05-09-2012

Mitch Haniger blasts off.

SPORTS, pg. 8 Wednesday, May 9, 2012

WORD ON THE STREET How can the CSU system cut costs to help its financial situation?

“Limiting the amount of clubs that can get funding.”

• Bryanna Lindgren psychology senior

Volume LXXVI, Number 119

www.mustangdaily.net

CSU plans for worst-case scenario SEAN MCMINN

seanmcminn.md@gmail.com

California State University (CSU) trustees discussed costreduction measures Tuesday but discounted the possible closure or chartering of one or more of its campuses.

CSU system officers presented ideas to offset the ailing university budget at the Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach. Among the potential actions were raising professors’ classloads, discontinuing programs at some campuses and further tuition hikes.

“There’s a culture and hysteria that comes when you mention the ‘T-word,’ (tuition)” CSU Chancellor Charles Reed said at the conference. “But what are the alternatives?”

Chief financial officer Benjamin Quillian called the presentation a “menu of options” for trustees to consider Tuesday. He made it clear, however, that the board could not take action until further research and analysis was completed.

The proposals began with

“Buy less chalk.”

• Drew Kitchen civil engineering senior

those which staff said would cut costs throughout the university system. Much of it focused on creating efficiencies among the CSU campuses by taking action such as raising student-teacher ratios and consolidating administrative functions between universities.

The largest cost-cutting measure, however, involved closing one of the CSU’s smaller campuses. Reed said after the presentation that this was not an option.

“We are not going to close a campus,” he said. “I have never, politically, seen any state do that. As soon as you start that, it starts raining, and it won’t quit.”

Taking center stage for some watching to see what could happen at Cal Poly was an idea to charter one of the more affluent campuses. A local media report last week outlined what chartering would entail; it included the loss of all state funding and the likely outcome of tuition prices skyrocketing. see CSU, pg. 2

We are not going to close a campus. ... I have never, politically, seen any state do that.

CHARLES REED CSU CHANCELLOR

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK WEIRICK

Protestors assembled outside CSU headquarters in Long Beach Tuesday upset about the salaries of university administrators while tuition continues to rise for students.

Human Powered Vehicle team brings home wins “Give less money to administrators.”

• Kevin Dunlea mechanical engineering sophomore

COURTESY PHOTO

VICTORIA BILLINGS

victoriabillings.md@gmail.com

“Sell the new Rec Center.”

• Annie Creasey biological sciences freshman

Cal Poly students proved once again that they are award winning when Cal Poly’s Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) team took first place in design at ASME’s (formerly the American Society of Mechanical Engineers) an-

nual competition this weekend in Tooele, Utah.

The team also took second place in the drag race, third in the cart event and second place overall with its recumbent bicycle vehicle.

The competition was the culmination of nine months of work for team members who began designing in September,

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ARTS, pg. 4

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Cal Poly professors moonlight at Hearst Castle.

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before building the bike from scratch, said mechanical engineering junior and team president Matt Baker.

“As a school, we’re proud that we do all the manufacturing from start to finish,” Baker said.

The team’s emphasis on strong design contributed to the first place win, Baker

Tomorrow’s Weather: high Sunny

72˚F

low 52˚F

said. ASME judges pay careful attention to testing and analysis in each design report when ranking competing HPVs, Baker said.

“They want to see who went through the design process, tested the design and did analysis on the design,” Baker said.

The bike also came in ahead

INDEX News.............................1-3 Arts..............................4-5

of the pack because of its innovative features, said William Hilgenberg, an aerospace engineering junior and ASME vice president.

“Bikes come in all different shapes and sizes,” Hilgenberg said.

Most vehicles entered in see TEAM, pg. 2

Opinions/Editorial...........6 Classifieds/Comics..........7 Sports..........................7-8

MDnews 2 CSU continued from page 1

Prior to the meeting, there was speculation a charter campus of this type would work well at Cal Poly or San Diego State University (SDSU) because of its student population, though no specific mention of those universities was made during the Board of Trustees meeting.

“The demands would be great for external funding,” Quillian said. “And the state would have to be reimbursed for the facilities provided.”

Trustee Steven Glazer, a SDSU alumnus, instead said he is opposed to chartering a campus.

