They’ve been in this position before, and that’s what scares the competition.

Well, that and they’re about as hot as the beating summer sun bearing down on Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb.,—the site of baseball’s annual College World Series, a place where 10th-ranked Florida State is expecting to play very soon.

The top-seeded Seminoles got it done at the plate and in the field with timely hitting and efficient defensive play last Saturday evening inside Dodd Memorial Stadium to advance to the championship game of the NCAA Norwich Regional, defeating the Oregon Ducks, 6-4.

As of press time, the Seminoles are 2-0 as the region’s No. 1 seed and wait to face the winner of the Connecticut/Oregon game.

In their second victory in as many days, six of the nine FSU hits on Saturday went for extra bases, including solo home runs off the bat of Sherman Johnson and Stephen Cardullo, while four of the six runs scored in the victory over the Ducks (39-23) came with two outs.

FSU’s ace on the mound, Sean Gilmartin, earned his eighth victory on the season for the ’Noles (44-17), and whose defense turned three double plays without an error.

“Sean did everything he could to win the game,” Gilmartin’s catcher, Rafael Lopez said. “He did everything right. He located [his pitches] when he needed to and we stuck with that change up and it worked well. Sean did a great job tonight.”

After giving up a solo shot in the first inning to Oregon’s Jack Marder, Gilmartin, who walked one and struck out eight, did not allow a runner to advance past second base before being relieved with two runners on and no outs in the eighth. The sophomore southpaw gave up three runs on 10 hits, as eight of those 10 went for singles.

“Getting ahead [of batters] was a pretty big part of the success I had tonight,” Gilmartin said. “Getting that first guy out to leadoff the inning definitely helped. I was really able to spot the fastball and was able to change speeds real well to keep guys off balanced.

“The defensive did a great job behind me. They really stepped up tonight. That’s all you can ask for.”

Johnson, Mike McGee and Devon Travis each finished the game with two hits apiece, while Lopez came through with a supportive two-out, two-run double in the fourth.

Geoff Parker and McGee—who was recently named as a third team All-American—each pitched an inning in relief as McGee worked the bottom half of the ninth to earn his 10th save of the season.

With the win, Florida State improved to 28-13 all-time when facing a team for the first time in postseason play, while moving to 18-10 on the road in the NCAA Regionals. The win was also the fourth straight by the Seminoles over a George Horton-led Oregon squad.

In their opening round contest, FSU breezed to an 11-3 victory over Central Connecticut State last Friday afternoon to improve to 37-11 all-time in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament with the win over the Blue Devils.

“I thought Brian (Busch) gave us a big lift in going six full innings as it was a very good outing for him,” FSU head coach Mike Martin said. “It saved us from having to go to the bullpen.”

Busch earned his first win since his mid-April move back into the starting rotation back improving to 5-1 on the year. The sophomore southpaw gave up three runs (one earned) on five hits as he walked three and struck out six.

After giving up two walks in the first, Busch retired 10 straight Blue Devils before CCSU’s Mitch Wells led off the fifth inning with his team’s first hit of the game.

“I was basically just trying to work both sides of the plate with my fastball and throw off-speed to keep them off balanced,” Busch said. “I struggled in the seventh throwing into the right handers, which gave them another run, but luckily my defense and solid pitching out of the bullpen bailed me out.”

But Busch didn’t act alone, according to Martin.

“Certainly, there were a lot of key hits for us in today’s ball game,” Martin said. “The one [Mike] McGee got and the home run that Raffy [Lopez] hit was a surprise to everyone as this is such a big ball park, but he just corked that thing out of there. I am just glad to see these young kids play like they did today.”

FSU held the lead for all but a half inning against CCSU, who remained in striking distance until late in the game.

The Seminoles scored seven runs over the seventh and eighth innings to break open a one-run ball game.

“This is the Seminole way,” outfielder James Ramsey said. “We are going to put pressure on you and make you make outs. We are not going to lie down for any team. We are going to go hard for 27 outs.”

Success rarely sleeps, and perhaps nobody is learning that quicker than Florida State U. quarterback Christian Ponder and defensive tackle Everette Dawkins.

At 5 a.m. on weekdays this summer, while most of Tallahassee is still asleep, Ponder and Dawkins are scrolling through their phones, giving teammates wake-up calls to gather at FSU’s practice fields for team workouts.

This is just one way Ponder, a senior, and Dawkins, a redshirt junior, have shown their leadership roles on the team, as both players and the rest of the Seminoles are determined to put last season’s frustrating 7-6 record behind them.

