I got to cover the baseball team last year, and I really enjoyed it.
“Are you crazy?” one might ask. “You went all the way to Westwego, and they lost more games than they won.”
The stadium I am referring to is Segnette Field, which is much nicer than anything I could possibly imagine before I saw it myself.
Actually, the only non-major league baseball fields I have been to that were nicer are LSU’s Alex Box Stadium and Zephyr Field.
Turchin Stadium, where Tulane plays and Loyola host games occasionally, is slightly better, but only because it can be faster to walk to than Segnette is to drive to.
Actually, the drive to Segnette is not that bad. Just remember these words: “Earhart Expressway.”
You basically get off at Clearview, cross the river and make the first left after the traffic circle. You’re there.
It’s a nice location too. It’s like a country getaway, complete with trees, peace and quiet and such. I’ve never tried it, but you might want to take your girlfriend there for a picnic on Valentine’s Day.
Anyway, getting to the team you’ll be watching once you get there. I admit they had a rough start last year. They only won 18 games altogether, but 12 of those wins came in April.
I’m not saying you should wait until April. There is no reason the Wolfpack will not continue their winning ways at the beginning of this season.
Some have suggested that Loyola athletes, particularly the men, are cursed. I happen to believe that the baseball team broke its curse when it won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference two seasons ago.
Maybe scholarships will do it for the men’s basketball team.
Back on topic, they have six home games scheduled between tonight and Feb. 21. Last year, they did not play their sixth home game until March 8. At that point, they had won two home games and only two road games. They steadily improved from that point on. So, if you go to a game this month, chances are they are going to win.
Of course the more games you go to, the more likely you are to see a win.
As evidenced by the baseball posters, the athletic department has decided to focus on Ryan Moity, who, aside from being photogenic, was all-GCAC last season.
But he’s not the only player to watch. The key elements of the line-up are all still there from last season. Defensively, the ‘Pack will be able to work together better than last season, putting less strain on the pitching staff.
Pitching did suffer some losses, but it was very deep, with good pitchers having to share the small number of innings left over after players like Brad Showalter (A ’03), Scott Schenck (B ’03), and Tory Western (B ’03) started.
Loyola is due for a winning season anyway. After winning seasons in 2000 and 2001, the ‘Pack ended up with a losing record in 2002 by virtue of losing in the regionals to some of the best teams in the country. Last year was a rebuilding year, but the Wolfpack showed a lot of heart with its late-season run.
A second conference championship in three years would be nice to watch, but the baseball team shows enough determination to make it worthwhile, even if they are the first team eliminated from the conference tournament.
