At the beginning of July 2012, we took off on a virtual road trip through SEC country, hoping to familiarize ourselves with Mizzou's new SEC Baseball rivals. At each destination we devoted 4 posts over two weeks to the SEC Cities, SEC Baseball Traditions, SEC Coaches, and SEC Baseball History.
Showing posts with label South By Southeast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South By Southeast. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
South by Southeast: Virtual Road Trip Through SEC Baseball
At the beginning of July 2012, we took off on a virtual road trip through SEC country, hoping to familiarize ourselves with Mizzou's new SEC Baseball rivals. At each destination we devoted 4 posts over two weeks to the SEC Cities, SEC Baseball Traditions, SEC Coaches, and SEC Baseball History.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
SxSE: Where does Mizzou Baseball rank in the SEC?
South by Southeast: A Virtual Road Trip Through SEC Baseball took a look in detail at each of our new SEC rivals.
The SEC Fan's Guide to Mizzou Baseball has taken a detailed look at the new kid on the block, MU Baseball.
Both of those series finished up this past week, and now it's time to combine the two by taking a shot at answering the question on the mind of everyone.
Where does Mizzou Baseball rank in the SEC?
 |
| Mizzou Underdogs? |
The following rankings are based on the history posts for each team over the past several months, with my estimate of where each program stands.
- South Carolina has become not only a College World Series program, but a College World Series finals program over the past few years. Ray Tanner has developed this program to the point where a trip to the College World Series is expected annually, and the only surprise would be if they don't make it to the finals. Trending steady.
- Florida has clearly become a College World Series program, one that everyone expects to reach Omaha every year. They are not yet a CWS Finals program, like South Carolina. You have to wonder, though, whether they have the patience to stick with Kevin O'Sullivan if he keeps making it to Omaha without winning it all. Trending steady.
- Arkansas is currently a Super Regional baseball program. They have reached a level where most seasons they are expected to at least reach a Super Regional - and occasionally beyond. They made it to Omaha in 2012, but will have to prove they can maintain that level of success. Trending up.
- LSU baseball is currently a Super Regional program. They have the history and reputation to be expected to at least make it to a Super Regional each year. Paul Mainieri's challenge, after a short tenure that has swung from twice failing to reach the NCAA Regionals all the way up to winning the national championship, is to make sure the program stays at that level or moves up to a perennial CWS program, rather than falling back. Trending steady.
- Vanderbilt, after nearly a hundred years of futility on the diamond, has become a solid NCAA Regional program: They can be reasonably expected to go to a Regional each season, and could go beyond. As long as they continue to keep Tim Corbin happy, he could move them up to the level of a perennial Super Regional program or better. Trending up.
- Mississippi State has seen good success over the years. They are currently an NCAA Regional program. They can be expected to have a good shot at reaching the Regionals each year, and may go even farther. But there have been enough seasons in the past decade when they did not get into the tournament at all that they still have something to prove in terms of being a highly successful program. Trending up.
- Texas A&M is currently an NCAA Regional program. The program has shown can be expected to at least reach the NCAA Regionals each year, possibly farther. Their challenge is to maintain that level of success in the SEC, and improve upon it. Trending steady.
- Ole Miss is historically a good but underachieving program. Currently I would rank them as an NCAA Regional program. They can be expected to qualify for the Regionals nearly every year, but they can also be expected to usually not make it any farther. Trending steady.
- Georgia baseball has a history of frequent stretches of being highly competitive, with brief slumps mixed in. All of that success has resulted in only 1 College World Series championship, though. In the past decade, under Dave Perno, UGA has been an NCAA Regional team, one that is expected to reach the Regionals each year. Well, actually they can be counted on to reach a Regional about every other year. Trending uncertain.
- Alabama has been an NCAA Regional program in recent years. They can be expected to make the Regionals most years, but haven't proved themselves able to consistently move beyond. They faltered badly in 2012, though, and unless they right the ship, they risk falling into being a Conference Tournament team at best. Trending down.
- Kentucky has yet to prove that they are a reliable NCAA Tournament program. The 2012 season notwithstanding, they've been more of a hit-and-miss SEC Tournament program. Based on their success this past season, I'll tag them as an SEC Tournament program and we'll all cross our fingers that Gary Henderson can build on 2012 and keep the momentum going. Trending up.
- Auburn was once a solid NCAA Regional team, expected to reach the Regionals most years, and occasionally made it farther. But now they would have to be considered an SEC Tournament program. The next 2-3 will reveal whether they are in a short slump or on a downward slope. Trending uncertain.
- Tennessee, after a century of ups and downs and mostly squandered potential, have struggled with mediocrity over the past several years. They would, at this point, not even be considered an NCAA Regional team, but an SEC Tournament team at best. Hope is on the horizon, though, as the Vols have hired one of the top coaches in college baseball, Dave Serrano, who they hope can not just rebuild the program but take it to a level of consistent success Vols fans have never known. Trending uncertain.
And where does Mizzou fit into that list?
Based on that record, Tim Jamieson's Missouri team could fairly be classified as an NCAA Tournament Team. Like Texas A&M, though, the challenge and the question is whether the Tigers can maintain that level and improve upon it now that they're playing in the SEC. But I'd say that at this point MU is Trending steady.
That would slot Mizzou around 7th or 8th, along with A&M and Ole Miss. In the SEC East, that puts the Tigers 4th or 5th out of 7, acknowledging that Kentucky is riding a crest of talent right now, and Tennessee is making noise about moving up from the cellar.
10 Year Average W-L Records, 2003-2012
Even if you want to quibble with my rankings above (and I'm sure several will), raw numbers tell a similar story. The following ranking of the SEC teams in order of their average wins over the past 10 years supports the idea that MU comes in at 8th in the SEC overall, 4th in the SEC East.
The nay-sayers will say (or neigh) that MU's 10-year W-L record didn't include them having to play a full SEC schedule each year. Even if you want to quibble with my rankings above (and I'm sure several will), raw numbers tell a similar story. The following ranking of the SEC teams in order of their average wins over the past 10 years supports the idea that MU comes in at 8th in the SEC overall, 4th in the SEC East.
47-20, .701, South Carolina
45-23, .662, Florida
42-21, .667, LSU
41-22, .651, Arkansas
41-22, .651, Vanderbilt
40-24, .625, Ole Miss
40-21, .656, Texas A&M
35-25, .583, Missouri
35-26, .574, Alabama
34-26, .567, Mississippi State
34-26, .567, Tennessee
34-27, .557, Georgia
33-24, .579, Kentucky
32-26, .552, Auburn
This goes to the whole question of just how superior the SEC is overall to the Big 12.
2012: SEC 2nd, Big 12 6thThe average ranking over the past 10 years:
2011: SEC 2nd, Big 12 4th
2010: SEC 2nd, Big 12 4th
2009: SEC 2nd, Big 12 1st
2008: SEC 7th, Big 12 4th
2007: SEC 3rd, Big 12 2nd
2006: SEC 4th, Big 12 3rd
2005: SEC 3rd, Big 12 4th
2004: SEC 2nd, Big 12 4th
2003: SEC 5th, Big 12 2nd
3.2 SECWhile the SEC has had the clear advantage in the past 3 years, the two conferences have been quite close over the past decade.
3.4 Big 12
The truth will only be reconciled by playing the game, of course. Winning is what counts in the end.
