The Eastern baseball team plays a schedule with two very distinct sets of games. On the weekends, the Ohio Valley Conference season is in full swing, but during the week Eastern participates in their non-conference portion of the schedule with games routinely played on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Despite counting in the win/loss column, the non-conference games often appear to be overlooked by the Panther faithful. In last week’s game against Saint Joseph’s some 80 people were at Coaches Stadium to watch the Panthers battle the Pumas in a matchup between two members nicknamed from the feline family.

While non-conference games won’t make or break a chance to go to Omaha for the College World Series, the games are still important as this young Panther team learns to gel together. In fact, I can think of five major reasons fans, or even casual fans, should fill Coaches Stadium for these midweek games.

1. Rivalries – Take a look at some of the non-conference opponents Eastern plays at home. Chicago State, Western Illinois, Saint Joseph’s, Saint Louis and Illinois all make the trip to Charleston.

There are some big rivalries brewing, or already in place, between the Panthers and these Illinois or nearby teams. Not only do the players know members of the opposing team from battles in high school, but the games also turn into major recruiting wars.

After Panther wins over Chicago State, Western Illinois and Northern Illinois, it must be nice for Panthers head coach Jimmy Schmitz and his staff to visit a recruit and tell the prospect how Eastern was victorious against other schools he may be interested in.

2. A Ted Juske/ Jason Cobb battery – I’ll go out on a limb and say that if the 6-6 Cobb caught for the 6-5 Juske it would be the tallest battery combination in Eastern history. After Juske threw the best game of his Panther career on Saturday (five innings, five hits, one run and three strikeouts) in an 11-2 win over Samford, there is no guarantee his arm will be ready to come out of the bullpen but there is always hope.

Despite playing a demanding position, Cobb has shown amazing agility for a big man. Not to mention, with a batting average of .348 in limited duty, Cobb has become a valuable asset to the Panther ballclub. Although it still pains me to watch a 6-6 man squat for nine innings.

3. Watching the progression of Ryan Campbell – There is little doubt in my mind if Campbell stays healthy during his four years he could rewrite the Eastern hitting record books. I’ve yet to find a sweeter swing on this Panther team then the one from the true freshman. After 33 games, the Sandburg graduate leads Eastern in all major statistical categories including batting average (.364), runs scored (34), hits (48), home runs (5) and RBIs (26).

Even though he’s only a freshman, Campbell is as clutch a hitter as there is wearing an Eastern jersey. Many good ballplayers have come through Charleston the last few years with names like Pignatiello, Walters, Jordan, Haines and Uhle, but if Campbell continues to play like he has this season he’ll surpass all of those Eastern stars.

4. Musical entertainment – Music at sporting events has become as much a fixture to the game as the players and coaches. The same can be said here at Eastern. While Eastern doesn’t have an organist like they do at Wrigley Field, Coaches Stadium has the next best thing and that’s Mike Budde.

The injured hurler has turned into “DJ Budde” as Tommy John surgery has caused Budde to go from spinning curveballs on the mound to spinning records for the fans. One of the best “DJ Budde” moments came last week against Saint Joseph’s when the Pumas brought in a relief pitcher who was wearing a number not listed in the program. The unknown reliever was greeted to a tune with lyrics asking the question “Who are you?”

Unfortunately, we never found out who the pitcher was despite the song, but with “DJ Budde,” alongside Assistant Sports Information Director Pat Osterman, Panther fans are always in for a treat.

5. Panther Batgirls – Besides Campbell and fellow freshman Chris Vaculik the Panther Batgirls were the best addition to the 2004 squad. When I first heard about the new Panther Batgirls I immediately assumed this was just for eye candy purposes, but that isn’t the case.

The three or four girls that have rotated as batgirls work extremely hard picking up the lumber, handing the umpire baseballs and occasionally shagging foul balls. When the Panther Batgirls are not working that particular inning, I’ve noticed them interacting with children and providing a fan friendly environment at Coaches Stadium.

So, even if you’re not a baseball fan there is still plenty of reasons to head over to the ballyard. Have fun, enjoy the nice weather and cheer on the Panthers, just please make sure to leave those cell phones at home.