By College Baseball 360 Editor Sean Stires

We are just days away from a new year and that means we’re less than two months away from the start of the 2011 college baseball season. There was good and there was bad, and with that in mind here are 10 significant things we’ll take from college baseball in 2010…

1.  Goodbye to Rosenblatt Stadium

What can be said about Rosenblatt that hasn’t already been said? After 60 years at the top of the hill in Omaha, Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium hosted its final College World Series in 2010. The move to the new TD Ameritrade Park in 2011 is seen by progress to some, but heartbreak to many. The new park will have all the amenities that Rosenblatt lacked, and maybe the future will be even brighter at the CWS and Omaha down the road. However, wouldn’t it have been nice if the new stadium had even a hint of nostalgia? The new Yankee Stadium has oversized high-priced seats and is swelling with luxury suites, but they still managed to keep the look from the House that Ruth Built. Too bad they couldn’t do the same at TDA.  CLICK HERE to read a letter of thanks from Omaha native Paul Fiarkoski to Johnny Rosenblatt.

2. Cal Cuts Baseball

Septbember 28, 2010 could be remembered as “Black Tuesday” at Cal. That’s the day Cal-Berkley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and Athletic Director Sandy Barbour announced the school would eliminate baseball and four other sports (rugby, gymnastics and lacrosse) at their school at the conclusion of the 2010-2011 season. The given reason was to “generate an estimated $4 million annual savings in direct and indirect costs for Cal Athletics, while limiting further growth in expenses.” The outcry was instant, and the “Save Cal Baseball” movement began.  More than $10 in pledges have poured in to save the 118 year-old baseball program and the four other sports. The future is still uncertain, but head coach Dave Esquer’s Golden Bears are ranked 33rd in Collegiate Baseball’s 2011 preseason poll.

3. Arizona State Gets Probation

Our top story from 2009 was Pat Murphy leaving ASU, but Tim Esmay still led the Sun Devils to Omaha after the departure of the controversial head coach. That won’t be possible in 2011 after the NCAA slapped the program with postseason probation due to “lack of institutional control”.  Click here for the full rundown. While Arizona State plans to appeal the postseason ban, the school has been sanctioned nine times since 1953 (in sports other than baseball). Murphy is currently working in the San Diego Padres organization, but the NCAA also ruled that if he were to return to college baseball he would not be able to make recruiting calls until December 14, 2011.

4. Garrett Wittels Chases History, And Then…

Garrett Wittels

Heading into the 2010 season nobody was talking about Florida International, and they sure weren’t talking about Garrett Wittels. However, by season’s end the sophomore infielder who hit just .246 as a freshman was the toast of college baseball. Wittels batted .413 by hitting safely in all 56 games he started in 2010 (he didn’t play in five games) while helping his team to a Sun Belt Conference title and an NCAA Regional berth. He enters 2010 on the heels of Robin Ventura’s 1987 Division I record 58-game hitting streak. Things took a turn for the surreal earlier this month though when Wittels and a group of friends were charged with raping two 17-year-old girls on Dec. 20 in the Bahamas. Wittels is free on bond as the 2011 season approaches. ESPN is scheduled to televise FIU’s season-opening series against Southeastern Louisiana, but for now the question is will Wittels be in the line-up or behind bars?

5.  South Carolina Wins The CWS

Ray Tanner

Ray Tanner’s Gamecocks became regulars at Omaha over the last decade, but they never won it all. In the 61st and final CWS at Rosenblatt, South Carolina changed that in a big way. South Carolina lost its first game, but stormed back to win six straight to claim the school’s first major championship in any sport. They also beat their biggest rival, Clemson, twice in the process. No player more embodied the Gamecocks’ team effort than soph. Michael Roth, who made his first two starts of the season on the Omaha dirt. Roth held opponents to a .167 average in 16 1/3 total innings at the CWS. It was only fitting that South Carolina won in dramatic fashion on Whit Merrifield’s walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning against UCLA.

6. Matt Curry’s CWS Grand Slam

Matt Curry

With two out, a full count and his team down by two runs to Florida State, TCU’s Matt Curry jacked a grand slam to centerfield to stave-off elimination. The big hit made TCU an instant CWS legend in the the most electric moment of the 61st and final series at Rosenblatt. Not bad for a senior who played his first two seasons of college ball at Howard Junior College. Of that moment, TCU head coach Jim Schlossnagle would later tell us “That’s a game and that’s a moment I think that if they were to do a history of the College World Series…it’s gonna be a very small part, but I think it would be a part.” Said Curry afterward “When I hit it, I knew it was gone, because I’ve hit home runs and I usually know when I get them. I look and I’m all fired up” CLICK HERE for more postgame reaction from Curry, Schlossnagle and FSU head coach Mike Martin.

7. TCU Beats Texas In Super Regionals

Before Curry had his shot at Omaha immortality, TCU had to beat Texas in Super Regional play. Many thought the Horned Frogs were deserving of a national seed and the chance to host a Super Regional that would come with that distinction, but that didn’t happen. Instead, for a second straight year TCU was matched with the perennial power in Austin with a trip to Omaha on the line.  TCU won games one and three by giving-up just a run in each game against the #2 national seed Longhorns to send the Horned Frogs to the program’s first CWS. CLICK HERE for more from TCU’s historic win.

