Vote on it. Should college practices be closed? Right now, Double-A Zone readers are in a dead heat with 42 percent of respondents answering yes and another 42 percent no. The remaining respondents have said practices should be closed just to the media. Cast your vote now to let us know what you think about this issue.

Scandal in Tallahassee. Nearly two dozen Florida State student-athletes across nine sports have been implicated in a cheating scandal involving online exams. Apparently, one athletics department employee directed a student-athlete to complete an online quiz for another student-athlete, and there are also allegations that the same employee provided typing services for five student-athletes. Two athletics department employees have resigned and the university is reeling with the charges of academic fraud. These are some ugly allegations, as academic fraud runs contradictory to everything intercollegiate athletics and higher education are about. Obviously, there are a lot of student-athletes at Florida State, and it???s not fair to insinuate that most of them aren???t doing the right things in the classroom and on the field, because most surely are.

Hockey program cancelled at Wayne State. This season will be the last for the Wayne State men???s ice hockey program, as the university decided to discontinue sponsorship after nine years. Director of Athletics Rob Fournier cited state and institutional financial constraints as the main reason for the program???s cancellation. Of the 17 programs sponsored by Wayne State, men???s ice hockey is the most expensive. Because Division II doesn???t sponsor ice hockey, the men???s and women???s teams compete in Division I while the rest of school???s teams participate in Division II. It???s always devastating when programs get cancelled, and while it???s not much consolation to players who want to be out on the ice, Wayne State will honor the scholarships of its hockey student-athletes through graduation if they elect to stay on campus. The women???s ice hockey program will not be affected by the university???s decision to eliminate the men???s program.

Heavy hitter. I always thought Hartford President Walter Harrison was a cool guy, but now I???m sure of it. Dr. Harrison spent some time with the university???s baseball team during a recent fall practice and even got in the batting cage to take some hacks. Dr. Harrison is the former chair of the NCAA Executive Committee, which is comprised of chancellors and presidents from across the country and is the Association???s most influential governance body. Currently the chair of the Committee on Academic Performance, Dr. Harrison has a profound love for baseball: his doctoral dissertation, ???Out of Play: Baseball Fiction from Pulp to Art,??? looks at the role baseball plays in American culture.

Getting tough on academics. There were many important issues discussed at yesterday???s NCAA governance meetings, but I don???t think any are as important as the conversation that took place about academic reform. The Division I Board of Directors issued a statement reiterating its strong support for academic reform and its intention to stay the course toward improving graduation success rates among student-athletes. With the Basketball Academic Enhancement Group in the national office for a meeting of its own, Division I coaches chatted with presidents about some of the issues affecting their sport. I have to commend the coaches and the presidents for having an open conversation about academics. I???m not sure academic reform can go anywhere without the support of coaches, and it???s great to see that they???re embracing discussion with the NCAA???s decision-makers.

Sit down! Want to make the leap from Division II to Division I? How about the jump from the Championship Subdivision to the Bowl Subdivision? Not so fast. At yesterday???s meeting in Indianapolis, the Division I Board of Directors enacted a four-year moratorium on permitting institutions to begin the process of joining the division. The moratorium, which is effective immediately, doesn???t impact the 20 schools already in the reclassification process. The rationale behind this decision is to provide Division I with an opportunity to reevaluate its membership standards and rate of growth. As Division III???s own moratorium expires in January, it???s clear that membership issues are impacting the entire Association. While schools will have problems finding entry into Divisions I and III, Division II could see a boost in its growth from the latest moratorium. With a dearth of institutions out west, this could make a difference for Division II???s national reach.

Male practice player restrictions. At last year???s NCAA Convention, the Division III membership tabled a proposal that would restrict the use of male practice players in women???s sports. After a year of research, the proposal is headed back to the Convention floor, this time with three influential committees standing firmly behind restrictions. Last month, the Division III SAAC forwarded a recommendation to the Division III Management Council that would limit the use of male practice players to once per week during the traditional season. The Management Council supported the recommendation and added a provision limiting the number of players to half the size of a starting squad. Yesterday, the Division III President???s Council supported the decision made by the Management Council. In fact, those who voiced opposition to the legislation did so not because they wanted unrestricted use of male practice players, but rather, because they believe outright elimination of male practice players is more in line with the Division III philosophy. A final decision on the issue will be made by the Division III membership in Nashville.

Final Four seating expansion. If you???ve had trouble finding tickets to the Final Four in the past, well, you???re still going to have trouble. Beginning in 2009, however, a new seating configuration will increase capacity at the event to at least 70,000. The plan, which was approved by the NCAA Executive Committee yesterday, will put thousands of students courtside for the national championship. I can???t see much of a problem with holding the NCAA???s premier event in football stadiums, especially if it makes it easier for students to attend. The configuration calls for a heavily discounted voucher system that will make cost less prohibitive for the youngest fans in attendance.

Put your cell phones down. The Division I Board of Directors held its ground on the text messaging restrictions it established at its April meeting. I???m truly excited that the Board stuck to its guns, especially because it cited the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as influential in its original decision. Who knows what its like to receive 50 text messages from prospective coaches better than current student-athletes? Because the Board stood firm on its decision, the Division I membership will vote on the legislation at the NCAA Convention.

Baseball legislation amended. The DI Board amended legislation that changes the way financial aid is distributed to baseball student-athletes. The original legislation called for financial aid packages to include at least 33 percent athletics aid. After pushback from the membership, the Board changed the minimum to 25 percent. The modified legislation will now enter another 60-day override period, which means the membership may still have a shot at turning the legislation completely around in January. It???s important to note that the intent of this legislation was to help solve some of the academic problems that have faced the sport of baseball.

Let???s stay together. The soulful Al Green first performed ???Let???s Stay Together??? in 1972, but his words still resonate 35 years later. It seems that times are good for female basketball players in the United States while times are bad for their male counterparts. The women are happy, the men are sad. Al could easily be singing about the success of United States basketball on the international scene as opposed to breakin??? up and makin??? up. This summer, USA Basketball has claimed three of five gold medals in international competition. All of the first-place finishes are courtesy of the American women; the men have yet to bask in the 14-karat sunshine. At the World University Games, instead of an all-star roster, both the men and women sent over college teams to represent the country. For the women, Charlotte has found great success wearing the red, white and blue while the Northern Iowa men???s team allowed 97 points against Lithuania earlier this week. Women???s basketball prides itself on teamwork, defense and unity. Why are the men???s teams struggling? It seems they don???t stay together as well as the women do. Perhaps Al Green???s anthem should be played a couple of times in the men???s locker rooms prior to games.

Italian culture for New Yorkers. The City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Goodwill Tour recently sponsored a 12-day sojourn to Italy, as 17 baseball players, three coaches and five administrators immersed themselves in European culture while playing baseball, working with kids and visiting Vatican City. The CUNYAC squad won three of four games during its trip, but that???s clearly not what the experience was about. Many of the student-athletes competing in CUNYAC are city kids who haven???t had the chance to get far outside the Big Apple. A foreign tour is something that they are fortunate to have experienced and something they never will forget.

Meetings today. The NCAA???s most influential committees, comprised of presidents and chancellors from colleges and universities, will meet today in Indianapolis to discuss pressing issues about intercollegiate athletics. Perhaps most intriguing is the conversation the Division I Board of Directors will have regarding text messaging. Earlier this year, the group prohibited coaches from using text messaging as a recruiting tool but the NCAA membership has enacted an override that will force the Board to reconsider that legislation today. We will recap and evaluate all of the happenings tomorrow.

