tournament pass and $5 for a day pass. An all-tourney pass will be given to youth clinic participants, and senior citizens get in free for the first session. , DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ECL BASEBALL LINEUP Today: Gonzaga vs. Portland, 11 a.m.; Washington State vs. Oregon St., 2:30 p.m. Saturday: Portland vs. Washington State, 11 a.m.; Oregon State vs. Gonzaga, 2:30 p.m. Sunday: Portland vs. Oregon State, 11 a.m.; Gonzaga vs. Washington State, 2:30 p.m.