April 22, 2005

Charleston, SC - Hardly a day goes by that Tony Skole doesn't think about it.

"The memories, the smells, the sounds, the sights are still fresh in my mind," Skole said. "It seems like yesterday."

Skole, the head baseball coach at East Tennessee State, won't be able to make it to Riley Park this weekend when The Citadel honors the 15th anniversary of its only College World Series team: He'll be coaching his own team in a weekend series with Appalachian State.

But Skole will be there in spirit when that fabled 1990 CWS team holds a reunion ceremony before Saturday's 2 p.m. game with Charleston Southern.

"I really hate to miss it," he said. "I know the stories will be flying, and they get better and better every year."

That 1990 team, led by Citadel coaching legend Chal Port, was picked to finish sixth in the Southern Conference. The Bulldogs wrote their way into the record book -- and into the hearts of the nation's college baseball fans -- by winning the SoCon Tournament and the Atlantic Regional in Miami to make it to the College World Series in Omaha. There, the Bulldogs became everybody's favorite underdog with an 8-7 victory over Cal State-Fullerton, a victory punctuated by Anthony Jenkins' dramatic slide into home plate in the 12th inning.

The players on that team say the experience ties them together still, and made a major difference in their lives.

"I refer back to the positive times of that team all the time," said Gettys Glaze, who was a pitcher and catcher on that squad and now owns Sandlapper Real Estate in Charleston. "I draw on that in all the things I do in family, in business. To draw on those experiences creates a positive energy."

Skole, who played third base, took a job in the healthcare business after graduating from The Citadel. But the CWS experience, and the influence of Port and his other coaches, persuaded him he was in the wrong business.

"The great experience I had with all the coaches there, that's what led me into coaching," he said. "I feel like I'm very fortunate to be in college baseball now. What we accomplished there at The Citadel is what I want to accomplish as a coach. It's what we strive for in this profession." The friendships formed on that team endure to this day, Glaze said.

"The camaraderie with those guys, nothing can replace that," he said. "We all still stay in touch with each other, and I do business with a couple of guys who are still in town. You always have that common thread that is weaved among you."

Most of the players on that team, now in their mid- to late-30s, have gone on to successful careers of one kind or another. Glaze's real estate company employs 35 people; Jenkins also owns his own business and second baseman Dan McDonnell is an assistant baseball coach at Ole Miss.

Port retired in 1991 with a record of 641-386-2 and is expected to attend today.

"On an almost daily basis, I go back and reflect on the things Coach Port taught us, the lessons he taught us," Skole said. "It was such a great period in my life, and I'm still close with a lot those guys.

"The best thing about that team was the relationships among the guys. I don't know if we were the most talented group, but it'd be hard to say if there was ever a more competitive group that came through there."

The reunion will include an autograph session beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, with a pregame ceremony just before the 2 p.m. contest with Charleston Southern. A commemorative DVD about the 1990 team and the road to Omaha will be available to fans who purchase a ticket or who have a season pass. The DVD can also be purchased for $12 at the game or by calling The Citadel ticket office at 953-7181.