Cori, the unofficial UC Davis vet med mascot, now retrieving baseball bats
DAVIS – As the UC Davis Aggie baseball players gear up for the season, they aren't the only ones getting their game faces on.
Cori the dog has an important role on the team – she's retrieving the bats.
This won't be her first time performing under pressure.
Last fall, she spent her Saturdays retrieving the kickoff tee at Aggie football games.
"I think the best part of seeing her out on the field, whether it be football or baseball, is really the students and the crowd she pleases," said Lisa Tell, Cori's owner.
Her involvement is a nod to the university's veterinary medicine program, which is ranked #1 in the country.
Tell is a professor for vet school, making Cori the unofficial "Vet Med Spokesdog."
As she makes her way through the UC Davis campus, Cori brings a sense of comfort to students.
"A lot of the students at UC Davis, they're away from home, they don't have their pets here. So they really enjoy being able to interact with a dog," Tell said.
For the Aggie baseball players, it's a welcome addition. Ballpark dogs are a cherished minor league tradition – and Cori brings that minor league feel to the Dobbins Ballpark.
"It feels a little bit more professional in that sense," said player Nate Freeman.
Cori brings the professionalism to these games. Her only challenge? Keeping her eyes on the bat and not the ball.
Cori will be in action this weekend, retrieving bats starting 11 a.m. Saturday for the first game of an Aggie doubleheader.