Chris Dominguez is having an awful lot of fun on the baseball field lately. An infielder and outfielder for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, Dominguez hit seven home runs for Louisville during its magical run to the College World Series this spring.

Each year, families on Cape Cod open their homes for two months, sometimes housing two or three ballplayers for the summer. Often, the families have children, many of whom look up to the players as big brothers and role models. The relationships are mutually beneficial, as each of the players I spoke with on the Cape said they will most definitely stay in touch with their host families well beyond this summer and their baseball careers.

Following Monday???s game between Harwich and Hyannis, I asked Chris to comment on his relationship with his host family.

Homer Simpson would be proud of me. Before I left Yarmouth, I stopped by the concessions stand for a culinary experience that would make Iron Chef Bobby Flay nauseous.

It turns out that Yarmouth-Dennis is famous for its cheeseburgers ??? which happen to be placed in the middle of delicious, sumptuous, sugary donuts. On my way by the grill, I grabbed a slider and a hurler ??? the former a cheeseburger in between a cake donut; the latter a burger with cheese whiz in between a jelly donut.

I began my meal with a bite of each, and promptly called my wife to tell her what I had done. She told me I was disgusting 10 times, but I think my 11th description got her. She asked me to ship a hurler back to Indianapolis so she could taste it for herself. Unfortunately, that isn???t sanitary, so we???ll just have to make a return to Red Wilson Field next summer.

Bob the Grillmaster was kind enough to pose with my burgers before I began consumption.

I have spent the past couple of hours at Red Wilson Field, home of the reigning Cape Cod Baseball League champion Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. It has taken me less than two hours to come to one simple conclusion ??? I???m in heaven.

Right now, Orleans and Yarmouth-Dennis are in the bottom of the second inning, and about 1,500 of us are taking in the action. None of us had to pay, many of us have looked forward to this game all day, all of us are watching the best college baseball players in the country.

For two months each summer, Cape Cod is transformed into a baseball fan???s paradise. On most days, five games take place on the Cape, all of them featuring future Major
League players.

During my time in Yarmouth, I have chatted with a teacher who spends his summer coaching the Orleans Cardinals, a gentleman from London who is taking in his first game on the Cape, a player from two-time defending Division II national champion Tampa, the league leader in saves who hails from Baylor and many others.

Before the game began, about 30 kids hustled out with the Yarmouth-Dennis players to stand on the field during the national anthem. Their smiles stretched about as far as you can imagine.

Orleans first baseman Jose Jiminez (Tampa) says folks would be surprised that a Division II player is succeeding on Cape Cod.

Every Wednesday and Thursday during the fall baseball season at Brandeis, we would scrimmage for most of our time at practice. This provided a perfect opportunity for the upperclassmen to convince the younger guys that they needed helmets to coach first base. Each time, the inexperienced players would jog out to first wearing a helmet, realizing a few minutes later that at the college level, base coaches who wear helmets are geeks.

In high school, players can???t get close to the coaching box without wearing a helmet. Yet in college, helmets are reserved solely for those in the batter???s box. Those watching the game from just outside the baseline no longer have to cover up their domes, instead wearing their caps and looking cool for the fans.

In the professional game, coaches never wear helmets while on the field, but after the tragic death of Mike Coolbaugh on Sunday, I have to wonder why. Coolbaugh was struck in the head by a line drive while coaching first base for the Tulsa Drillers on Sunday, and died soon after. Coolbaugh was the father of two boys and his wife Amanda is pregnant with their third child.

Could a helmet have saved Mike Coolbaugh? Perhaps. Why don???t our base coaches at the college and professional levels don the safety caps? I have seen fielders struck in the head during games and they have gloves on their hands. Why don???t coaches have helmets and/or gloves? What is the rationale for standing on the sideline, a prime target for a ball traveling 100+ miles per hour?

I am deeply saddened by the loss of Mike Coolbaugh and would like to propose that helmets be worn by base coaches from this point forward. I will send this post to my college coach, not to alert him of the game he already knows happens each fall, but to ask him to protect our players. I will also send it to others in the baseball community. Maybe Coolbaugh???s passing can save a life or two in the future.

When I walked into Myles Brand???s office to record today???s podcast, I thought he would laugh at my suggestion that college sports could find success in the summertime. Not only did he hold his laughter, Dr. Brand conceded that an eventual shift in the academic calendar is possible and the thought of intercollegiate athletics in the summer isn???t that far-fetched.

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A few days ago, Mark Schlabach wrote an interesting story for ESPN. Schlabach tells the story of Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon, who is the team???s projected starter at quarterback this fall. Dixon, who graduated with a degree in sociology in June, was selected in the fifth round of the Major League Baseball draft last month.

Dixon didn???t play an inning of baseball in college, but his superior athletic talent was enough for the Atlanta Braves to give him $150,000 for a six-year commitment to the franchise. The money isn???t surreal, but it???s certainly hard for a college graduate to turn down for his first job offer.

I???m always intrigued by two-sport standouts, although I find this instance less fascinating because Dixon hasn???t really tried to play both sports at the same time. Only now is he playing professional baseball with the prospects of the fall semester hanging over him. Once the football season is complete, he may or may not have professional opportunities as a quarterback. If he has the chance to keep playing on the gridiron, he will likely choose one sport over the other once again.

The part of Schlabach???s story that bothered me was a quote from Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti. The coach isn???t thrilled with Dixon???s decision to play baseball this summer: ???I think he???d be better served, in my situation, reading defenses rather than reading curveballs.???

I understand Bellotti???s desire to have his quarterback on campus this summer for voluntary workouts, but isn???t this a little presumptuous? Dixon has no guarantees that an NFL career is around the corner, and with injuries so prevalent in that sport, why wouldn???t he have signed a baseball contract?

I???m not a fan of football workouts during the summer. If Dixon wanted to spend the summer surfing in San Diego, he should be permitted to do so. There shouldn???t be an expectation that he will spend his time in Eugene, learning plays and tossing the ball around with receivers. An expectation by the coaching staff no longer makes the workouts voluntary.

On the flipside, NCAA rules permit these summer workouts, and Dixon and others who choose to pursue alternative interests must be prepared to lose playing time during the fall.

The fact of the matter, however, is that Bellotti shouldn???t be unhappy with Dixon???s decision. In my eyes, it looks like a 22-year-old kid had a more exciting summer job than most.

If ever you doubted that the NCAA was a membership-driven organization, you may now consider your fears allayed. The NCAA national office has received enough override requests to require the Division I Board of Directors to reconsider adoption of three proposals at its upcoming August meeting.

The controversial proposals relate to the elimination of electronic communication with prospective student-athletes (other than e-mail or fax), the change of financial aid distribution in the sport of baseball and dates-of-competition legislation for men???s and women???s golf.

Thirty override votes are needed for the Board to reconsider a proposal. If the Board decides to uphold its previous decision, the piece of legislation will be considered by the Division I membership in a one-school, one-vote capacity at the annual Convention in January. If the Board amends any of the proposals, a new 60-day window is opened for the membership to enact another override.

I think the Board made an excellent decision with the elimination of text messaging, as student-athletes reported that the recruiting practice adversely affected their lives. With regard to baseball, the Board increased minimum scholarship allotments to 33 percent per player. This has been quite controversial in the baseball community, but I like it ??? something needs to be done to help fix the academic struggles afflicting baseball student-athletes.