According to Ponder, erasing those memories starts with a greater sense of commitment and discipline.

“Everyone realizes that we’ve had the talent for a while, but we just haven’t worked hard enough or had the discipline to get to where we want to be,” Ponder said. “Everyone has taken on this mindset that we have to do these small things.

“That’s the main thing for the summer: focusing on the small things, working out the kinks and being disciplined in what we’re doing.”

For Dawkins, his leadership is shown more through his actions than his words.

“I try to lead by example, not miss any workouts and make sure I’m on time to everything,” Dawkins said. “I’m vocal when I have to be, but I just make sure I’m there, because you can’t be a leader if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing. [Otherwise] you’re setting an example for players not to show up.”

Ponder and Dawkins’ commitment has rubbed off on their teammates throughout the first four weeks of voluntary workouts, as every player who participated in spring practice has yet to miss one. This is also due in large part to the excitement around the new coaching staff and FSU’s summer conditioning regimen.

If there’s one thing fans can count on in head coach Jimbo Fisher’s inaugural season, it’s that there should be few tired bodies in Florida State uniforms. The players are currently lifting weights as a team three days a week and going through rigorous running workouts four days a week.

In addition to the lifting and running workouts, there is a twice-a-week speed development program run by Erik Korem, who previously worked at Mississippi State. Korem has experience training world-class sprinters such as Tyson Gay, who set the U.S. record in the 100 meter at the 2008 Olympic games, and players are already noticing a difference in their overall speed and running form during their short time with Korem.

“We’ve never been taught how to run before,” Ponder said. “Korem comes in every Tuesday and Thursday and that’s all we work on. Learning to run is something important and that’s what we’re working on. I feel totally different when I run [now], and it’s a good sign.”

Korem’s impact isn’t felt only in workouts—it’s felt at meals as well.

Along with the task of making the Seminoles faster, Korem serves as the team’s nutritionist, and is very strict when it comes to making sure each player is eating right.

“Erik is always on us about food,” Dawkins said. “If you have to gain weight, you’re not going to leave the cafeteria without eating a lot of food. It’s helped myself and a lot of other people. He’s also got us eating a lot more vegetables, instead of us just going in there and eating all meat, and you can tell it’s making a difference.”

From training to dieting, Florida State is doing everything they can to make sure they are prepared for the upcoming season, which is only three months away. Judging from their schedule, the Seminoles will have to make the most of their remaining summer days.

After the season opener against Samford, FSU will head to Norman, Okla., for a showdown with powerhouse Oklahoma. Throw in games against BYU, Boston College, Miami, Clemson and Florida, and the Seminoles have one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

Despite their schedule and recent struggles, Florida State has high expectations for 2010, and Ponder is determined to make the most of his senior season. Given his determination and leadership, Ponder expects his teammates to step up to the challenge as well.

“It’s my last go-around, and I don’t want to fall short again,” Ponder said. “I want to win a championship and reach our goals that we have.

“I want to leave out on the right note and take some great memories with me, so I want to make sure everybody is doing right.”

An unlikely bat rose to the occasion and hit the Gators into the next round of postseason play.

Sophomore Tyler Thompson, who has been stuck at the bottom of the order all year, leads the team with 49 strikeouts and has struggled to provide productive at-bats.

But on Sunday he showed why coach Kevin O’Sullivan has stuck with him through the tough times.

The left fielder became the first Gator in postseason history to drill three homers in a game. He racked up six RBIs along the way to power No. 4 Florida (45-15) past FAU 15-0 and into the NCAA Super Regional. UF outscored opponents 32-5 in the Gainesville Regional.

“I feel really good about this team at this point,” O’Sullivan said. “I think we’re clicking. We are playing really good defense and are pitching well, while getting production from up and down the lineup.”

Thompson got it started in the second inning with an RBI double down the right-field line to drive in freshman Mike Zunino and give the Gators an early 1-0 advantage.

He then followed up back-to-back round trippers from Brian Johnson and Zunino in the third with his first of the night as he crushed a ball over the scoreboard in right field to extend the lead to 6-0.

It continued as he then smacked his second homer in the fifth and capped his night off with a three-run dinger to right-center field in the eighth. Thompson racked up more home runs against the Owls than he had managed to hit all season before Sunday’s performance – which was just two.

“(After the third one) I was just thinking ‘no way,’” Thompson said. “I was just trying to put the ball in play because it was with two strikes against a lefty and I’ve been struggling with that.”