He said it would not free up resources for other campuses but would instead decrease state support even further.

Cal Poly public relations team leader Stacia Momburg said she and Vice President of Finance Larry Kelley believe it was premature to discuss anything brought up at the meeting Tuesday, since no action was taken by the trustees.

She said the university has no authority over the board and must follow whatever deci-

TEAM continued from page 1

ASME’s competition are three-wheeled designs, but Cal Poly’s team almost always builds a two-wheeled bike, Hilgenberg said.

To design the bike, called Gemini, the team was inspired by a previous Greekthemed team design, Atlas.

“The actual HPV team has been around 35 years, so we have a lot of history,” Hilgenberg said.

The designers used Atlas’ design as a starting point, Hilgenberg said, and then created a new bike with two wheels, a carbon fiber and Kevlar composite shell and a carbon fiber frame.

The two wheels allowed the

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

sions it makes.

Several trustees said it was more realistic to implement other measures, including some that were endorsed by the California State Student Association (CSSA) last weekend at a conference in San Luis Obispo. Combining different campuses’ administrations, raising tuition for students taking more than 15 units and charging fees for students who retake courses were among CSSA’s recommendations to the board.

“None of them are good, they’re far from ideal, but the students did show some indication of favorability of a couple of proposals,” CSSA President Greg Washington said.

The cost-cutting techniques come in preparation of a possible $200 million “trigger cut” that would come to the CSU system next year. That trigger cut would only occur if November voters turn down the governor’s proposal to raise taxes for wealthier Californians, as well as the sales tax.

University finance officers have been told to plan as if the cut will come into effect, even

though no one will know its fate until the November elections. The cut could become even larger during the state government’s May revise of its budget — some predict it could increase to as much as $250 million.

Kelley sent an email to Cal Poly employees Monday in advance of the meeting in which he thanked professors for their efforts to save money during California’s budget crisis. He wrote that no idea discussed among the Board of Trustees will move forward without “discussion and due diligence.”

“Their list of ideas is just that, a wide range of ideas that may have merit and should be investigated more thoroughly,” he wrote. “The list was generated from a cross-section of employees including presidents, faculty and staff in search of ways to mitigate the reductions.”

The Board of Trustees concluded the conference by agreeing to spend more time considering all the ideas in the coming months and develop details of a financial strategy during summer.

bike to be both fast and maneuverable, allowing the team to take second in the drag races and third in the cart event, an obstacle course-type race, Hilgenberg said.

Though the team is a mechanical engineering club, students from other engineering majors and even majors outside the College of Engineering (such as history) joined the team, and were all coached in the creative process, Hilgenberg said. Each student was trained in the manufacturing process until it was memorized, and then given individual or small group projects.

“We can take people who have no experience in the shop and train them into someone who has a lot of experience,” Hilgenberg said.

Mechanical engineering

professor and faculty adviser for the team, Kim Shollenberger, said she was proud of the effort put in by each student. Her role was simply to advise, and the students competed by themselves this weekend, Shollenberger said.

Shollenberger also served as senior project adviser for several team members, who spent long hours making the HPV’s design their senior project.

“They put in so many extra hours doing calculations,” Shollenberger said.

The team’s multiple wins this weekend were rewarding in light of the effort they put in, Shollenberger said “I think they did a great job,” Shollenberger said. “They’re a great bunch of students, and they put in so much time in this year’s bike.”

Design Event: 1st: Cal Poly SLO 2nd: CSU Chico 3rd: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Women’s Speed Event: 1st: Missouri University of Science and Technology 2nd: Cal Poly SLO 3rd: CSU Long Beach Men’s Speed Event: 1st: Missouri University of Science and Technology 2nd: Cal Poly SLO 3rd: CSU Long Beach Endurance Event: 1st: Missouri University of Science and Technology 2nd: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 3rd: Cal Poly SLO

COURTESY PHOTO

Overall, Cal Poly took second place with its recumbent bicycle vehicle against Missouri University of Science and Technology and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology this weekend in Tooele, Utah.

WHEN YOUR CAR DESERVES THE VERY BEST! View repairs and progress online anytime!