We will make sure to examine each of the controversial pieces of legislation prior to the Board of Directors meeting in August and before the NCAA Convention this winter.

My colleague Dana Thomas was in Omaha at the beginning of the College World Series and left town with some special memories. Dana shared the following thoughts after participating in a Habitat For Humanity build.

From the pings of baseball bats to the pings of hammers, the Men???s College World Series provided many opportunities in Omaha. One of the most important opportunities is that to own a home and the NCAA Home Team helped that become a reality for Ursula Amedee. Ursuala and her three children moved to Omaha from New Orleans and are more than excited to have a place to call home by way of Habitat for Humanity.

Thanks to the support of Lowe???s, official corporate partner of the NCAA, and many volunteers, the NCAA Home Team spent Thursday, June 14 building the frame for Ursula???s home at NCAA Fan Fest. More than 20 volunteers contributed to the build, including some former University of Nebraska football players. One of the former Huskers, Steve Warren, has created a foundation for at-risk kids in Omaha, D.R.E.A.M. Omaha. Steve was pleased to be included in the build, because like many former and current student-athletes, he feels a responsibility to give back to his community. It was a hot day, but a great build???check out the photos below.

Cardiac kids. Once again on the brink of elimination, UC Irvine laughed in the face of defeat last night, knocking Arizona State out of the College World Series with an 8-7 win in 10 innings. Down four runs in the eighth and facing standout closer Jason Jarvis, the Anteaters rallied to tie the game thanks to big hits from Cody Cipriano and Matt Morris. With freshman Scott Gorgen allowing just one hit in two innings of relief work, the stage was set for Ollie Linton, who singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th and kept the Anteaters in Omaha for at least another day. Yesterday marked the first time in College World Series history that a team has won back-to-back extra-inning games. UC Irvine has the daunting task of taking on defending champ Oregon State this evening, but I wouldn???t bet against the boys from Orange Country. Maybe they should start the game in the 10th inning?

PSAC could get bigger. Already one of the largest conferences in the country, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference could get even bigger in a hurry. The Division II conference currently has 14 member institutions, and recently invited Gannon and Mercyhurst to join its ranks. Just like the conference???s current members, the two schools are located within the state of Pennsylvania. The PSAC, which recently completed its 55th year of competition, also invited C.W. Post to join the conference in the sports of football and field hockey.

Georgia gets tough. I have to tip my cap to Georgia director of athletics Damon Evans, who has recently instituted an attendance policy for the school???s student-athletes. Evans??? policy will hold student-athletes accountable for their actions and should create an environment that embraces an academics-first philosophy. Georgia will fine student-athletes $10 for each unexcused absence from a tutor session and three skipped classes will result in suspension from 10 percent of competition. Beginning August 1, each SEC athletics department will be mandated to institute some type of attendance policy for student-athletes. The schools can decide their own policies, but suspension from competition must be part of the penalty structure. The rule was created by SEC faculty athletics representatives ??? faculty members from each school who work closely with the athletics departments to help ensure the proper emphasis on academics.

340 minutes of bliss. I was a couple of minutes late to work this morning, but I have a great excuse: the highlights from yesterday???s baseball game between UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton were on ESPN and there was no possible way to leave my house. The longest, and one of the greatest, College World Series games was played Monday, as the two California schools battled for a record five hours and 40 minutes. Eight batters were hit by pitches during the game and in the 13th inning, Fullerton coach George Horton was ejected after arguing that UC Irvine???s Taylor Holiday, who was beaned three times during the game, was leaning into pitches to get hit intentionally. Moments later, Fullerton left fielder Josh Fellhauer threw a seed from the outfield to catcher John Curtis, cutting down Holiday at the plate and prolonging the game. Fellhauer couldn???t save the Titans for long, however, as Bryan Petersen ripped a single to center in the bottom of the 13th to give upstart UC Irvine the 5-4 victory. Fullerton was knocked out with losses in its first two games while UC Irvine will play against Arizona State tonight in another elimination game.

Repeat champs? Oregon State and Arizona State had to wait an awful long time to take the field last night, but when they finally began playing, it was all Beavers. Oregon State pounded 18 hits and scored in each of the first six innings to cruise to a 12-6 victory. The Beavers are hoping to become the first repeat champions since LSU in 1996-97.

Oh, the air up there. Every year, my baseball teammates laughed as I consistently turned in an 18-inch vertical jump during winter workouts. Based on that number, quick deduction will tell you I can barely touch the bottom of the backboard after shooting a lay-up. On Saturday, the University of Washington hosted an exhibition game with 11-foot rims. I understand the premise that boosting the hoops deemphasizes dunking and spreads the floor, but I???m not sure I like the idea of changing something that???s been a part of the game for so long. The players didn???t seem to mind it terribly, but I know I???d miss the ability to get up and touch the backboard in my neighborhood gym ??? there are so few things I can reach Let us know what you think of an 11-foot rim in our new Double-A Poll.

Welcome to Cape Cod. I received an e-mail on Friday night from 12-year-old Aaron Kanzer, one of the biggest and most knowledgeable sports fans I???ve met in a long time. Aaron was all excited because he???d just been to the Cape Cod Baseball League opener between the Bourne Braves and Cotuit Kettleers. He watched Navy???s Mitch Harris toss six innings of three-hit ball to lead the Braves to a 7-6 victory. After the game, Harris signed a ball for Aaron, and made a lifelong fan. If you???re a college baseball player, spending the summer on a Cape roster is a dream come true. Admission to the games is free, so kids like Aaron can watch great baseball and meet the future professionals afterwards. I???ve become more and more disillusioned with Major League Baseball ??? stadiums have 50,000 fans and the players seem larger than life. The setting is intimate out on the Cape, and that???s just the way it should be.

On Sunday, Louisville Courier-Journal reporter Brian Bennett was kicked out of the press box at the NCAA Baseball Super Regional. Bennett wasn???t drunk, rowdy or naked, instead getting the boot for his despicable blogging habit.

Due to the NCAA???s broadcasting agreement with ESPN, bloggers are not permitted to update their sites with in-game coverage from the baseball press box. In-game updates include providing readers with the score, inning of the game, roster moves, etc. The policy was enacted at a baseball game, but applies to all NCAA championship events.

First of all, let me say that I understand the policy. The NCAA has agreements with broadcast partners and those business contracts must be honored. Essentially, ESPN has paid the NCAA for the exclusive right to broadcast the baseball championship. The crux of this argument is whether blogs infringe on that exclusive right. That is the rationale for this policy and while I understand it, I wholeheartedly disagree with it.

This policy prohibits journalists, many of whom now publish their words via the blogosphere, from sharing thoughts from the press box. Those same journalists could watch the game from the seats outside the press box and publish those same words without fear of credential revocation. Even better, bloggers can watch a television broadcast and do the same posts from their own homes. Because they will be restricted from the press box, however, bloggers who choose to post in-game commentary from other locations won???t have access to post-game interviews.

I find all of this quite unnecessary. The world of media has changed and I think this policy makes my organization look arcane because journalists now publish their thoughts in real time on the Internet. I don???t know anybody in their right mind who would choose in-game commentary on a blog over a television broadcast, so I don???t see how there???s competition between our partners and independent bloggers who have received credentials.

