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Texas southpaw takes mound

Omar Arif has been the Dirtbags' top started early this season, with a 2-0 record and a 2.41 ERA.

Every college pitcher strives to be a weekend starter. Lefty Omar Arif finally achieved his goal this season when he was named the Dirtbags’ Sunday starter.

Unfortunately, it took him three years, a serious elbow injury and a move halfway across the country to reach that goal.

After three seasons at Texas Christian University, Arif decided to leave TCU, and his home state. He packed up and moved out to California with the hope of starting for a Division I baseball club.

“For me it was just a purely baseball decision, and it was a tough decision. I had my whole life in Texas – family, friends and teammates,” Arif said. “It was just a situation where I needed a change and I just ran into a good situation with Long Beach State.”

Arif was playing in the Texas League this summer with the Dirtbags’ second baseman, Matt Cline. Cline mentioned to Arif that the team had lost some of its top pitchers.

“When the season was over I wasn’t really thinking about [transferring],” Arif said. “But as the summer went, on I started thinking more about next year. The more and more I thought about it, the more and more I felt the need to move on.”

Cline put him in touch with Troy Buckley, the Dirtbags’ pitching coach. Arif had heard great things about LBSU, Buckley and head coach Mike Weathers. He made his decision, and became a Dirtbag.

“I’d heard a lot about the Dirtbags, and they’ve been a national perennial powerhouse every year,” Arif said. “Coach Buckley is talked up as one of the best pitching coaches in the country, so I was excited to get out here and work with him.”

Born and raised in Texas, Arif was recruited to play at TCU after high school. A large scholarship offer, a brand new stadium and a promising team lured Arif to the private school in Fort Worth. Being only an hour away from his parents’ home in Mesquite, TCU seemed like a perfect fit.

But soon after arriving at TCU, Arif suffered an elbow injury. The summer following his freshman year, he underwent surgery on his throwing elbow.

He returned for his sophomore season with high hopes, but soon found himself being underutilized, and gradually playing less and less of a role on the team.

The summer before his junior year, Arif left to play in the Illinois Collegiate League, with thoughts of transferring in the back of his mind. But those thoughts soon went away, as he had a stellar summer in the Illinois league, making the all-league team, playing in the all-star game and being named one of the top pitching prospects of the summer.

Arif then decided to return to TCU for his junior season, thinking that after a breakout summer the coaches would name him a starter. But ended up spending another season pitching in relief.

In his three seasons as a reliever, he produced a .288 opponent average, made 53 appearances, striking out 53 and walking 27.

“I was playing some, and I could have gone back and I would have gotten a fair amount of pitching time,” Arif said. “But I really wanted to play a more centralized role on the pitching staff.”

After making the move to out to Southern California, Arif fit in right away on the field. But things off the field weren’t as easy. His transition was not as smooth as he had hoped, and he was homesick the first few months.

“It was a tough decision. I had my whole life in Texas. To date, it’s probably been the toughest decision I’ve ever made in my life,” Arif said. “The first few months I didn’t know anybody. I was just getting to know my teammates. It was kind of rough, but I got through it.”

With the season well under way now, Arif has made the adjustment to his new state. Even though there is no place like home, California has started to grow on him.

“It’s a different way of life out here,” Arif said. “But I like it. The weather is great, the beaches are nice and the nightlife is great. So it’s been fun.”

Arif is off to a good start this season. In four starts, he has already notched 13 strikeouts and compiled a 2.41 ERA, the best record of any starter.

When it comes down to it, Arif knew he would have a better opportunity in California. Although his heart remains in Texas, his glove has found a new home at Blair Field.

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