Got Hook? Diamonds, Hoops, and Mixed Fruit Cobbler

The past week has been a conglomeration of ideas and happenings: a proverbial mixed fruit cobbler, if you will. So, in an attempt to sort through the mumbo jumbo and make sense of everything, Got Hook? is here for you, the reader. Enjoy.

Catamount Baseball

The Diamond Cats kicked off their 2001 season this past weekend traveling to Alabama to tangle with the number-11 Tigers on their home field. Despite coming away with three losses, the Catamounts not only showed the SEC opponent that WCU baseball is back, they sent a message to Southern Conference teams everywhere.

Western Carolina could easily be 2-1 right now and be knocking on the door of the national rankings. Saturday’s game saw WCU have the game tied until the later innings. A seeing-eye single here or a passed ball there and the Catamounts could have moved the runners around the paths to the plate.

Sunday’s contest was well in hand heading into the bottom of the ninth. However, a pair of walks, a duo hit bats men, and a couple of wild pitches gave the game to Auburn rather than making them win it.

WCU will travel to Greenville this weekend to take on the East Carolina Pirates in their second series of the season. The Cats will open ball in Cullowhee the next weekend versus Wright State. Good luck to Coach Raleigh and crew against the ECU swashbucklers.

Blast from the Past

It is here that I am going to invoke something from my storied journalism past: something that we issued with pride during my four-year high school stint with the school newspaper. It was a section where we handed out good jobs–called “Cat Pat”–and issued thumbs down, properly titled “Kitty Litter,” on items around campus. So, here goes…

Cat Pat: To Chancellor Bardo and Athletic Director Jeffrey Compher for their dealings with the now infamous VMI/Southern Conference incident. Thanks for the support.

Kitty Litter: To the Rent-a-Ramsey Cops that quieted down “THE” FANS at the basketball game. If the word “sucks” is offensive, I’d hate for anyone from WCU to venture to other SoCon venues to witness a game. That was “terrible.” (that better?)

Cat Pat: To WCU students and even to the few ASU faithfuls who came out Monday night to help make a real college basketball atmosphere. WCU Rugby, Catamount football players and other athletes, and of course, “THE” FANS.

Kitty Litter: To the numerous Greek organizations that came out to the Ramsey Center Monday and sat on their collective tails with their thumb stuck up their cobbler. How does it smell now? By the way, enjoy the wings…

February Heat

Don’t want to spend a whole lot of commentary space on this topic at the current moment, but NASCAR and racing fans everywhere are gearing up for Speedweeks from the World Center of Speed, Daytona Beach, Florida.

The vacation home of NASCAR (everyone knows that Charlotte and Mooresville, North Carolina are home to the stock car sport) is the site of the start of the season, which will conclude in Atlanta in November and the Waldorf Astoria in New York in December.