MLB College Sports

College athletics are fun because you always see players being ridiculously versatile. But Buster Posey, a Florida State baseball player (what position I have no idea to attach here), took things to a whole new level last night. He played all nine fielding positions. In one game.

Posey started the game at catcher and played every infield position from the second to the fifth inning. He made the move to first base in the second, played second base in the third, shifted over to shortstop in the fourth and completed the rotation playing third base in the fifth. The Leesburg, Ga., native made his first collegiate appearance in the outfield in the sixth as he started in left field to begin the inning and shifted over to center with two outs. He the moved to the mound in the seventh and struck out both batters that he faced before moving to right field for the final out of the inning

The craziest thing is that he's the fourth freaking player in the Mike Martin's history to do so. And the last since he Martin forced his son into bouncing around the diamond. Actually, I assume he didn't actually "force" his son, but I just like to perpetuate the stereotype idea I have of baseball coaches (especially in this case -- I'm picturing a diamond version of Bobby Bowden) and their sons.

Now clearly, that's not an insult to Martin because Bowden is nearly beyond reproach in terms of coaching skill, but it's still fun to imagine. And yes, I totally added Posey to my fantasy team last night. Dude has mad positional versatility.

H/T: The Piler

College baseball is much different from college basketball and college football; most games are not televised, most fans don't know any players, and it draws very little revenue for the athletic department. In short, college baseball is not popular.

Except in Malibu, CA. That's where the Pepperdine University Waves have become the trendy hometown team for the bourgeoisie Hollywood-type. So trendy in fact, that actress and uber hottie Pamela Anderson has adopted the Pepperdine baseball squad as "her" team.

She participates in fundraising activities for the Waves, going so far as to allow dinner dates with her to be auctioned. Her winnings in an NBA.com fantasy league are earmarked for the baseball program. Last spring, after Pepperdine reached the NCAA tournament, she hosted a barbecue for the Waves at her beachside home. Her sons - Brandon Thomas Lee, 10, and Dylan Jagger Lee, 9 - serve as part-time batboys for the team. ...

Her presence serves as a distraction to Pepperdine opponents, says former Waves pitcher Paul Coleman, a Dodgers farmhand. "They're warming up, stretching," he says, "and their necks are turned toward the stands looking for her."

"The very first time she came down, I remember that everybody was just goo-goo-eyed," he says. "Everybody was distracted. We didn't get much practicing done. Everybody was in awe.

"But as she started coming around more, it was just like having any other supportive person there in the stands."

How flippin' sweet is that? Pamela Anderson a friend and fan of a program -- when she doesn't even have a kid on it? She's like the Ashley Judd of Pepperdine baseball, only she didn't go to Pepperdine. I think I might have to check out a game or two. Or three.
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