COLUMN: USD in dire need of baseball

While the weather hasn’t necessarily indicated so, spring is upon us in Vermillion. I’ve always seen March Madness as a bridge that fills the gap between the winter sports and spring sports. After the tournament ends, the weather grows warmer, people begin to venture outside and start their summer tan by tossing a flying disc or bringing out a set of golf clubs.

However, I believe the USD sports scene has a glaring omission when it comes to springtime: baseball.

At many colleges, baseball provides the ultimate change of sports’ pace. After months of cramming into basketball gyms, indoor swimming pools and around wrestling mats, spectators finally have the chance to venture outdoors to watch America’s pastime.

There’s nothing quite like a baseball game. The anticipation surrounding the first pitch is nearly unrivaled by any other emotion in sports; energy crackles throughout the stadium as people are united for just a brief moment, awaiting the start of the contest.

Indeed, there is nothing quite like the atmosphere at a baseball game. The warm sun shining down upon the stadium gives the entire premises an extra boost of energy. Every color appears to be just a little bit more vibrant than usual; the grass looks a shade richer, uniforms look just a tad sharper. For females, the pants on the baseball players seem to hang just a little bit better than usual (or so I’m told).

But the sounds of a baseball game are perhaps the best part. From the crack of a wooden bat making contact with a rubber ball to the incessant chatter of heckling fans and eager supporters, a baseball game is a rich auditory experience.

Furthermore, baseball preserves a dying concept in today’s generation: patience. Baseball is a game of delays, a contest of nuances. It’s the pitcher staring down a batter for 30 seconds, then turning to throw to the runner at first. To watch baseball requires patience and attention something lost on the majority of sports fans who receive satisfaction from minute-long dunking highlights on Sportscenter, but rarely watch an entire game.

Baseball requires patience but delivers an outstanding sports product. It puzzles me why USD would miss out on such a wonderful experience. It’s understandable that baseball is somewhat inconceivable because of the frigid winter climate of South Dakota; most baseball teams begin playing in early February, far too early for baseball to be played in Vermillion.

Still, most cold-weather baseball teams spend much of their season playing in tournaments in friendly-climate locales. And while the experience is not quite the same, baseball can be played indoors. Several major league teams have indoor stadiums; the Minnesota Twins spent most of the franchise in the Metrodome before moving to Target Field in 2010. With the expansion of USD’s facilities expected to be finished within the next two to years, USD could conceivably convert a portion of the DakotaDome into a baseball training facility at the very least.

While it is unfair to stereotype a sport as one for the older generation, few members of the current generation possess an appreciation for baseball. If USD were to re-instate baseball, it’s unlikely the University’s infamous lack of student support would be miraculously changed. However, many of USD’s alumni may be more inclined to come back for a baseball game in the spring or early summer months, when vacations begin to make frequent appearances in the work schedule.

I understand there are many factors keeping USD from establishing baseball as an official, university-sponsored sport. Perhaps it’s unrealistic to believe USD could sustain baseball in such a harsh climate. But after growing up with the excitement of baseball and knowing what it has to offer, I can’t help but wonder…