MALIBU, Calif. – Two contests against defending College World Series Champion LSU highlight Pepperdine baseball’s 55-game schedule for the 2010 season.

The Tigers are one of five NCAA Tournament participants on next year’s slate, which also includes regional rivals Cal Poly and Cal State Fullerton, Conference USA Champion East Carolina and West Coast Conference nemesis Gonzaga.

The combined win-loss record of Pepperdine’s non-conference foes is a healthy 77 games over .500 at 435-358 (.549).

“We’re excited to have some great teams on this year’s schedule,” said Steve Rodriguez, who is preparing for his seventh season as the Waves’ head coach. “I believe that our young players are going to be challenged, but that they’ll rise to the level of competition and learn a lot along the way before we get to conference season.”

Pepperdine’s first trip to Baton Rouge and Alex Box Stadium (March 4-6) also includes two games against Brown, which humbled the Waves last season at Eddy D. Field Stadium en route to a 24-19 record. The Bears just missed qualifying for NCAAs as they finished a game behind Dartmouth in the Ivy League standings.

Rodriguez said that after plans for a weekend series at Tulane fell through, LSU and Brown head coaches Paul Mainieri and Marek Drabinski agreed to turn their series into a three-team tournament that included Pepperdine.

“All this rescheduling happened before they won the College World Series, so it’s going to be great playing the National Champions twice in one weekend,” he said.

Continuing down the list of NCAA qualifiers, the Waves played some of their best baseball this past season against Cal Poly but could not do the same in two midweek meetings vs. the Titans, who finished seventh at the College World Series.

Cal Poly qualified for NCAAs at 37-19 and was nationally ranked heading into both its games with Pepperdine. The Waves, however, clobbered the Mustangs 16-6 at home and exited San Luis Obispo with an 8-4 victory.

East Carolina’s 46-20 record and 17-7 mark against Conference USA earned the Pirates an NCAA Regional berth at home, where they toppled South Carolina, George Mason and Binghamton prior to falling to North Carolina at Super Regionals.

The Waves were contenders for the final spot in the WCC Championship series right until the final day of conference season. Pepperdine did its job by completing a three-game sweep of Santa Clara, but Gonzaga’s loss to Loyola Marymount and San Francisco’s win over Portland kept the Waves in a tie for third place.

If the cards had fallen Pepperdine’s way that afternoon, its reward would have been a trip to Spokane to meet the Bulldogs, who were the WCCs most consistent team at 36-18 and 14-7. After clobbering Georgia Southern 19-10 in the first game of Fullerton Regional, Gonzaga was eliminated after suffering two narrow losses against the Titans and Utah.

Pepperdine’s first week of the season features five different opponents, starting with an Opening Day game at Long Beach State (Feb. 19) and concluding with a three-game series with Cal State Northridge (Feb. 26-28) . In between, the Waves will visit Fullerton (Feb. 20) and play host to Oregon (Feb. 21) and Cal Poly (Feb. 23).

Oregon is in just its second year of existence following a 28-year layoff. The Ducks finished last in the Pac-10 in their first year back on the diamond and posted an overall record of 14-42.

2009 was notable off year for many teams in the Pac-10 as evidenced by the mediocre records posted by traditional powers and upcoming opponents in Stanford (30-25), USC (28-28) and UCLA (27-29). Pepperdine’s three-game series at Stanford (March 19-21) is its first regular season matchup with the Cardinal since its national championship season of 1992.

“Teams work on their schedules a few years in advance and we just happened to have the same open weekend with Stanford,” Rodriguez said. “When opportunities like this open up against a good team like Stanford, you really have no choice but to play them. They’ll provide us with some very good competition.”

Elsewhere on Pepperdine’s non-conference agenda are two home games vs. Northern Illinois (March 9-10) and a three-game series vs. Stony Brook (March 26-28).

Northern Illinois compiled a 19-34 record this past season and were 10-16 in the MAC Conference. Stony Brook, the alma mater of Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan, placed third in the America East conference at 14-10 and were 29-23 overall.

Because of an odd number of WCC opponents, Pepperdine will be playing four of its first five conference series on the road, which includes trips to Santa Clara (April 9-11), Gonzaga (April 16-18), St. Mary’s (May 7-9) and LMU (May 14-16).
The Waves don’t play their first WCC home series vs. Portland until the weekend of April 23. They later welcome San Diego (May 21-23) and San Francisco (May 28-30) to wrap up the regular season.

