America's national pastime hits TAMIU

The Dustdevil Baseball team, the first in the school's history, had its home season opener on February 6 at the Student Activities Complex against Schreiner University. The Dustdevils won by 15-5 over the Schreiner Mountaineers.

When asked if there was pressure facing the team, Ricky Hernandez, a sophomore on the Dustdevil team said, "No, we are all just lucky to be here and look forward to start a winning tradition."

The baseball team's roster includes 32 players and are lead by head coach Mark Jackson, assistant coaches Jon Hinkel and Andy Barrientos, and student assistant Marco Falcon.

The Dustdevils, which don't have a baseball field at the time, have been practicing in different Laredo high schools and at the Student Activities Complex (SAC).

Jackson says, "Do we want a field? Yes, but not having one will not affect our game."

"The benefit is that the players have been gaining mental strength and will be ready to face any adversity during a real game" added Jackson.

The baseball team has been practicing since the fall. They had 24 practices in the fall, a scrimmage against Laredo Community College, started the spring with two-a-days, and will now face a 54 game schedule.

What can the fans expect? Hernandez says, "We are aiming for a .650 to .660 winning percentage and want to establish ourselves as a threat in the Heartland Conference.

As far as team chemistry, Hernandez says, "We all get along really well and care about each other on and off the field; it makes it much easier to accomplish our goals."

Jackson says "This is the players' team not ours and us coaches serve as guides to help them accomplish their goals, which are, as they say, the tradition starts now."

Is the team nervous? Jackson says, "Being nervous is a good thing; it only proves that the team is ready to play."

"If a professional such as Bill Russel, a pro-basketball player with 11 NBA titles, throws up before every game, then our players can be nervous too."

How can TAMIU expect a good program for the years to come?"By teaching work-ethic, playing a structured system both offensively and defensively, and stressing the mental part of the game" Jackson believes he can establish a good program.

He also adds, "The players are student-athletes and role models, therefore academics are important and working in the community say a lot about them too."

Hernandez adds, "We plan to let people know how hard we work on the field, but especially in the classroom."