NCAA Baseball playoffs are on their way. ND is out, way out, so far out that they can't see the top of the Big East even. Got swept this weekend by W.Va. We are the worst team in the Big East and desperately in need of new leadership. Our coach is a nice guy, lost his wife to cancer not long after taking the job 3 years ago, but that aside he's failed. He needs to be replaced. At the other end of the spectrum is Texas, we are hot, hot, hot, hot....recently had a 20+ game winning streak. Will easily win the B12 and no doubt host the regionals and likely the super regionals baring upsets. I see that Virgina is #1 in the Baseball America poll. Their coach, Brian O'Connor (no relation to Corey) used to be at ND and was the top assistant. There have been hopes that he could be enticed back to ND. I'd say that there is no chance given the program he has built at UVA. Texas A&M...took a nose dive after a good start. Neb ...no chance worst team in the B12. I thought the A&M coach had the Ag's heading in the right direction after his 2nd year, this year is a big set back. Rice? A good but not great Owl team. Top 25, but nowhere near the talent level that you are used to seeing at Rice.
Unfortunately, being in the north, ND is only a stepping stone for basball coaches. Pat Murphy did a great job and Maneiri (sp?) after him, but it looks like we've hit a wall. I don't know where you go for a replacement. I can't envision any southern coaches willing to give up their gigs to come north.
Sid, You are right we are not going to be able to get an established coach from a successful southern or western program. What we will have to do is take a chance on a guy who is doing well at a lower level and hope he can make the move. Pat Murphy was an unknown when he took the ND job, and Paul Mainiere was the coach at Air Force when he took the job. Coach Schrage was a reasonably successful coach at Evansville when the Irish hired him, but it didn't work out this time. Time to try and find another guy who can make the step up. As an aside unfortuneately Pat Murphy got into some trouble at ASU and was released. He is now in a category that any NCAA program that hires him will have to go before a NCAA council to show why they should be allowed to hire him and some other stuff that will basically mean he will never again coach in NCAA baseball...or at least not for a long time. Terry
Too bad about Murphy. My son, Brian, had a brief conversation with Murphy in the fall of 1991. When Brian's HS baseball team made it to the state quarter-finals in Covaleski Stadium in South Bend in the spring of 1991, Brian wrote to Murphy and recommended that Murphy come to the game to scout his teammate who, like Brian, was already committed to attend ND. He never heard back, but he met Murphy during the fall of his freshman year, and Murphy remembered the letter. He said he had been at the game and noticed both Brian and his teammate. He complimented them both. Whether he had been to the game or not, whether he meant the compliment or not, it was a neat experience for Brian at the time. I see in Baseball America's Top 25 there are 3 BE teams, Louisville, Connecticut and Pittsburgh.
Speaking of Mainieri, I see his associate head coach is Dave Grewe. Dave grew up in this area and played HS basketball with Commish at U of D high.
Conference Tournaments start this week. ND of course not playing, and they didn't have any player who made the all-big east 1st, 2nd or 3rd team. Texas is of course the prohibitive favorite in the B12 tourney, they have their best team in years, next best is way behind them. The Cornhuskers who had a run of B12 conf championships and CWS appearances are struggling right now. They have the same guy coaching who won the conf tournaments, but a couple of years ago he lost his top assistant to A&M maybe that's the problem. They have excellent facilities so I know that's not the issue. Aggies seem to be playing better right now, although I couldn't help noticing that in their season ending series (which used to always be Texas) had a lot of empy seats. Olson field seats 7 or 8K and reported attendance was below 4K. Maybe Scott can fill us in on this.
We are a Jeckyl/Hyde team... The porous defense, and at times MIA offense have left a very good pitching staff out to dry many times. But... when the cylinders are firing this team can be pretty good. Considering how this season has played out, averaging 4500 per game isn't too bad. That will surely put us in the top 10 in attendance again. If our bats catch fire right now we could go far in this post season...
That was kinda weird wasn't it? I don't think I ever heard the reason... I'll dig around to see if anyone knows. BTW... The Aggies smoked TT in the first round of the XII tourney, while the Horns fell to Mizzou. That's a head-scratcher!
The SEC tournament started yesterday with the top 8 teams playing. Ironically the bottom four seeds beat all the top four seeds. The Gators were seeded number one and lost to LSU.
Like the basketball conference tournaments the top teams are pretty much set win or lose, it's the bottom team(s) that if it can get hot will play its way into the NCAA tournaments.
Never found out why the A&M/Texas series was moved up... no mention of a reason anywhere, and no one seemed to know. Tech beats Texas in the second round... guess Augie is saving his guns for regional action?
I'm kind of suprised, I thought we'd have a good tournament. We didn't have to win it, but 2 and out is not good either.
They've announced the Regional sites....I wonder what Corey will say when he sees the list. West Coast gets CSF and UCLA. that's it...well unless you consider ASU as well.
I'll say this.. ND could hire me, even as an assistant and I'd wager my first 2 years salary to be donated to the charity of their choice that we'd be in the Super Regionals by the end of the 2nd season... and I'd make that move right now. As for the Regional announcements, they tossed CT a bone but by and large it's just a big cash reward for the SEC/ACC southeastern schools who toss a ton of money into their baseball facilities. I wouldn't care about this so much, but instead of letting the western teams go east or south to play their way to Omaha (which they use to do) they now stick them all in the few western regions there are... Never forget what happened to Oregon State.. back to back NCAA champs, then they produced the same exact kind of year they had the previous two and were left out of the tourney all together. The SEC this year isn't bad, but it isn't great either. LSU is by far and away the most talented team in terms of depth.. There are teams that choked hard in the tourney (SCAR and Arkansas) who possibly in the past would have been punished by getting left out.. Instead, they will be hosting regionals or getting sweetheart seeds.
Corey, Throw a resume at A&M. 8) Although the team is streaking well right now, they had a huge slump at mid season that has many thinking there will be required changes in our staff. We are about to start a massive renovation of Olsen Field. It's a still a nice facility, but what was top of the line in 1978 has been left in the dust these days. It's going to be awesome when complete.
Whoa.... <t>Scott be glad you have this guy as the head man. I've seen A&M twice in person this year and yes they slumped but came alive at just the right time to win the tourney. This is a great time of year to be a college baseball fan.</t>
Scott, I just might. I've processed thru one school and am waiting to see if the spot opens up. It's something we've discussed (finally) here and if the right opportunity comes up, I'd take it. If anyone is willing to take the chance on a guy with a divorce and who has been out of the game for 9 years... they will reap huge benefits. That's a fact. btw, your HC is a great one. Give him time.