Now let’s see, where did we leave off last time … oh yes, we were about to depart to the Best of the West tourney. What a first night down in the Bay Area.

We pulled into Applebee’s in Alameda as a meeting and eating spot before heading to the A’s game. We timed the trip perfectly, grabbing a seat and watching the first pitch of the College World Series championship game – Fresno State vs. Georgia.

Fresno was not the only Cinderella story of college baseball, but of the entire sports world. No NCAA team in any sport has been a lower seed and advanced to the championship game, let alone win it!

And here we had three Crab players from last year’s team trying to make history. One former Crab, Steve Detwiler, became history. ‘Det’ will never have to buy another meal in Fresno his entire life.

He singlehandedly lifted the Bulldogs (Wunderdogs) to their first NCAA Championship in any sport. The former Crabs rightfielder drove in all six runs with two homers (the second was blasted), a double and a single.

Later that night, ESPN’s SportsCenter was the Steve Detwiler show. The next morning he was at our hotel room’s doorstep on the front page of USA Today.

The amazing thing: he did this all with one hand. Det had completely torn a ligament in his thumb earlier in the season (he just had surgery on it June 30) and played through the pain to become a Fresno legend.

Our trainer, Nate Kees, and I rolled into “Sac Town” in late May to see Fresno State vs. Sacramento State. We arrived in the second inning and made our way down to the Fresno side behind first base. ‘Det’ (RF) and ‘Heddy’ (CF) (Gavin Hedstrom) came running in from the outfield after the final out in the bottom half of the inning; well, make that hobbled in for Detwiler.

Both Nate and I realized he was a little more banged-up than normal towards the end of a season. After the game, the boys came over and greeted us. ‘Det’ had a bad heal (which he battled all summer), a strained quad and, oh yes, the famous torn thumb ligament. He was a mess and they still had two more weeks before starting their amazing run at the biggest prize in college baseball. It didn’t surprise me though to see No. 30 toughing it out.

I remember the first time I saw Steve Detwiler last year at a San Jose State game. It’s not too often you remember a guy that didn’t even play. An old high school buddy and I pulled up right behind the Fresno dugout to watch Brian Lapin (RF) and Todd Sandell (SS) from the ’06 team.

I knew we had some new guys that would be joining the ’07 squad, but wasn’t exactly sure who they were. I remember Lapin telling me that I’d love the Detwiler kid. “He’ll run through the right field (brick) wall for you coach.”

So, after the game, we’re driving back to the hotel and I call (Crabs head coach) Robin Guiver and told him about this one guy who stood out – on the bench.

Det didn’t play much his freshman year, but he was a coach’s and player’s dream on the bench. Very vocal, very positive and in on every pitch. Guiv tells me… “Number 30? That’s Detwiler, he’s ours this summer!”

Where am I going with all this? Good question. Before this season, I was pondering what our role is in the lives of these young men, on and off the field.

On the field, we give them an opportunity to play in pressure packed situations and learn how to win and cope when things get tight. I remember a year ago almost to the day Steve Detwiler sat dejected in our dugout at Sunken Diamond (Stanford) with his face in his hands. He and I were the last to leave. His heart and ours had just been ripped out by the Yankees; when he came racing in on a line drive to right, his first step should have been back. He quickly made the adjustment, backpedaling towards the fence, only to see the ball sail just out of his reach. We lose 1-0, bottom of the ninth, game over, lesson learned, Best of the West championship gone all with one swing of the bat.

Fast forward a year later, the biggest stage in college baseball, Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb., two outs, bottom of the ninth, NCAA history calling, line drive to right – guess who catches the final out … yep, ‘Det’ (and then stuffs the ball in this back pocket – maybe he’ll bring it up when he visits).

I couldn’t have been more proud of our boys as we celebrated Fresno’s victory in Applebee’s that evening, and then I realized that what we do as a Crabs organization not only affects these guys off the field, but on it as well.

P.S., catch Detwiler and Co. on ESPN’s “ESPY” award show Sunday night as they go for the ‘story of the year’ award. Du du dunt…du du dunt!

(Opinions expressed in columns do not necessarily reflect those of The Eureka Reporter or its staff.)