LONG BEACH, Calif.—It was the top of the eighth inning last week when Taylor "Sparkplug" Sparks shot a line drive into center field, bringing Chris "The Outlaw" Rabago home for the University of California at Irvine, tying the score in a game against Long Beach State.

A small crowd of UC Irvine parents and alumni cheered for their Anteaters. But the applause was drowned out by the hoots and hollers of one fan who looked like a California-bred cave man. He was deeply tanned, with thick, cascading blond...