May baseball blog

RECRUITING: Last month during the week break from play as BYU’s team prepared for final exams, BYU coach Mike Littlewood flew to Southern California on a recruiting trip and his assistants were in New York, Arizona and Las Vegas. TUCKETT & PULLINS: Being honored during the St. Mary’s series this month at Larry H. Miller Field are former BYU baseball coaches Glen Tuckett and Gary Pullins. Last month when the Cougars played at Santa Clara, Tuckett and former players Tom Fife, Jeff Bills and Jim Englehardt took in the BYU ball games, an Oakland A’s game and dined together.

ANOTHER MISSION CALL: Last month BYU played at Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash., where at least one Cougar took more than usual notice of the surrounding community. Freshman pitcher Keaton Cenatiempo got his mission call to Spokane.

SECOND FIRESIDE: Following the 8-3 opening victory at Loyola Marymount, BYU’s baseball team changed into shirts and ties, busing to the nearby North Torrance Stake Center to hold a fireside in a chapel that overflowed into the cultural hall.

Jaycob Brugman got a gasp from the youth in the congregation when he told them he was one of 130 Mormons at his high school. He tried to further clarify that worked out to a percentage of .04. He quoted an epitaph from Jackie Robinson, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on others lives." Brugman spoke about not being afraid to live the Gospel. He talked of the difference of going to Prom with Mormon friends vs. his non-Mormon friends and how that led him to BYU. At BYU he met the “love of my life, got married in the temple and started my own family.”

Marc Oslund used a slide show to illustrate his talk. He told of the difference in his life before and after his conversion. He had a big crush on Rachel whom is “the greatest blessing. She is much easier to live with than my missionary companion 24-7.” He showed a picture of his long hair as a high school quarterback. He told of how he was kicked out of the choir as a missionary in North Carolina by Brother Thomas who said, “Because you just can’t sing.” He talked of North Carolina basketball player Stilman White, who was impressed by the spirit he felt when he was asked by convert Will to baptize him. White, a Tar heel guard was encouraged by Oslund’s example and is now serving a mission to Ogden, Utah. Oslund encouraged the youth to commit to live the Gospel.

Coach Mike Littlewood also used some photos to illustrate his talk, which centered on a 1 ½-hour hike he took with his daughter Micah in 103-degree temperature up Angels’ Landing in Southern Utah. Micah had to hold on to the chain as she climbed the spine of Angels’ Landing, which he likened to clinging to the world of God and to be a light unto people.

Assistant coach Brent Haring conducted a question-answer session after those talks. Those questions from the congregation were: How many Eagle Scouts are on the team? Who had served missions? Why would a player would choose college over being drafted? Who is the oldest and youngest player on the team? Why hold firesides like this one and the one in Louisiana? The answer to the latter question centered around the spiritual aspects being a key factor and that “any time you give of yourself you become a better person.” Haring continued, answering a question about the difference in coaching at BYU compared to other schools. Haring told of how he coached at Harding College run by the Church of Christ. He told the difference being the players at BYU know who they are and what they want out of life.

VANCE ON TV: Last month former BYU coach Vance Law debuted twice, first as a TV color analyst and second as a manager for the Chicago White Sox AA Birmingham Barons. The TV gig was the first of five dates Law joins Steve Klauke on the KJZZ telecasts for the Salt Lake Bees. The other dates are May 16 at 6:30 p.m., and June 1, July 5 and August 1 all at 7 p.m. Law subbed as manager for one week for the Barons while the regular manager Julio Vinas took time off for the planned baby delivery of Julio Vinas, Jr.

MILLER CLAN: Earlier this month BYU pitcher Adam Miller, one of 11 siblings from Yucaipa, Calif., had around 20 of the Miller clan attend the Cougar-Lion Saturday game at Loyola Marymount University. Included in that group was Miller’s wife Deidre, who surprised him by showing up the day before that game.

AFTER LMU SERIES: Several of the BYU baseball team changed clothes quickly after game three of the LMU series and reboarded the bus to watch the Cougar men’s volleyball team play in the NCAA championship at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. That wasn’t a first visit for BYU coach Mike Littlewood who has refereed several basketball games in Pauley Pavilion.

MAY MARRIAGE: Bret Lopez is scheduled to be married on May 29.