Opening day for Major League Baseball at Dodger Stadium isn’t until April 6, but on Sunday afternoon, Chavez Ravine was in full swing.
For the first time since 2012, UCLA and USC baseball returned to the iconic stadium for the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic. The event wasn’t played in 2014 and was played at Jackie Robinson Stadium in 2013 due to major renovations at the Dodgers’ ballpark during the last two winters.
With the Dodgers in Arizona for spring training, the opportunity to play in Dodger Stadium was a special moment for many of the ballplayers on both teams.
“A lot of these players, both USC and UCLA players, grew up watching the Dodgers and they grew up going to games at Dodger Stadium,” said coach John Savage. “It’s just an honor to be here.”
Despite losing the game to USC 8-4, the brightest moment for the Bruins came in the third inning, when redshirt junior center fielder Christoph Bono stepped up to the plate and sent a 3-2 pitch into the right field bullpen for his first home run of the season.
“I didn’t think it was going out at first,” Bono said. “But once I rounded first and then it was out, it was nice to slow down my pace and enjoy it for a second.”
UCLA and USC have won two games apiece in the history of this event at Dodger Stadium. However, UCLA was the victor in 2013 when the game was played on its home turf.
“It’s special to play in a big-league park. Not too many people get to experience that,” said redshirt junior shortstop Kevin Kramer. “My freshman year we played here on a Tuesday and I was starting at third base, (so) it’s nice to come back and experience that again.”
And for some, like USC right fielder AJ Ramirez, who hit a home run over the left field wall in the second inning, it was even a dream come true.
“As a kid, we’re growing up dreaming to be major leaguers,” Ramirez said. “So to be able to do that on this stage, it’s a dream come true.”
The teams faced off in front of 14,688 fans, which is by far the largest crowd that either team has played for so far this season.
“I think anytime you can play at a big-league stadium and especially when you can play against your rival and have a great crowd like that, with big energy from both sides … (it) really (gets) people energized about college baseball in Los Angeles,” said USC coach Dan Hubbs.
This past Tuesday, Savage said he hopes the event can get even bigger in the next few years, when there will be more time to market it and sell tickets. He even predicted that they can attract 40,000 to 45,000 fans sometime down the road.
No matter how many fans attend, the opportunity to play in Dodger Stadium is something that none of these players will soon forget.
“Playing at Dodger Stadium tonight was unbelievable,” said USC pitcher Tyler Gilbert. “I’m still kind of in awe about the whole situation.”