Spring Break
UHV kicks off premier to baseball-softball program
Rick Navarro
Issue date: 2/19/07 Section: News
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Baseball and softball season is fast approaching, and the university is busy trying to prepare for a series of events to kick off the college's inaugural season.
The first event the university will feature is a men's collegiate baseball game at Riverside Stadium in Riverside Park on April 24 at 7 p.m.. The purpose of the game is to raise awareness in the community and to let the community get a feel for what it will be like to host collegiate sports in Victoria.
The event will feature a meeting between the University of Houston Cougars and the University of Texas-San Antonio Road Runners.
"The game will feature a fun- and- family atmosphere. We want our games to be a fun atmosphere for families to be able to attend," says Ash Walyuchow, interim athletic director for UHV.
Walyuchow added the game is not only going to be used to raise awareness but also to raise funds to support the athletic program at the university.
"Many of the details about the game and events will come out later in the months of March and April as the game approaches," Walyuchow said.
"Baseball in Victoria, I think, is a good fit. Victoria has a long history and tradition as a baseball community. The softball and baseball programs will give the community something to look forward to do on those spring nights," Walyuchow said.
Walyuchow's duties include making sure the college is in compliance with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which is the governing body of the university's baseball and softball programs. His other duties involve working closely with the men's head baseball coach, Terry Puhl, and the women's head softball coach, Keri Lambeth.
Coach Terry Puhl is a native Canadian and came to the United States to play baseball in 1973. Puhl was drafted right out of high school in 1973 and signed with the Astro's organization in 1974. He was drafted into the minors and stayed for 3 ½ years before getting called up to the majors on his 21st birthday and played for the Astros for 14 years.
Puhl emphasized, besides his professional experience as a player, that he is also coaching the Canadian Olympic baseball team and hopes to qualify for a spot in the 2008 Olympics.