Lax honors For the second consecutive year, Kristen Kjellman of Northwestern was honored with the Tewaaraton Trophy, which goes to the top female collegiate lacrosse player in the nation. Kjellman, a senior, has been an integral part of the Wildcats three consecutive championships, and she predicted a bright future for the Wildcats without her. ???They are returning a lot of great leaders and they will fill the gaps where needed,??? Kjellman said after the championship contest on May 28. ???They are going to continue to be awesome.??? Matt Danowski of Duke won the trophy on the men???s side. Duke was the 2007 national runner-up, and Danowski called his recognition ???humbling.??? ???This honor could not have been possible without the hard work and dedication put forth by the entire Duke lacrosse team,??? the co-captain said. Danowski is just the fourth player in NCAA history to put up 40 or more goals and 50 or more assists in a single season.

More awards Tennessee???s Monica Abbott was named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year earlier this week. Abbott broke the NCAA career record for strikeouts this season, and had struck out 649 batters before the start of the Women???s College World Series May 31. Meanwhile Collegiate Baseball bestowed its player of the year award on two student-athletes ??? Vanderbilt left-handed pitcher David Price and Florida State second baseman Tony Thomas. Both Price and Thomas were the player of the year in their respective conferences (Southeastern and Atlantic Coast) as well.

So long, Billy Donovan Fresh off the heels of back-to-back Division I men???s basketball championships at the University of Florida, Billy Donovan accepted the head coaching position with the Orlando Magic. Kentucky coveted Donovan for its open job earlier this year, later filled by Billy Gillispie. But Donovan was steadfast and vocal in proclaiming his love for Florida. AD Jeremy Foley reports ???no hard feelings??? in the Gators camp, and President J. Bernard Machen said ???we???ll always love Billy Donovan.??? That???s a lot of love coming out of Gainesville. After all, in Orlando, Donovan will be just more than 100 miles away from his old stomping grounds. We???ll be watching to see how another college coach makes the transition to the NBA.

When Jeff Craig steps on the baseball field, everyone knows he???s there. A reliable outfielder for the Kutztown program, Jeff has been one of the team???s best hitters for the past three years.

With five homeruns and 52 RBIs entering the NCAA tournament, there???s no question that Craig had another superb campaign for the Golden Bears. Despite playing his first year at Rowan, Jeff will leave Kutztown among the program???s all-time leaders in hits, RBIs, total bases and batting average.

On May 1, Jeff was named the 2007 Kutztown Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year, an award based on a combination of academics and athletics achievement. Just as successful in the classroom as he is on the field, Jeff boasts a 3.64 grade-point average with a concentration in speech/language pathology.

The Golden Bears went 45-5 prior to the NCAA tournament, and in Craig???s three years won a remarkable 127 games.

The academic performance of Division I baseball student-athletes has been a hot-button issue lately. A couple of weeks ago, the Division I Board of Directors approved legislation that will impact the baseball world immediately. On today???s edition of Mondays With Myles, NCAA President Myles Brand shares his thoughts about the changes.

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I don???t understand why Division I baseball coaches are responding to recent legislative changes by complaining about the lack of scholarships they have to give players. What does an insufficient number of scholarship dollars have to do with the way baseball student-athletes perform in school? The legislative changes enacted by the Division I Board of Directors are good for the academic performance of baseball student-athletes. There were flaws in the system, which was evident by looking at the graduation rates of baseball players, and these changes have a chance to clean things up.

"Right now, we have some coaches that are cheating the system and the kids. We've brought this upon ourselves, and now we have to make some changes. And how can you complain about doing something to make sure kids graduate? That's the bottom line,??? said Iowa coach Jack Dahm.

Wheaton has a baseball doubleheader against Bridgewater State this afternoon, so I started my day by chatting with head coach Eric Podbelski before he headed out to the diamond.

Coach Podbelski, who also played his college ball at Brandeis, took Wheaton to its first College World Series last year and has amassed nearly 300 wins in 10 years at the helm of the program. I spent four years playing against Coach Podbelski, and there???s no question that he runs a first-class program. He???s passionate about what happens on the field, but also fully subscribes to the academics-first philosophy of Division III.

I???m quick to criticize programs for a lack of sportsmanship and it would be awfully hypocritical if I didn???t hold my alma mater to the same standards.

Brandeis opened its baseball season yesterday with a 27-0 win over Norwich. During my high school days, I was often on the other end of that score, so my first reaction was embarrassment.

I will certainly follow up on this game when the Judges return from Florida, but having played in Coach Varney???s system for four years, I know he didn???t steal any bases after the team jumped to a four or five-run lead, he didn???t hit-and-run and he certainly didn???t keep his starters in the entire game. He was probably the most embarrassed person on the field, but he would never tell a kid to strike out on purpose to end an inning. Our kids swung the bats, threw strikes and I can guarantee they weren???t laughing it up in the other dugout.

It???s tough to see a lopsided score like that and I???m interested to hear more about how the game unfolded.

The bus crash involving the Bluffton University baseball team happened one week ago, but the tragedy claimed another victim this morning. Freshman Zach Arend suffered chest and abdominal injuries, a fractured pelvis and collapsed lungs as a result of the crash. He passed away at 6 a.m.

Zach is the seventh person killed due to the accident and fifth Bluffton player. Our thoughts are with Zach???s family and the entire Bluffton community.

I stepped off the plane a few hours ago and walked out into the bright Florida sunshine. As I took in the warm air, I was hit hard by the realization that I wasn???t here to play baseball.

I had the good fortune to fly into the Orlando airport four times during my college years, each journey representing the beginning of another spring on the baseball field. We usually flew down in the first week of March, spent nine or 10 days playing games and then returned to the harsh New England climate to complete our schedule.

It???s no secret that I loved Brandeis, enjoyed every second of being a student-athlete and think about baseball at least 10 times a day. It???s hard when your four years are up, because that experience is so utterly ingrained in everything you are and everything you do, and it???s hard to accept when it???s gone.

I???m normally fine with it, more than comfortable that I am living out my dreams in my chosen profession. But today, when I stepped out of the airport, I couldn???t help but wish I was heading to the baseball field for one more round of batting practice, one last round of sprints and another day playing ball with my friends.

As the popularity of college baseball increases each year, the College World Series in Omaha is becoming more of a marquee event. With more than 300,000 people passing through the gates during last June???s two-week championship, there have been concerns about the proliferation of beer vendors just outside the Rosenblatt Stadium property. The issue was discussed in the Omaha World-Herald on Saturday.

"We want to create a clean zone around Rosenblatt Stadium to maintain the image of the College World Series as a family event. This city is synonymous with the College World Series, but what kind of image does the City of Omaha want to present?" said Dennis Poppe, NCAA managing director for football and baseball.

My good friend and former college teammate Cliff Smith recently was named head baseball coach at Elizabethtown College (Pennsylvania). After graduating from Brandeis, Cliff spent five years playing professionally in the Anaheim and Pittsburgh organizations. He was a mentor to me during my early days on campus and if you read his words, you???ll understand why he will be an exceptional role model for Elizabethtown???s baseball student-athletes.

Becoming the head coach of a Division III institution has been my professional goal since my collegiate years at Brandeis University. Even during my five-year minor league baseball career, I always knew that eventually I would want the opportunity to be a positive role model at the collegiate level. As an assistant at Bowdoin College, I dreamed of the days when I would be the head of a college baseball program. So when I was fortunate enough to be offered the head coaching position at Elizabethtown (Pennsylvania) College, I jumped at the opportunity.