3453 EMPRESSA DRIVE | SAN LUIS OBISPO | CA 93401 805.544.7979 www.vintageab.com

MDnews3

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Author Maurice Sendak dies at 83

MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE

its boy protagonist, Mickey, in the nude.

He also disputed the description of himself as a children’s writer; as he told Stephen Colbert in January, “I don’t write for children. ... I write.

And somebody says, ‘That’s for children.’ I didn’t set out to make children happy. Or make life better for them, or easier for them.”

That’s a fair point, and it suggests why his work remains resonant, because he was writing not for a specific audience but to express himself. This is the essence of art, the essence of what books and stories have to offer, that sense of reaching out across the void.

And yet, as Sendak recognized — indeed, as he encoded into his very narratives — such connections go only so far.

“The wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth,” he ends “Where the Wild Things Are,” “and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws / but Max stepped into his private boat and waved good-bye / and sailed back over a year / and in and out

of weeks / and through a day / and into the night of his very own room / where he found his supper waiting for him / and it was still hot.”

Max, in other words, may find himself in the land of the Wild Things, but in the end, he has no choice but to return home for dinner, and set that wilder, darker self aside.

o

When my son Noah was little — no more than 2 years old — his favorite book was “Where the Wild Things Are”

by Maurice Sendak, who died on Tuesday at age 83. We used to read it and reread it, every night before bed.

The routine was always the same: Noah would stand up against the slats of his crib and stare at the fabulous lushness of Sendak’s drawings, while I not so much recited as intoned the text. Often, Noah would mouth the words along with me; although he couldn’t yet read, he’d heard the story so many times he had it memorized.

For both of us, the best part came in the middle, when Max, the hero of the story, declares, “Let the wild rumpus start!” I would shout that line, a beseeching bellow, and then Noah and I would dance and shimmy as we looked at the suite of rumpus pictures, while singing our own cacophonous, wordless tune.

What Noah loved about “Where the Wild Things Are” was its unbridled energy, the idea that here was a story that could make us jump and shout.

I loved this also, but what moved me even more was its sense of the imagination, of the power our minds have to transform the world.

This is a book, after all, in which the action unfolds in Max’s head, after he had been sent to his room. He’s being punished: “The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind / and another,” the book begins, “his mother called him ‘WILD THING!’ / and Max said ‘I’LL EAT YOU UP!’ / so he was sent to bed without eating anything.”

The genius of the work, however, is that this triggers a lavish fantasy in which walls, floor

and ceiling fall away, leaving Max to navigate a landscape far more exotic and dangerous than the one he’s left behind.

“That very night in Max’s room,” Sendak writes, “a forest grew / and grew — / and grew until his ceiling hung with vines / and the walls became the world all around / and an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for Max / and he sailed off through night and day / and in and out of weeks / and almost over a year / to where the wild things are.”

This gets at the very heart of childhood, both in its creativity (oh, for the days when a bedroom could become a forest) and also in the loneliness this implies. In order for Max to create his world he must be dismissed, sent away by his mother, and he cannot share what he has found, even after he returns.

Part of the sweetness of the book — and it is a sweet book, with Max literally conquering his demons before being beckoned back “into the night of his very own room” by the smell, from “far away across the world,” of “good things to eat” — comes from its toughness, its understanding that, even as kids, we are on our own.

In that regard, it is one of those rare books for young readers — “Charlotte’s Web” is another — that refuses to sugarcoat, that portrays childhood as a territory not of innocence so much as of tension, in which the world is always just beyond us, and it takes all the resourcefulness we can muster simply to get along.

Over the years, Sendak expressed frustration that “Where the Wild Things Are,” published in 1963, tended to overshadow his other books, which include many children’s classics: “Pierre,” “Chicken Soup With Rice” and the phantasmagoric “In the Night Kitchen,” often challenged because it showed

ng wi

with Cal Poly since 1916

Gr

DAVID ULIN

Los Angeles Times

Thanks for

reading!

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MDarts 4

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

From campus to the Castle

COURTESY PHOTOS

Cal Poly professors Jeffrey Schultz (left) and Dan Eller (middle, with Patty Hearst) do not stop working when class is over. They both hold a job 47 miles north at Hearst Castle in San Simeon.

