Gaucho Baseball Prepares for the Bright Lights
UCSB’s Caesar Uyesaka Stadium Can Finally Handle Night Games
It was bright as day on the UCSB baseball diamond on the night of last month’s Gaucho Alumni Game. Before the game, coach Andrew Checketts gave some pointers to alum Shane (“Not Justin”) Bieber, the Cleveland Indians pitcher.
| Credit: Paul Wellman
On a dry, clear January evening, fun was in the air at UCSB’s Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. It was time for Gaucho baseball, players of years past facing the 2020 Gauchos in their annual Alumni Game. This one was special. The ballpark was brightly illuminated from the bleachers to the outfield fences by a state-of-the art lighting system. Never again would a UCSB home game be suspended due to darkness.
“It’s a dream come true, just a year late,” said Tommy Jew, an outfielder who graduated last year. But the alums did not regret their careers in the sunshine. “We had a cool vibe being king of day games,” said JJ Muno, a sparkplug on the run to the 2016 College World Series.