It was hard to leave Bowdoin, but you have to be willing to make leaps in life, especially in such a competitive profession. I really feel that Etown is a great situation and institution to attach myself to. The motto here is to ???prepare for service,??? and I really feel that the college cares about the education of its students, as well as taking pride in athletics competition. The academic pursuits of student-athletes at Etown are of the utmost importance and I???m proud to be part of an institution that fully subscribes to the Division III philosophy that was ingrained in me as a player at Brandeis and coach at Bowdoin.

From a baseball standpoint, the Blue Jay baseball team had been very successful under former coach Matt Jones (now at Shippensburg), and returns the core of a nucleus that won the 2006 Commonwealth Championship.

As exciting as this new opportunity is, it was a little overwhelming at first. The transition from an assistant coach to a head coach was a big change. At Bowdoin, I was a volunteer assistant, so I worked in the Special Services Department of a local high school as a teacher???s aide to pay the bills. From a baseball standpoint, I just had to worry about showing up for practice and handling my recruiting duties. I never realized the little things that head coaches were responsible for, not to mention my second responsibility at Etown as an equipment manager.

Organizing a Florida trip, ordering equipment, managing a fund-raising budget, and finding qualified assistant coaches were just a few things that had to be accomplished in just a short three-week span. Add those things to the fun stuff of organizing practices, getting to know 27 players, and preparing to play a competitive schedule and the task can feel a little daunting. Personally you also have to adjust to being outside of you support system, with a family and girlfriend that are now eight hours away.

Thankfully, the people here at Elizabethtown have been great in allowing me to settle in. The athletics department staff has gone out of its way to offer help in any way. Coach Jones has also been very helpful during the transition, showing an obvious care for the players here at Elizabethtown. Even the players have been excited about the transition, understanding that they have the opportunity to go through a different system and to learn from that.

Looking back I have learned a lot in my first month and a half here at Etown. Sometimes being a baseball coach is more than just knowing drills, bunt defenses, or first and third plays. It???s how you present those things to your student-athletes, and how you communicate with them off the field. It is also about space maximization, especially since we do not have a giant field house here at Elizabethtown. How do you fit certain drills in a small area, and if you can???t what are your main goals for that practice? I have found that sometimes the emphasis has to be on the quality of one aspect of the game. Trying to do too much has gotten me in trouble, and as with most things in life it is sometimes about keeping it simple.

What is my coaching style? I learned a lot from Pete Varney (Brandeis) and Mike Connolly (Bowdoin) but how do I teach that knowledge to my current players? It has been interesting trying to instill the things that I want to be a part of my baseball program. Small details like a specific stretch routine, pitcher drills, or hitting stations take a little longer when you are trying to get your players to do them exactly right. Thankfully, my players have been very open-minded and willing to learn some different ideas than what they were previously accustomed to.

The long and the short of it is that it has been a whirlwind first few weeks. In that time I have learned a lot about how to be a head baseball coach, and about myself. I hope that head coaches that read this can look back on their first year and remember some of the difficulties that they encountered. I know when I talked to Coach Connolly he had kind of forgotten how much of a mad dash his first year was at Bowdoin. I hope that assistant coaches can read this and get an idea of some of the things they have to look forward to when they get their first head job.

So far it has been and will continue to be a great experience. Now we just have to get that first win out of the way!

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Zach Lawson attended this morning???s Division I Issues Forum.

I attended the Division I Issues Forum today and came away with a couple observations I thought were worthy of sharing.

Recently, the NCAA sent out a big ???hey, how ya doing???? to its current and former student-athletes. All the responses have been collected for the preliminary results of the GOALS and SCORE studies.

GOALS???Growth, Opportunities, Aspirations and Learning of Students in College???is a measure of current student-athletes??? experience at their university. SCORE???Study of College Outcomes and Recent Experiences???focused on former student-athletes and their recollections of their time in college.

As I expected, the overall attitude toward the student-athlete experience, for current and former, is positive. As a former college athlete???hey, club sports count, too!???I understand the world of going to class, studying, having practices and traveling to tournaments, on a much smaller scale of course.

The opportunity to gain an education, while enjoying that athletic outlet, was a perfect situation for me. Make this the time of your life, student-athletes???doesn???t get much better than this!

On another note???

When is someone going to tell our student-athletes that most of them will not be playing professional ball? I think there is an unhealthy expectation of an athletic career beyond intercollegiate sports.

The Baseball Academic Enhancement Working Group shared their findings in addressing concerns about the academic performance in the sport. One of the topics discussed was the large percentage of student-athletes, in various sports, who have professional aspirations, which, in turn, has some impact on their academics at their respective institutions.

This got me thinking about the intentions of our student-athletes.

In the profile next to my picture in the sixth-grade yearbook, I confidently stated that I would be playing in the NBA when I grew up. I can look back now and realize I may have been a little overzealous???those that have seen my game lately can attest to that. I???m starting to fear that too many student-athletes may be putting too much hope in their chances to play professional sports, and not enough on the opportunity to gain an education, which they would reap benefits from for the rest of their lives.

Beyond the 2-3 hours that we see student-athletes on TV or cheer them on during games, the most important time in their lives are spent out of view developing as people.

The NCAA shouldn???t be a minor league for professional sports. Colleges and universities should employ a philosophy of education first, athletics second. They shouldn???t admit 6-foot-6, 350-pound teenagers who can???t hang with the schoolwork simply because they can open big holes on the offensive line.

While I subscribe to the philosophy that the NCAA shouldn???t be a breeding ground for professional athletes, it???s fairly clear that intercollegiate athletics helps prepare many athletes who aspire to play professionally. Additionally, professional leagues, especially the National Basketball Association and National Football League, ask colleges and universities to prepare the next generation of professionals, regardless of whether or not they deserve to be in school.

I read a thought-provoking piece by Michael Lewis in the New York Times Magazine last week and have grappled with it for the past 10 days. The excerpts from Lewis??? book The Blind Side chronicle the case of a particular student-athlete, an individual blessed with immense natural ability on the football field who lacked the basics in the classroom. Because the people around him recognized he needed to get into college in order to realize his professional aspirations, the student-athlete is now an all-American football player.

Assuming the information in Lewis??? piece is accurate, I am not convinced that the student-athlete was truly qualified to be a student at an NCAA institution. That doesn???t mean he isn???t benefiting from the experience, but at the outset, I???m not sure he had done the work needed to be a student at an NCAA institution. I don???t want to argue about whether or not he belongs at the school because at this point it???s moot; he???s there and I hope he finds success.

What does merit discussion, however, is the system we have in place for student-athletes who don???t have any desire to be students, but need to be in college in order to get a legitimate look from professional leagues. As dominant as someone might be on the offensive line, if he doesn???t gain entrance to an NCAA school to play for a couple of years, will he find his name on the top of future NFL draft boards?

Professional prospects need to be in college if they???re going to fully realize their athletic potential. With millions of dollars at stake for these elite athletes, why does the NCAA have the right to set standards for who should be admitted to college and who shouldn???t be?

The NCAA membership does have the right to set minimum standards for student-athletes because athletics are supposed to be part of the educational experience. If you???re not able to do the work in school, you shouldn???t be representing the school on the field of play. There are thousands of students who bust their humps to gain admittance to college and earn a degree. If unqualified students are admitted to an institution, doesn???t that devalue the efforts of so many others?

But what are athletes who want to play professionally supposed to do if they don???t get into school? Is that the end of their dream? That doesn???t seem fair. It???s not right to prevent prospective professional athletes from having a chance to earn a living.

