Kenny Cooper was the most notable absentee from yesterday's exhibition loss to the Maryland Bays, as the Blast coach spent his third day under observation at a local hospital.

Cooper was admitted Friday afternoon complaining of abdominal pain, and he will be hospitalized indefinitely.

"This is a recurrence of something I had six years ago," Cooper told a Blast spokesman via telephone at halftime of yesterday's game. "I had some stomach pain late Thursday night and decided to get it checked out on Friday. I've had a series of tests done in the last 2 1/2 days, and I've been told there are more to come."

Assistant coach Jim Pollihan filled in for Cooper.

"Kenny was at practice Friday," Pollihan said. "I talked to him twice today, and while he's concerned about his health, all he wanted to talk about was this game."