By RICH MACLONE

    It might be a simple matter of coincidence, but then again, it might not be.
The Falmouth Commodores began the 2007 Cape Cod Baseball League season with all of the success of Crystal Pepsi. Falmouth went 1-7 over its first eight games and it looked like the season might be over, from a competitive standpoint, before it ever really began. 

    Slowly, but surely, the Commodores began to right the ship a bit and stopped taking on so much water. The team won a couple of games and showed some signs of life.
Then the kids from Oregon State showed up.

    Joey Wong, John Wallace and Chris Hopkins, members of the 2007 College World Series champion Beavers arrived in Falmouth about a week ago. Ever since they made their cross-country trip the team has been one of the hotter clubs in the CCBL. Wong, a freshman, plays on the infield for Falmouth, mostly at second base. Hopkins is a speedy center fielder that covers tons of ground for the team and Wallace has seen time in left for the Commodores.

    What was once hard to imagine became true in quick fashion as Falmouth went from completely out of the picture to into the mix for the playoffs in the blink of an eye. As of last Saturday morning, the Commodores had come back to tie Hyannis for third place in the west division and trailed second place Cotuit by just four points. The Commodores are in the mix and have something to play for in the second half of the season, their first return to the postseason since 2004.

    Falmouth Manager Jeff Trundy said that he was quite pleased to have the three Beavers on board and that he knew, from experience, that players from Oregon State were going to give him everything they have. 

    “Any kid we’ve had from Oregon State in the past, and certainly I think these kids are the same, bring a real strong competitive nature to them. Any time you bring that variable into the mix is a good thing obviously. We’ve never had a bad kid from Oregon State and we’ve never had a kid that wasn’t competitive, and certainly these kids are from that same mold,” Trundy said.

    Wong, Wallace and Hopkins all said that they were happy to be playing in the top summer league in the country, but also admitted that the whirlwind of the last few weeks has them a bit fatigued.

    While Oregon State was the defending national champs, they really weren’t supposed to be back in Omaha in June. OSU underachieved through most of the regular season, and needed a late-season charge just to get back in to College World Series contention.
The defending champs brought it all together at the perfect time, beginning a march to their second straight national championship. Wong said that his team knew all along that it was capable of getting the job done, even if there was a lack of believers elsewhere.

    “I think for some people it was (a surprise OSU was in Omaha), but we had the confidence all year that we could get back to Omaha,” Wong said. “Our captains were always talking about getting hot at the right time and we did that.”

    Wallace said that his team’s run to the title was something he’ll never forget. He also said that had it been any other team in the tournament that had done what the Beavers did the story would have become an inspirational anecdote for other clubs for years to come.

    “I think the year before the team kind of expected us to do well, because there were a bunch of older guys … a lot more experience,” Wallace said. “This year, though, if we weren’t the defending national champions, I think this would have been one of the greatest Cinderella stories of all time, coming from so far back in the Pac-10 to making that run in the playoffs.”

    Just having a chance to play in the CWS was something that all three players cherish. For Wong, and Hopkins, who each made their first trips, the experience was extra special.
“It was amazing, something you think about all the time growing up, getting to Omaha, and to get there my first year was pretty awesome,” Wong said.

    “The fans were great, it was like a big league park. It was just a great time to be playing there,” Hopkins explained. “It’s the same game. You have to play all nine hard. It’s just easy to put the cleats on and go out there (and play hard).”

    And on top of playing there, winning the whole thing made lifetime memories for all three players.

    “It’s a great feeling, and something you’ll never forget,” Wong said. “We have to try to forget about as much as we can come next year so we can try to win another one,” Wong said.

    Wallace said, earning a second championship ring, was twice as nice. 
“I think wining it the second time is (sweeter). Obviously the first one is amazing, and a lot people don’t get to experience that, but winning it a second time, back-to-back, is unbelievable,” Wallace said.

    With the national championship under their belts now, the three Beavers would love to earn another title, this time as Commodores. They have ground to make up, but as Wong said, taking down another championship would make 2007 even more special than it already is.

    “It would be awesome. The people around here really love to come out and watch the Commodores play, so it would be great if we could them a (championship),” Wong said.