Unlike a majority of baseball fans, I was ecstatic when EA announced that they were taking the MVP franchise back to school. I’m not much of a baseball fan, at least when it comes to Major League games, but I love spending Sundays (and the rare Tuesday night) watching live college games. I was happy with last year’s game and was actually surprised when Psibabe handed me a copy of MVP 07 NCAA Baseball since the game hasn’t seen much in the way of publicity. For the most part, MVP 07 sticks to many of the mechanics found in the last game, though with a couple of tweaks and a new pitching system.

Fans coming from MLB games who may not have much experience with college baseball should expect a different look with MVP 07. Players are smaller and, since certain NCAA rules prohibit using the likeness and names of active players, expect to see a clone or two running onto the field. Players look generic, but at least they move well. Animations are fluid without many hitches or hiccups.

As far as I could tell, the available stadiums look authentic. At least, LSU's Alex Box Stadium looks like it should and Rosenblatt Stadium looks like a giant I-HOP.

Mike Patrick and Kyle Peterson return for commentary duties. Compared to last year’s game, the commentary is better though still repetitive. The indie rock soundtrack from last year’s game has been scrapped. In its place are official fight songs, which add to the college experience. At the same time, you don’t hear them that often, so their presence doesn’t make that much of an impact (at least when compared to a football or basketball game – then again, it is rare that you’ll hear fight songs in real baseball games).

MVP 07 NCAA Baseball offers the traditional lineup of play modes, including Dynasty, Season, Exhibition and Online. Also included are mini-games that will help you get used to the game's new mechanics, namely the new Rock and Fire pitching system.

Once again, MVP 07 takes baseball to the college level. But, as was the case last year, this shouldn’t be interpreted as it being a lesser game, just a different one. Besides the inclusion of aluminum bats and smaller fields, the NCAA branding brings college rules into play. Home-plate collisions and take-out slides aren't allowed and the strike zone is smaller (which is meant to keep batters from crowding the plate and to help control the pitcher's throwing zones) – all of which are meant to make the game a little safer.

One of the downsides to last year’s game was the omission of a few college teams as well as some stadiums. For me, this wasn’t an issue since both Alex Box Stadium and LSU were included, but there were a number of fans who felt a burned. MVP 07 includes around 20 new teams and a few new stadiums. The jump isn’t that great, but it gives fans of those 20 teams reason to be happy.

For fans who feel out in the cold, MVP 07 brings back the Creation Zone feature from the last game. Almost everything in the game can be customized, including the option to create a player, team or even build your own ballpark.

Recruiting during Dynasty Mode has received one big change that completely changes how you go about grabbing new recruits. As with every sport, there are always those top-rated players who seem to be above and beyond anyone else on the field. While football and basketball have safeguards in play to help keep these players in college, that doesn’t exist in baseball – resulting in some really good players jumping to the pros. This factors into recruiting in MVP 07 since you have worry about a coveted player skipping out on you, leaving you with wasted recruiting time that would have been better spent on trying for another player.

The biggest hurdle facing anyone who picks up MVP 07 NCAA Baseball is learning the new pitching system. It takes some time to really get the timing and motions down, though once you do it is worth the time. The best way to learn the system, besides playing through a few Exhibition games, is to play through the pitching mini-games that are included. The games aren’t that interesting and, to be honest, are sort of dull, but they are great for practice.

As far as difficulty is concerned, MVP 07 plays as well as last year’s game. A.I. is generally good and will even make a few “college mistakes”, which is to be expected from a game featuring green players. At the default level, games are challenging, though nearly everything can be adjusted to suit your needs.

Last year’s game introduced analog control to both the batting and pitching. Rather than tapping a button to pitch or swing, the system relied more on timing. It was fun, but ultimately its imperfections led many to go back to the standard controls. MVP 07 NCAA Baseball reworks the system, with much better results.

Dubbed “Rock and Fire”, the new system again uses the analog sticks in a simple system. After choosing a pitch type using face buttons, you can aim your pitch and then pull back on the right analog stick to wind the pitch, setting its initial power. A meter then appears along with a ball icon, which you push towards in order to launch the pitch. The closer you can get the pitch cursor to the ball icon on the meter, the more accurate the pitch is.

Although it is simple, the Rock and Fire system takes some time to really learn well. In the end, though, the system works incredibly well. It works especially well if the ball is hit. Ideally, you don’t want the batter to get a hit – but no-hitters don’t come around all that often. The fielding controls also use the right analog stick, so you don’t find yourself fumbling for the right buttons in order to cut off a runner or nail a double play.

The one downside to the Rock and Fire system is that it does tip off where the ball may end up, or at least a general direction. There is still a way to hide what you are doing, though it still gives the batter a little edge.

Last year’s Load and Fire batting system also returns with a few changes. The basics are still the same, though some of the mechanics are a little tighter and give you a little more control.

As a college baseball fan, MVP 07 NCAA Baseball is a must own. Even if your team didn’t make the cut this year, there is still a whole lot to like about the game if you’re someone who looks forward to a trip to Omaha every year. As for Major League fans, the only thing holding you back is your own perception since MVP 07 is a great baseball game, especially at only $30.