They Got Wood

Think NCAA baseball is one big, ugly abomination on account of those aluminum bats? We think so, too, sometimes, though we do love the sport. That’s why the Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League is so refreshing and truly the best of both worlds, meaning collegiate athletes get to show off their prowess with that wood in their, uh, hands. The two month-plus season is stacked with 13 teams, each with an impressive roster featuring college baseball players from many local programs (ASU, Mesa Community College, Scottsdale Community College) as well as nationwide schools ranging from Penn State and UNLV to Duke and Yale. There are five games slated to take place on Thursday, July 24, including doubleheaders starting at 5 p.m. at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, 2626 East Pecos Road in Chandler, and Grand Canyon University, 3300 West Camelback Road.
Mon., July 21, 5 & 7:30 p.m.; Tue., July 22, 5 & 7:30 p.m.; Wed., July 23, 5 & 7:30 p.m.; Thu., July 24, 5 & 7:30 p.m.; Fri., July 25, 5 & 7:30 p.m.; Mon., July 28, 5 & 7:30 p.m.; Tue., July 29, 5 & 7:30 p.m.; Wed., July 30, 5 & 7:30 p.m.; Thu., July 31, 5 & 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Aug. 1, 5 & 7:30 p.m., 2008