For the Oregon State Beavers, it was chaos, jubilation and teamwork all wrapped up in one defining dog pile on the pitchers mound, as players wildly celebrated a second consecutive College World Series title.
I watched head coach Pat Casey rally a team–a team that wasn’t even supposed to participate in the NCAA tournament–into the best team in the nation. Like a sculptor, Casey meticulously molded a bunch of unproven players into a championship-caliber unit.
This brilliance was unfolding a mere 85 miles down I-5, and we had no taste of it here at PSU.
Witnessing each Beavers’ College World Series contest and the eventual dog pile, I was envious of the students and sports fans that don Beaver orange and black. So I asked: Why doesn’t PSU have a baseball team?
Teri Mariani, former interim athletic director, said space was the underlying reason. Our urban location has created another obstruction to Portland State’s bid to have a complete, respectable assembly of athletic programs.
Mariani, or the “Viking encyclopedia” as I like to think of her, shot down every conceivable venue where a PSU team could play. PGE Park is occupied by the AAA Portland Beavers during spring. High school fields are too dilapidated or located outside the general vicinity. Erv Lind Stadium, where the PSU softball team plays, isn’t made for baseball.
According to Mariani, bringing back baseball’s rich history is a debate each year, but not an attainable goal. After the Beavers were crowned champions last season, Mariani found e-mails flooding in from fans that wanted a piece of the energy and excitement.
Many forget that Portland State had a baseball team at one time. Competing in the Pac-10 North Conference, the Vikings were decent for 17 seasons, winning a conference title just once. The program was cut after the 1998 season. The Vikings went out with a bang, however, defeating Southern California on a two-run ninth-inning blast in their final game.
When Mariani spoke of cutting the baseball program, she said it was like losing a brother. As the softball coach, she would compare notes with longtime baseball coach Jack Dunn. To her, the loss created a void.
I say let’s fill that void. Let’s bring the missing brother back home. Why should we let those boys from Corvallis have all the fun?
It’s just not fair. We should have a team to cheer and root for when the sun emerges in spring, too. With as many Beavers hats as I’ve seen popping up around Portland lately, I’m sure the fan support would be there. And it would be a welcome addition to spice up the spring sports lull.
Admittedly, I’m not sure if the funds are available to launch a baseball program here at Portland State. Most likely, with the budget shortfalls across campus and within the athletic department, another program would be cut before baseball was even considered.
The brainpower inside the athletic department shouldn’t let inadequate venues stop them. Like Mitch Canham encouraged his teammates to do during pivotal moments along the championship run, we need to dig deeper and fight on.
Because maybe, like the underdog story of the Beavers, baseball coming back to the South Park Blocks is more of a reality than we think.