The numbers clearly say that Mizzou is not likely to be among the SEC leaders quite yet. But they won't be left in the dust, either.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
SxSE: Kentucky Wildcats Baseball, 1895-2012
Kentucky has yet to prove that they are a reliable NCAA Tournament program. The 2012 season notwithstanding, they've been more of a hit-and-miss SEC Tournament program. Based on their success this past season, I'll tag them as an
SEC Tournament program and we'll all cross our fingers that Gary Henderson can build on 2012 and keep the momentum going. Over the past 10 years the Wildcats have compiled an average annual record of 33-24
Kentucky has been playing intercollegiate baseball since 1895.
From 1895 through 1938, 18 different men coached the Wildcats. Only two of them coached more than three years, and those two coached for 5 and 7 years. None of those 18 coaches accomplished much of anything.
Harry Lancaster coached for 16 years through the 50s and 60s. Apparently his .500 record was enough to keep him around for the longest tenure of any coach in the first 82 years of Vols Baseball. Tells you something about the value the University of Kentucky put on their baseball program.
After Lancaster was done, three coaches combined for a 214-229-2 (.481) record from 1966-1978.
Keith Madison coached from 1979 through 2003. He had some good years (40-15; .727 in 1987)and he had some bad years (63-102; .382 in his last 3 seasons).
Prior to 2006, the Wildcats made it to the NCAA Tournament just four times (1949, 1950, 1988, 1993).
John Cohen was hired as the the head coach in 2004, and he drug the program out of the doldrums for the first time in a century. NCAA Regional appearances in 2006 and 2008; an SEC Championship in 2006. And then Cohen left for Mississippi State.
Gary Henderson took over in 2009 and was keeping the program hovering around the .500 mark until 2012, when he found lightning in a bottle and the Kentucky Wildcats were competitive all year long in the SEC.
Notable Kentucky Wildcat Ballplayers
Kentucky compiled a 45-18, 18-12 in the SEC. They had the misfortune of being in the same NCAA Regional as Cinderella team Kent State, who beat the Wildcats twice on their way to the College World Series.
Kentucky has been playing intercollegiate baseball since 1895.
From 1895 through 1938, 18 different men coached the Wildcats. Only two of them coached more than three years, and those two coached for 5 and 7 years. None of those 18 coaches accomplished much of anything.
Harry Lancaster coached for 16 years through the 50s and 60s. Apparently his .500 record was enough to keep him around for the longest tenure of any coach in the first 82 years of Vols Baseball. Tells you something about the value the University of Kentucky put on their baseball program.
After Lancaster was done, three coaches combined for a 214-229-2 (.481) record from 1966-1978.
Keith Madison coached from 1979 through 2003. He had some good years (40-15; .727 in 1987)and he had some bad years (63-102; .382 in his last 3 seasons).
Prior to 2006, the Wildcats made it to the NCAA Tournament just four times (1949, 1950, 1988, 1993).
John Cohen was hired as the the head coach in 2004, and he drug the program out of the doldrums for the first time in a century. NCAA Regional appearances in 2006 and 2008; an SEC Championship in 2006. And then Cohen left for Mississippi State.
Gary Henderson took over in 2009 and was keeping the program hovering around the .500 mark until 2012, when he found lightning in a bottle and the Kentucky Wildcats were competitive all year long in the SEC.
Notable Kentucky Wildcat Ballplayers
- Sawyer Carroll
- Sean Coughlin
- Collin Cowgill
- Ryan Strieby
- Jeff Abbott
- Brandon Webb
- Terry Shumpert
- Joe Blanton
- Scott Downs
- Doug Flynn
- Jim Leyritz
- Jeff Parrett
Kentucky compiled a 45-18, 18-12 in the SEC. They had the misfortune of being in the same NCAA Regional as Cinderella team Kent State, who beat the Wildcats twice on their way to the College World Series.
♦ Productive newcomers are key contributor in dramatic turnaround for UK baseball team (kyforward.com)
Little about the 2012 UK baseball season resembles Gary Henderson’s first three seasons as the Wildcats’ head coach.
Henderson’s first three UK teams failed to reach the postseason or finish with a .500 record in Southeastern Conference play. More than halfway through the conference season, the 2012 Wildcats are ranked in the top three in each of the four major national baseball polls, are ranked No. 1 in one poll and are leading the SEC.
Even the UK players and coaches have a hard time zeroing in on a singular reason for the improvement, but at least part of the change can be attributed to a crop of new players that joined the team prior to the 2012 season.
. . .
Newcomers account for 42 percent of UK’s total runs scored in 2012, 41 percent of the Wildcats total hits, 46 percent of their total doubles, 51 percent of their total home runs and 45 percent of their total RBI.
On the mound, newcomers have started 22 of UK’s 42 games this season.
. . .
Eight pitchers who were not on the 2011 roster have seen action out of the UK bullpen this season, including junior right-handed pitcher Tim Peterson who has a team-high 20 appearances and a 2.53 ERA.
Newcomers account for 48.57 percent of UK’s wins and 48.84 percent of the Wildcats’ total innings pitched, including 51.13 percent of the bullpen’s innings.
. . .
As UK looks to close out a SEC championship and earn a national seed in the NCAA Tournament, both newcomers and veterans are experiencing a pennant chase for the first time.
Asked if the team is just too young to realize the odds working against it during the turnaround, Cousino didn’t mince words.
“I don’t think we have any rhyme or reason to what we’re doing,” he said. “I think we’re all having fun.”
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
SxSE: Coach Gary Henderson' Kentucky Wildcats
♦ Recruiting footprint: Looking at the recent rosters, Kentucky tends to recruit their players from Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois and Indiana, California, Georgia, plus random players from SC, OR, WA, OH, UT, CO and Quebec
♦ Gary Henderson named SEC Coach of the Year (SECBaseball, 5/20/12)
"There are a few things and one is that you have to have a group of returning players that want to have a better experience," Henderson said. "You've got to have someone in that returning group that wants to provide leadership from inside the program. We were fortunate that we had the group of guys and those types of individuals that wanted to provide that leadership.♦ One-on-one with Kentucky’s Gary Henderson (yahoo.com, 2/23/2010)
"The next thing you do is you do the best job you can at bringing in enough pitching. If you can't pitch out of the bullpen in this league, you are not going to win. That is not an opinion. That is a proven fact. We did everything we could in the recruiting process to bring in guys that could help immediately."
On offense Kentucky ranked first, second or third in virtually every category. UK led the league with 117 doubles and 847 total bases and ranked second in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs scored, home runs and RBIs. In SEC play, UK led the league with 13 saves and ranked fourth in earned run average and total wins.
"Another thing that we really benefited from was playing so many freshmen last year. We have a lot of sophomore in the lineup. We really benefitted from having those guys get the experience last year and now they are very, very solid as sophomores. I think those are three things.
You can’t say Kentucky coach Gary Henderson hasn’t seen the lay of the land.♦ Weaker bats fit Cats’ style (kykernel.com, 2/14/11)
The second-year skipper for the Wildcats has coached for programs on both sides of the country, including Pepperdine, Oregon State, Florida and now Kentucky.
Henderson arrived at UK six seasons ago with the idea of helping John Cohen turned the Wildcats into a consistent winner in the Southeastern Conference.
Henderson knew accomplishing that goal would be incredibly difficult. However, the Wildcats made a huge statement in 2006 by earning an SEC regular season title.
Just two years later, Cohen decided to head to Mississippi State, and Kentucky made the decision to promote Henderson to head coach. It was his turn to direct the program.
