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Show ; -: . . X r ) -i .. I 1 1 v if V - - Tf f i ' J I STEVE HILTON Steve Hilton Talks 3 il! out Ute Baseball By DAVE WIGHAM 90UNTIFUL - A year ago oung man named Steve ion had just finished a at high school baseball eer for Bountiful High. r thinking over his offers 9 leaded to play ball for the versity of Utah with the I of helping to build up I school's baseball ram. iw that he has played one r for the Utes and they C: just recently named a bead coach, Steve talks lidly about the past year I the future of the Utes ' ball program. ipper: What was the main jrence you found from 1 school to college ball? ve: In high school you i get away with some bad les, and even overpower of the hitters, but not in ge. Plus, 1 feel the ... ge game is a lot more game, you have to think v 2 PPer: What about train- fj ve: Oh yea, there's a lot P in college. We run and 7 weights constantly. The Dn is longer, we started ember 14 and went igh until May 27. pper: Why was the Utes td 7-35? eve: The main reason was fk carefree attitude of the I lifers which was really generated through the coach. Plus we played some terrible ball, we even had people playing out of position. Remember though of the 35 games we lost, seventeen of them were one run games. Clipper: What about your coach this past year? Steve: He didn't really care, I felt. He tried to act concerned, but really wasn't and it showed. He wouldn't say much during the games which 1 thought was a little strange. One of the big things that got to me about him though, was that he wasn't a confidence builder. I remember a double header we played. I came in relief the first game and won, then pitched the entire second game and beat them and he didn't say a word to me. There was no enthusiasm for the game generated through him. The assistant coach, Bobby Depasquale was super though. Clipper: What about this new coach? Steve: I've talked with him several times and like his attitude. at-titude. He told us first thing that he wasn't here to screw around, he said we had to work harder or he'll get rid of us. The change is being made. The money aspect is also picking up with Utah backers in Salt Lake City coming up with some bucks for baseball. Clipper: What about this BYU mystique in the state when it comes to baseball? Steve: Utah has let it build up over the years. They had a hard time beating us this year and with this coaching change I feel we can go after them. Everyone has to get it out of their heads, the idea that BYU is that super, and now that the administration is behind us, we can compete with them. " Clipper: What do you remember about high school? Steve: Playing on a championship- team, they would really play for the pitchers and support them. Clipper: What about playing play-ing for Coach Olsen? Steve: I really liked him both as a coach and a person. He is very dedicated and likes the kids. He would be a good college coach if he ever moved up. Clipper: Did you get the coaching you expected in college? Steve: No, not at all. I thought I would get some individual in-dividual help in practice and didn't. It was a real let down. But this year they have a new pitching coach from California. Califor-nia. In the past five years his club has been near the top in the nation for ERA'S. 1 Clipper: What about your attitude going into this year? Steve: If the coaching change hadn't been made, I wouldn't have gone back to Utah. But this new guy has everyone excited and ready to play some baseball and turn the program around. Steve noted that baseball officially begins Sept. 1 but right now he's enjoying playing play-ing summer ball in the American Legion program. |