Club offers high-level competition

Hitting a plastic ball with holes in it might seem boring. But then again, most people haven't played with the Whiffle Ball Club. \nWhile it might not compete with schools across the Midwest like other club sports, that doesn't mean the whiffle ball team lacks the intensity of other sports, said Justin Ross, the club's vice president.\n"When you get a bunch of former high school athletes on one field, it gets fairly competitive," Ross said. "I would say since we started the club at the beginning of last year, all but about three or four games have been decided in the last couple of innings by home runs or game-winning hits."\nWhile the competition might be just as tough and exciting as the baseball club, some subtle rule differences do exist. In whiffle ball, for instance, only four players take the field at one time and only the pitcher plays in the infield, said Rob Greenberg, the club's president.\n"Since there are four in the field, an out can be made by pitcher's hand, force out or (pegging the runner with the ball)," he said. "Other than that, basic baseball rules apply."\nHowever, the game doesn't always go like a normal baseball game would. Hitting a home run in whiffle ball is the easiest way to put points on the board, scores commonly reach the teens -- and a lot of the game depends on the wind.\n"The more wind, the harder the ball is to control pitching- and hitting-wise, so the games are a lot lower-scoring," Ross said.\nThe club meets at 5 p.m. Fridays at Woodlawn Field and allows anyone to show up and play. But prospective members should know the level of competition is high, Greenberg said.\n"We are fairly competitive, and although the primary focus is fun, the games are pretty serious," he said. "That said, anyone with athleticism who can swing a bat can play if they really want to learn."\nBecause a lot of seniors on the team will graduate at the end of the year, new members could be a necessity in the near future for the club, Ross said.\n"Rob and I were hoping to add more people this year, and while we did do that, we would like to get even more," Ross said. "We welcome anyone to come out and see us play and decide whether this is something that may interest them. Even though this is my last year here, I really hope this club continues to grow"