“I think some of the complaining from some of the coaches in our league is a bit overblown,” UK head coach Gary Henderson said. “You can still hit a home run, but you’ve got to hit it. You can’t cap it, you can’t get jammed, you can’t be out in front. You’ve got to hit it on the sweet spot.”♦ More mature lineup has UK optimistic (catsillustrated.com, 2/18/2010)
Henderson has always prided his teams on pitching and defense, and this philosophy stands to benefit the Cats when the new bats are introduced to live action this season.
. . .
Henderson remains adamant that pitching and defense are what wins ball games, and that the new bats won’t have a major effect on his job as a coach.
“The game calling won’t be affected,” Henderson said. “That part, I think- that shouldn’t get in the way, that piece of it … The feel is it’s going to be much, much tougher to get a five spot when you’ve just given up some. I think that- to me as a coach, that’s what I think of. You’ve got to be able to throw strikes, you’ve got to absolutely do whatever you can to keep the freebies to a minimum.”
Having a year under their belts with hitting coach Brian Green should also begin to pay large dividends. Green arrived after former head coach John Cohen left for Mississippi State and brought with him an offensive style predicated a little more on small ball than trying to fill the bases and pop a three-run home run. While Henderson wants that to still be part of the Cats' arsenal he and Green have strived to construct a more balanced attack.
"What it means to me is an offense that can win a game more than one way," Henderson said. "Don't get me wrong, I'm on record as saying I'm a big fan of the three-run homer but the reality of it is about once a weekend you're going to have a really hard time hitting a three-run homer, minimum, and it's called Friday night. Three-run homers are hard to come by so you really want an offense that has multiple weapons.
"I want to be able to beat someone in a game where you don't leave the yard and have our kids know they can manufacture a run late. By no means does that mean that's the only way we want to score but the teams that do well pitch well, play great defense and have the ability to manufacture runs when they need to. There is more to offense than just clobber it."
Thursday, December 20, 2012
SxSE: Bat Cats
 |
| Photo by Amanda Rykoff |
- Opened: 1969, rebuilt in 2002
- Capacity:
- Named After: Bernie Shively, former UK Athletic Director; Cliff Hagan, former UK basketball player
♦ New Kentucky Ballpark fare for the UK Wildcats Baseball - the Ballpark Hot Brown - Turkey Dog with Cheese Sauce, Diced Tomatoes and Bacon... actually healthier than the original hot brown!! funny that UofL didn't think of this first as it is Louisville food! (first-thoughts.org)
♦ This advice on going to a UK game at Cliff Hagan Stadium makes it sound very similar to a trip to Taylor Stadium at Mizzou (from ksrcollege.com):
If you are a student, admission is FREE!!! For everyone else single game tickets are $5 and season tickets are $55 for reserved seating and $35 for general admission (just pay the extra 20 bucks and get reserved seating). Complementary parking is available at Parking Structure 7 or behind the right field wall. Whatever you do, DO NOT PARK in the lot adjacent to the stadium!!! It is a trap set by the university parking service to ruin your day. One more piece of advice; dress warmly, epically for the early season games.♦ Catching up with Johnsburg's Jerad Grundy at Kentucky (Chicago Tribune)
The atmosphere at Kentucky home games is something Jerad Grundy had never experienced as a player.♦ UK is not KU
The decibel level at Cliff Hagan Stadium does not approach that of Rupp Arena, but basketball isn't the only sport that has Kentucky fans excited these days.
Grundy, a Johnsburg graduate who transferred to Kentucky after stops at Miami and Heartland Community College, is a top-of-the-rotation pitcher for the Wildcats (25-1), who won their first 22 games and are ranked No. 2 nationally by Collegiate Baseball and No. 10 by Baseball America.
"It has been crazy," said Grundy, who is 3-0 with a 2.88 ERA in six starts. "People are noticing. When we played South Carolina, they had to turn people away. It is indescribable playing in the SEC. It feels like every game is like a World Series game. It is so intense and everyone on field is so talented."
- KU's legendary basketball coach was Phog Allen; UK's was Adolph Rupp. Rupp actually played for Phog Allen at KU.
- UK Coach Gary Henderson and KU Coach Ritch Price are both from the West Coast, Henderson from Southern California and Price from Oregon.
- UK's colors are blue and white; KU's are blue and red
- UK's mascot is an actual animal that exists; KU's mascot is a ridiculous imaginary dodo bird
- UK has a live bobcat msacot; KU does not have a live jayhawk.
- UK fans' favorite cheer is a back-and-forth "Blue!" "White", which is is just as annoying but makes more sense than KU's nonsensical "Rock Chalk Jayhawk!"
- UK recognizes the value of a geographic and historical rivalry with a team from a different conference. The Kentucky vs. Louisville rivalry dates back to 1912, somewhat short of the Missouri-Kansas rivalry.
The yearly men's basketball game is called the Battle for the Bluegrass and the yearly football game is played for the Governor's Cup trophy. Many of the schools' other sports teams also play annually despite the fact that the teams are not in the same conference. (Wikipedia)
- Mizzou fans have yet to form a strong opinion about UK. On the other hand, KU still sucks.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
SxSE: Lexington, Kentucky
 |
| Thoroughbred Park Photo by Bryan Sherwood flickr.com |
Our South by Southeast virtual road trip heads into the home stretch, arriving at Lexington, KY, a several-horse town and home of the Kentucky Wildcats.
♦ Fun Facts about Lexington, Kentucky:
- 2010 Population 299,803 (metro area 687,173)
- Lexington is known as the Thoroughbred City or the Horse Capital of the World)
- In 1833, 500 of the 7,000 residents died in a cholera outbreak
- In 1958 Lexington became the first city to establish an "urban growth boundary", in order to protect the many horse farms and bluegrass landscape that are key to the tourism industry. This boundary is, not surprisingly, the subject of continual debate and tinkering by the city and county government.
 |
| Brady Deaton Kentucky alum |
♦ Thoroughly Horse Crazy (visitlex.com)
There are many indicators that Lexington is Horse Capital of the World. Some are obvious. More than more than 30 national, state and regional equine organizations are head-quartered here.
. . .
But there are other, more subtle indicators. Here’s one recently discovered while trying to find a friend with the last name "Thornton" in the phone book: Lexington companies use “Thoroughbred” in their name, in many cases for no reason other than, well…it’s Lexington. There are the obvious companies related to the horse industry, of course-- like Thoroughbred Times or the Thoroughbred Center. But what about Thoroughbred Internet Services, presumably not meant to be internet services FOR horses, or Thoroughbred Barbershop, presumably not a barbershop for horses? You’ll find Thoroughbred Auto Sales, Thoroughbred Chem-Dry, Thoroughbred Energy, Thoroughbred Homes and Construction and Thoroughbred Masonry. Perhaps Thoroughbred Allergy and Asthma caters to people allergic to horses? And then there’s Thoroughbred Limousine, when your horses wants a night out on the town in high style. We have Thoroughbred Mortgage for horses wanting to refinance. Thoroughbred Painting (maybe that’s how the Visitor’s Bureau got their infamous blue horse) Thoroughbred Publications, Thoroughbred Restaurant…..well, you get the idea.
♦ The Lexington Ice Center includes a miniature golf course featuring Biblical themes.
♦ Kentucky is the only state among the longstanding SEC states that did not officially secede from the Union at the time of the Civil War. Like Missouri, Kentucky was a deeply divided border state.
