April 30, 2002

Jacobs Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, will provide the backdrop for this year's Horizon League Baseball tournament.

The scene may be awe-inspiring for many a collegiate baseball player, including University of Illinois at Chicago slugger Curtis Granderson.

"It's going to be interesting playing in that atmosphere," Granderson said. "Once you go to a ballpark like that, you're overwhelmed by the size and it's going to be hard for us getting there and blocking out the fact that we are at Jacobs Field.

"We're in these major league dugouts, there are stands that hold thousands and thousands of people. But after we get that first inning under our belts we should be fine," Granderson continued. "It is a baseball field and that's what we've been playing on all of our life."

The opportunity to play on a Major League field, however, may not be Granderson's last.

Granderson is currently leading the nation with a batting average of .521, as of April 29th, which is bringing droves of scouts to Les Miller Field to watch the Lynwood, Ill., native in action.

Granderson, however, prefers to focus on the task at hand.

"Sometimes I know (the scouts are) there because people talk about it and there are people there extremely early for the game, sometimes even two and a half hours before the game even starts," Granderson said. "That's the only time I really notice them."

Granderson got a taste this summer of life in the minor leagues as he played for the Mankato (Minn.) Mashers in the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is a summer collegiate league that exclusively uses wooden bats.

"We played similar to a minor league schedule," Granderson said. "We played 64 games in 68 days, with travel, so they try to prepare you for that minor league lifestyle.

"It was interesting because you play everyday, and one of two things can happen," Granderson continued. "Either you get on a roll and you keep consistently hitting, or if you're doing bad, you have the next day to break out instead of waiting around and thinking about it."

The roll hasn't stopped for Granderson, a graduate of T.F. South, as he has accumulated 73 hits as of April 29th, which is 10 short of the UIC single-season record of 83, set by Jim Noble in 1982.

Granderson attributes much of his success to volunteer assistant coach Scott Stahoviak. Stahoviak played professional baseball for ten years, including stints with the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago Cubs.

"There are things that he's shown me along with things I've learned from the past that have helped me to be a little more relaxed and aggressive," Granderson said.

Granderson has been a catalyst for UIC this season as the Flames have accumulated a record of 27-9 as of April 29th after winning 32 games in 2001. The Flames are batting .344 as a team and have an ERA of 3.18.

UIC has succeeded this season even with the loss of left fielder J.P. Moran (shoulder), catcher/designated hitter Weber Bowen (knee) and center fielder John Rosner (hand) to injury.

"It shows that our team isn't just one person or relying on just one person," Granderson said. "Because we have a lot of people that can play anywhere in different spots or different situations. We just have to keep after it and know that we are not there yet."

'There' is the Horizon League title, Granderson and his teammates have a chip on their shoulders as the Flames were picked to finish second in the league in a preseason poll.

"I want to see us as a team, prove the critics wrong," Granderson said. "We were picked second in the conference, so let's win the conference outright and get a regional bid and take it from there."

Granderson knows that anything is possible in baseball, but he is very confident in the Flames' chances.

"A big confidence is stepping on the field, knowing that we put in the hard work, and that it's going to pay off," Granderson said. "There is really is no team, if we can play the way we're capable of playing, that we can't beat."