Ping! That's the sound of credibility out the window

As if Fresno State fans weren't irked enough over last week's announcement that Tommy Mendonca was a second-team All-America selection, todays Ping! announcement was even more unjustified to the beloved Turlock Tommy.

Both the official All-America team and Ping!Baseball chose Louisville junior third baseman Chris Dominguez first-team, ahead of Fresno State junior third baseman Tommy Mendonca.

Now, consider Dominguez has comparable stats, hitting .359 with 23 homers and 79 RBIs. Mendonca hit .345, 27 homers, 78 RBIs. Although I vehemently disagree with the Dominguez over Mendonca All-America decision (which we'll touch on soon), I can handle the decision. What I can't handle is Ping!Baseball choosing four other guys ahead of Mendonca (Tony Thompson, Joey Bergman, Anthony Rendon and Mark Krauss). Ridiculous I tell ya!

Since when does the reigning College World Series MVP get tossed aside like this? Especially when that reigning MVP had a far higher batting average, more home runs (broke the school career record) and cut his strikeouts down by darn near half? Weird huh?

Here's the X-factor -- Mendonca also happens to be the nation's best defensive third baseman -- drawing such comparisons as a human vacuum and a brick wall on one side of the infield. If it ever rained baseballs, Mendonca would replace tarp as the best way to keep the field clear. Shouldn't that bump him ahead of a guy with generally the same stats?

Heart and Soul

We've heard a lot about heart and soul this week in the college baseball world.

For me, it started during the Tony D. show on 1550 AM when guest interview Augie Garrido (the current Texas coach and former CS Fullerton coach) was talking about his life documentary that aired tonight on ESPN2. Garrido, who was a player on Fresno State's 1959 College World Series team, and whose number is retired on the Beiden Field wall, told Tony D. his heart is in Texas but his soul is in Fresno.

Then we heard Diamond 'Dogs coach Mike Batesole talk about Game 1 starter Justin Wilson being all heart on the mound. That heart helped him limit No. 6 Rice to two runs in seven innings in the 'Dogs 17-5 CWS win.

Shoot, the ESPN announcers and all the other media have been talking all week about how these 'Dogs aren't supposed to be here. They're the first No. 4 Regional seed to ever make it this far, their lineup has the lowest team average of any CWS squad, they score the least runs per game and blah blah blah. But they have big hearts everyone keeps saying.

Everyone on planet Earth, meet Fresno State. That's what we've been trying to tell you for years -- decades even. Pat Hill talks about it. The football team talks about. It's what the Red Wave and Fresno State athletics is built upon and generated by. Heart and soul is what puts the chip on our collective shoulder. We know we're capable of beating anyone. We don't take moral victories. We come to win the game.

Our players play harder than yours, our yellers in the stands yell louder in the stands than yours and our coaches coach better than yours. If you try to argue that with us, we'll argue better than you too.

Tell us we're not good enough and it's like putting a baby Gremlin in a pool of water. It makes our heart grow more motivated and our soul more attached to Fresno State. Keep telling us we shouldn't be here, we strike out too much, we don't field clean enough or throw fast enough or run quick enough or hit far enough or have enough players batting .400. Keep talking about your paper advantages. Go ahead. Just be ready to prove it on the field.