♦ According to DumbLaws.com, in Lexington it is is illegal to transport an ice cream cone in your pocket
♦ The SEC Guide to Kentucky's Home Turf offers several suggestions for feasting and relaxing in town, including this grammatically mangled list:
The must-do lists when visiting Kentucky: Keeneland during the Spring and Autumn meets. When dining at a local establishment, you order Bourbon, not whiskey. Try visiting local wineries, Kentucky is known for having the first commercial vineyards in America. Eat a Hot Brown. Visit the Bourbon Trail, to see how Bourbon is made and even sample a taste.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
SxSE: Vanderbilt Commodores Baseball, 1886-2012
After nearly a hundred years of futility on the diamond, Vanderbilt has become a solid NCAA Regional program: They can be reasonably expected to go to a Regional each season, and could go beyond. As long as they continue to keep Tim Corbin happy, the future looks good. In the past 10 years the Commodores have averaged an annual W-L record of 41-22.
Vanderbilt began playing intercollegiate baseball in 1886. The Commodores had 19 head coaches from 1886 through 1967, none of whom was extraordinarily successful, and many of whom were quite unsuccessful.
Perhaps the most well known name among those 19 coaches is one Grantland Rice, the sportswriter, who led the team for a single season, in 1908. (See Grantland Rice and Early Vanderbilt Baseball). His team was an unspectacular .538 ballclub.
Bill Schwartz coached Vandy on three different occasions, in 1917, from 1924-1940, and again in 1952. (Check out Vandy's Bill Schwartz remembered)
Larry Schmittou coached from 1968-1978 and began the long rebuilding process, achieving a .548 record.
Roy Mewbourne took over from 1979-2002 and kept the 'Dores barely on the winning side, with a .518 record. He played a large role in the building of Hawkins Field, which opened in his final season.
Tim Corbin took over the helm of Vanderbilt Baseball in 2003. He has amassed a 410-217 record (.654). The Commodores missed the NCAA Regionals in his 1st and 3rd seasons. But in his second season, 2004, they made it to a Super Regional, and since 2006 they have an unbroken record of making it into the NCAA post-season.
In 2011 Corbin led Vanderbilt to the College World Series.
Notable Vanderbilt ballplayers
The 2012 Commodores compiled a 35-28 record, 16-14 in the SEC. They lost to Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament finals. And they were beaten out by North Carolina State in the Raleigh, NC, Regional.
♦ Postmortem: The 2012 Vanderbilt Baseball Team and Their Inability to Play a Boring Game After March (anchorofgold.com, 6/5/12)
Vanderbilt began playing intercollegiate baseball in 1886. The Commodores had 19 head coaches from 1886 through 1967, none of whom was extraordinarily successful, and many of whom were quite unsuccessful.
Perhaps the most well known name among those 19 coaches is one Grantland Rice, the sportswriter, who led the team for a single season, in 1908. (See Grantland Rice and Early Vanderbilt Baseball). His team was an unspectacular .538 ballclub.
Bill Schwartz coached Vandy on three different occasions, in 1917, from 1924-1940, and again in 1952. (Check out Vandy's Bill Schwartz remembered)
Larry Schmittou coached from 1968-1978 and began the long rebuilding process, achieving a .548 record.
Roy Mewbourne took over from 1979-2002 and kept the 'Dores barely on the winning side, with a .518 record. He played a large role in the building of Hawkins Field, which opened in his final season.
Tim Corbin took over the helm of Vanderbilt Baseball in 2003. He has amassed a 410-217 record (.654). The Commodores missed the NCAA Regionals in his 1st and 3rd seasons. But in his second season, 2004, they made it to a Super Regional, and since 2006 they have an unbroken record of making it into the NCAA post-season.
In 2011 Corbin led Vanderbilt to the College World Series.
Notable Vanderbilt ballplayers
- Rip Sewell (known for the "Ephus" pitch)
- Scotti Madison
- Hunter Bledsoe
- Joey Cora
- Greg Thomas
- Greg Smith
- Josh Paul
- David Price
The 2012 Commodores compiled a 35-28 record, 16-14 in the SEC. They lost to Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament finals. And they were beaten out by North Carolina State in the Raleigh, NC, Regional.
♦ Postmortem: The 2012 Vanderbilt Baseball Team and Their Inability to Play a Boring Game After March (anchorofgold.com, 6/5/12)
Real fans held out hope, though. Every non-conference game was a chance to get this team's record closer to even. Every SEC showdown was an opportunity to prove that this team was no longer the bumbling gang of young players who seemingly couldn't get through two innings without committing an error. We kept telling ourselves that the growth that began in February would turn out to be exponential when April hit. And this underclassman-heavy squad rewarded that commitment.
That lingering sense of faith is what made this team, this coach, and this Vanderbilt sports dynasty, special. For all intents and purposes, this team's season should have ended in earnest on April 21st. That's when a Commodore team that needed to play lights-out baseball to qualify for the postseason lost their second game in a row to an Alabama squad that only won 21 games all year. That dropped Vanderbilt to 17-23 late in their season with some major showdowns looming.
To suggest the remaining schedule was a challenge would be understatement. This was a Vanderbilt team that was in danger of missing a 10-team SEC Tournament, and they still had series remaining against a pair of top 10 teams (LSU and Kentucky), their in-state rivals (Tennessee), a top 25 team (Ole Miss) and a game against their new rival/top 25 opponent Louisville. If they managed to survive that, they'd still need to tread water in the shark tank of the SEC Tournament where South Carolina and Florida waited. If you were anywhere else but Natchez Trace, things probably looked bleak.
But not at Hawkins Field. This young team rebounded with a resiliency that shocked college baseball. They rolled off a 16-4 run that carried them through the end of the regular season and into the SEC Tournament Final. . .
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
SxSE: Coach Tim Corbin's Vanderbilt Commodores
♦ The Tim Corbin Pyramid of Greatness (anchorofgold.com)
♦ Vanderbilt skipper guided Commodores to College World Series with mentor's help (NashvilleCityPaper.com)
Ten years ago, however, Corbin didn’t see himself at Vanderbilt. He didn’t want to leave Clemson, where he was an assistant coach for nine years under Jack Leggett, arguably his strongest coaching influence.♦ The Immediate Progression: Leadership (whenitstrikesme.com)
“When I was there, I seriously didn’t think I was ever going to leave, to be honest with you,” Corbin said. “Being a head coach was not on my bucket list. … I was having so much fun. I enjoyed [Leggett] a great deal. We were very successful. We were working with good players. We had been to Omaha four times. He just created a very fun culture that made coaching and teaching a lifestyle.”
. . .
After taking over a long-suffering Commodore program in 2003, Coach Corbin has turned Vanderbilt into a national power. The team is well on its way to a 6th consecutive NCAA appearance and its 7th in his 9 years at the helm. In the process, he’s earned a reputation as one of the top program builders and recruiters in the nation. But he’s very much more than that. He’s an individual who builds around an exciting, high-energy environment driven by a disciplined approach that is anything but punitive. Commodore players work hard, do right and have each others’ backs not because of a stern hand, but because of a strong desire to run through walls for the man at the helm and for those around them. In other words, Coach Corbin has been everything Vandy hopes to have found in new Football coach James Franklin.
. . .