We need to have viable minor leagues in all sports. Currently, Major League Baseball offers 18-year olds an opportunity to sign professional contracts instead of going to college. The National Hockey League has a good minor league system as well. The NBA has tried with its development league, but that???s less of a place for high school graduates and more of a place for kids who declared for the draft too early or college graduates looking for one last shot at the big time. The NFL doesn???t have a place for 18-year-olds who aren???t qualified to go to school.

If there was a viable minor league, where athletes got paid and didn???t have academic requirements, it would allow colleges and universities to more effectively integrate their athletics programs within the overall mission of higher education.

I understand that my opinion will likely be met with great criticism; most people don???t want to see exceptional high school talents opting for a minor league contract instead of the college football experience. So what? Even if the top 200 football prospects decide to forgo college, won???t we still have dynamite rivalries and great pageantry in college football? Absolutely.

But with a minor league, everybody will have a chance to play. Colleges and universities won???t have to try and sneak kids in who don???t belong because they???ll already have a place to play and a place to be seen. It seems to make sense to me.

Five years ago, I was a sophomore at Brandeis, fighting tooth and nail to keep my spot on the varsity roster. We were on the second day of fall practice and I didn???t have a class until late morning. I was sleeping and uttered a number of curse words when my phone rang.

My roommate Max was down at the gym, fulfilling work-study hours in the equipment room, and he called to wake me up. Just as I had, Max had grown up in New York City. Ten minutes after he told me to turn on the television, he burst through our dorm room door.

My sister, a freshman at Stuyvesant High School, had started school just a few days earlier. She was four blocks away when the planes hit. I called my family in the city, but couldn???t get through. I had no idea if my sister was okay until the broadcast said Stuyvesant had been evacuated and all of its students were fine. I cried tears of relief.

It was time to try and track down Max???s grandfather, who was scheduled to fly from Newark to Los Angeles. We didn???t know if he was in the air or on the ground. We couldn???t get through to anybody. Some time later, we heard from Max???s grandfather. His flight had been grounded.

Calls flocked in to both of us from our teammates. They wanted to make sure our families were okay. Some stopped by to make sure we were all right.

At some point, morning turned to afternoon, and while class had come and gone, I still had a scheduled baseball practice. Barely able to function, Max and I stumbled down to the baseball field where Coach inquired about our families and told everyone we didn???t have to practice, but could if we wanted to. He told us that we could come and go as we pleased, for as long as we needed. There was an eerie silence overhead as the Boston area, like everywhere else in the country, was devoid of air traffic. I practiced. It was the only time I could see straight all day long.

When practice was finished and I was back in my dorm room, I finally was able to speak with my sister, who had worn a brand new pair of white sneakers into the city that day. Months later, I saw her soot covered sneakers packed away in the closet. She never wore them again. She was 14-years-old when she saw the buildings come down.

Millions of Americans had their lives put into perspective five years ago. For some, my decision to go down to the baseball field may have been questionable. It was the only decision I had. That day, and in the days that followed, baseball was what held me together. My family was 200 miles away and while I was able to speak with them on the phone, I wasn???t able to get a hug and an assurance that everything was okay.

My second family, the one that I had established on the baseball diamond at Brandeis, was what helped me get through. Every day, baseball practice was what I looked forward to because it provided me with an escape from the wreckage that was New York City. I am thankful for my coaches, teammates and friends who helped me through the time. Without their support, I don???t know what I would have done.

When people ask me why I love college sports, I often point to the relationships I had with my teammates at Brandeis. While two of my teammates did go on to play professional baseball, we were there to get an education, play baseball and grow up. Nobody wrote about us in the paper and few people came to our games, but that didn???t matter. More important than the wins and losses that transpired during my four years of college, I was able to make lifelong friends who were there for me five years ago, and will be there for me five years from now.

To me, that???s the beauty of my four-year experience and I???m willing to bet those sentiments are shared by hundreds of thousands of student-athletes playing today. Being a college athlete is a special thing, and five years ago, it was more special to me than ever before.

Brand sets Graduation Success Rate goal at 80 percent. In his remarks at Elon University yesterday, NCAA President Myles Brand called for Division I athletics programs to graduate at least 80 percent of their student-athletes. Currently, Division I GSR is at 76 percent, which is above the rate for the regular student body at those same institutions. The move up to 80 percent would be a significant improvement and I don???t see any reason why it can???t be done.

On this date in 1996, Arda Bowser, the last surviving member of the National Football League's first championship team and the league's oldest ex-player, died at 97. Before his pro career, Bowser was a college star at Bucknell and is a member of the Bucknell Football Hall of Fame. He played with the Canton Bulldogs' 1922 championship team. A punter, placekicker, linebacker and fullback who was paid $250 a game, Bowser was the first NFL player to use kicking tees.

Anibal Sanchez throws no-hitter. I know it???s not college baseball season and that Florida Marlins rookie Anibal Sanchez isn???t a former student-athlete, but I was fortunate enough to see the end of the Marlins game last night and as always, was overcome with emotion when I saw something great happen on the field of competition. It boggles my mind that only 6,000 fans were in Miami to see the 22-year-old throw a no-hitter. But when the last out was recorded and Sanchez was jumping up and down with all of his teammates on the mound, it wouldn???t have mattered if another soul was in the ballpark. As a former athlete, being great was something I always dreamed about. Sanchez was electric last night and it was special to watch.

California University of Pennsylvania baseball coach Mike Conte shares some thoughts about the annual spring trip that kicks off the baseball season

One of the more challenging items on a Division II baseball coach???s yearly to-do list is the spring trip. Going south prior to the main season is quintessential for the success of a northern baseball team.

At California University of Pa., we have usually trekked through the Heart of Dixie, playing outstanding, and thoroughly prepared, squads who are often nationally ranked early in the season. The past couple of years, Savannah has been the one-stop locale for us to compete against great teams from all over the country. We have also dipped down into Florida in years past, playing other excellent northern teams at a given site.

Taking a trip of such magnitude (often 29 players, three coaches and two trainers) is an incredible team-building experience. From the four vans in which we travel, to the many different restaurants in which we eat as a team, we note players bonding as teammates and becoming a unified group. They become closer as a unit on the field in the games and off the field in their daily activities.

As most northern teams do in the early season, we migrate south to prepare, to build camaraderie, to expand the horizons of the players both individually and as a group, and to assess the team in early season competition. This allows the coaches ample opportunity to better evaluate the players and their abilities in game situations, not just in an indoor facility as they do in January and February.

Such an excursion, as you may assume, is often steeped in complexities, troublesome or otherwise. There is the assumption by some players that there will be inherent freedoms once they are away from the home nest. Despite all of the prior admonitions by the staff about conduct and university representation, it is almost a yearly ritual that malevolent behavior from a player or two will arise to ???test??? the system.

We deal with student-athletes who are usually between the ages of 18-22, some having never been away from home (some having never been south of Virginia). Eyes widen at the opportunities to see and do things in a new arena. It is our job as coaches to keep the focus of players, reiterating the importance of the early spring preparation.

On the fields, the players are usually ecstatic, where pre-game stretching seems so much more efficient and enjoyable in the warmth of the southern air. The trip is taxing to a pitching staff, however, especially if the pitchers are inexperienced. We often play up to 10 9-inning games in seven or eight days. Learning to take care of the body is a lesson that alone makes the trip worthwhile.

The coaches are challenged with putting different lineups on the field to see in which situations certain players react best. The games, while intense, are usually cast with a rather relaxed aura, different than a typical conference contest later in the spring. Players who perform well on the spring trip are usually rewarded with excellent playing time throughout the season.