(Courtesy Rolltide.com)

Sept. 1, 2009

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – University of Alabama Director of Athletics Mal Moore announced Tuesday that head baseball coach Jim Wells has retired effective immediately. Mitch Gaspard, who served the last two seasons assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, has agreed to be the Crimson Tide’s next head baseball coach.

Gaspard agreed to a 3-year contract that is subject to approval by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama System. Gaspard and selected players will be available for interviews Wednesday at 3 p.m. on the field at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

“During a meeting on Monday, Coach Wells told me that he has decided to retire as head baseball coach,” Moore said. “Jim served our baseball program with distinction for 15 seasons. I have tremendous respect for Jim and the reasons for which he made this decision at this time. Mitch Gaspard has agreed to take over leadership of the program.”

“We are confident that our program – with its tremendous heritage and tradition – will continue to be competitive at the highest level. Mitch is uniquely qualified to take over our program at this time. We’re very fortunate to have a coach and recruiter of Mitch’s quality already on the staff. I am confident and excited about the direction of our baseball program. We are having an excellent year in recruiting and fall practice is getting started.”

Gaspard is a veteran coach on the college level with deep ties to the Alabama program. The 2010 season will be Gaspard’s 10th as a member of the Crimson Tide staff.

“First of all, I want to thank President (Robert) Witt and coach Mal Moore for having the confidence in me to lead the Alabama baseball program,” Gaspard said. “My background as a head coach for six years and being an assistant here for so many years have prepared me to be the coach of the Crimson Tide. Also, I want to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Jim Wells.

“He is without a doubt one of the best baseball coaches I’ve ever been around. His service to the University has been exemplary, not only the way his teams played on the field but in the way his teams conducted themselves in the classrooms and in the community. Lastly, I look forward to having the opportunity of working with our current players who are already here and recruiting more top-notch student-athletes to come represent the University of Alabama.”

Wells, 54, departs as the winningest coach in Alabama baseball history. He coached the Crimson Tide for the past 15 seasons and compiled a 625-322 (.656) record.

“Today is really about the hiring of Mitch Gaspard to lead the Alabama baseball program and not about me retiring as the head coach,” Wells said. “I have no doubt that Mitch and his staff will continue to elevate the team to a championship level. He is an outstanding coach and an even better person, and I couldn’t be happier for him or the Crimson Tide baseball team. One goal I wanted to attain before I left my position was making sure the program was back on solid ground, and I leave the University feeling confident that it is.

“I want to thank all the players, both current and in the past, that have made the past 15 years so enjoyable for me and my family. It’s really all about the players, and seeing so many go on to have success in their chosen fields is something in which I take great pride.

“I also want to thank all the assistant coaches, student mangers, trainers and administrators who have helped make my job so much easier over the years. And, of course, I want to close by saying thanks to all the fans and boosters of the program. I ask you to be there next spring to give your support to the 2010 Alabama baseball team.”

Wells guided Alabama to two Southeastern Conference Championships (1996 and 2006), six SEC Tournament Championships (1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003) and 12 NCAA Regional appearances during his tenure. He also led UA to four NCAA Regional Championships (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2006), two NCAA Super Regional appearances (1999 and 2006) and three trips to the College World Series (1996, 1997 and 1999).

Overall, Wells spent 20 years as a Division I head coach and compiled a record of 817-411 (.665) in 1,228 career games. He was twice named SEC Coach of the Year (1996 and 2002) by his peers. He was named Southland Conference Coach of the Year three times during his tenure at Northwestern State (Louisiana) before taking over at Alabama.

In 2009, Gaspard completed his second season as the Tide’s assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. He returned for his second stint with the Crimson Tide in 2008 after six years as head coach at Northwestern (La.) State in Natchitoches, La., where he compiled a 211-128 (.622) record. During those six years, he led the Demons to a pair of Southland Conference championships, one SLC Tournament championship and a berth in the 2005 NCAA Baton Rouge (La.) Regional. In 20 years of coaching, Gaspard has worked with teams that have won eight conference championships, eight conference tournament championships, played in 16 NCAA Regionals and three College World Series.