Coach Corbin has also adjusted his style of coaching with an acute awareness of how his team matches up on the roster card. While pitching has been a hallmark of all Corbin teams, that is largely due to the recruiting of Bakich and current recruiting coordinator Josh Holliday (with hefty input and participation from Corbin and Johnson) and DJ’s outstanding tutelage of pitchers. Similarly, Corbin teams feature defensive excellence that is part recruiting and part teaching, but he’s been willing to adjust his style of play offensively to match talents. This year, we’ve seen perhaps the most dramatic change with a move toward more small ball. While it’s no secret that I think we bunt way too much, I entirely acknowledge that that strategy is a reaction to the BBCOR era of the dead bat. While I still believe we would be more efficient offensively if we bunted far less, one cannot argue with the overall results of being aggressive on the base paths, hitting-and-running and, yes, even bunting in obtaining a 30-3 record and a 10-2 start in league play.
♦ My Q & A with Vanderbilt's Tim Corbin (collegebaseballtoday.com)
- Recruiting philosophy: I like athletes. I like baseball players, but I also like football players, I like hockey players. I don’t mind somebody who just plays baseball, but if I had my druthers, I’d get a guy who has played several sports, because they’ve practiced at being an athlete.
- SEC Baseball: It’s almost like major league baseball where everyone is so good in this conference, I just don’t think it matters. No matter how good your pitching is, no matter how good your hitting is, I just think someone’s gonna be better on a particular weekend and everyone’s gonna be close to .500, maybe a little bit above it, maybe a little bit below it. Those teams that used to stretch out to big leads in the standings like 10 or 15 years ago, those days are done.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
SxSE: Vandy Baseball
♦ Hawkins Field
♦ Vanderbilt is the only private school in the SEC, with a student body around 12,000. They do not have a separate Athletic Department. The sports program operates under the Department of Student Life.
♦ The Commodores are named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial endowment in 1873 with a $500,000 donation.
♦ Vanderbilt and Missouri have never played one another in baseball.
♦ Video: Vanderbilt Baseball Coach Derek Johnson on Recruiting (stack.com) sheds light on the unique approach required to recruit for a school like Vanderbilt. There's also a video with Derek Johnson about what Vanderbilt Baseball has to offer.
♦ Good video tour of Vanderbilt Baseball's facilities:
- Opened: 2002
- Capacity: 3,700
- Name after: Charles Hawkins III, donor and supporter
♦ Vanderbilt is the only private school in the SEC, with a student body around 12,000. They do not have a separate Athletic Department. The sports program operates under the Department of Student Life.
♦ The Commodores are named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial endowment in 1873 with a $500,000 donation.
♦ Vanderbilt and Missouri have never played one another in baseball.
♦ Video: Vanderbilt Baseball Coach Derek Johnson on Recruiting (stack.com) sheds light on the unique approach required to recruit for a school like Vanderbilt. There's also a video with Derek Johnson about what Vanderbilt Baseball has to offer.
♦ Good video tour of Vanderbilt Baseball's facilities:
.
.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
SxSE: Nashville, Tennessee
Traveling across Tennessee, our South by Southeast road trip moves on to Nashville.
You roll into Nashville and you know you're entering Music City USA center of Country Music and other kinds of music. Home of the Grand Ol' Opry, Ryman Auditorium and Music Row.
It's also the home of the Vanderbilt Commodores
♦ Nashville is the 2nd closest SEC town to Columbia, 433 miles away (359 air miles). Vanderbilt is in the SEC East Division.
♦ The Nashville Mizzou Alumni Chapter is online at MusicCityTigers.blogspot.com
♦ Fun facts about Nashville, TN
♦ There are 4 Chik-fil-a locations in Nashville. But there are 13 if you count all the suburbs
♦ According to DumbLaws.com no person in Nashville may own a cheetah as a pet
♦ You are so Nashville if . . . (Nashville Scene)
♦ Read about the history of the Nashville and Memphis music scene in A Strange Resemblance (Nashville Scene)
You roll into Nashville and you know you're entering Music City USA center of Country Music and other kinds of music. Home of the Grand Ol' Opry, Ryman Auditorium and Music Row.
It's also the home of the Vanderbilt Commodores
♦ Nashville is the 2nd closest SEC town to Columbia, 433 miles away (359 air miles). Vanderbilt is in the SEC East Division.
♦ The Nashville Mizzou Alumni Chapter is online at MusicCityTigers.blogspot.com
♦ Fun facts about Nashville, TN
- 2010 population: 601,222; metro area: 1,589,934
- Along with other nicknames (Music City, Nashvegas), Nashville is known as Little Kurdistan, with the largest Kurdish population in the United States, around 11,000 (about double the population of Starkville and Oxford, MS, combined).
- Sheri Lynn and Brenda Kay Jugg (sisters) run Nash Trash Tours.
- Sheri Lynn and Brenda Kay Jugg take you on a hot pink bus all around Nashville, giving all the best gossip about country music stars. They serve "squirt cheese" hors d'oeuvres. You bring your own liquid refreshment (alcohol okay). The ladies are dressed in "trailer trash" outfits and do a bit of a show. Tour is 90 minutes of laughing your butt off. They spot people on the street and yell out country music singers names. Faces on the people on the streets are hilarious. (roadsideamerica.com)
 |
| Fred Thompson Vanderbilt alum |
♦ According to DumbLaws.com no person in Nashville may own a cheetah as a pet
♦ You are so Nashville if . . . (Nashville Scene)
There were some 1,300 entries to our 19th Annual You Are So Nashville If… contest.
FIRST: You saw Kenny Chesney in a Kroger reading Out & About.
SECOND: You accuse Al Gore of hypocrisy for exhaling carbon dioxide.
THIRD: You’re bummed out by the fact that you won’t be able to smoke at your workplace, which sucks because you’re a topless dancer with a serious meth habit.
And the rest...
- You’ve loyally gone to Steeplechase for the last 25 years and have never watched a horse race.
- Pacman Jones has spit on you.
- You saw that Ted Nugent was booked at the Ryman and wondered just what the hell that place is supposed to be the Mother Church of now.
- You remember when you could just say something, and no one would write a song about it.
- Your first thought upon running into Reba McEntire in line at the local Chinese buffet is “That girl better not have eaten the last of the noodles!”
- You’ve ever said, “Hey, I got a cut on your next record, I sure hope it goes platinum like your last one. Did you want sour cream and guacamole on that?”
And the dark side . . .
- You tell your spouse that you are thinking about “going Perry March” on her during an argument.
- Your preacher’s wife keeps giving you the crazy eyes.
- You get a wheelchair instead of a lap dance.
- You were shot by your dog.
- You’d rather be a child molester than married to Wynonna Judd.
- You hope they don’t stop racing dragsters down Main Street just because of one little incident.
- You pick on the homeless.
♦ Read about the history of the Nashville and Memphis music scene in A Strange Resemblance (Nashville Scene)
Memphis may be only 200 miles from Nashville, but the musical sounds identified with these two cities are worlds apart. Nashville is apple pie and fried chicken, pickup trucks, starched jeans, straight spines, and Sunday school recitals. Memphis is barbecue sauce and bacon grease, pink Cadillacs, sharkskin suits, swiveling hips, and ecstatic shouts of amen. Nashville plays it slick, sweet, and a little ahead of the beat; Memphis plays it loose, sexy, and a little behind the beat.♦ HolyTurf.com's SEC Bucket List: Nashville
It’s not just the difference between country music and rhythm and blues, or the difference between contemporary Christian and rockabilly, that separates the cities. It’s the way each town does business, the way it treats music as a cultural commodity. In Nashville, music is driven by commerce and back-room deals; in Memphis, it’s driven by street-level expression and pure feel.
