1992_05 Insight May 1992

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Sophomore overcame rocky start
QRight-hander
Soderstrom got
confidence and
wins after losing
first two of year
By David Donnelly
StaffWriter
Confidence.
It is the stablemate of a
winning pitcher. Without confidence a pitcher questions his
abilityandthat'sthe worst thing
a pitcher can do.
Early in the season, Fresno
State pitcher Steve Soderstrom
didn't have a whole lot of confidence. Last season,
Soderstrom appeared in 15
games as a freshman, seven as a
starter. He compiled a 2-3 record
and a 5.81 earned run average.
Soderstrom began this season with consecutive losses,
losing to traditional power
Stanford in the third game and
California in game six.
What a diference three
months make. After the 0-2 start,
the 6-foot-3, 220-pound righthander won eight, lost two and
lowered his ERA to 2.46.
Entering his start against
16th-ranked Long Beach State
Saturday, Soderstrom had gone
7-1 with a 1.70 ERA and struck
out 62 in just less than 70 innings.
"He's made some real
progress; he's always thrown
hard, but is now getting good
location," FSU coach Bob
Bennett said. "Steve was going
through an adjustment period.
He was asking 'ho w good am
I?'"
Soderstrom's strong finish
was spoiled when he lost to the
49ers Saturday night and Long
'Beach State finished a series
sweep of the Bulldogs with an
18-2 rout Sunday.
For FSU, 37-18 overall, and
Soderstrom (8-5), the next game
may be next year. The NCAA
After losing first two, Soderstrom went 8-2 and lowered and struck out 62 In just under 70 innings pitched.
Baseball Committee will select
teams for regional playoffs this
week.
Bennett said Soderstrom was a
good high school pitcher but noticed the Turlock High grad was
getting abused by opposing batters at the college level. An adjustment was needed.
"In the beginning, I wasn't real
confident; I have a pretty good
fastball and coach (Bennett) had a
couple meetings with me and told
me to use it more," Soderstrom
said. "I would get ahead or behind
against a hitter and I would let up
on my fastball."
In addition to the fastball, which
Bennett said Soderstrom throws
in the 90 m.p.h. range, the righty
throws a curve ball, a slider and
has been working on a change-up.
Soderstrom gave partial credit
to juniorcatcher Todd Johnson for
his turnaround. "He would realize I wasn't piching well and come
out," he said. "I used to be real
tense (on the mound)."
Starting his freshman season in
the bullpen didn't help his confidence, he said. "Ifs a whole other
thing when you know when you're
going to pitch," he said. "It helps
you concentrate a lot more."
After he finished at Turlock,
Soderstrom was drafted by the
New York Mets in the 15th round
of the 1990 amateur draft However, he didn't go.
"It was a tough decision," he
said. "The Mets offered a fair
amount of money. My parents
didn't want me to go and I didn't
know if I was ready." Soderstrom
said the Mets wanted him to spend
some time in a rookie league in
Pennsylvania.
"I'm kind of glad I didn't go
because I've learned so much
here," he said. Soderstrom was
also recruited by Arizona State,
UC Santa Barbara, UCLA, USC,
Pacific, MiamKFla.), Pepperdine
and California and said choosing
Fresno State was a tough decision,
too.
"I liked the facilities, the coaching staff, I heard Bennett was a
pretty good pitching coach and it
was only an hour-and a-half away
from home," the pyhsical education major said.
Soderstrom was with the Bulldogs last season when the 'Dogs
beat Cal State Northridge in the
second game of the NCAA West II
Regional to reach the College
World Series.
"It had always been a dream
and then to finally go, it wasunbe-
lievable," Soderstrom said.
In 1990, Soderstrom played in
the VS. Olympic Festival. "I
had a really good time. I met
some of the best high school
players," Soderstrom said.
He also played for Turlock
team that was runner-up to Elk
Grove in the CIF Northern
Section championship game.
In his spare time,
Soderstrom likes to collect
baseball cards. He said he has
more than 2,000 cards. He has
a Micky Mantle card worth
more than $750.
