Darcy pitched that Beta tourney I referenced. In fact, I was catcher for the championship game. Got to do the "run to the mound and celebrate" routine. That was fun.

Knew his brother well too.

Funny you should mention Dr. Birch. I nearly dropped out of grad school after the first exam in his class. He convinced me to stay. Glad I did.

I had a blast those 1.5 years. And that summer of '89 I spent in Blacksburg still stands alone as my favorite. I don't see that record falling.