#54 City House: The City House has a lengthy wine list and plenty of cocktails to choose from. Frequent diners at the City House will suggest you share several items with your fellow patrons. The pizzas are popular especially those with eggs on them, but the meat is where the City House separates itself. The pork meatballs are popular as is the iron skillet roasted chicken. The menu does vary, so keep an open mind.♦ Perhaps the strangest Nashville story story this past year:
#80 Pancake Pantry: The Pancake Pantry is a Nashville tradition that can have lines out the door and the around the block that began in 1961 when Robert Baldwin opened the restaurant. According to their website, the special ingredients for the pancakes start with the specialty ground flours from East Tennessee.
The menu offers a variety of dining options, but eating pancakes is a must with a bounty of pancakes options to satisfy even the most fickle pancake consumer. Yes, there are plenty of other items on the menu in addition to pancakes, and you can eat breakfast all day long.
A fugitive [William Todd] spent his bus layover in Tennessee allegedly committing 11 felonies in just 9 hours -- a bizarre crime spree that included Tasing bar patrons, lighting a business on fire and carjacking two cabs, cops said.
. . .
3:05 a.m.: Todd burglarizes a business, stealing a Taser, a revolver and a shotgun. He fires shots, steals a T-shirt and then lights the place on fire.
3:30 a.m.: Todd finds four people at a local watering hole, holds them at gunpoint, Tases one, pistol whips another and steals everyone's cash.
3:40 a.m.: He carjacks a cab and heads to Walmart to spend $200 on supplies.
5 a.m. to 6 a.m.: Todd breaks into a law office, defecates on a desk and smears poo all over some framed law degrees.
6 a.m.: Todd hits Hotel Indigo nearby, where he impersonates a female housekeeper and then steals $600 from a Canadian couple at gunpoint. He was crying the whole time.
Some time later: He shaves his head and leaves.
9 a.m.: Todd crashes his stolen cab into a parking garage.
11:30 a.m.: He hails a new cab, holds the driver at knifepoint, and takes his new ride to Opry Mills shopping mall. He submerges himself in a vat of water until cops find and arrest him. (Huffington Post)
Thursday, November 29, 2012
SxSE: Tennessee Volunteers Baseball, 1897-2012
Tennessee has been playing intercollegiate baseball since 1897.
Volunteer Baseball has an interesting record of avoiding undue momentum.
Until 1903, UT followed the coach-of-the-year program, with underwhelming results.
In 1903 Frank Moffett took over the program through 1910, except for a hiatus in 1906. Moffett started off slow, but built up some momentum, achieving a 16-3 (.842) record in 1909, followed by a mere .771 in 1907 and .611 in 1908. Whereupon he left and ended up coaching for the Knoxville team in the Appalachian League, except for a 1-year stint back at UT in 1918, where he compiled a .800 winning percentage. Before leaving again.
Z.G. Clevenger started off slow in 1911, but by 1916 he compiled a 13-5, .722 record. But his success in his other job, the UT football coach, led him to abandon Volunteers Baseball. He eventually returned to UT as the Athletic Director, but not before spending 1921-1923 as the A.D. at Mizzou.
From 1917 through 1962 the team was fairly mediocre.
S.W. Anderson produced one of the worst season records, a .196 winning percent in 1948. He also was responsible for an .870 year and an SEC Championship and College World Series appearance three years later in 1951. A year later he was replaced.
Bill Wright coached some pretty good teams to some pretty good records from 1963 to 1981, resulting in a couple of 1st place finishes in the SEC East and a bunch of 2nd place finishes.
John Whited continued the tradition of 2nd place finishes for his first 3 years, until he finished 5th and then 10th twice and was replaced by Mark Connor, who continued the tradition of 9th and 10th place finishes.
And then came Rod Delmonico, who coached from 1990 to 2007 and posted some SEC Championships and a three trips to the College World Series (1995, 2001 and 2005). In between those great years were several 4th and 5th place finishes. Check out RehireRodDelmonico.com.
He was replaced in 2008 by Todd Raleigh, who spent four years fine tuning that tradition into a 5th or 6th place broken record.
Finally they decided to get serious and hired Dave Serrano beginning with the 2012 season, who had taken UC-Irvine and Cal State-Fullerton to the College World Series. Everyone has confidence Serrano can build the program into a contender and see bring some success to the Volunteers. And if they stay the course set for the past 115 years, they'll do something to nip that momentum in the bud before it takes them too far.
Notable Tennessee Volunteer Ballplayers
- Roy Massey
- Ed Bailey
- Phil Garner
- Sam Ewing
- Rick Honeycutt
- Steve Searcy
- Rich DeLucia
- Joe Randa
- Mike DeFelice
- Bubba Trammell
- Todd Helton
- R. A. Dickey
- Julio Borbon
Tennessee Volunteers Baseball in 2012
The 2012 Volunteers finished 24-31, 8-22 in the SEC. They failed to qualify for the SEC Tournament and did not go to the NCAA Regionals.
♦ Two-part Interview w/Tennessee & USA Baseball Coach Dave Serrano (Examiner.com VIDEO - Part I / Part II)
♦ Baseball Vols Wrap Up Season (Times Free Press)
Midway through the SEC baseball season, Tennessee was one game under .500 in league play and right in the middle of the standings.
The Volunteers had wins over then-unbeaten Kentucky, national powers South Carolina and Florida and a sweep of Alabama.
After a difficult sweep at Mississippi State that featured two extra-inning losses, though, the bottom fell out, and UT won just once more in SEC play and lost 16 of their final 18 games after a season-ending sweep from Arkansas in Knoxville this weekend.
"I don't know if I have ever felt this empty honestly," said first-year coach Dave Serrano, who's taken Cal State Fullerton and California-Irvine to the College World Series in his coaching career. "That can sound spoiled, but I have been spoiled in my career, I've been spoiled to be around a lot of great coaches, a lot of great teams. This is the first time that the end of the schedule meant the end of the season.
. . .
The season figured to be a struggle for the Vols, but the solid early start created some momentum and hope that UT might overachieve or at least accomplish its goal. UT loses six seniors, three of whom were every-day players, and two-way junior Drew Steckenrider has enough talent to go in the Major League draft in early June. With Serrano's winning track record, there's hope in the future.
"They're the best coaching staff in the country," Maddox said. "We've just got to trust them and everybody's got to buy into it and we'll be good. I think everyone enjoyed playing for them this year, and they've done so much for this program that I'm excited about next year."
Serrano and his staff have been successful on the recruiting trail. The Vols signed 13 players for next season in the fall and could add more. Adding more talent to the roster's is essential for competing in the SEC and completing the rebuilding job.
"We didn't reach our goals," Serrano said. "I have to look at myself in the mirror every day. I know we committed to this team, and I feel that this team committed to us. Whenever there is change, sometimes there are things that go on and people don't buy into it.
"I think these guys bought into it, but we were short in some areas and when I had to make some tough decisions in regards to personnel, it didn't help our situation. But I wouldn't change it. I don't second-guess myself because it's about doing the things that are right for this baseball program and this university."
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
SxSE: Coach Dave Serrano's Tennessee Volunteers
♦ Recruiting footprint: Dave Serrano has just completed his first year at Tennessee, but based on his first couple of recruiting classes, he tends to recruit from Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, California, Kansas, plus random recruits from WA, VA, TX, OH. KY, WA, FL.
♦ Dave Serrano Provides Repair for Tennessee Baseball in More Ways Than Wins (Bleacher Report, 4/23/12)
♦ Vols looking to Omaha under Serrano (collegebaeballdaily.com, 11/14/2011)
This is an interesting message board thread that sheds some light on what kind of coach Dave Serrano is. Given it's a message board, take the comments with a grain of biased salt, of course.