Soderstrom started playing
baseball in the Pee-Wees when
he was seven years old. "My
dad signed me up. I was always throwing stuff around the
house," he said.
He said he started pitching
when he was nine. "I'd always
had a strong arm and I would
pitch to my dad."
FSU's Jackson Is
best In Big West
triple jump again
By John Welsh	
StaffWriter
White men can't jump,
thafs why we write about
those who can.
Reggie Jackson is one man who
knows how to to jump. Far. Very
far.
Perspective
Jackson proved for the fourth
time there's nobody in the Big West
Conference better than he is in the
triple jump.
When he soared 51 feet, 11 and
three-quarter inches this weekend
at FSU's Warmerdam Field during
the conference championships,
Jackson wrappeduphis fourth triple
jump title. His mark also helped the
Fresno State men snatch a 10th consecutive conference title.
Nobody could touch the Bulldog
Ail-American in Fresno State's
backyard.The second farthestmark
of the weekend in the triple jump
was still nine inches off of Mr. Jackson Not too bad for a man who
broke two vertebrae in his neck in a
car accident that knocked him out
of competition last year.
Jackson is certainly a testament
to comebacks. Of course, Jackson
didn'tlooklikemuchofachampion
Saturday after his triple jump. Track
guru Red Estes said they had to
carry him out of the pit.
You see, Jackson was nursing a
bruise on his left (jumping) heel
before he traveled through the air
52 inches. Estes, in his 12th year in
charge of the men's program and
27th overall year at FSU, said Jackson "had a real serious bruise on his
heel" after competing in the long
jump Friday.
Fresno State sophomore Sam
Watson edged Jackson in the long
jump.ButJacksonabsorbedhispain
Saturday to capture the triple jump
crown with just one flight.
"It was a real gutsy perfor-j
mance," Estes said. "Reggie knew)
he had to hit the heel two times in
the triple jump. It was very painful
for him, but he sucked it up."
Maybe the pain made him jump
farther. OK, probably not
Rotlsserie leagues offer sports
junkies chance to play owner
By Stu Rosenberg
Staff Writer
Walter Mitty lives within
every armchair baseball
player, coach and owner who
believes his favorite team would go
undefeated under his guidance.
Now many of these daydreamers
havetakenactionbyjoiningFantasy
and Rotisserie baseball leagues.
These leagues allow fantasy   ■■
owners to draft, trade, reserve
and release players as if they
were running an actual major
league club, f
Those who once loathed
New York Yankees's owner
George Steinbrenner for hiring
and firing on impulse are now
doing the same thing under
similar conditions and often
with similar results.
Many leagues follow the
standard Rotisserie structure
whereas owners must fill rosters with 23 players—14 position
players and nine pitchers—while
stayingundera salary cap ranging
but now I'm a fan of the game,"
said Rhoads. "I enjoy the game
more now than before because I
understand it better."
Rhoads has a PIP (picture in a
picture) television screen which
allows him to watch two games
simultaneously and not miss any
of the action.
Steve Schweizer, a government
"You can hate the
Dodgers but like Orel
Hershiser as long as he
produces for your
team."
— Steve Schweizer
agricultural biologist and self-
proclaimed baseball junkie, has
a    always been a slat fanatic and now
from $260 to $26 (depending on    pays even closer attention to    add up statistics in various cat
.^        1 ft 1 S-k /.I II t. - MmUm     tr..^V.     ft*     *....«     U-.H~-I      :_tf
"I wouldn't get anything done
if I could sit around and watch
games and highlights all night,"
Schweizer said. He listens to games
on the radio three hours a day to
quench his baseball thirst.
Fantasy baseball also feeds the
baseball fan's competitive spirit
Robert Schweizer, a painting contractor, got involved because he's
always enjoyed coaching and
um playing the game and sees it as
another way of competing.
"I don't have time to play
softball anymore because I'm
an independent businessman
and my job takes up too much
of my time," he said.
