June 13, 2007

UCI identity crisis also a uniform issue
The 'team no one has heard of' has the NCAA trying to strike a deal with two sponsors.

BY JANIS CARR

UC Irvine has a potential identity crisis brewing.

First, few people outside of California know much about the baseball team. Unlike many of the other seven participants, UCI is playing in its first College World Series. But even Coach Dave Serrano said his team didn't fit the classic Cinderella mode. The Anteaters were "just a team no one has heard of."

One way of spreading the word about a team or school is with team merchandise. A few blue-and-gold caps and T-shirts, adorned with the fierce Anteater mascot, would help promote the school's name. But it seems that could be a problem, too.

As of Tuesday, the NCAA Web site offered shirts featuring logos of the other seven World Series teams but nothing for Irvine.

Irvine's team uniforms are sponsored by New Balance, which is notone of the eight major companies that normally handle athletic teams. So that left the NCAA scrambling to strike a deal between New Balance and Nike, the official licensed vendor of College World Series merchandise, to put a swoosh on UCI shirts, caps, beads, and jacket that will be sold online and in and around Rosenblatt Stadium.

"We've been jumping through hoops trying to get the licensing stuff taken care of," said Dan Head, product manager for the ncaasports.com Web site.

Another obstacle has been who gets the royalties. According to Phil Wang, associate athletic director in charge of finance at UCI, the campus bookstore, which has been the sole provider of Irvine merchandise in the past, wants a percentage of the profits.

Wang said he expected the kinks to be worked out by late Tuesday or early today. So, Irvine merchandise should be available on the NCAA Web site before Saturday's first pitch.

WEEKS COULD START

Cal State Fullerton second baseman Joel Weeks, who broke his ankle in March, could start Saturday's game against Oregon State, Coach George Horton said.

Weeks, who batted once in the regional game against Fresno State, has recovered significantly and almost played in Sunday's game, but Horton didn't want to tinker with the Titans' lineup.

"Every day that goes by, his foot has gotten better and better," Horton said. "The closer to Saturday, I'll know if he's healthy enough to go."

Corey Jones has started in his place.

LAUNDRY DAY

The Anteaters didn't come home after beating Wichita State last weekend, but instead boarded a bus for a 5 1/2-hour trip to Omaha. It saved the school time, but not necessarily in money.

After practice Tuesday, Irvine players were scrambling for quarters as they headed to the laundromat to wash their clothes they have worn since late last week.

"We have a lot of laundry to do," Serrano said. "And for some of these guys, it will be their first time doing their own laundry. Now, that's lights with lights and darks with darks, right?"

A BIT OF RETRIBUTION

Fullerton catcher Evan McArthur grew up in Lakewood, but his family moved to Medford, Ore., before he started high school. He attended North Medford High, where he hit .370 as a senior and .322 as a junior with 13 doubles.

He also pitched in high school, compiling a 9-2 record with a 0.99 ERA and two saves in his final season. But it wasn't enough to get a look from Oregon State, the defending national champion.

So he headed to Eastern Arizona College before landing at Fullerton.

"I don't feel I have something to prove just because I am from Oregon, but I guess there will be a little extra incentive to perform well against them," McArthur said.