Williams bounced back from his chat with Serrano looking sharp, retiring the next three batters he faced, two by strikeout. Following the diamond Vols' March 7 win over Ball State, Serrano explained his visit with Williams.
"That's why I went out to the mound, his body language after giving up a couple of hits bothered me," Serrano said. "I just wanted him to get back on his own side, no need to panic, no need to get down on himself. It's not like he was making bad pitches, in fact I took the blame for it, I went out there and told him it was my fault. It's true, I made some bad calls on pitches."
. . .
"I had a chat with coach, he reassured me that I was a good pitcher," said Vols pitcher Nick Blount following a Feb. 16 win over Seton Hall that saw Blount give up two early runs before settling to record five consecutive scoreless frames. "After giving up those early runs he really reassured me that I could hang in there, I just need to calm down and pitch for contact, coach reminded me of that. Then I went out there and did it."
What Serrano brings to the new-look 2012 Vols team that cannot be measured in wins or losses.
"I love his energy, I love the guy," Blount said following a win over Northern Illinois. "I'd run through a wall for that guy and this team, and I know I'm not the only one that thinks that. He has put that mentality in each of us. Now that we have him, I can't imagine what pitching or playing would be like without him."
♦ Vols looking to Omaha under Serrano (collegebaeballdaily.com, 11/14/2011)
Can Knoxville, Tennessee become the hotbed of college baseball in the SEC?♦ Dave Serrano Exposed (rivals.com)
If new Tennessee head coach Dave Serrano has anything to do with that, it will happen under his watch. The Vols baseball program has had some tough times over the last couple of years. They finished the 2011 season with a 25-29 record and a 7-23 SEC record for a last place finish.
. . .
Serrano boasted “I took this Tennessee job with one goal in mind: bring this team to Omaha.”
This is an interesting message board thread that sheds some light on what kind of coach Dave Serrano is. Given it's a message board, take the comments with a grain of biased salt, of course.
USC Jordan: Coach Serrano is very good with the media but I think in the long run he will be exposed for being just an OK coach. I know many on this board will disagree with me but let me point out a few things.
I believe Coach Serrano won at Irvine with many of Coach Savage’s players, when he went to the CWS. More importantly he won because there are just so many players in Southern California he had a lot to select from.
While at Fullerton he went to JUST one CWS. Those players that took him were George Horton and Coach Vanderhook recruits.
I will give Coach Serrano 4 years (not 2 or 3) and everyone will see his University of Tennessee team will be nowhere close to the top of the SEC. In fact I predict he will leave for another school due to the fact he will see the writing on the wall.
Baseballslife1: My son played for Coach and you are way off base. He has never come across as a guy that thinks he is the next coming. I believe he took over a last place program UT that hasn't won in years. I believe his UCI CWS team was made up of guys that he had brought into program(Gorgen,Orloff,Holiday,Pettis,Madigan,Morris,Bibona,Vaughn and more) that Savage never had anything to do with. I do believe many of "his guys" continued to win at UCI. He went to Fullerton and kept winning with yes maybe some of Horton's and Hooks guys and some of his own.
2Bulldogs: As a person on the inside for Dave Serrano's last full year at UCI, I cannot see any accuracy in the statements you made.
. . .
My son was one of those who came in during the fall of 2006 for his freshman year. Starting with Bergey and Coach Serrano and continuing with Coach Gillespie and Pat Shine, they helped make him into a fine student and then baseball player who became a four year starter and an excellent student (my son receives his Masters this June). To a parent, when a son or daughter is away at school, the value of a mentor is priceless, especially for the parent of a student-athlete. Coach Serrano was excellent and as a mentor and teacher beyond baseball.
Finally, as for what might happen at Tennessee four years from now...only time will tell. Knowing the man as I do, I'm betting on him and a return to the postseason. Be it always remembered, that 2007 class, from a program just six years revived from oblivion, went to the College World Series, and they were virtually ALL Dave Serrano kids (he started recruiting in the fall of 2004). It was Dave Serrano and his staff which developed ALL of those players and it was Dave Serrano and his coaches that finally led those kids on an emotional and remembered bus-ride up the hill (to Rosenblatt) when they first arrived in Omaha. By that time, Coach Savage was in his third year-plus at UCLA.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
SxSE: Rocky Top
♦ Lindsey Nelson Stadium:
♦ Why "Volunteers"?
Tennessee acquired the name "The Volunteer State" during the War of 1812. At the request of
♦ Is Volunteers Baseball headed into a new golden age?
♦ Best All-Time SEC Baseball Player (secsportsfan.com)
♦ The most successful and stable sport at Tennessee is women's basketball. Women's basketball coach Pat Summit has the most wins in NCAA history, and has won 8 national titles. She announced her retirement in April, due to health issues. Knoxville is the site of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
- Opened: 1993
- Capacity: 3,800
- Named after: Lindsey Nelson, Volunteer alum and New York Mets play-by-play announcer
 |
| from Project Phantom |
Tennessee acquired the name "The Volunteer State" during the War of 1812. At the request of
President James Madison, Gen. Andrew Jackson, who later became President himself, mustered 1,500 from his home state to fight at the Battle of New Orleans.
The name became even more prominent in the Mexican War when Gov. Aaron V. Brown issued a call for 2,800 men to battle Santa Ana and some 30,000 Tennesseans volunteered. Tennessee's color guard still wears dragoon uniforms of that era at all athletic events.
The term "Volunteer State," as noted through these two events, recognizes the long-standing tradition of Tennesseans to go above and beyond the call of duty when their country calls. The name "Volunteers" is often shortened to "Vols" in describing Tennessee's athletic teams.(utsports.com)
- From RockyTopTalk, June 2007, following the firing of longtime head coach Rod Delmonico:
Delmonico will be remembered for directing the Volunteers to College World Series appearances in 1995, 2001 and 2005. But his legacy also will include feast-or-famine seasons that thinned support for the baseball program, which missed the NCAA tournament seven of the past 10 years.
. . .
Most Vol baseball fans have had an opinion on Delmonico for some time now. Personally I've never been a big fan of the guy. I've felt sorry for players I think he misused (like R.A. Dickey, whose arm is now held together with duct tape), but mostly I've never felt like Tennessee baseball -- even in the good years -- was fun. And if you can't look forward to enjoying a day at the ballpark, something's wrong. - From RockyTopTalk.com, April 2012
But in less than a year on campus, Dave Serrano is now doing something that might ease the offseason pain just a bit. A Tennessee Baseball program that was completely irrelevant on campus during the entire reign of Todd Raleigh now finds itself in the midst of a meaningful SEC campaign. . . . What does appear to be a guarantee is that Serrano has this program going the right way in a hurry. The Vols have gone from irrelevant to competitive in less than a year, led by young talent like Drew Steckenrider, Will Maddox, Zack Godley, and Nick Blount. This Tennessee team is scrappy, an always-lovable quality on the diamond.
♦ Best All-Time SEC Baseball Player (secsportsfan.com)
While there are numerous notable Southeastern Conference college baseball standouts, the best all-time SEC baseball player is one who is still playing the game at the professional level. Todd Helton of Knoxville, Tennessee entered Major League Baseball play as a member of the Colorado Rockies since the 1997 season. But, before that he was the star first baseman (and pitcher) for the Tennessee Volunteers.
. . .