Gaspard was a member of Wells’ original staff at Alabama in 1995 and was a pivotal figure as an ace recruiter and a shrewd tactician in the remarkable revival of the program. Alabama had four SEC wins in 1994, but after Wells and Gaspard arrived, the Tide won the SEC Tournament in 1995 and was one win away from the College World Series. By the time Gaspard returned to NSU, Alabama had earned six NCAA Regional appearances and three College World Series berths, including a national championship game loss to LSU in 1997. In each of his first seven seasons at Alabama, Gaspard helped mold the Tide into one of nation’s finest defensive units. As the chief recruiter, he helped land five successive Top 20 recruiting classes, including three Top 10 finishes in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

An all-state shortstop at Jefferson High School in Port Arthur, Texas, Gaspard led his team to the Texas state title as a senior and then became the starting second baseman in 1985 for the first Skip Bertman-coached LSU team to advance to NCAA Regional play. He played his final two collegiate seasons as a starter at second for the University of Houston, where he became an assistant coach in 1988. Gaspard served as an assistant coach at Louisiana-Lafayette from 1989-92, helping the Ragin’ Cajuns reach three NCAA Regionals and win three conference titles.

Gaspard and his wife, Kim, have two daughters, Brae and Paeton.

Alabama Player Quotes:

Alabama senior third baseman Jake Smith:

“We are all very excited and looking forward to playing for Coach Gaspard. No one else is more deserving than him. He knows what the University of Alabama and the baseball program is all about. I am looking forward to the season and really looking forward to playing for him. We know his approach to the game and what he expects, from having him here as an assistant the last two years. We are very comfortable with him. He is a great man and great coach.”

Alabama junior second baseman Ross Wilson:

“We all liked Coach Wells and I felt like I grew a lot as a player and person the last two years. Coach Gaspard is a great person and great coach. You could not ask for a better person to have this job. He has helped me so much the last two years as a player and a person.”

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions is requiring Georgetown to vacate baseball records from games during 2000-07 in which 26 ineligible players participated.

Other penalties for the major violations included three years of probation and scholarship restrictions.

The case centered on the misuse of federal work-study funds to pay members of the baseball team for work not performed. The case also included a failure to monitor by the university and head baseball coach.

The violations resulted in excess payments of more than $61,000 (a total that Georgetown will have to pay as part of the penalties) to 26 baseball student-athletes. The committee stated in its report that it was troubled not only by the violations but also that multiple assistant coaches over seven years helped facilitate “the abuse of the work-study program through either inattention or misguidance.”

Those coaches instructed baseball players to record blocks of time totaling no more than 20 hours per week on their timecards. This direction was under the assumption that sufficient work would be assigned to justify the hours. Student-athletes recorded and were paid for up to 20 hours of work per week, even though they were not always assigned sufficient work to justify the pay.

University records indicated that the percentage of pay legitimately earned by the student-athletes during the seven years varied widely during different periods within the same academic year, from 10 percent to 92 percent. The student-athletes indicated the assistant coach assured them they did not need to be concerned with tracking specific hours because he would ensure they received enough work to support the hours they submitted. The assistant coach reported that he intended to give the student-athletes sufficient work to support the time cards. He was generally able to do so, but that became more difficult once laundry duties were shifted to another area of the athletics department.

The committee found the university lacked internal controls or systems to monitor the program or detect whether abuses took place. The committee also found the university failed to provide training for the baseball work-study supervisors and student-athletes regarding the accurate completion and review of timecards. Further, the head coach stated he delegated the administration of the work-study to his second assistant coach and had little to no involvement in the daily oversight.

The penalties, some of which were self-imposed by the institution and adopted by the committee, are:

* Public reprimand and censure.
* Three years of probation (September 2, 2009, to September 1, 2012).
* Limit of five equivalency scholarships for baseball for 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic years (self-imposed by the university). The committee extended this restriction to the 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years. If the institution has already obligated more than five equivalencies in baseball for the 2009-10 academic year, it may delay the initiation of this limit to 2010-11, in which case this penalty will end with the 2012-13 academic year.
* Financial penalty of $61,000.
* Vacation of all wins in which any of the involved 26 baseball student-athletes competed while ineligible during the 2000-01 through 2006-07 baseball seasons.