With all that is required of a coaching staff to take over 30 people on a nine or 10 day trip, it is more than comforting if the trip runs smoothly. Game schedules, van safety, hotel accommodations, uniform cleaning, meal money disbursement, and curfew and behavior checks are all items that can go askew at times. Success of the spring trip is quite often measured not in wins and losses, but in the overall experience, and that is made up of a myriad of challenges.

At its July meeting, the Division I softball committee recommended a new maximum-contest limit for the regular season.

Currently, softball teams are permitted to schedule games on 56 dates throughout the season, and are free to schedule more than one game on each date. Some teams competing in this year???s Women???s College World Series had played more than 60 games before they got to Oklahoma City.

The softball committee wants to institute a game limit which would allow schools to play a maximum of 56 games throughout the spring. This is the same number of games Division I baseball teams are permitted to play each season.

While I think this is a step in the right direction, I???m not sure if it goes far enough. I think that 56 games in baseball and softball are an awful lot for student-athletes and may hinder their educational pursuits.

The committee believes the change from 56 dates to games will ease the burden on teams that need to travel, especially Northern schools that have to hit the road early in the spring. The change will also help the postseason selection process, as there won???t be such a wide discrepancy in the number of games played by different programs.

With regard to Northern teams in both baseball and softball, won???t they still have to travel too much early in the season to play games? Won???t student-athletes miss weeks of class to be able to play those games? Isn???t it hard for these kids to schedule class during the spring semester?

The committee is right that this is a move in the right direction, but does it go far enough? If a normal semester has 16 weeks, or 112 days including weekends, baseball and softball student-athletes are playing games every other day during the spring semester. They are practicing on other days of the week. Isn???t this too much?

I???m hopeful that this recommendation gets approved by the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet, but I hope this is just the start of shortening the season for both softball and baseball teams at the Division I level.

Student-athletes need to get an education, and as much as I wanted to play more baseball while I was in school, I think Division I student-athletes are at a disadvantage because they???re on the field so often.

If you hadn???t noticed, the Double-A Zone experienced some technical difficulties over the weekend and into yesterday afternoon. I???d like to think that it was because there was too much traffic on the site, but I???ve been told that we???ve got a long way to go before we have problems like that.

My apologies to those of you who had things to say and found your voice stymied over the weekend. I will do my best to make sure it doesn???t happen again.

While the blog was down, I was out in Omaha, seeing the first two games of the championship series between North Carolina and Oregon State. With the Tar Heels up 5-0 in the second game, it looked as if UNC was going to hoist the trophy with relative ease. Seven runs from Oregon State in the bottom of the fourth erased that image quickly, and the Beavers went on to win the decisive game last night for their first national championship.

I was caught a bit off guard by how spectacular the College World Series turned out to be. Omaha is a perfect setting and the fans are as devoted as any I???ve ever met.

More than 300,000 turned out to watch the games during the past 10 days, shattering the old mark set last year. I think the championship will continue to grow in popularity, especially because ESPN has started to televise more games throughout the year. This season, we were able to watch Super Regional games and I don???t think the time is too far off when all tournament games will be televised nationally.

I???ve always been aware that baseball is an immensely popular game in the United States, and have forever been perplexed that college baseball doesn???t attract similar hordes of fans. If college basketball teams fill arenas, how come college baseball squads often struggle to garner attention?

There are excellent players and teams in all three divisions, and at most campuses, admission to baseball games is free. As the popularity of the Division I postseason continues to grow, I???m hopeful some of that enthusiasm will trickle to local campuses. College baseball is awesome and it deserves to be seen.

I landed in Omaha yesterday afternoon and as soon as I hit the ground, my heart started racing; my body could barely contain the excitement brewing inside.

As soon as I got to my hotel, I realized I had left my sneakers back in Indianapolis, so I hopped in my rental car and headed north to the local mall. With a fresh pair of kicks on my feet, I felt prepared to embark upon one of the most exciting days in my professional career.

When I got to Rosenblatt Stadium, after waiting for countless years and a couple of unanticipated hours to grab sneakers, I found myself jogging to get to the main gate. The game between North Carolina and Cal State Fullerton was in the sixth inning and with my heart thumping out of my chest, I was in a near sprint up a couple of hills, through the throngs of people milling outside the park and almost bumped into some players from Rice who had just arrived at the stadium.

I finally entered the park, catching my first glimpse of the College World Series. The baseball field looked just like so many I???ve seen and played on, but the environment was like nothing I???d ever experienced before.

I???ve been to Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, as well as many other Major and Minor League ballparks. Watching a couple of college games with 17,000 passionate college baseball fans, however, trumped all of those experiences.

There are a lot of times that we find ourselves somewhere and are ready to leave and go somewhere new, somewhere different. I???ve been to Yankees games and have thought about what I would eat after I left the park. I???ve played in my own baseball games and found myself waiting to get out of the cold. Yesterday, there was nowhere I???d rather be and nothing I???d rather have been doing. I was totally in the moment.

I think that the College World Series, which takes the better part of two weeks, is the best event the NCAA has to offer. I love the men???s and women???s basketball tournaments, but there???s something perfect about this setting. The entire community waits all year for these two weeks, hungry to embrace college baseball and the eight teams that make it to Rosenblatt. It???s special.

I???m about to head to the ballpark for tonight???s game between Rice and Oregon State. The Beavers looked really great last night, but Rice has only dropped consecutive games on a couple of occasions this season. It should be a great game and I can???t wait for it to start. It promises to be a night to remember.

Hitting a baseball in high school was a lot easier than hitting in college. Of course, most of the reason for the difference is because all of the pitchers were older and more talented. While I was still standing 60 feet, 6 inches away from the pitcher, the baseball started moving faster, in different directions, and often finished in a spot I had trouble reaching.

Obviously, the pitchers had to face tougher, smarter hitters, and somewhere along the way, the game is supposed to even out.

For kids graduating high school around my time, however, there was a big difference awaiting them at the college level. In 2000, new rules prohibited teams from using bats with a 5-unit length-to-weight ratio, changing bats to a 3-unit differential.

While you might not think that this would make a difference, it certainly has. In 1998, Division I teams averaged about one home run per game; in the middle of 2005, teams were averaging fewer than 0.70 round-trippers per contest.

The college baseball game has changed as offensive numbers have dropped. Teams have begun to rely more on bunting, hit-and-running and stealing bases. Small ball has come back with a fury, something college teams in the late 1990s didn???t know much about.

In college, I had the opportunity to play in a couple of wood bat summer leagues, and truly enjoyed that experience. In all of my other games, I always used aluminum bats, which made me feel good when I was hitting, and less than stellar when I was toeing the rubber.

When I was pitching, I used to get frustrated when I???d beat a guy inside and he???d fist the ball off the handle, stealing a base hit because his bat was metal. With wood, those jam jobs would signal a broken bat, and nothing more than a flair to an infielder. As a hitter, I loved grabbing some extra hits because of the aluminum bat ??? I had no complaints with a bloop single once in a while.

Traditionalists will argue that Abner Doubleday didn???t intend for baseball to be played with aluminum bats. In Little League, I always wanted to use a wood bat because I thought it would make me seem more professional. We used aluminum bats for a couple of reasons, one of which was safety. Coaches and parents didn???t want a broken bat flying out and striking their child in the field. I think this is quite understandable.

A couple of days ago, an American Legion team from Montana forfeited a doubleheader because its opponent refused to use wood bats. Three years ago, the team???s pitcher died after being struck in the head with a line drive off an aluminum bat.