In 1995, Todd Helton was named the National Collegiate Player of the Year and before he would begin a career with the Colorado Rockies, he would leave Tennessee with a large collection of honors. These included the Dick Howser Player of the Year Award; The Collegiate Baseball’s Co-National Player of the Year; and, the Southeastern Conference’s Male Athlete of the Year Award (only second baseball player to ever win that). He was a first-team All-American two years in a row. Helton won numerous other awards – too many to recount all of them here.
Helton became a well-known and important member of the Tennessee team, as he helped lead the Volunteers to three straight NCAA Regional appearances, as well as a 3rd-place finish at the 1995 College World Series. Helton was named MVP of the SEC Baseball Tournament three years in a row.
♦ The most successful and stable sport at Tennessee is women's basketball. Women's basketball coach Pat Summit has the most wins in NCAA history, and has won 8 national titles. She announced her retirement in April, due to health issues. Knoxville is the site of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
SxSE: Knoxville, Tennessee
Leaving Columbia, SC, we start heading back west to Knoxville, TN. (Isn't it odd how many of the SEC towns are 'Villes?).
♦ Knoxville is the 6th closest SEC town to Columbia, 609 miles away (505 air miles). Tennessee is in the SEC East Division.
♦ There is an active Knoxville Chapter of the Mizzou Alumni Association
♦ Fun facts about Knoxville, TN:
♦ There are 10 Chik-fil-a locations in Knoxville. 13 if you count all the suburbs.
♦ Knoxville is the site of the War Dog Memorial, commemorating all the dogs that served in World War II.
♦ HolyTurf.com's SEC Bucket List: Knoxville
♦ There is an active Knoxville Chapter of the Mizzou Alumni Association
♦ Fun facts about Knoxville, TN:
- 2010 population: 178,874 (metropolitan area 655,400)
- The Cherokee people called the Knoxville area kuwanda'talun'yi, which means "Mulberry Place."
- The citizens of Knoxville were bitterly divided over the questions of slavery and secession leading up to the Civil War.
- In 1948, Mountain Dew was first marketed in Knoxville, originally intended as a mixer for whiskey. (knoxnews.com)
- In its May 2003 "20 Most Rock & Roll towns in the U.S." feature, Blender Magazine ranked Knoxville the 17th best music scene in the United States. In the ’90s, noted alternative-music critic Ann Powers, author of Weird Like Us: My Bohemian America, referred to Knoxville as "Austin without the hype". (knoxvillebusiness.com)
 |
| Al Gore Tennessee alum |
♦ Knoxville is the site of the War Dog Memorial, commemorating all the dogs that served in World War II.
♦ HolyTurf.com's SEC Bucket List: Knoxville
#47 Ye Olde Steakhouse: The Ye Olde Steak House is one of Knoxville’s oldest and most popular fixtures, located five miles south of the downtown Henley Street Bridge since 1968. The family restaurant began with Bunt and Helen King and has stayed in the family for nearly fifty years now. Bunt passed away in 1987, and his wife Helen passed away in 2003 but their children and their grandchildren still operate the restaurant today.
The Steak House has won multiple awards in its 43 years of business including being recognized as one of the top 100 things about Tennessee Football, Best Kept Secrets of the Smokies, the Atlanta Journal named it ‘one of the three best places to dine after football games’, and in 1992, The Montgomery Alabama Journal named Ye Olde Steak House the #1 Restaurant in the Southeastern Conference. For fourteen consecutive years the Knoxville Metro Pulse has named Ye Olde Steak House the #1 steakhouse in Knoxville.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
SxSE: South Carolina Gamecocks Baseball, 1895-2012
South Carolina has become not only a College World Series program, but a College World Series finals program over the past few years. Ray Tanner has developed this program to the point where a trip to the College World Series is expected annually, and the only surprise would be if they don't make it to the finals. Over the past 10 years the Gamecocks' average W-L record has been 47-20.
South Carolina played its first intercollegiate baseball game in 1895. The team has about 24 different coaches from 1895 through 1969. Billy Laval managed a .728 record during seven seasons from 1928-1934, during which he was also the school's football coach. But otherwise the team was unexceptional prior to the 70's.
The 2012 Gamecocks compiles a 49-20 record, 18-11 in the SEC. The hosted and won a Regional and Super Regional, and went all the way to the College World Series finals, where they lost to Arizona in 2 straight games.
♦ No 3-peat but future looks bright for Gamecock baseball (The Times and Democrat)
South Carolina played its first intercollegiate baseball game in 1895. The team has about 24 different coaches from 1895 through 1969. Billy Laval managed a .728 record during seven seasons from 1928-1934, during which he was also the school's football coach. But otherwise the team was unexceptional prior to the 70's.
Former professional baseball star Bobby Richardson took over the reigns from 1970-1976 and led the Gamecocks through the beginning of an era of success that has continued to grows since Richardson's tenure. He finished with a 221-92-1 record and took the team to the NCAA Tournament three times, and made it to the national championship game of the College World Sries in 1975, losing to Texas.
June Raines took over and led the team from 1977 through 1996, compiling a 763-380-2. Raines took the team to 11 NCAA Tournaments and 4 College World Series.
Ray Tanner took over in 1997 and has built on the program built by Richardson and Raines. During his tenure the Gamecocks have been in the NCAA Tournament in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. They have been to the College World Series in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011 and 2012. They were runners-up in 2002 and 2012, and won the national championship two years in a row, in 2010 and 2011.
Notable South Carolina Ballplayers
2012 South Carolina Baseball
Notable South Carolina Ballplayers
The 2012 Gamecocks compiles a 49-20 record, 18-11 in the SEC. The hosted and won a Regional and Super Regional, and went all the way to the College World Series finals, where they lost to Arizona in 2 straight games.
♦ No 3-peat but future looks bright for Gamecock baseball (The Times and Democrat)
Monday’s 4-1 loss to Arizona may have denied South Carolina a three-peat, but its run to the national championship series demonstrated that the future is exceptionally bright. USC will have three-quarters of the infield back with second baseman Chase Vergason, third baseman LB Dantzler and shortstop Joey Pankake returning in 2013. Infielders Erik Payne and Connor Bright could earn expanded roles in 2013, as well. Kyle Martin was designated Christian Walker’s successor at first base early in the campaign as he displayed outstanding hitting skills. The Gamecocks also appear set behind the plate with catcher Grayson Greiner. Tanner English is expected to move to center field, his more natural position, to replace Evan Marzilli, while TJ Costen figures to have a more prominent role next season in the outfield. Right field will likely be the biggest question mark when fall practice starts. Sean Sullivan, a rising senior who came up with several clutch hits this season, could compete for that job.♦ Team overcomes early obstacles, high expectations (Daily Gamecock)
The champions are the ones who are immortalized. For them, songs are written and parades are held. But what about the ones who come afterward? Those who have to follow in the footsteps of the great ones? Carrying the burden of the bulls-eye may be the most difficult feat in all of sports. More often than not, the squad that must step out from a previous team's shadow fails to live up to inflated expectations. There are Gamecock fans that know all about this. They watched USC's football team in 1984 go 10-2, which was the best season in school history at that point. The 1985 squad proceeded to go 5-6. History is a hard act to follow. That's what makes the 2012 South Carolina baseball team so impressive. Expectations for Gamecock baseball were never higher. Two consecutive national titles, 16 consecutive wins at the NCAA tournament, 11 in a row at the College World Series. Trips to Omaha were no longer asked for; they were demanded.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)