The members of the Committee on Infractions who reviewed this case include Paul Dee, lecturer of law and education at Miami (Florida) and formerly the institution’s athletics director and general counsel. He is the chair of the Committee on Infractions. Other members are John S. Black, attorney; Eileen Jennings, general counsel at Central Michigan; Dennis Thomas, the commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and formerly director of athletics at Hampton; and Andrea Meyers, athletics director emeritus at Indiana State.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— University of New Mexico head baseball coach Ray Birmingham and his staff have announced the 2010 Lobo baseball schedule. The 2010 schedule will feature some of the best teams in college baseball including; national runner-up and Big-12 champion Texas, College World Series participant Arkansas, USC, Arizona, Texas Tech, Mountain West regular season champion and Super Regional Qualifier TCU and 2009 MWC Tournament champion Utah. The Lobos are currently scheduled to play 31 games in the friendly confines of Isotopes Park.

“We want to go to the mountain top,” said Birmingham. “We are going to open up at Texas. This is a bold statement for our program. UNM baseball fears no one and we think we can beat anyone we face. There aren’t any slouches on our schedule. There are tremendous teams on our schedule. We want to get to Omaha, we’re not ever going to forget that we are going to get to Omaha and we are going to make ever effort to get there.”

The Lobos start the season with a three-game set in Austin, Texas as they take on Big 12 champ Texas on Feb. 19-20. The Longhorns were the No. 1 seed in Omaha last June and lost to national champion LSU, 10-4, in game three of the College World Series Finals.

New Mexico will stay in the Lone Star State for a single game with Texas Tech on Feb. 23. Tech finished seventh in the Big 12 last season and went 25-32. The Lobos were 2-2 against Tech a season ago.

The first home stand of the season will be Feb. 26-28 as the Lobos welcome Northern Colorado to Isotopes Park for a four-game set. New Mexico went a perfect 4-0 against Northern Colorado last season and out-scored the Bears, 56-17.

The Lobos will head south to take on in state rivals New Mexico State March 2-3. New Mexico split the ’09 season series with the Aggies 1-1 despite outscoring NMSU 12-6.
A trip to sunny California to play the USC Trojans is the next stop for the Lobos on March 5-7. The Trojans finished the season 28-28 last season and seventh in the Pac-10 Conference.

The Lobos return home for an eight-game home stand starting with NMSU March 9-10. New Mexico will then host a four-game set with Louisiana Tech on March 12-14. Tech finished 29-22 on the season and finished second in the Western Athletic Conference narrowly missing out on a NCAA Regional berth.

MWC play begins on March 19-21 with Utah at home. The Utes were one of three MWC representatives in the NCAA Regionals last season. Despite finishing next to last in MWC regular season play, the Utes won the MWC tournament and earned the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals. New Mexico swept Utah on the road in three consecutive 10-inning games last season.

A two-week road trip starts in Tucson, Ariz. as the Lobos take on the Arizona Wildcats March 23-24. The Wildcats finished the season 30-25 and fifth in the Pac-10 conference.
On March 26-28, the Lobos will take on NCAA Regional qualifier San Diego State. The Aztecs finished 41-23 last season and fourth in the MWC. The Lobos edged the Aztecs 2-1 in the regular season series at Isotopes Park, but fell 2-1 in the second round of the MWC Tournament.

The Lobos then face UNLV, April 1-3, in Las Vegas, Nev. UNM lost two of three games against the Rebels last season. UNLV finished fifth in the MWC with a 26-32 record.
New Mexico will face BYU at home on April 8-10. The Lobos were 3-2 against the Cougars last season. BYU finished behind the Lobos in third place in MWC regular season play, but ousted UNM 5-1 in the MWC tournament.

The Lobos will visit College World Series competitor Arkansas April 13-14. The Razorbacks made it to the national semifinals before being defeated by eventual champion LSU. Arkansas finished the season 41-24 on the season and fourth in the Western Division of the SEC.

The Lobos return home for a five-game home stand against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Coppin State, April 16-18, and West Coast Conference competitor San Francisco on April 20-21.

New Mexico will head north to Colorado Springs, Colo. to take on the Air Force Falcons April 23-25. The Lobos swept the Falcons 3-0 last season and outscored them 35-10. Air Force finished last in the MWC regular season standings.

A 10-game home stand will start with a second meeting against Texas Tech on April 27. On April 30–May 2 the Lobos will face San Diego State for the second time in the season. On May 7-9, the Lobos face 2009 MWC regular season champion TCU. The Horned Frogs were one step away from the College World Series last season and finished the season 40-18.

