NCAA CENTRAL REGIONAL NOTEBOOK : Nevin Doesn’t Let Asthma Keep Him Out of Any Game

The way Phil Nevin hustles, dives for grounders, beats out infield hits and steals bases, one would never guess the Cal State Fullerton third baseman has asthma.

But there are times, such as the one during the first inning of the Titans’ NCAA Central Regional game against Old Dominion Friday night, when those who know of Nevin’s problem know he’s hurting.

Caught in a rundown between third and home, Nevin forced the Monarchs to make three throws before he was tagged out to end the inning. As his teammates ran out to the field, Nevin remained on one knee for about 30 seconds, his head bowed, trying to catch his breath.

“I was so out of air,” Nevin said. “Sometimes I can’t even walk to the bathroom without losing my breath.”

Nevin has had asthma all his life, but it wasn’t diagnosed until he was about 2.

“My mom woke up in the middle of the night to check on me and I was purple, because I had stopped breathing,” Nevin said. “They took me to the hospital, and doctors told me I had asthma.”

His asthma is so severe that, in the past four years, Nevin has been hospitalized five times for treatment, each stay lasting about five days. He said his lungs have about half the capacity of a normal 17-year-old’s.

To compound matters, Nevin is allergic to grass. But that hasn’t stopped him from playing baseball and football--Nevin is also the kicker on the Titans’ football team.

He takes several medications to promote better breathing and carries three inhalers with him. Sometimes he keeps one inside his sock when he’s in the field.

“One time this season, I beat out a grounder and was on first base sucking gas, but I’ve never had to come out of a game,” Nevin said. “Doctors say I’ll grow out of it, but I haven’t yet.”

Nevin’s condition is of great concern to professional baseball scouts, who have quizzed Nevin’s doctor numerous times.

“They want to know if it will bother me in the Midwest, where the air is damp, and if all the dirt and dust will affect me,” said Nevin, a third-round pick of the Dodgers last June. “I told my doctor to tell them I’m fine.”

The weather in Austin, Tex., has been stifling this weekend, with high humidity and temperatures in the high 90s. But the artificial surface on the University of Texas’ Disch-Falk Field has made things more bearable for Nevin.

“No dirt and grass has helped a lot,” Nevin said. “Last year, I played in an all-star tournament in Oklahoma and it was 102 degrees and twice as humid as it is here, but I had no problems. This hasn’t bothered me here at all.”

Baseball coaches have been known to make long, leisurely trips to the mound before switching pitchers, usually raising the ire of opposing fans with every step.

But no one complained when Texas Arlington Coach Butch McBroom made his slow treks to the mound during Maverick games. McBroom has one leg, and he makes the trip on crutches.

A cancerous tumor was discovered in McBroom’s left leg six years ago, and the leg was amputated. But McBroom, an all-Southwest Conference catcher for Baylor in 1966 who has more than 500 victories in 17 seasons at Texas Arlington, didn’t miss one game because of the operation.

“It hasn’t slowed him down a bit,” Maverick sports information director Jim Patterson said.

Earlier Saturday, Texas Arlington and Old Dominion were eliminated.

Clemson remained alive with an 8-5 victory over Texas Arlington and will play Creighton today at 2 p.m. PDT. Left fielder Ken Northrup had four hits, including a home run, and designated hitter Eric Macrina hit a three-run home run to pace the Tigers.

Mark Smith of Texas pitched a complete-game five-hitter, striking out 10, and leadoff man Lance Jones had five hits, three runs and three RBIs to pace the Longhorns to a 10-0 victory over Old Dominion.