THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 24, 1995 TAG: 9507240160
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KEVIN DOEPP, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Team USA baseball has put together its own version of a Dream Team with names like Mark Kotsay, Travis Lee and Warren Morris.
And just like Michael, Magic, Larry and Scottie of the original Dream Team basketball team, these baseball players have one goal in mind.
Winning a gold medal.
And Team USA showed that it plans on being a power to be reckoned with in the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.
The Americans out-hit, out-hustled and out-played Chinese Taipei, winning, 11-3, before a crowd of 2,488 Sunday night at Harbor Park, running their record on the tour to 21-6.
They set a team tour record with 17 hits. On the downside, they committed a team-high six errors, drawing the wrath of Team USA head coach Skip Bertman.
``I was disappointed that we played such sloppy defense,'' said Bertman, the head coach at Louisiana State University.
``We didn't show mental toughness on defense. If we want to stand in the center podium with the gold medal we are going to have to be mentally tough.''
According to Lee, this is an instructional period.
Lee, a rising junior at San Diego State, is fulfilling every little boy's fantasy.
``This is definitely an honor and a dream of mine to play on this team,'' said Lee, who came into Sunday's game as the team's top hitter at .403.
``We were up at 4 a.m. (Sunday) and didn't get much sleep after Saturday's game. It is a huge adjustment from collegiate play.''
In college, the players play a weekend series and maybe a game in the middle of the week.
All of the players on the team are from top Division I baseball programs.
Any time there are players with the same abilities on one team there are bound to be some ego problems.
According to Lee, things were a bit tense in the beginning.
``The first week we were all real skeptical,'' said Lee. ``But we are really beginning to bond right now.''
That was due to a 25-day road trip in which the guys had no one but themselves around. According to second baseman Morris, the players gotten to know each other well.
``We are like one big family,'' said Morris, a rising junior and an Academic All-American at Louisiana State.
``That road trip really helped us. We need to remain focused on our main goal of winning the gold.''
Morris believes his success is due to his teammates.
He entered Sunday night's game hitting .368.
``I am surrounded by great players,'' Morris said. ``You play like the guys around you.''
Winning pitcher Ryan Drese ran his record to 4-1. Drese went seven innings and gave up only two runs. One was unearned.
Kotsay, the College World Series Most Outstanding Player, pitched the last two innings in relief.
``We have been playing well as of late,'' Kotsay said. ``We all help each other when we make mistakes. No one gets in another guy's face about it.''
The team travels to Bowie, Md., today where it will continue its series with Chinese Taipei. by CNB