New Mexico will welcome Delaware State for a three-game set, May 14-16.

The regular season will conclude at Utah May 20-22. The MWC Tournament is scheduled for May 25-29 in San Diego, Calif.

MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois University head baseball coach Stan Hyman
passed away at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, Ill., early Saturday
morning, at the age of 50, after battling leukemia for the past month.

“It is a sad day not only for Western Illinois University and the Athletics
Department, but also for all of college baseball,” Western Illinois Director
of Athletics Dr. Tim Van Alstine said. “Stan revitalized the Leatherneck
baseball program and was a catalyst in the construction of Alfred D. Boyer
Stadium, a state of the art facility that opened in 2006.”

Hyman served as head coach for the Leathernecks for eight seasons. He won
his 350th career game against Centenary on May 16th and has recorded some of
his most proud victories over nationally-ranked opponents such as Long Beach
State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Iowa, Kansas, State,
Michigan State, Illinois-Chicago and Oral Roberts during his tenure at
Western.

In addition to serving the Leathernecks, Hyman was very active in the
community and coached his youngest son’s Macomb Little League baseball team.

Prior to coming to Macomb, Hyman served three seasons as the head coach at
Division III Rutgers-Newark (1998-2001). He began his coaching career at
Albright (Penn.) College, where he started as a pitching coach (1992-94) and
later became the all-time winningest coach as head coach, recording a
116-59-1 record (1994-98).

Fourteen of Hyman’s former players have been drafted professionally or have
signed free agent contracts, including two third-round picks in the Major
League Baseball draft.

Three times in his 15-year head coaching tenure Hyman has been selected as
coach of the year. Hyman came to Western as the 39th winningest active coach
in NCAA Division III, with an overall record of 178-106-1 (.624).

Prior to his coaching career, Hyman was a press agent from 1982-85,
representing professional athletes such as boxer Roberto Duran and football
great Bubba Smith. As president of the Los Angeles-based Hyman & Associates,
he also represented recording artists, including Al Jarreau and Kim Carnes.

A former sportswriter and music columnist, Hyman’s work has appeared in such
publications as Rolling Stone, Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Globe, Chicago
Sun-Times, Interview, and Dallas Morning News.

“As much as he wanted his own team to win, he wanted all Western teams to
win,” Van Alstine said. “He was often the shoulder that many of our coaches
needed through difficult times in their season. The entire athletics
department, coaching staff and student athletes extend our deepest
sympathies to Robin, Cara, Mychal and Jordan.”

Hyman is survived by his wife Robin and children, Cara, 22, Mychal, 18, and
Jordan, 11. Plans for a memorial service that will be held later in the week
are currently being conducted. Details for the memorial service will
follow.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Coming off one of its best seasons in school history, the 2010 version of the University of Arkansas baseball team took to the diamond on Tuesday afternoon for a two-hour practice officially beginning its fall practice schedule.

After stretching drills, the Razorbacks went straight to work by practicing relay drills from the outfield. As pitchers rounded the bases, head coach Dave Van Horn hit the ball into the gaps between the outfielders giving his players an opportunity to work on communication and relays as the Hogs break in a young middle infield.

Following the relay work out, Arkansas moved on to pop fly communication drills before setting up the cage for batting practice. A simulated game completed the day’s work.

The Razorbacks have 45 days to complete their fall workout schedule which culminates in the annual Cardinal-White series. Dates and times for the series have yet to be determined.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State head coach Bob Todd, beginning his 23rd year with the program and in the wake of another Big Ten championship and NCAA Regional appearance, welcomed 31 student-athletes Thursday for the start of fall ball, which will commence Sept. 14 and run for approximately five weeks. The fall practices will conclude the week of Oct. 12 with the annual Scarlet and Gray World Series.

“Welcome,” the 2009 Big Ten Coach of the Year said Thursday morning to the team assembled around him in the clubhouse at Bill Davis Stadium. “It is your responsibility to get to know each other because these are your teammates, and make it a point to welcome these incoming freshmen. Help them out through these first few days of meetings and getting set up for the start of the school year.”

