By Clay Coss
Apache Sports Writer
Baseball is America's pastime and that is why IVCC sophomore Brad Dutton would have swum across an ocean to get here.
Although Brisband, Australia will always be home to the 6'2" shortstop, he wound up at IVCC when the NCAA Clearing House would not approve his scholarship to play baseball at Northern Illinois University.
"I was going to play at NIU, but when things didn't transfer there academically, my coach called Koop (IVCC baseball coach Bob Koopmann) and suggested that I go to IV," Dutton said. "Really, all I was worried about was playing baseball at the next level."
His 18 months in the Illinois Valley indicate he shouldn't have worried. He helped last year's Apache squad advance out of the regional tournament with his .360 batting average and 35 stolen bases.
Freshman Tony Phelps calls his Australian teammate a team leader.
"He is physically everything a baseball players needs to be," Phelps said. "He can hit, he can play 'D,' and he can run. But his grasp of the mental aspects of the game is what impresses me the most about 'Ausie.'
"He know what to do in every situation and can pick an opposing team apart by taking advantage of their weaknesses," Phelps continued. "It's really only something a baseball orientated person can understand -- kind of unexplainable."
Leaving a city of 800,000, including his mother, father, older sister, and younger brother, from the Illinois Valley might seem ridiculous to some; however, Dutton says he likes it here.
"It's a fun school; I like IV a lot," explained the 19-year-old who lives in a Spring Valley apartment with friends and teammates.
The free-spirited Dutton did admit to experiencing some cultural differences.
"People here drive on the wrong side of the road, talk with accents, and do a lot of other things backwards," he said. "I know it's not bakcward to them, but it takes a little bit to get used to the different customs."
Then he added: "The people are great, there are tons of good looking girls, and the baseball is good, and that's what is important to me."
Dutton plans to earn an Associate in Science Degree and transfer to a Division I school to play ball.
"Baseball is my passion," he said. "I want to go somewhere where I can play and get better, but at the same time I realize I need to study and find another career for myself."
According to Koopmann, Dutton may not be too far from his dream.
"Brad has a great future in baseball after he gets finished here," the coach said. "After an outstanding freshman year and a highly coveted camp he did well at Sunday, it's pretty apparent that he can play Division I baseball and possibly, eventually pro ball.
"Brad is a true pleasure to coach," Koopmann continued. "He's like having another assistant on the field."