Local baseball squad seeks club sport status

By Tom Schreier

...well, a club championship that is.

The Santa Clara Broncos, a club-like team that is a member of the National Adult Baseball Association in San Jose, won their first league championship over the weekend, outscoring their opponents 35-10 in the final series.

The Broncos, who are currently unaffiliated with the school, have requested that the Athletic Department christen them with an official club title, but were rejected by the school three years ago.

The Santa Clara sat down with six members of the team - Ian Peterson, Chris Morton, Ryan Fontana, Matt Renner, Evan Leblanc and Jimmy Bennett - to discuss their recent victory, and the future of club baseball at Santa Clara.

"We tried to get a club team here when we were freshmen," said Chris Morton, a senior who played for Santa Clara's Division I program for two years.

"But we couldn't be affiliated with the school, which means we couldn't compete against other colleges."

Morton played a pivotal role in the team's first victory when he hit a grand slam to put the game out of reach.

Morton, with an air of superiority in his voice, nostalgically noted that he was facing a 3-1 count before his moment of glory.

"(He) got a fastball down the (pipe)," interrupted senior Matt Renner, who, like Morton, played for the university's Division I program during his freshman and sophomore year before joining the club team.

Morton disagreed, claiming the ball was thrown in the mid-90s, low and outside.

"It was a fluttering fastball," said Evan LeBlanc, the New York Mets' 23rd round pick in 2008. "About 65, off the mark, cleared the fence by six inches."

Everyone laughed immediately following LeBlanc's insight except for Morton, upset that his moment had been ruined by the former professional baseball player.

LeBlanc played baseball at Santa Clara for three years before he was drafted. Opting to forgo his senior eligibility to play minor league baseball, LeBlanc played two years in the Mets organization before being cut.

Surprised and upset by his dismissal from the team, LeBlanc realized that he had to make a life for himself outside of baseball.

He used the money earned from his signing bonus to pay for his final year of schooling.

Currently a senior at Santa Clara, LeBlanc decided to join the team in order to continue playing baseball.

Ian Peterson, a senior from Santa Rosa, played four years of high school baseball, then joined the team without ever having played at the collegiate level.

During the last inning of the final game, Peterson bet LeBlanc that he could hit a home run before the former professional could.

"Evan, state your name," Peterson said, inciting his teammate to put his name on record.

LeBlanc refused. Everyone else in the room was quick to yell "Evan LeBlanc" before bursting into laughter.

"Evan LeBlanc lost to Ian Peterson, a high school baseball player," Peterson emphasized, "who hit a home run before he did (during the) last at-bat of the season."

It turns out that LeBlanc never had a chance to hit a home run after Peterson; he was left in the on-deck circle after the third out of the final inning.

While the teammates may joke around with each other about the events that take place during the game, they are serious in regard to starting a legitimate club baseball team at Santa Clara and are looking to replenish the team they have with incoming freshmen.

Jimmy Bennett, a player-manager for the team who is known as Sporty Spice by his teammates, put the squad together and has headed the effort to legitimize the team.

Many players from the school and in the Santa Clara community were quick to join.

"It's baseball, man," says Renner, who was happy to have an alternative after leaving Santa Clara's Division I program. "It's a lifestyle."

"You can't really play pickup baseball," Morton stated, implying that other sports, like basketball, can be played on a moment's notice.

"You need a league. You need an organization to do it."

The team has put forth efforts to get club baseball recognized by the school, but their chances having the university approve their co-curricular activity are slim.

Due to Title IX and a university policy stating that it will not duplicate varsity sports, the team's efforts to create an official club baseball team were rejected three years ago.

However, Bennett and his team are serious about maintaining an independent club team and are looking to defend their championship in the upcoming season.

They will be hosting tryouts later in the year. Players interested can contact Jimmy Bennett at jbennett@scu.edu.

Contact Tom Schreier at tschreier@scu.edu or (408) 554-4849.