The team will be led by one of the larger senior classes in recent history: eight players, with all of them starters or key reserves on the 2009 team that posted a 42-19 overall record, won the Big Ten championship with an 18-6 mark and advanced to the championship round of the Tallahassee Regional in the NCAA tournament. The eight, in alpha order:

* LHP Eric Best – A starter in 2009 after an eight-save season in relief in 2008, Best made 20 appearances last year with 13 starts. He posted a 7-4 record and a 5.95 ERA.
* OF/DH Ryan Dew – First-team all-Big Ten designated hitter ranked fourth in the conference with a .388 average and was second on team in hits (85), on base pct. (.429) and doubles (15).
* C Shawn Forsythe – Made four starts as the back-up to Big Ten Player of the Year Dan Burkhart and played in 17 games.
* CF Chris Griffin – Dependable defensive and offensive reserve who played in 19 games and hit .333 with a pair of doubles, a triple and five runs scored.
* LF Zach Hurley – 59-game starter who hit .346 with 12 doubles, six home runs, 53 RBI and 89 hits from the leadoff position. Led the Big Ten with six triples and was second in hits.
* 2B Cory Kovanda – Second-team all-Big Ten pick led team with .431 on-base percentage while hitting .341 with 55 runs and 33 walks. He has started 160 games.
* 3B/SS Cory Rupert – played in 43 games, started 33 times (19 at shortstop, nine at third and five at second) and hit .279 with a .341 on-base percentage.
* CF Michael Stephens – One of three players to start all 61 games last year, Stephens was second-team all-Big Ten after hitting .346 with 63 RBI and team leading home run (14) and slugging pct. (.608) totals.

The leadership will be bolstered by an 11-member junior class that, collectively, boasts achievements to rival the seniors (although the seniors have two trips to the NCAA tournament). Leading the juniors are the reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-American Alex Wimmers (9-2; 3.27 ERA; 104.2 IP; 136 Ks), reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and catcher Dan Burkhart (.354; 10 HR; 62 RBI; .589 slug. pct.), second-team all-Big Ten pitcher Dean Wolosiansky (11-2; 6.04ERA; 92.1 IP) and reliever Drew Rucinski (fifth nationally and first in the Big Ten with 12 wins; 5.54 ERA; 74.2 IP).

The junior class also features the return of two every day players from last season in 90-game starter at shortstop Tyler Engle (.285 with 12 extra base hits) and 1B Matt Streng (.308 with 8 HRs and 38 RBI in 2009), two pitchers with double-digit appearances in 2009 – RHP Jarred Strayer and LHP Theron Minium – and Brian DeLucia, who missed all but three games last year with a broken finger.

The team’s veteran makeup includes 10 additional players from last year who will be battling for playing time, including five freshmen who red-shirted the 2009 season.

Gone from the 2009 team are its three seniors – Michael Arp, Jake Hale and Justin Miller – as well as two fourth-year juniors who have graduated – Ben Toussant and Josh Barrera. A third underclassmen – T.J. McManus – elected to transfer. Miller, who is completing requirements for his bachelor’s degree in criminology, will serve as a student captain on the team this year.

Rhodes, who founded the UNF baseball program, will step aside after 23 seasons as head coach of the Ospreys. In addition, UNF also announced that Raymond “Smoke” Laval will take over as the new head baseball coach at the end of the 2010 season.

“With more than 1,100 wins to his credit, Dusty is definitely among a prestigious group of coaching legends,” said UNF President John A. Delaney. “It’s been an honor to work with him and see him bring the University’s baseball program to full Division I status. Dusty has been an icon in baseball at UNF since 1988 and is truly going to be missed.”

“You just can’t say enough about Dusty Rhodes and what he has meant to baseball at UNF and in the state of Florida,” remarked Director of Athletics Lee Moon. “He built the Osprey baseball program from scratch and guided it with tremendous success through NAIA, Division II and now into a full-fledged Division I member playing for championships.

“Dusty guided UNF to five different College World Series appearances and even more regional appearances, but even more than that, he has molded and shaped our student-athletes into men who succeed, not only on the playing field, but in the classroom and in life. Dusty is the epitome of UNF baseball and a true Osprey. He will be missed.”

Rhodes started UNF’s program from scratch at the NAIA level in 1988. He took that opportunity and built it into a national powerhouse en route to becoming one of the most successful coaches in college baseball history.