That doesn???t mean that players don???t get seriously injured by batted balls in leagues that use wood bats. It can happen anywhere at anytime. Unfortunately, that???s just the way baseball, and athletics in general, works.

As technology continues to advance, and aluminum bats contain nitrogen and scandium and other elements from the science chart, it will be important to continue to monitor offensive statistics and injuries. The purity of the game must be ensured, but more importantly, kids need to play in as safe an environment as possible.

There wasn???t a seat to be had at Hall of Fame Stadium today. The stands at the Women???s College World Series were packed, and 5,000 screaming fans were treated to two great games.

I had a chance to chat with a few fans, a number of whom told me that they take vacation every year to coincide with the tournament. Some came from Florida, others from California. I even met someone who hails from right outside Indianapolis. Everyone made their way to Oklahoma City to spend a week watching softball.

There???s no question that softball???s popularity is at an all-time high, yet the International Olympics Committee removed the sport from the 2012 Olympic program. Baseball was also removed.

While baseball fans will get to see professional games every night during the spring and summer on their televisions, softball fans must wait to watch the WCWS each June. Except for a few televised regular season games, softball contests don???t normally make their way onto the airwaves.

Everyone knows how popular baseball is, but I think that people might be surprised to see how much passion there is for softball. With every game of the WCWS televised on ESPN, more and more people are being introduced to softball and falling in love with the sport.

It seems a shame that the IOC chose to take softball off of the world???s most prestigious stage.

Who gets in and who has to wait until next year? That???s the question that makes tournament selection such an exciting process.

When CBS and ESPN announce the fields for the men???s and women???s basketball tournaments each March, viewers can taste the tension of the teams waiting to find out their fate on live television.

With 88 championships, NCAA tournament berths are earned by more than 50,000 student-athletes each year. Receiving the news that your team has been selected to participate for the national championship is a tremendous feeling to experience. Not receiving that news can be equally devastating.

While Division I basketball tournament selection shows receive national attention, the vast majority of brackets are born via teleconference. That doesn???t make the excitement any less real and intense for the other 50,000 student-athletes not on TV.

For Division III baseball, the selection call traditionally happens on Sunday night. My teammates and I debated our chances over instant messenger, on the phone or by dropping by dorm rooms. It was one of the most exciting days of the year.

I was fortunate to be on a team that earned bids to the Division III baseball tournament twice during my four-year career. While my reaction was never broadcast on television, rest assured that it was just as enthusiastic as the ones we see from the hoopsters each March. Most student-athletes don???t have cameras in their faces at that pinnacle moment, but their joy is just as real.

The Division III baseball tournament field will be set on Sunday night. With a record of 22-13-1, Brandeis may find itself on the outside looking in. I???m hopeful my former teammates, trolling the Internet in my former dorm rooms, will experience the elation I did when I stumbled upon a bracket that included us in the postseason. It???s the greatest feeling in the world.

On today???s edition of Mondays With Myles, Dr. Brand and I discuss some of the important issues surrounding college baseball.

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I can remember almost everything about baseball in the early 1990s. I pored over box scores in the morning, watched games every night and went to sleep to sports radio, as New York anchors dissected every move the Mets and Yankees made each day.

I grew up idolizing Nolan Ryan and Don Mattingly. They played the game hard and I tried to emulate the way I played after them.

I remember the 1991 World Series between Minnesota and Atlanta as if it were yesterday. I remember Jack Morris and John Smoltz battling in one of the epic game seven???s of all time. I remember Kent Hrbek, Dan Gladden, Chuck Knoblauch, Greg Gagne, Lonnie Smith, Rafael Belliard, Terry Pendleton and Ron Gant. I remember the sights and sounds of Fulton County Stadium and the Metrodome. I remember Kirby Puckett.

I remember watching Puckett play with the absolute joy of a child, like there was no where in the world he???d rather be than on the baseball field. He wasn???t the most physically-gifted player, but he never let that get in his way, and I respected that. He worked hard and played with a smile. He was a tremendous role model for all baseball fans, but especially for children.

Puckett???s sudden passing kept me up late into the night watching ESPN news coverage and reflecting on some of my earliest baseball memories. When he had to call his career short after 12 years in the major leagues because he was losing his vision, I remember feeling quite sad for a man who loved to play baseball. It didn???t seem fair.

Puckett was in the midst of an incredible career, and had it taken away from him. He couldn???t do what he loved any more at any level ??? he couldn???t see.

As an NCAA student-athlete, I often reflected on my own athletic mortality. Every time I went for a run, I didn???t notice the boredom of putting one foot in front of the other, because I daydreamed the entire time of hitting a game-winning home run or making a diving play in the hole. In reality, I lacked the power to hit home runs and the athleticism to even set foot near the middle of the baseball diamond, but my dreams were mine, and nobody could tell me what was realistic or not.

After striking out in my final college at-bat, I sat on the bench and watched as my career came to a close. Tears came out of my eyes as something I had devoted so much of my life to was finished. I was graduating from college, and could no longer represent my school on the baseball field.

I saw teammates lose seasons and careers over injuries, and it???s devastating. You want to play until you can???t anymore, until they have to drag you off the field. When I moved to Indianapolis last summer, I began playing baseball again. I???ll play forever.

Like most of the 360,000 NCAA student-athletes, athletics is a part of me, a part of everything I am. I grew up watching, playing, smelling and living baseball and I???ll never graduate from that.

My memories of baseball in the early 1990s and those of Kirby Puckett making a Web gem before ESPN had coined the phrase are indelibly etched in my mind. I???m thankful for having had the chance to grow up watching him.

I have spent a good deal of my life on a baseball field, and having grown up in the Northeast, I remember huddling with teammates to stay warm during games played in the early part of the spring.

I survived the frigid temperatures and wasn???t any worse for the wear. As long as I didn???t catch a ball off the handle of the bat, there weren???t many repercussions to playing in the winter.

The fall in New England is truly the nicest time of the year, and I always enjoyed our nontraditional season at Brandeis. Although the games didn???t count, we played just as hard and the conditions were better than anything we???d have during the spring season.

When it came time for our season to begin, we always headed down south to play our first 10 or 11 games. At the Division III level, that???s more than one-quarter of the entire schedule.

The Florida trip was always something to look forward to, but I was always bothered by the fact that some teams we went up against had already played a number of games because they were from warmer climates. Not only had they played games, but they had been on a field everyday since their first practice. It was a tremendous competitive advantage.

We practiced indoors all winter and hit the field for the first time after our plane landed. The next day was our first game.

Brandeis plays in a conference that is spread all over the country and Emory has one of the University Athletic Association???s strongest programs. Emory is in Atlanta, and the Eagles were always game-ready when we met them during the early days of March.

We always gave Emory our best effort and actually beat them for the conference title twice. Even still, it didn???t seem fair that they got to start so much earlier than we did.

At its January 9 meeting at the NCAA Convention, the Division I Board of Directors approved measures that set uniform start dates to the playing and practice season in baseball and framed parameters for the nontraditional segment.

Starting in 2007, the Division I baseball season will start towards the end of February. Even teams that are in warmer climates won???t be allowed to begin practicing until February 1.

Teams down south will still have a major advantage over teams from the North, but this new framework will at least bring some competitive equity to college baseball.

Nothing can change the fact that there will still be snow all over the field at Boston College and St. John???s in February and March, but it???s definitely a step in the right direction.