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Break from the action

Following a grueling homestand, in which the Wildcats played eight games in nine days, UA will square off against a team of professionals in this season's All-Pro Alumni Game Sunday afternoon.

The game, which began in 1982, is a fund raiser for the Arizona baseball program. The event pits current UA players against a team composed of former Wildcats currently playing professional baseball.

In last year's game, the Wildcats beat the alumni, 7-5. The All-Pro team consisted of, among others, San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman, San Francisco Giants first baseman JT Snow, Baltimore Orioles starter Scott Erickson and Oakland Athletics starter Gil Heredia. In 1999, guest manager Ryne Sandberg and the alumni lost for the third time in the game's history.

All four players are scheduled to participate in this year's game.

This year's guest manager will be Philadelphia Phillies ace Curt Schilling. Schilling, the 17th manager in the history of the game, led the National League in strikeouts in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. He enters the 2000 season one win shy of 100 for his career.

For the current UA players, the game will give them a chance to shine in front of their childhood heroes.

"It's always fun to get my mind off of regular play," said third baseman Erik Torres, a Tucson native. "I faced Trevor (Hoffman) my freshman year, and he walked me. Last year, I lined out against Gil Heredia. It's always been a good opportunity for me."

For the professionals, the game is an excuse to come back to campus and remember old times.

"It's always fun to come back and see old friends, all the guys," Snow said following last year's game. "When I went here, I lived at Graham-Greenlee for a year. It was definitely a lot of fun. I came here to get better at baseball, but the coaches and people here were awesome."

For Tucsonans, such as Heredia or Colorado Rockies reliever Ed Vosberg, the game serves as a chance to play in front of locals - a rare treat.

"It's always awesome to be back here," said Vosberg, who attended Salpointe Catholic High School and makes his home in Tucson during the off-season. "I've been to every one since I got to the bigs, and I'll keep going until I can't throw any more."

The game, which takes place at UA's Sancet Field, starts at 1:30 p.m.