A spotlight on professors at Hearst Castle.

HOLLY DICKSON

hollydickson.md@gmail.com

Two Cal Poly professors lead double lives. One day, they

might be teaching in their respective communication studies and journalism departments. On another, they are at a mansion filled with luxurious works of art and surrounded by manicured gardens and pools — they are at Hearst Castle.

Dan Eller, a public relations lecturer in the journalism department, oversees public

relations at Hearst Castle, and Jeffrey Schultz, a communication studies professor, leads tours at the castle on weekends, holidays and during the summer.

“The word you hear most from visitors is ‘Wow,’” Schultz said, who has been at the castle for 15 years and estimates he has given approximately 7,000 tours. “That’s a neat thing.”

And on each tour, Schultz shares the history of the castle with visitors.

Newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst had the estate built during the first half of the 20th century and entertained guests there until his death in 1951. After Hearst passed away, the castle was donated to the State of California and became a historic

landmark. Patty Hearst occasionally visited her grandfather’s extravagant estate, and Eller said he recalls one such visit as one of his most interesting memories at the castle.

“I found her over a twoweek period filming ‘The Secrets of San Simeon’ for the Travel Channel,” Eller said. “She was polite, engaging with the lowest level of

staff and very knowledgeable about the castle.”

During Patty’s visit, Entertainment Tonight was at the castle too, reporting on the Travel Channel’s report on Hearst Castle.

“Media reporting on media reporting on media is always fun to see,” Eller said. see CASTLE, pg. 5

MDarts 5

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

WORD ON THE STREET

CASTLE

What do you know about Hearst Castle?

During the filming process, a horse was brought down to the pergola in the gardens for Patty to ride, and Eller recounted Hearst’s vision for the pergola. “(Hearst) said he’d like it to be tall enough so a very tall man wearing a very tall hat on a very tall horse could ride through the pergola on a hot summer day,” Eller said.

“Patty got on the horse, and while she was sitting there, she said something to me I’ll always remember — ‘To all of you standing around me, none of you can really truly appreciate what my grandfather meant.’”

But Eller knew what she meant, because he knew Hearst’s favorite thing about the castle was the view.

“It really is the most captivating view from any building anywhere,” Eller said.

Not only does the castle hold an incredible view but an impressive array of artifacts as well.

“We’re a world class museum,” Schultz said of the castle and added there are more than 22,000 pieces of art and other artifacts in the collections.

At Cal Poly, Schultz teaches public speaking, and he described guiding tours as a complex type of public speaking.

“It’s inside and outside, there’s all kinds of weather

“I know they have zebras.”

• Lisa Bloom animal science freshman

“It’s a sweet place.”

• Ryan Quon business administration freshman

continued from page 4

and as many as 56 people or as few as two,” Schultz said.

Schultz relates his job as a tour guide to topics in his public speaking class, and said he’s thankful for gaining experience in his career before returning to Cal Poly.

“I’ve been teaching here for 11 years, and I love teaching classes,” he said. “I’m glad I came to teaching in my 50s though. I did my career, and then, I came back and by that time I was ready (to teach).”

Schultz began working at the castle in 1998 and completed his master’s thesis on Hearst and the castle’s architect a few years ago, but his interest in the castle dates back to his college years.

“Back in 1971 when I finished my undergrad degree from here in history, I would have worked at the castle if they had hired one more person that summer,” he said. “So when the opportunity arose later, I decided to take it.”

Eller got started with Hearst Castle 20 years ago when he learned the castle was hiring guides.

“It’s the best entry-level job in the castle,” Eller said. “Not that it’s at the bottom, but it teaches you everything and you really learn the ins and outs of the place.”

Eller worked his way up from tour guide to overseeing public relations for the castle.

“And then I got a burning desire to go back to teaching,” Eller said. “I was hired by the

“There’s a couple pools, and it was built by a female architect.”

• Nicole Ruback recreation, parks and tourism administration freshman

“It was built by William Randolph Hearst. He basically squandered all his dad’s money.”

• Rob Hillebrecht bioresource and agricultural engineering freshman

“Burnt out” • PHOTO CREDIT David Hodson •

late George Ramos who actually worked as a guide at the castle during his senior year at Cal Poly. I took the job and was reminded of my true love for teaching.”

