She Did All of Her Own Stunts and Naturally, Played the Field

Everyone knows that entertainment superstar Madonna can sing, vogue and act. But now the real question: Can she break up the double play with a spikes-high slide into second base?

According to Bill Hughes, USC assistant baseball coach and technical adviser to the soon-to-be-released movie, “A League of Their Own,” the answer is a resounding yes.

The movie, based on an actual women’s pro baseball league that existed in the Midwest during World War II, features the Material Girl as a feisty center fielder and Geena Davis as a cerebral catcher.

And the early reviews, as determined by Hughes himself?

Boffo stuff.

Actually, Hughes hasn’t had a sneak preview, but he does vouch for the authenticity of the baseball scenes.

“Our motto all summer was, ‘No doubles,’ ” said Hughes, referring to the use of stand-ins for the particularly difficult or slightly dangerous moments on the field. “Everybody wanted to do their own sliding. Remember, these girls wore dresses, for one. And two, they had to slide on dirt. There were plenty of strawberries. One girl had such a huge strawberry that when you see it, you can bet it’s real.”

Add movie magic: Hughes spent six days a week, four hours a day with the cast members last summer. Organized like an actual training camp, Hughes had to teach the actresses how to throw, hit, bunt, field and slide. So thorough was Hughes, that he even taught them how to walk up and down the dugout steps and how to properly sit on the bench.

“There’s some coolness to it,” he said.

Especially cool was Madonna, who impressed Hughes with her zest for the role.

“She was top of the line,” he said. “She could not get enough work. She would even bother me, so to speak, at lunchtime to go out and take some more swings. Our only day off was Sunday, but she wanted to work then, too. Her work ethic is second to none. She would run 8 to 10 miles before anyone else ever came out (for practice.)”

And this on Davis, who replaced Debra Winger a month into the project: “Geena’s great strengths were her aptitude, her ability to learn. She made up in smarts what she lacked in baseball talent. She was like the silent-leader type.”

As for Hollywood mementos, Hughes will make do with memories of pasta meals with Madonna.

“We went out to eat, her and I,” Hughes said. “When we walked in, people probably thought, ‘Who is this guy?’ ”

Now they know.

Trivia time: How many college football players ever wore a three-digit jersey number?

For what it’s worth: Ben Crenshaw advanced to the Nelson Classic playoff. As usual, he didn’t win. Crenshaw is 0-8 in playoffs.

Trivia answer: West Virginia kicker Chuck Kinder wore No. 100 in 1963 and Kansas kicker Bill Bell wore No. 100 in 1969.

Quotebook: Cleveland guard Craig Ehlo on charges that the Cavaliers aren’t tough enough to beat the Chicago Bulls: “Sticks and stones can break our bones, but words will never hurt us.”