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Show StatesmanSports Page 16 Monday, Aug. 29,2011 New students pay attention, Aggie pride is in the air Can you feel it? I can. I'd like to direct my thoughts to all of you here - students and teachers alike - so please read carefully. Some of you have been at Utah State for a little while now and know TAVIN STUCKI what's up. Some of you Maybe you haven't fully are freshman who don't. unpacked those boxes or Either way, Big Blue found your notepad yet. You probably needs YOU to become a better fan. just posted about your last hurrah of Maybe you don't know anything summer on Facebook and Twitter. about Aggie football. Maybe you do. Well, I guess it's about that time. Either way, the Statesman is here to help. Let me introduce myself. My name is No USU student can be a real fan withTavin Stucki. I'm the sports editor at the out being informed and educated. Statesman and the football beat writer. From football and basketball, to handI've heard more than a few people tell ball and rodeo, the Statesman has the me the sports page is the most read most complete sports coverage of any newspaper in the world when it comes section in this paper, so if that's true, I should have the captive audience of just to USU Athletics. If there's a sport at about everyone on campus right now. USU, it's part of the Statesman sports It's something about the hot August air. It's something about freshmen on the fountain steps. There are cars in the Stadium parking lot. The Bookstore is busy. olliN Show - I me a Scotsman page. You probably haven't been to any Aggie baseball games. If you haven't seen the sign with the schedule on it, you probably don't even know we have a wrestling team. You might not know USU has a lacrosse, rugby and hockey team. Well, you probably knew we have a hockey team. Or at least you'd better. To help you students know what's up and not look like a freshman, we are here to give you the heads up on how these teams are doing. Have you ever wanted to see your name and picture in the paper? Remember what it was like in high school when you had all the reporters wanting to ask you about that 90-yard pass to win the game in the fourth quarter or the buzzer-beating trey in the state playoffs? This year we're going to give you a chance to relive the past like Uncle Rico. We're covering a lot more intramural sports than we have in the past, so stack your teams up and get ready to make a run at intramural champion. Read the Statesman sports page, and we won't let you down. I'm taking it upon myself to help you not be that guy who stands next to the water cooler and looks like a tool when he says, "Robert Wagner is great! Did you hear about that 79-yard pass against BYE last year?" Tavin Stucki is a sophomore majoring in print journalism. He is the sports editor for the Utah Statesman and writes USU football stories for ksl.com . He is an avid Aggie fan and has been since birth. Follow him on twitter at @tavinstucki for football updates. California stuns Japan, claims Little League title SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - An American flag draped around his shoulders, Braydon Salzman couldn't contain his glee when he found California teammate Nick Pratto to give him a postgame hug. The boys from Huntington Beach are headed home with a Little League World Series championship. Pratto singled in the winning run with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of sixth inning, and Salzman pitched a complete-game three-hitter in a 2-1 victory Sunday over Hamamatsu City, Japan, and the tournament title. "USA! USA," yelled fans before Pratto's single. "I was just thinking. 'Oh God, Oh God,' Before I was getting in the box," the 12-year-old Pratto said. "But once I got into the box, I calmed myself by telling myself to just look for a good pitch." Pratto's clutch hit returned the World Series title to the United States with the type of victory even the big leaguers dream about. A U.S. team has now won six out of the last seven World Series, with Japan's win last year the exception. Pratto tossed his helmet into the air after rounding first before his teammates mobbed him in the infield. The teams exchanged handshakes at the plate before California's giddy players posed at the mound with their new championship banner. "My team is physically smaller than most of the teams. We didn't think we would get to this stage," Japan manager Akihiro Suzuki, who fought back tears after the game, said through interpreter Kotaro Omori. "All of the players did such a wonderful job to get to this stage." With runners on first and second, an error by Japan shortstop Gaishi Iguchi on what could have been an inningending double play loaded the bases for California. After a force play at the plate, Pratto smacked a solid liner to center off reliever Kazuto Takakura that brought pinch-runner Eric Anderson home with the winning run. Pratto did his father, manager Jeff Pratto, proud. Nick Pratto said it was great to have his father as his coach, "but he kind of gets on my nerves sometimes." It was a fitting end to a tense game marked by excellent pitching and timely defense. Japan starter Shoto Totsuka struck out five over 4 1-3 innings, giving up a homer to right to California slugger Hagen Danner. First pitch was delayed more than three hours after the outer bands of Hurricane Irene brought more rain than expected to the Williamsport area. "The result was bad, but they really tried their best," Suzuki said. "Today's weather was difficult for us to get used too. If the weather was like this in Japan, we wouldn't have played." The clouds finally started parting midway through the game, and sunshine draped the complex by the time the California players left the stadium to cheers by friends and family. Neither team could convert on several chances to break open the pitcher's duel earlier in the game. With runners on first and second in the top of the sixth, third baseman Dylan Palmer blocked the bag from sliding Japan runner Ken Igeta on a bunt play to help get California get out the inning. California put runners on first and second with two outs in the fifth, but Takakura got a flyout to end the inning. Playing right field in the second, Takakura also made a running catch on fly down the line to save an extra-base hit with a runner on second. NICK PRATTO, CENTER, CELEBRATES with teammates after driving in the winning run with a walk-off single off Hamamatsu City, Japan, pitcher Kazuto Takakura to win the Little League World Series Championship baseball game. AP Photo We can help you ace your finances College Combo° helps you manage your money with accounts, customizable tools, and resources Wells Fargo Mobile° Banking helps you take control of your finances on the go Wells Fargo Online° Banking with My Money Map alerts you when you're close to a spending limit Visit wellsfargo.com/backstage or talk with a banker at: Four convenient Logan offices to serve you Logan Main office • 5 S. Main St. Cache Valley Mall office • 1320 N. Main St. Fresh Market 4th North office • 49 E. 400 N. South Logan office • 889 S. Main © 2011 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Materials expire on 12/31/11. (603110_02793) Together we'll go far |