FRESNO, Calif. – More than a month after the Bulldog Baseball team won the 2008 College World Series National Championship, fans across the world are still showing their support for head coach Mike Batesole and the players and thanking the team for bringing joy and inspiration to many.
One man truly impressed and inspired by the Bulldogs national title is a hero himself. Major Kevin Polosky is the Joint Transportation Officer for the 101st Airborne Division serving in Bagram, Afghanistan and a 1998 Fresno State Alum. He was a member of the ROTC at Fresno State and has a degree in Criminal Justice. He is originally from Danville, Calif., and currently calls Clarksville, Tenn., home.
“Watching the Bulldogs was a great break for me from my everyday activities,” said Major Polosky. “The thing that I enjoyed the most was watching the attitudes of the players. My shop over here has a motto, ‘We Don’t Do Can’t,’ that is our simple way of saying we never accept no and we will do what it takes to find a yes. I saw that same attitude when I watched the Bulldogs in the College World Series. Not only did they never give up, they enjoyed every minute of it. My sincere congratulations go out to the players and coaches for a great season and a well deserved championship.”
Major Polosky remembers when his older brother attended Fresno State and him and his family would drive down from the bay area to go to baseball games. He remembers watching some of the best at Beiden Field such as Tom Goodwin, Steve Hosey and Eddie Zosky.
The first two rounds of this year’s tournament he watched in Afghanistan. He said they usually came on early in the morning but was lucky enough to see them because there aren’t a lot of television channels there. Major Polosky was then in Ft. Eustis, Va., for a 10-day training and was able to watch the final three games in the United States.
“In the Army it seems everybody has a college team that they root for,” said Major Polosky. “Usually the bragging rights revolve around football and basketball, but I was reminding everybody in my shop about baseball every day as the tournament went on, and now I have standing bragging rights in the office.”
Off highway 80 in Dixon, Calif., you might drive past the world’s largest corn maze and see a sign dedicated to the 2008 National Champion Bulldogs. Matt Cooley, the owner of the maze and pumpkin patch, said they have been fans of the team for three years since pitcher Jason Breckley played summer ball up north and they became close.
The sign says, “Congratulations 2008 NCAA National Champions, Fresno State Baseball.” Cooley said that after the team won they knew they had to do something to show their excitement and support.
Cooley and members of his family travel down to Fresno for several games a year and some family members even made the trek to Omaha.
“I taped every single game and will never get rid of them,” said Cooley. “It was a miracle and I think we had more parties at my house in two weeks then we have had in 10 years.”
From Fresno, to Northern California to Afghanistan, Bulldog fans have stayed true and new ones have emerged as the Bulldog baseball team made a run through the postseason like no other and fans have proved that they won’t forget it anytime soon.
Join the State – Fresno State! The Bulldog baseball team can be followed in the off-season on www.gobulldogs.com.
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