Timeout's Great Baseball Adventure: How Fresno State's Favorite Bulldog Helped the Diamond Dogs Win the College World Series

Written for children ages 4 and up, TimeOut's Great Baseball Adventure tells the story of Fresno State's amazing win through the eyes of Fresno State's beloved mascot TimeOut. When the Fresno State baseball team gets on the bus to go the College World Series, TimeOut is sad that the can't come with the team. To cheer up TimeOut, Coach Mike (FSU baseball head coach Mike Batesole) promises him that if the team wins the series, he'll ride with the team in their victory parade. Over the course of the story, TimeOut follows the team's wins and losses, speaks to Coach Mike and the players over the telephone, and supports his team all the way to their win ... and gets to ride in the parade, just as Coach promised.
TimeOut's unwavering support for his players makes him a great character for young children to relate to, and children will also love Thiessen's bold and colorful illustrations of TimeOut, determined players, cheering fans and baseball action so intense the ball bursts into flames. Thiessen's vivid illustrations bring bold characterization to many of the real-life Bulldog heroes of the 2008 College World Series, including head coach Mike Batesole, first baseman Alan Ahmady, pitcher Clayton Allison, right fielder Steve Detwiler, third baseman Tommy Medonca, right fielder Chad Mozingo, shortstop Danny Muno, second baseman Erik Wetzel and pitcher Justin Wilson.

The perfect introduction to baseball for the young reader, ""TimeOut's Great Baseball Adventure ""tells timeless values of loyalty, teamwork, friendship, making an effort and overcoming the odds to victory.


About the Author
Sportscaster George Takata, winner of an Associated Press Award for best newscast and an Emmy nominee, describes Fresno State's 2008 College World Series Championship as the most memorable and exciting sports event he ever witnessed in his long career, and it was while covering the College World Series that he first conceived of telling the Bulldog's story in a children's book. A Fresno State alumnus himself, Takata has been a sportscaster with KGPE Channel 47 since 1997. Illustrator Marci Thiessen is a Fresno State student majoring in communication and a lifelong baseball fan. Thiessen grew up watching the Bulldogs play at Beiden Field, and jumped at the opportunity to combine her loves of baseball and drawing.