The Gators put on an impressive display of power as they banged a season-high six balls over the fence against FAU (37-24) arms that seemed exhausted from playing four contests in three days.

“There are a couple stretches of games where we are swinging the bats as well as anybody in the (Southeastern Conference), and there are some other games where we are struggling,” said Preston Tucker, who hit a three-run homer in the eighth. “Fortunately we were swinging the bats well this week and we just have to continue that.”

Just one of those home runs was enough for Johnson, who started for UF and threw seven scoreless innings. It was an encouraging performance from the left-hander who came into Sunday’s start with a 10.23 ERA in his last four outings.

“(Johnson) is special,” FAU coach John McCormack said. “He has the chance to be really good in the future, not that he isn’t already there.”

But he didn’t just excel on the mound – Johnson helped himself at the plate too.

He picked up three hits, including a solo home run of his own. Johnson’s success in both aspects of the game led him to be named the regional’s Most Outstanding Player.

The Gators’ pitching staff was tough on hitters the entire weekend. It gave up only five runs in 27 innings while striking out 30 batters.

“I think if you plan on advancing to the College World Series and have a chance to play on the last day of the year – you have to hit, you have to pitch and you have to play defense,” O’Sullivan said.

The rout allowed O’Sullivan to give relievers Tommy Toledo and Kevin Chapman some work. They allowed zero runs as they pitched the final two innings.

The team will get together to watch Monday’s 7 p.m. contest between Miami and Texas A&M, which will air on ESPNU. The winner of that game will be Florida’s opponent in the NCAA Super Regional next weekend.

In the world we live in, the electric car seems like a far off dream. But what would happen if that dream became our reality?

Most auto companies are attempting to look “greener” with a slew of hybrid cars, but some are bringing back the electric car hype of the late 90s with a new wave of vehicles. Nissan will release its plug-in electric “Leaf” model in the U.S. later this year. Chevy’s plug-in electric car with a backup generator “Volt” is expected to be on sales lots by 2011. Tesla’s recent move towards an affordable electric sports car, “Model S,” is expected by 2011.

During his presidential campaign, Barack Obama set a goal of having 1 million plug-in hybrid and electric cars ready for sale by 2015, and that goal might not be as farfetched as some would have thought in late 2008. The Obama administration has appropriated billions of dollars for plug-in hybrids, electric cars and smart energy grids to keep them charging.

The biggest hurdles the electric car owner faces are battery related. Depending upon the car, range is limited to 100 miles, and once that battery runs out, it can take a few hours to recharge. Arguments for the electric car say this is more than enough range mileage to do a workday’s worth of driving, the technology will improve, and that recharging stations will not only exist in your garage, but they will also populate the world. Your office’s parking spot could host a charger as well.

Power delivery would also be affected by the electric car. Our current power infrastructure is built to withstand usage of power during peak hours. Peak hours occur when many people use large amounts of electricity around the same time. If too many power consumers plug in their cars to charge overnight, the local power grid will fail, and infrastructure will need to be upgraded. This infrastructure includes the power plants which will generate the power.

Reed Noss, a visiting scholar from Florida with a Ph.D in Wildlife and Range Sciences, says, “Power needs to be more centralized. I think we could meet most of our energy needs by putting photovoltaic cells [solar panels] on every rooftop, and having the government pay for that. But see, then the power companies would make no money. These companies have such enormous political power. They [renewable energy utility companies] want the facilities built way out in the desert so then they can have these hundreds of miles of transmission lines. Your bill is not just the generation of the power, it’s the transmission. They [the companies] make a lot of money by putting these solar and wind turbine fields way out in the desert and building all of these transmission lines.”

In any market, demand will be manipulated for profit; renewable energy is not an exception. Rooftop solar and wind-supplemented power storage methods might be exactly what we need to accommodate the electric car, and with government incentives for clean energy bonded with the coming wave of new electric cars, it’s the perfect time to start saving for green investments in the future of our planet.

On June 8, voters in Santa Clara will have the rare opportunity to determine the future of a multi-million dollar franchise – the San Francisco 49ers.

If the stadium initiative passes, know as Measure J, will bring the NFL to the South Bay.

The 49ers and Santa Clara are by no means strangers. The team’s 11 acre practice facility and headquarters are located in the city’s north side, near Great America.

The proposed stadium will cost an estimated $937 million, with the 49ers and the NFL paying $493 million. Santa Clara city officials have agreed to pay $114 million, with this figure being paid by the city’s Redevelopment Agency. The other $330 million is to be paid for by the Santa Clara Stadium Authority.

