BYU baseball: Firesides, service projects planned for Dominican Republic tour

The BYU baseball team will play four games against professional developmental teams for the organizations of the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, and Kansas City Royals during a tour of the Dominican Republic over the Thanksgiving break.

In addition, the Cougars will conduct a fireside and participate in a service project while in the country.

For BYU coach Vance Law, it will be a return trip to the Dominican Republic where he played during the winters of 1980 and 1981 for Las Aguilas in Santiago while he was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"It will be a fun and enlightening experience for our baseball team to go to an area where baseball is king and the young people see it as a vehicle to get out of poverty," said Law. "We are looking forward to playing, providing service, and meeting with members of the church in that area of the world. Personally, I am looking forward to returning to this beautiful."

Current Cougar baseball players Alex Wolfe, Bret Lopez and Stephen Wells served two-year missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to nearby Puerto Rico and first baseman/DH Chase Frampton served the first part of his mission in Santo Domingo.

Plans include doing a couple of firesides the Sunday after the team arrives and a big service project a few days later where the team will distribute a large amount of used baseball gear.

Law and newly-hired pitching coach Wally Ritchie conducted clinics in the Dominican Republic in November 1992 with former Cougars Bobby Noel, Chris Cooper, Scott Nielsen and BYU alum/major leaguer Dale Murphy.

The BYU baseball team has visited Italy (1974) and Mexico (1965 and 1982) in similar ventures, but no BYU team has previously been to the Dominican Republic.