BATON ROUGE, La. — Except for the hot dogs and the bat girls, it felt like baseball season again as the Tigers took the field Monday for the first inter-squad scrimmage of fall practice.

LSU coach Paul Mainieri, who is in his second season with the Tigers, said he set goals for fall practice this year.

“I want the players to learn individually; I want us to become fundamentally sound as a team; I want to create competition on the team so we can determine which guys will fill the roles we are looking for as players; and I want to build confidence,” Mainieri said. “Confidence will be a byproduct of the first three things.”

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For most teams, fall baseball practice is just that; practice.

But for the Arkansas Diamond Hogs and their coaches, fall practice is a chance for new players to fight for vacancies left from the 2007 team, including spots left by nine players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft.

“We’ve got a lot of new people on campus, probably the most new guys we’ve had since I’ve been here who have a legitimate chance to play,” said Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn. “This is a fall where we are just tuning in to what we have.”

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WACO, Texas — The players are lacing up their cleats. The leather mitts are popping from blazing fastballs. The ping from the impact made on aluminum bats echoes across the street.

Fall baseball practice has arrived for Baylor, and although most of the team still hasn’t had much of a break from the game since spring practice started late last January, the Bears are back on the diamond preparing to contend for their first College World Series appearance since 2005.

Baylor will return six starting position players and a deep pitching rotation for the 2008 season.

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LOS ANGELES — Former USC catcher Jeff Clement became the 96th Trojan to play in the Major Leagues when he made his debut for the Seattle Mariners Sept. 4 in a pinch-hit appearance.

At USC in 2005, Clement won the Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s top catcher. That season, Clement was a consensus first team All-American, hitting .348 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI.

The Marshalltown, Iowa native was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection and finished his collegiate career with 46 home runs, second in USC history only to Mark McGwire. In his final year, Clement led the Trojans to the NCAA Super Regional.

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FULLERTON, Calif. — Dave Serrano, the new head coach of Cal State Fullerton baseball, is bringing his assistant coaches from UC Irvine, leaving long-time Assistant Coach Rick Vanderhook without a position.

Serrano said he decided to go another direction with his coaching staff on Monday when he was introduced to the CSUF community at a press conference at Goodwin Field.

“I think it’s time for us to move on. People are aware of what transpired,” Serrano said. “Rick and I have been in touch, and our friendship will continue on.”

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Each swing taken in a minor league cage, each warm-up toss thrown on a college campus, is just another moment players won’t have in the major leagues.

Arms like Drew O’Neil’s have a shelf life. Day by day, his pitch count rises. While other pro sports search for grizzled vets, professional baseball searches for the fresher face.

“They are going to take the 18-year-old over the 23-year-old who is pretty much at the same level,” O’Neil said. “With the 18-year-old, they have more time to mold that guy. They take that into account.”

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EUGENE, Ore. — After rumors began to spread Friday about the impending announcement of the hiring of Oregon’s new baseball coach, on Saturday the University made it official. George Horton, who spent the last 11 seasons as the coach of Cal State Fullerton, will be the Ducks’ first coach of the baseball team since the program was disbanded in 1981.

“This is a tremendous day for the University of Oregon,” Kilkenny said. “Baseball coaches of George Horton’s distinction and ability don’t come along very often, and his decision to come to Eugene speaks volumes about our commitment for Oregon baseball to become successful on a national level.”

Horton, 53, was a two-time National Coach of the Year with an overall record of 490-212-1 (.698) and six College World Series berths, including a National Championship in 2004. The Big West Conference named him Coach of the Year five times, with the honor last being bestowed after his third 50-win season at the Division I level in 2006.

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Dear hesitant new Bearcat fan:

If you’re reading this letter then you already know the bad news. You’re not getting to attend The Ohio State University or Duke. In fact, you’ve chosen a school that didn’t even have the foresight to create a football team and has only appeared in one NCAA tournament for a sport that ends in “ball” (The 2005 volleyball team).

But don’t despair, my young friend, all is not lost. In fact, you, the future of Binghamton University fandom, has chosen to attend the Premiere Public University in the Northeast at the most exciting time in school history.

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CARBONDALE, Ill. — Lights may shine on the SIU baseball team this season.

While Abe Martin Field has been a mainstay for the SIU baseball team for more than 40 years, its lack of stadium style seating, roofing, a concession stand and most notably night time lighting has left the SIU Athletic Department seeking alternative options.

Those options may lie as close as neighboring Marion, where a behemoth of a stadium — complete with a video scoreboard, multi-tiered picnic area, premium clubhouse seats and the ability to play night games — opened in May.

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AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas baseball team added two former players, Ben King and Clay Van Hook, to its coaching staff Tuesday afternoon. King will serve as the volunteer assistant coach and work with pitching coach Skip Johnson, while Van Hook will serve as a student assistant specializing with the infielders.

King, who pitched for Texas in 2001 and 2002 after transferring from Alabama, played in the New York Yankees minor league system. He was released by the Yankees in 2004.

The former pitcher already has some experience relaying signs and coaching Longhorn baserunners, and he’ll take first base coaching duties. After tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow in 2002, King helped Texas’ cause by coaching first base, helping direct the team to a College World Series title.

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