The Stadium Authority is a recently developed branch of the city government, designed specifically to fund the stadium with the help of private investors. The excess amount not covered by them falls on the city to pay in the end.

The $114 million Santa Clara will pay doesn’t even take into account the $20 million the city’s electric utility, Silicon Valley Power, will be forced to spend to move the Tasman electrical substation away from the stadium site, or the other $17 million the RDA will have to spend on a new parking structure.

The 49ers have only eight home games in a season; at most they would have two playoff games and two preseason games. The revenue spenditure and the “usage” the stadium acutally sees is off kilter.

The No on J crowd, found at scplaysfair.com, uses figures that take inflation into consideration, unlike supporters backed by the team’s figures. The opposition adopted the name Santa Clara Plays Fair because rights to noonJ.com were bought by the 49ers.

According to Stanford Professor Emeritus of Economics Dr. Roger Noll, in an interview with Dr. Chris Koltermann, a Santa Clara Plays Fair board member and Stanford alumnus, the Stadium Authority stands a good chance of going bankrupt.

When factoring in the cost of this RDA diversion along with the cost in stadium upkeep, the annual fee to the city will be $98 million. The expected stadium General Fund revenues over the 40 year lease, including rent and all new taxes, totals $31 million annually. This results in a $67 million annual net loss, according to the Santa Clara Plays Fair website.

The 49ers will also retain their current “sweetheart” rent deal with the city and it will be expanded to include the stadium. This deal currently allows the 49ers to only pay $26 million in annual rent.

Voters in the “Mission City” need to decide whether or not they like gambling, because that’s exactly what this measure amounts to – a gamble. There is absolutely no guarantee that they will profit or break even on their investment. To be honest, they will not see profit on their investment. Even the 49ers know this. The impact on the city’s economic outlook would be a mere “drop in the bucket,” according to the most recent 49ers memorandum.

The 49ers chose Santa Clara because for them it’s all reward – while for the city, it’s all risk.

Turning 18 is exciting. You now have the right to vote, die for your country, smoke cigarettes and live on your own. Not only that, but you are granted most of the rights of a legal adult. Likewise, you are required to act like an adult in strenuous and frustrating times. Or is it terrifying? The allure of these freedoms captures the interest of many teenagers, looking at 18 as a goal, or to put it simply, “when I can do whatever I want.”

Often upon reaching 18, once these freedoms are exercised, their results are often overwhelming, revealing that the world is far bigger, scarier and tougher than ever imagined.

This sense of anxiety and melancholy always reminds me of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” The protagonist, Miss Lonely, is raised privileged, and when she leaves home she finds that the world that once embraced her has turned a cold shoulder, opening her eyes to how difficult it is to survive on her own. Since I’ve known this song, I’ve always loved it, because it clearly explains how I felt when I realized that life is nowhere as easy as it seems on TV.

It also reminds me of my group of friends who moved to San Francisco straight out of high school. For them, the city was a mecca and an escape from a hometown that had nothing to offer. They worked full-time jobs but weren’t able to balance school and work. Rent became an impossibility, and luxury items like concert tickets, pot and eventually food all escaped their grasp. Most of them currently live with their parents, and advise against moving out.

Next comes ages 19 and 20, casually as a casualty. Nothing to celebrate here, just two lost years that are likely to be forgotten. These years are spent learning lessons the hard way, now accustomed to being treated as a legal adult. This involves making mistakes and gaining a greater perspective because of them. The cumulative experiences of these two years, although seemingly insignificant, heavily influence the next decade.

And finally, you’ve reached 21. It’s time to spend half a night being forced (willingly or unwillingly) to guzzle down liquor and beer, so that you can spend the next 24 hours violently vomiting. And to think, some people live to die on their 21st birthday. The irony.

The 21st birthday can be a session of shots of vodka, ta-kill-ya and every fruity cocktail your stomach can (temporarily) hold, just like most college students. Contrarily, you can quaintly sip a glass of wine and know that you’ve made it to the age where abusing alcohol has lost its defiant edge and that you don’t have to be another adolescent lush blowing half your weekly paycheck on weekend boozing.

All we can really do is take the daily grind in stride and enjoy the highs, while constructively weathering the lows.

De Anza College’s Veterans Club, the Student Veterans of America, is determined to reach its full potential and become self-sustaining.

