Play Ball!

If you're still recovering from the passing of the college football season and don't care about basketball, then you're probably sweating out your team's Rivals.com star ratings for the upcoming football signing day. Well, stop worrying about that Parade All-American that's thinking about joining your team or the juggernaut that Florida will turn into. There are games to be played. I follow basketball, but not nearly as close as King Bee. Which is why I'm happy to report that college baseball starts this weekend. Actually, last night, with defending national champs Oregon State no-hitting Hawaii-Hilo.

If you didn't know colleges have baseball teams, you're missing out. Baseball is the second most fun sport on campus. The early games can be a little cold, but there is no better way to kill a Sunday afternoon in the springtime than by sitting in Foley Field or Alex Box to watch a baseball game. College baseball still has reasonable ticket prices and concessions. It also, for some unknown reason, attracts scores of good looking girls.

Here are a load of preseason rankings:

• Rivals.com - Seven SEC teams, Rice No.1
• National College Baseball Writers - Six SEC teams, Rice No.1
• Baseball America - Five SEC teams, Rice No.1
• USA Today/ESPN - Five SEC teams, Rice No.1
  

Georgia is on the borderline this year. We're in the top 25 some places, but by no means a powerhouse. UGA baseball pretty much always starts that way, but we've made three College World Series appearances since 2000. Here's a preview from the UGA athletic department. The Dawgs open with Oregon State on February 9th, the same team that sent them packing from Omaha last year.

Do yourself a favor: look up your school's baseball schedule and go to a game.

Ping!