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(IDG) -- Spring training is in full force, the new season is nearly upon us, and the barrage of this year's computer baseball titles has begun. The latest in Electronic Arts' Triple Play series, Triple Play 2000, promises to deliver the flavor of America's newly renewed favorite pastime with an array of graphical and gameplay improvements.

With licenses from both Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, TP 2000 will give you access to all the teams and players in the major leagues. You can catch the action from any of 75 camera angles, and the new rookie mode, home-run challenge, and enhanced mouse support open up the sometimes daunting world of PC baseball to the average gamer.

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There are four distinct modes of play: single game, season, playoffs, and the home-run challenge. This year's new challenge format pits you one-on-one against another player in the style of the home-run derby popularized in the '40s. In addition to the single game, there's also a quick-start mode that lets you hop right into a game without worrying about any pre-game formalities.

The game's career mode enables you to create your own team and play through multiple seasons, complete with a draft, a point cap, and trading of bank points. As in Triple Play '99, players are weighted with different points depending on their abilities, so you'll need to balance your team rather than just pick all the heavy hitters. Computer-controlled teams now have Smart Trades: they'll make trade offers to the players and to each other.

The controls have been enhanced as well. At the plate, you'll have increased bat control with more contact spots and three swinging levels, plus a hit-direction feature that'll let you call your shots like the Babe. Another welcome addition is the ability to control the lead baserunner when he's attempting to steal. Fielding is easier this year, too: one-touch player selection keeps you on top of the ball.

TP 2000 offers two-player support on one machine, as well as LAN and Internet play (though it'll be a while before lag allows a decent game over the Net). And if you only have one gamepad, the mouse support gives you a better second-player option than the keyboard.

Visually, Triple Play 2000 is impressive. The players' facial expressions are tied to the game engine, so you'll see how the Big Mac feels about knocking one over the fence (or striking out). All 30 stadiums are realistically rendered, sothe waterfalls at the Royals' stadium stand out in the real-time lighting effects for day, dusk, and night games.

The realism is complemented by both the color commentary, provided again by Buck Martinez and Jim Hughson, and the newly enhanced crowd noises (including vendors hawking their wares) and celebrations. The announcers even give the player subtle tips, letting you know if you're swinging a little early or throwing the ball in too hard.

Triple Play 2000 looks and feels like it'll be a major contender this season. From the promise of the ball-swatting home-run challenge to the numbers game of drafting and team creation, I bet I'll be mirroring those expressions on the players' faces when the game's released on Opening Day.