“I have been lucky to receive an opportunity that most people never get – to build a program from the ground up at a great academic school,” said Rhodes. “Over the years, every day I enjoyed coming to work because I knew that I was coming to work with student-athletes. We never really had exceptions for athletes while I was here. The kids who came through our program turned out to be good people and a lot of them came back and did things for baseball.

“I really want to thank Tom Healy the athletic director that hired me. I would also like to thank Adam Herbert and John Delaney because they had the vision to move this athletic program up. I probably would have left if they would not have said that we were going to gradually move this program to Division I. The whole deal for me was to get here, start a program, and move it to Division I. We have accomplished that part. We had opportunities to win a National Championship. Our kids played well. We had guys that came through here that played in the Major Leagues. For me, it was a great opportunity that a lot of people wouldn’t have to take it from the very beginning to Division I. For that reason, I will always be in debt to UNF, especially the boosters, Dottie Dorion, Dave Polovina, Gerry Hurst, and Doug and Linda Harmon. Those people made the athletic program when we were NAIA. They set the example for what we should be and that’s basically turned out to be exactly what we are.

“I had a chance to play some great teams over the years. Our kids have played well and they have represented the University of North Florida well and that’s what we really tried to do. It is always going to be my school and who I’ll be rooting for. I have one more year and we are going to go out and play hard and see what happens.”

Rhodes has guided UNF to 16 postseason appearances, including five trips to the College World Series (two in NAIA and three in NCAA Division II). In January of 2009, he was chosen by his peers to be inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 for his outstanding contributions as the head coach of Palm Beach Junior College.

In 2005, Rhodes finished as the national runner-up in the Division II College World Series, falling in the championship game. In his other four World Series appearances, Rhodes led the Ospreys to third place finishes out of eight participating teams.

He has also pushed the Ospreys to six conference championships, seven No. 1 rankings (three in NAIA and four in Division II) and has coached 22 All-Americans while compiling an 879-420 record at UNF and an overall mark of 1,182-538 in 30 seasons as a collegiate head coach.

After an extraordinary NCAA Division II resume, Rhodes upped the ante and continued to build the UNF empire into a rising star and giant killer in Division I. Since the Ospreys began their Division I march in 2006, UNF has recorded nine victories over ranked teams; owns a 4-3 record against in-state rival and SEC power Florida; put itself in position to qualify for the Atlantic Sun Tournament every year; compiled a 59-45 record at home; and boasted nine all-conference performers.

Last season, Rhodes led the Ospreys to wins over No. 6 Florida State, No. 13 Miami and No. 23 Florida, marking the first time in school history that UNF recorded wins over all three state schools in the same season.

In his illustrious career, Rhodes has been recognized as his conference or district’s coach of the year eight times. In the Peach Belt Conference, he earned coach of the year honors in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005. When the Ospreys played in District 25 in NAIA, he was named coach of the year in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1992.

He also earned his region’s coach of the year honor in 2000, 2001 and 2005, after leading UNF to the Division II World Series each year. In 1989 and 1991, he was tabbed the Rawlings NAIA Area V Coach of the Year.

In addition to his success in the college game, Rhodes has been heavily involved in international amateur baseball. In 2004, Rhodes was selected as the head coach of the Greek Olympic team at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. Rhodes returned to serve as the head coach of the Greek National Team in the 2005 European Championships. He was also an assistant for Greece in 2002 and 2003 and also served as an assistant coach for the 1996 Australian Olympic Team. In 1993, 1994 and 2001, he was an assistant coach for the USA National Team.

Rhodes has also been named the Florida Diamond Club NAIA Coach of the Year four times (1988, 1989, 1991 and 1992), the Diamond Sports Co. Area Coach of the Year twice (1989 and 1991) and the Florida Sports Amateur Coach of the Year in 2001.

Rhodes began coaching in 1969 as an assistant coach at Florida Southern College, his alma mater. He joined PBJC as an assistant in 1974 and was named head baseball coach in 1975. During his seven years there, Rhodes compiled a record of 303-118, leading the school to a No. 1 national junior college ranking in 1979. He was named a junior college All-Star coach in 1976, 1977 and 1980.

Between 1982 and 1987, Rhodes was an assistant baseball coach at the University of Florida, before being selected to begin the UNF baseball program.

Rhodes received an associate of arts degree from PBJC in 1966, a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Florida Southern College in 1969 and a master’s degree in education from Florida Atlantic in 1973. He taught physical education in Palm Beach County from 1969-1975.

