With the Austin Packers busy bottling a 16-6 win Saturday at Marcusen Park, one victim among the visitors from Hampton, Minn.

Monday, May 08, 2000

With the Austin Packers busy bottling a 16-6 win Saturday at Marcusen Park, one victim among the visitors from Hampton, Minn. wondered aloud why the Packers were bothering to change pitchers two batters into the third inning.

"What do they think this is?" he questioned. "The major leagues."

Nobody’s pretending to be what they’re not.

But, with an 80-game schedule staring at them, Austin Packers management has no choice but to audition as many players – pitchers in particular – as possible.

"What we’re doing is answering questions," player/coach Joe Serratore said. "We’re giving people a chance and some people are taking it."

Three players stood out on Saturday.

The first, Brent Christensen, rifled a double to the gap in right, before rocketing a single in his next plate appearance.

After being hit by a pitch earlier in the game, Christensen grit his teeth and reluctantly took the base.

"He’s a legit player," Serratore said of the outfielder, who also came up some eye-opening plays in center.

Christensen once played two seasons for Brigham Young University and now works in the Hormel Foods Co.’s corporate office.

Righthander Todd Taylor also turned heads after coming on for two innings beginning in the third.

He walked the first batter he faced, which might have been expected considering Taylor hasn’t played baseball since the ninth grade.

Taylor last starred for Austin athletics as the Riverland basketball point guard a couple of seasons ago.

"I taught him in the sixth grade and coached him in the eighth grade," Serratore said. "I knew he could play."

Taylor struck out two batters with a stealth fastball.

"He’s got good mechanics," Serratore said. "Big hands. He’ll need to add an offspeed pitch down the road."

Finally, Serratore praised Jason Fornwald, a reliever, for "giving us strikes every time."

The Packers (3-0) play the Minneapolis Cobras in a double header at Marcusen Park this Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. Both games are seven innings.

Knuckle-baller Nick Ciola is expected to pitch in one of the games.

"We’ll play 25 guys in the two games," Serratore said.

If the debuts are anything like those of Christensen or Taylor, the baseball is sure to be worth a look.

Packer Notes: Austin natives Brian Toov, a town-team John Tudor, and shortstop John Frein will play in the Metrodome Tuesday, when their University of St. Thomas takes on Cuba’s Equipo Caribe (Team Caribbean).

First pitch is noon. When their college seasons are over, Frein and Toov are expected to suit up and play for the Packers.