In addition to game day coverage, CU Sports Information Assistant Richard RoBards, a Tiger travel companion, will keep fans updated from the NAIA Baseball National Tournament Opening Round with his diary log.

Tuesday, May 18

The rain disappeared this morning, but for at least one Tiger player even a little sunshine leaves a hole in his baseball world.

Nick Bertolucci was the starting Tiger shortstop until March 16 when doctors told him that he'd have to have season-ending surgery to repair a disc that had become lodged in his spine.

After two hours of surgery and a 24-hour hospital stay the Californian was given a clean bill of health - but not for baseball. Bertolucci, from Cupertino, Calif. had plenty of support in his recovery. With nine other Californians on the 23-player travel squad, and 13 altogether on the team, he might as well have been playing for his old Monta Vista High School or West Valley Junior College teams where he played prior to transferring in 2008.

Following doctor's orders, Bertolucci has been relegated to the first-base coaching box that Assistant Chris Lewis relinquished just for his benefit. Being that close to the action has allowed Bertolucci to ease into his Medical-imposed baseball retirement.

"I really wanted to be here for the team," Bertolucci said as he sat and watched the opening game of the National Tournament in Joliet, Ill. "It was a big letdown and I hated that my playing career had to come to an end in this fashion."

"The move has been good for me," said Lewis. "It allows me to be in the dugout talking to the hitters. He's a smart enough kid, and has been around baseball enough, that he can handle the coaching part. It keeps him involved in an important way."

So, the guy who just wanted to be on the field still is - it's just outside the white lines.

"This has been my family away from home and I didn't want to leave them," said Bertolucci. "Coaching has been like an out-of-body experience. I remember all the things I did right and wrong and now I feel like I can help my teammates make adjustments because of the information I'm feeding them."

"When he was active and able to play, he was one of our chief players," said his coach, Beauford Sanders. "He's a pretty gritty kid and after he went down we kind of had to shift everything around."

Bertolucci said he knew, he's not sure exactly when, that something wasn't quite right.

A .372 hitter and .901 fielder as a junior, Bertolucci's stats plummeted to .222 and .852 in 14 game of the 2010 season. In 2009, the California native stole seven bases in nine attempts, but he had just one stolen base this season prior to his surgery.

In the second game of the season, Bertolucci said he knew something might be wrong. When he dove into second against Trevecca and felt paralyzed for about a minute he knew his playing days might be numbered. He DH'd a game, pinch ran and pinch hit three times before finally giving in to the pain.

"He is well respected by his teammates," said Sanders. "A lot of kids would have faded into the background, but he was determined to remain a part of the team. And we were glad to have him."

That respect was noticeable when Bertolucci road a John Deere Gator to the dugout from the right-field fence prior to the March, 30 Asbury home game. That's when his teammates latched onto him like a long, lost puppy.

Since being a small child Bertolucci has played baseball - cutting his teeth in Tee-ball leagues, Pee Wee, Little League and any other playing field before high school and college.

When he was graduated from West Valley he had a decision to make, and Sanders is glad he made the one he did.

"I could have stayed in California, but I probably would have been at a small NCAA school and probably at second base. I wanted to play shortstop and Campbellsville offered me that opportunity."

Sanders has created a pipeline from The Golden State, thanks to former assistant Jake McKinley and maintained by present assistant Lewis.

"We made a commitment several years ago," Sanders said. "We asked ourselves where can we get better players. We still recruit Kentucky, but the packages we can offer those California kids seem to impress them more. A Kentucky player might choose to be a preferred walk-on at one of the bid state schools than to come to Campbellsville."

"It's been good for me," said Bertolucci. "I wouldn't want to trade any of my memories."

All entries of this diary, as well as tournament updates and live stats, can be found here

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