CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox’s game against the Minnesota Twins might have been rained out Friday, but a couple of Cowboys still had some fun at U.S. Cellular Field.

Oklahoma State alums Robin Ventura and Garth Brooks went through the paces on the field with Brooks taking batting practice, while also shagging fly balls in the outfield, well in advance of Brooks’ two shows at Allstate Arena on Friday evening.

Brooks has been in Chicago for a run of 11 concerts as he returned to the stage following a lengthy layoff.

“I’ve done it before,” Ventura said of pitching to Brooks, who has taken part in spring training in the past with the San Diego Padres, New York Mets and Kansas City Royals. “His swing is slowing down a little bit, I can say that. He had fun, though.

“Even for him or his band, to come out here, it’s just a break for them. They are out here for over a few weeks. They are doing the same thing every day, so it’s just fun for them to get out here and run around and do baseball stuff.”

Ventura and Brooks first met at Oklahoma State and have maintained a friendship. In 2009, both were inducted into the Oklahoma State Alumni Hall of Fame, along with running back Barry Sanders.

“Right when he started coming out, he was hitting the circuit around there and then always coming back (to Oklahoma State) doing things, but once he hit it, he was off and running,” Ventura said. “So you would run into him every once in a while, and then when I was with the Mets in 2000, he did spring training with us, so that was a lot of fun.

“He’s just a tremendously nice person. It’s hard to tell people just how genuine and nice a person he is. He’s a pretty good entertainer, too. He’s a good person. His family, great people, too.”