“We wish for all service members to come back home, where we can welcome them with open arms, getting them prepared for an easier adjustment to civilian life as well as student life,” SVA president Victor Arredondo said.

The SVA has been developing for the past year and is a sub chapter of a national 501 group called Student Veterans of America.

“We want to help returning veterans transition back to academic standings,” Hoang said.

There are now over 45 members who meet every third Friday. The club’s national chapter established the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill which can pay up to 100 percent of college costs, give book stipends, and provide a monthly housing and substance allowance of $1,800.

They are a neutral club with no political affiliation. They have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, and are strongly encouraging all veterans and their friends and families to join.

“We are not pro war,” said Arredondo. “We are pro veteran.”

The emphasis of the club is personal growth through mentorship and community development. Their focus is on working with the homeless, helping in care shelters and supporting other veterans.

The SVA works to provide resources to veterans through local organizations such as the San Jose Vet Center, the Department of Veteran Affairs Palo Alto Clinic and Oakland Veteran Affairs.

Arredondo said that one of the main objectives is to create a sense of cultural sensitivity to help make people aware of the fact that some of the events and protests that happen on campus can trigger a veteran’s post traumatic stress disorder.

“There’s a big stigma that follows us,” said Arredondo. “But we’re regular people just trying to adjust to things we weren’t used to before.”

One of the club’s most important goals is expansion. Members are working on connections with other community colleges and universities so that transfer students will have a stable support system wherever they go.

Current vice president and former communications chief for a reconnaissance platoon, Allan Caguit, has been focusing on publicizing the club’s information. Through a website and Facebook page, they hope to provide the necessary information about benefits, internships and veteran housing options.

Sharing common experiences and even some familiar faces from their tours creates a strong sense of camaraderie among the club’s members.

“I went to boot camp with one of them,” said Arredondo. “The other was a non-commission officer that I really looked up to.”

Over Memorial Day weekend, the club officers traveled to Los Angeles to attend a student veteran’s conference. The conference was the first of its kind and offered a chance for people to connect and collaborate on current issues such as student veteran’s benefits, post traumatic stress disorder, and other issues concerning vets.

“We’re all about servitude,” said Arredondo. “We served before and we’ll serve again.”

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will address De Anza College’s graduates at the Spring 2010 graduation ceremony as the keynote speaker.

De Anza had a number of options for who could give the speech, but once Mr. Duncan showed interest in speaking at the graduation administration quickly chose him for the keynote speaker, said Marissa Spatafore, Marketing and Communications director at De Anza College.

“His office called to offer him to speak at both [Foothill and De Anza’s] commencement ceremonies,” said Spatafore.

Duncan graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1987, and has been a lifelong proponent of better education for America. Duncan continues to help raise the standards in education, and in 2009 joined the Obama administration; taking his goals to the federal level.

“We are thrilled to have him here because of his pivotal role in the Obama administration,” said Spatafore

“Duncan, who is a proponent for community colleges, wanted to speak here at De Anza,” said Spatafore. “To have him here to mark such a milestone in the students lives, it is a great honor.”

Martha J. Kanter, former chancellor for De Anza and Foothill Colleges, now works with Duncan as under secretary of Education and will also attend the graduation ceremonies.

Graduation will be held Saturday, June 26 at 9 a.m. in the Outdoor Events Arena, followed by a reception.

Anthony Mata, 23, was rushed to the hospital early the morning of May 30 and died that evening, according to a spokesperson from San Francisco General Hospital. Mata was taken to the hospital after an apparent drug overdose while attending Electric Techno Disco Pop at the Cow Palace on May 29.

Mata worked in the service department at Piercey Toyota and is remembered by his coworkers.

“He worked in the quick lube. Cool kid, we went to a sports bar after work a few times,” said Jeremy Baum, a fellow employee.

An autopsy was complete Wednesday listing the cause of death “pending further study” while waiting for a toxicology test to return in approximately two weeks, said the San Mateo County coroner’s office.

Event organizer Skills DJ released a statement that the company is “terribly saddened” after “several attendees of POP2010 became ill after taking tainted illegal drugs,” said skills DJ owner Jason Sperling.

“One fatality is too many, and our company will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and the San Mateo County Health Service Agency.”

Over 60 “problem guests” were arrested by undercover narcotic agents at POP2010. Each year approximately 50 people are arrested for purchasing or intending to sell illegal narcotics at POP. In 2008, 58 arrests were made and a total of 1,041 ecstasy tablets were seized, along with ketamine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and over $5,000 in U.S. currency, according to a press release from the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force.