Character builder for Tech

Remember when you were a kid and didn't want to eat your vegetables or finish that daunting summer-reading list? Remember your parent's standard reply?

If you're like me, it probably was along the lines of, "It will build character."

Louisiana Tech's 2008 baseball team endured its first character-building moment of the season Friday when it lost to Arkansas 9-8.

Tech was down early before rallying to take an 8-7 lead into the ninth inning. Arkansas' Aaron Murphree ended the game with a two-run home run with one out in the ninth.

A loss like this shows how far the Tech program has come. Not so long ago Tech would have been thrilled to play the Hogs to within a run.

Now, however, Tech has grown up to the point where the Bulldogs aren't playing the big boys just to play. They're playing to win. And when they don't, they need to take lessons away from games just like Friday's.