Schweizer said he's always
read boxscores but that Rotisserie brings a whole new life to
them, i
"Before, I would tend to look
at my favorite team and a few
other teams, but now I look at
what other guy's players are
doing. If you're a sports nut you
cangetaddicted." Schweizer said.
At seasons end, participants
VICTORIOUS
Fresno State's 400-meter relay team won the Big West title Saturday when anchor Mike
Orwat held the lead his teammates set up. /
the league).
To keep from forming a league
of all-star teams, players are
drafted from one of two leagues or
a specific division owners decide
on before drafting starts.
Usually falling on the first Sat-
urday of the season, draft day al-   Schweizer said, remorsefully.
boxscores. One of the problems he   egories (such as runs batted
has with Rotisserie baseball is that    L'
he's found himself rooting for
players he's never liked.
^fou can hate the Dodgers but
like Orel Hershiser as long as he
produces   for   your   team,"
lows baseball maniacs to match
wits and see who can put together
the strongest team.
The main purpose of Rotisserie
baseball is to have fun, but there
•re many side benefits, including
increasing your knowledge of
today's playersand the game itself.
Marry Rhoads,a water manager
for a local farm, has always been a
die-hard San Francisco Giants fan,
but said he didn't become a baseball fan until he got involved in a
fantasy league.
"I used to be a Giants fan only,
Schweizer said he still roots for
his beloved Pittsburgh Pirates, but
he doesn't root for individual
players unless they areonhis team.
"I'm a fan of the players on my
team and right now it's more inv
homeruns, stolen bases, wins and
saves) and the team with the players who produce the best stats
wins.
Fantasy and Rotisserie baseball
allows owners to test their
shrewdness and keenness against
real baseball executives like San
Francisco's Al Rosen and
Oakland's Sandy Alderson.
ForthosewithCliffClavinesque
baseball mindsitmay seem simple
but even the best strategy fails due
Bulldogs get swept, now must wait
for word from NCAA Committee
portant for Gary Carter to hit a    to circumstances beyond anyone's
homerun than it is for the Pirates
to win." said Schweizer.
One of the few Rotissierians
without cable, Schweizer said going without daily doses of ESPN's
Baseball Tonight and S^ortscenter
control. Some people set their
sights on a star player,.spend all
thdr cash and then the player
suffers a season-ending injury.
Luck, of course, plays a major
and CNN's Headline sports is his    factor. A lifetime .230 hitter may
choice and a matter of sanity. have a banner year for one's team.
By David Donnelly
StaffWriter
Long Beach State spoiled the
Fresno State baseball season
resurrection with a weekend sweep.
The Bulldogs started the at 5-6,
but won 32 of its next 41 before
Long Beach State ended FSU's
regular season with its first home
series sweep since 1976.
After spending the first two
months of the season unranked,
FSU spent the last four weeks
ranked in the Top 20. The 'Dogs
finished the season ranked 11 th in
Collegia te Baseball Magazine, 18th
by Baseball America and 15th in
the USA Today Coaches' poll.
Following an 8-6 home loss to
Chapman College i n February, the
Bulldogs won 13 of their next 16.
Whether Fresno Sta te is selected
to a playoff regional rests in the
hands of the NCAA baseball selection committee.
"If they are a fair committee
they will (let us in)," FSU coach
Bob Bennett said. "Hopefully, the
people deciding this won't look at
(last) weekend."
"Fresno's got a good ballclub;
we just got ho t," Long Beach State
coach Dave Snow said Sunday afternoon. "I definitely think three
teams, FSU, Fullerton and us,
should be in the regionals."
After 15 games FSU didn't look
like a post-season contender.
Bennett squeezed a respectable
season out of a raw outfit. He had
only five seniors.
"For what we had, we did a
pretty good job," Bennett said.
"Our pitching improved and we
didn't beat ourselves. We had spots
where the relief improved. Some
of it was (gaining) confidence and
the feeling of being a team."
Now irs a waiting game. Sunday, the committee will select the
48 teams for the regionals. Playoff
action begins May 21.
The College World Series,
which FSU was in last year, starts
May 29.
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