The Dusty Rhodes File

PERSONAL DATA

Full Name: Jack Dusty Rhodes

Hometown: Talladega, Ala.

EDUCATION

1966: Associate of Arts, Palm Beach Junior College

1969: Bachelor’s in Physical Education, Florida Southern

1973: Master’s in Education, Florida Atlantic

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

1965-66: Palm Beach Junior College

1967-68: Florida Southern

COACHING EXPERIENCE

1969-73: Assistant Coach, Florida Southern

1975: Assistant Coach, Palm Beach Junior College

1976-81: Head Coach, Palm Beach Junior College

1982: Hitting Coach, Greensboro Hornets

1982-87: Assistant Coach, Florida (1982-87)

1988-89: Manager, Helena Brewers

1990: Assistant Coach, Beloit Brewers

1991: Manager, Helena Brewers

1988-present: Head Coach, North Florida

COACHING HONORS

1988: Florida Diamond Club NAIA Coach of the Year

1989: NAIA District 25 Coach of the Year

1989: NAIA Area V Coach of the Year

1989: Florida Diamond Club NAIA Coach of the Year

1991: NAIA District 25 Coach of the Year

1991: NAIA Area V Coach of the Year

1991: Florida Diamond Club NAIA Coach of the Year

1992: Florida Diamond Club NAIA Coach of the Year

1999: Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year

2000: ABCA South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year

2000: Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year

2001: ABCA South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year

2001: Florida Sports Amateur Coach of the Year

2001: Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year

2004: Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year

2005: ABCA South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year

2005: Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year

2009: ABCA Hall of Fame Inductee

COACHING HIGHLIGHTS

1989: NAIA World Series

1991: NAIA World Series

2000: NCAA Division II World Series

2001: NCAA Division II World Series

2005: NCAA Division II World Series; NCAA Division II Runner-Up

22 All-Americans; 5 Academic All-Americans

58 Major League Baseball signees

16 Conference Championships

7 No. 1 Rankings (3 in NAIA and 4 in Division II)

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee’s recommendation to remove, at least temporarily, composite bats from NCAA competition.

The rules committee proposed the action in July and met again via conference call August 17 after hearing comments from the membership and manufacturers about the recommendation. After considerable discussion, the rules committee concluded that composite bats will not be allowed for the time being.

The committee’s main concern about composite bats is that they are susceptible to performance improvement above standards set by the NCAA, either through normal use or alterations to the bats.

While committee members are not convinced that simple compliance testing of specific bats will solve what they see to be a significant problem in the sport, the committee agreed with a suggestion from the NCAA Baseball Research Panel to seek additional testing to determine if it is feasible to allow composite bats in NCAA play this season.

The research panel met with baseball bat manufacturers August 12 in Indianapolis to explore whether composite bats could be used within NCAA guidelines and parameters.

During the 2009 Division I Baseball Championship, composite bats were selected for ball exit speed ratio (BESR) certification tests. Of the 25 bats tested, 20 failed the official BESR test for current NCAA performance levels. Because all bat designs must pass that test before mass production, the results indicated that the performance of such bats changed thereafter, most likely due to repeated, normal use or intentional alteration.

In the meantime, the NCAA plans to conduct additional testing that will provide the baseball rules committee another opportunity for review. Additionally, the committee is open to providing an opportunity for companies to prove that their bats would meet current NCAA standards regardless of use or tampering.

As for beyond the upcoming season, the baseball research panel is recommending that an Accelerated Break-In (ABI) process be added to the certification process under the new Ball-Bat Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) standard to help address the issue of improved performance and further the goal of having all bats in NCAA play remain under the NCAA limit through the life of the bat.

The BBCOR is a method designed to measure the performance of the bat. The ABI is designed to replicate repeated use or intentional alteration of the bat. This process has been used with some success in the certification process for softball bats.

Swimsuit restrictions also finalized

In another item on the agenda, PROP approved proposals from the NCAA Division I, II and III Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Committees regarding swimsuits for 2009-10.

Suit construction is restricted to textiles or a woven material. Suit coverage is limited to between the waist and kneecap for men and between the shoulder and kneecap for women.

The new standards also require materials to be 100 percent permeable to both air and water and be no more than .8 millimeters thick.