When the position as a fulltime lecturer in pubic relations at Cal Poly opened up two years ago, Eller took it.

He said he’d always wondered what it’d be like to give up his work at the castle, but instead of giving up the job, he lessened it to Saturdays.

“I basically just shifted my hat,” he said. “From full-time PR director and part-time lecturer, to full-time lecturer and part-time PR.” Eller said his favorite part of his jobs, without a doubt, is the people.

“At Cal Poly, it’s the students; at Hearst Castle, it’s the people who take the tours,” he said. “And the fact that I get to speak on behalf of Hearst — how humbling.”

MD op/ed 6 MUSTANG DAILY Graphic Arts Building Building 26, Suite 226 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407

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Romney might gain Hispanic support with VP Brendan Pringle is an English senior and Mustang Daily conservative columnist.

They have both said the same exact words repeatedly (“I will not be VP”) — sometimes casually, sometimes forcefully.

But Marco Rubio and Susana Martinez both realize they would be an ideal counterweight to Romney’s ticket.

As we all know, talk is cheap in the world of politics, and the weight of the upcoming election may just be enough to sway the mind of one of these GOP hopefuls. Why? Because the future of the Republican Party remains heavily at the whim of the Hispanic demographic.

Somehow, I can’t see Romney chanting “Sí, se puede” to crowds of Latino voters, even if he enjoys a chalupa from Taco Bell every now and then his small-government princi- be granted non-immigraon the campaign trail. ples, and yet, has not alienated tion visas. With these visas, The media knows it and has any of his Hispanic constitu- they’d be able to begin the been buzzing about these two ents. Why? Because his stance process of citizenship. candidates for the past few on illegal immigration seems Rubio knows the value of a months, probably in hopes rational to just about everyone dollar, and as the son of Cuthat someone will soon dig on the political spectrum. ban immigrants, he believes up trash on them.

While Rubio shot down the in an American dream uncorLatino candidates can re- DREAM Act in its original rupted by liberal myths. As he late to their minority demo- form, he showed a willing- said, “Those of us of Hispanic graphic in a way that non- ness to solve this issue by descent don’t expect special Latino candidates cannot. producing his own version treatment … only the same These two potreatment and tential contendsame opportuni... the future of the Republican ties afforded to ers would surely give Obama a all Americans.” I Party remains heavily at run for his mondon’t think anyey (and trust me, one can argue the whim of the Hispanic the man has a lot against that. of money). It’s At the same demographic. not just about time, Rubio is ethnicity; it’s young (20-plus about identity. years younger From their backgrounds to of the DREAM Act in April. than Romney), and he has their politics, these two po- In his compromise, young il- more charm than Obama tentials clearly identify with legal immigrants who gradu- and Biden put together. Like the Hispanic demographic. ated from high school with- Martinez, he can communiLet’s start out with Rubio. out a criminal record and cate effectively with SpanishRubio is a Tea Party champion are college bound or have speaking voters in their own who has always stood behind military aspirations, would tongue. This connection alone PS - Thanks for the great write up, Mercedes!

— Rev. Cynthia In response to “Students choose to ‘Sleep Out for Homelessness’”

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Wednesday, May 9, 2012 Volume LXXVI, Number 119 ©2012 Mustang Daily

“I thought they were laughing at how my drink matched my shirt.”

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Many thanks to all of the Cal Poly students who participated in the Sleep Out event! It was my great honor to speak about my personal history with homelessness and a joy to see how many students care about the issue and are thinking about solutions.

Blessings multiplied, Rev. Cynthia

Hey everyone! Lets play homeless for a night, won’t that be fun! I’d never do it for more than a eight hours though, that’s gross!

— Bob In response to “Students choose to ‘Sleep Out for Homelessness’” Great to see how much business we are

is more profound than most gringos are willing to admit.

Likewise, Susana Martinez would be able to appeal to a widespread conservative base, and at the same time, could garner the votes of her fellow Hispanics.

Like Rubio, she is a practicing Catholic, and her values are in line with the social conservatism of Latino voters.

Also, Martinez shares Rubio’s work ethic. She started out in her family’s small business, eventually becoming a prosecutor and district attorney.

As governor of New Mexico, she believes in protecting our nation’s safety with secure borders. Politically speaking, she has not really done anything that could isolate her from her own ethnic group.

Both Rubio and Martinez would represent hope for Hispanic voters throughout America. Whereas Congress’ agenda has typically been too extreme to gain the votes of

providing this corporation. Just great.

— Jim In response to “VIDEO: Frappy Hour” Actually, most of it is going to Cal Poly Corporation, an even more ambiguous black hole of money with significantly less social responsibility than Starbucks.

— Anon In response to “VIDEO: Frappy Hour” Edible flowers is truly a great concept. I think flowers in general make a great mother’s day present. Did you have a particular design in mind? If

Republicans (and Republican plans would ultimately produce an automatic veto from President Obama), Hispanic influence in the executive branch would get stuff done for them.

Obama really has done nothing to change our flawed illegal immigration policy. And he stood behind a DREAM Act he knew would never pass.

Mis amigos, this is not political courage, nor is it change.

Rather, it shows an overall lack of cojones. In fact, the closest connection Obama has to Hispanic voters is that he likes to go to sombrero festivals every now and then. And Biden just epitomizes the Spanish proverb, “En boca cerrada no entran moscas.” (Silence is golden.)

The best hope for Hispanics ultimately lies in the GOP ticket. And with the incentive of a huge demographic advantage, Romney would be foolish to pass over a Hispanic Veep prospect.

you want some great gift ideas, you should definitely check this website out (www.ftd.com).

— Muscleprodigy In response to “Celebrate Mom’s with edible flowers”

NOTE: The Mustang Daily features select comments that are written in response to articles posted online. Though not all the responses are printed, the Mustang Daily prints comments that are coherent and foster intelligent discussion on a given subject. No overcapitalization, please.

MDsports 7

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Softball concludes troubled 2012 season ANDREA KANG

andreakang.md@gmail.com

The Cal Poly women’s softball team will enter its final games of the season this weekend with a positive attitude.

Despite a disappointing season of 12 wins and 34 losses overall, the team looks forward to one last chance to redeem themselves.

Head coach Jenny Condon said the team’s unsuccessful season is partially attributed to its unusually high number of injuries. The injuries, however, provided a challenge for the team to rise up to.

“It’s made the team a little bit

more resilient,” Condon said.

“Some players got the opportunity to step up, get some playing time and make the most of it. We went through a point where someone new was getting injured almost every day, and someone stepped up. You can complain about it or you can just keep working hard, and that’s what this team has done.”

Players who have stepped up to replace injured players include freshmen pitchers Jordan Yates and Chloe Wurst.

They improved as the season progressed, and this will be an advantage for the team next season, Condon said.

Although the team has been

solid in defense this year, there was a lack of offensive production that created struggles for the pitchers. The team hopes to become stronger in offense next season.

“For the most part, our infielders are made up of freshmen and sophomores, so I’m excited to see what they’re going to do next year,” Condon said. “We’re going to keep building defensively, and those freshmen and sophomores will also get stronger offensively too.”

Shea Williams, who plays third base, agreed the team needs to improve on offense for next season. She said she hopes for more consistent hit-

ting in order to produce more runs for pitchers.

“For the most part, our pitchers have been able to keep us in games, and we haven’t been able to give them the offense that is required to win a game,” Williams said.

This weekend, the Mustangs play a three-game home series against UC Riverside.

“We want to go out with a bang,” Williams said. “We’ve had our struggles throughout the season, and every time we step out onto the field, we want to be able to protect our home turf. This season’s not over for us. We’d really like to give (graduating seniors

Nicole Lund and Nora Sobczak) some wins.”

As motivation to conclude the season successfully, the team plans to play hard for Lund and Sobczak. The seniors have set a solid example on and off the field, Williams said. They will be recognized on Senior Day with a small ceremony before the final game where they are congratulated for their accomplishments in school and contributions to the team.

Lund said she is glad to have made memories with her team despite the frustrating

season, and she looks forward to winning her last game at Cal Poly and the future of Mustang softball.

“We already have so much talent on the team, and they’re going in the right direction to be successful,” Lund said. “They’re working hard every day. The experience will come and catch up with them, and I think that’s what will be needed for them to get the results they’ve been working hard for. They’re a really great group of girls, and I’m excited to see what they have in store for the next few seasons.”

MAX ZERONIAN/MUSTANG DAILY

After battling injuries throughout the season, the Cal Poly softball team will finish in the bottom half of the Big West standings.

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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Haniger patrols center, smashes homers CONOR MULVANEY

conormulvaney.md@gmail.com

Consistency has been key to the three-year career of Cal Poly baseball’s captain and center fielder Mitch Haniger.

“He’s really come into his own this year,” head coach Larry Lee said. “His hitting mechanics have continued to get better — he can hit almost any pitch. He had a game this year where he had five hits all coming off sliders. That shows you how far he’s come.”

Each plate appearance, he steps one foot in with a hand on his helmet. He taps his bat on the far side of the plate and draws it up. Three half-practice swings, and he is ready with a slightly open stance.

This consistency has led to accolades for Haniger. As a freshman, Haniger was voted to the Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-American Team along with the Big West Freshman of the Year award.

“He’s been a leader for us,” Lee said. “The way he carries himself, his hard work and his approach to the game and practice, makes all of his teammates listen when he talks.”

Hitting .325 as a freshman and .275 as a sophomore, Haniger cemented his role as starting center fielder for his junior season. He currently holds a commanding lead in almost all of the Big West conference power categories: slugging percentage, RBIs and home runs, all while patrolling center field with a .992 fielding percentage and nine assists.

These statistics have propelled Haniger into contention for Big West Player of the Year and

an All-American spot.

“If he can finish strong this last month, he leads all the power categories,” Lee said.

“He has a lot of assists from the outfield. He throws out a lot of people, and that doesn’t usually happen. He has put himself in a position where if we continue to succeed as a team, he will be right up there.”

In Cal Poly’s 12-7 win against UC Davis on Saturday, Haniger went 3 for 5, hitting his Big West-leading 10th home run and adding four RBIs to his season total. Freshman right fielder Nick Torres also belted a homer in the win versus the Aggies, the blast was just one example of how he tries to mimic Haniger’s success.

“I try to model myself after Mitch and how he carries himself on the field,” Torres said. “That composure, never to get high or low. His patience and presence at the plate is something I try to keep in my at bats.”

Growing up, Haniger always knew professional baseball was his ultimate goal. His old-

er brother Jason, a four-year catcher at Georgia Tech and eventually a Pittsburg draftee, showed him that dream could be a reality.

“Seeing him get drafted, (and) his buddies get drafted,” Haniger said. “It was eyeopening to see if you put in the hard work, this is where you could stand in a few years.

10 HOMERS RBIs 51 DECISION 1 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NHA HA/MUSTANG DAILY

Baseball team captain Mitch Haniger has thrown out nine runners this season from his post in center field in addition to swatting a Big West leading 11 home runs and 51 RBIs.

He’s kind of been my role model, I’ve looked up to him for awhile.”

And hard work is what Haniger is all about.

“I try to lead by example,” Haniger said. “Pretend that someone is always watching, get to the field early and leave late. I try to teach the younger guys to play the game right.”

Haniger spent the past two summers playing against some of the nation’s top competition in the Northwoods League and the West Coast League (WCL) in Corvallis, Ore. Haniger was a first-team WCL center fielder. He was voted the 19th best prospect out of the Northwoods League last year, a rank that primes him as a high draft pick.

“Summer ball helps a ton,” Haniger said. “You see what it’s like to play in a pro season, not having many off days. You learn about getting out of a slump quicker. It’s a game of failure, and you need to be able to forget mistakes quick.

You face competition that you wouldn’t see.”

When the 2012 season ends, Haniger will have a choice to face. Return to Cal Poly for his senior year to end a storybook career or sign with a professional baseball team. Haniger has yet to make that decision.

Until then, he wants to continue playing good baseball in hopes of leading the Mustangs to a Big West title.

“I’m just trying to take it one pitch at a time,” Haniger said. “Not really worry about that until the end of the season. It’s tough to not think about, but that’s the best way to look at it.”