8. New Mexico And Oregon Make It To NCAA Regionals

Ray Birmingham

For the game of college baseball to grow it has to prosper in places where it has not traditionally prospered. New Mexico made it to an NCAA Regional for the first time in 48 years in 2010, while Oregon made it in just its second season since resurrecting the program after a nearly 30 year extinction. The Lobos and Ducks reached the postseason with the distinctive styles of their head coaches. For UNM it was Ray Birmingham’s “Kick down the door” offensive approach, while UO did it with George Horton’s pitching laden formula. It should come as no surprise that both programs prospered under their skippers. Birmingham led New Mexico Junior College to a 2005 national championship, while Horton more famously won the 2003 CWS at Cal State Fullerton.

9. Kyle Parker’s Record-Setting Double Duty

Kyle Parker

Parker took being a two-sport college athlete to another level during the 2009-2010 season. The Clemson quarterback/outfielder became the first Division One athlete to ever throw 20 touchdown passes and hit 20 home runs in the same academic year. In fact, he was the first to even go 15/15. Parker helped the football team to a Music City Bowl win in the fall and then helped Jack Leggett’s baseball team reach the College World Series in the spring. Parker was taken by the Colorado Rockies with the 26th overall pick in the June, 2010 draft. He has signed a professional contract and will report to spring training in 2011. CLICK HERE for an exclusive podcast interview with Parker.

10. UCLA And Arizona State Get Off To Fast Starts

The Bruins and Sun Devils both ended their seasons in Omaha, and they both got their seasons off to blazing hot starts. UCLA road its pitching out of the gates to a 22-0 record that didn’t end until an April 2 loss to Stanford. Arizona State used its balance of pitching and offense to start 24-0 under new head coach Tim Esmay. Their first setback came a day after UCLA’s first defeat when they dropped a 12-inning game at Oregon. John Savage’s Bruins ended their season with a 51-17 mark and a second place finish at the CWS, while ASU finished with a 52-10 mark despite going 0-2 in Omaha.

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CLEMSON, SC – Bill Wilhelm, Clemson’s legendary baseball coach from 1958-93, passed away Friday morning at Oconee Memorial Hospital in Seneca, SC at the age of 81. In his 36 years as Clemson’s head coach he posted a record of 1161-536-10, and the 1161 victories are the most in school history in any sport, and still rank in the top 20 in the history of Division I college baseball. In 36 years guiding the Clemson program he never had a losing season.

Bill Wilhelm

Wilhelm led the Tigers to the College World Series six times (1958-59-76-77-80-91) and coached Clemson to 11 ACC Championships, 16 top 25 seasons, 17 NCAA Tournament appearances and 19 ACC regular season titles (including ties). Between 1973-82 Clemson won either the ACC regular season title or the ACC tournament every season. Wilhelm coached 20 All-Americans, 27 players who went on to play Major League Baseball, 88 first-team All-ACC selections and 100 of his former players signed professional baseball contracts. Among his former players is Jimmy Key, a four-time Major League All-Star who played on World Series Championship teams with the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees.

The native of China Grove, NC led the Tigers to the College Worlds Series in each of his first two years with the program, 1958 and 1959. His 1958 team might have been his favorite as the Tigers won the ACC Championship and made a miracle comeback to win the NCAA District III Playoffs in Gastonia, NC by defeating Florida twice on the same day by scores of 15-14 and 3-1.

When Wilhelm retired he left a strong program. He took the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament each of his last seven years as head coach and the team averaged 51 wins per year over that time. His 1991 team still holds the Clemson record for wins with 60 and the team’s 60-10 mark was the best winning percentage (.857) in the nation that year. That team had an average winning margin of 5.5 runs per game, still a school record. His final team, the 1993 squad, won the ACC Championship, beat 13 top 25 teams, and reached the NCAA Tournament.

“When I think of Clemson University I think of him,” said Clemson Head Baseball Coach Jack Leggett, who succeeded Wilhelm in 1994 and has taken the program to the College World Series six times. “He was what Clemson is all about. He was tough, he was honest, he was competitive and he took pride in everything he did.

“I will always have great respect for Bill Wilhelm. He set such a strong foundation for this baseball program. He set that foundation certainly in what he accomplished on the field, but he also set that foundation in the way he ran the program. He did things the right way and he was a great example to me when I was his assistant for two years before taking over as head coach.

“Since he retired he was nothing but supportive. We had great meetings about baseball. Those meetings and his wisdom were very valuable. But, at the same time, he never interfered. He let us run the program.

“My prayers go out to his wife Sarah Jane and his two sons, Randall and Michael. The entire family has meant so much to the Clemson baseball program.”

“Coming from another part of the country–I had always heard of Coach Bill Wilhelm,” said Clemson Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips. “He will be sorely missed, not only by the Clemson Family, but most assuredly by many people from coast to coast, because his legacy extends far beyond Clemson. He made this a national program. I count it as a tremendous privilege to have known Coach Wilhelm.

“Coach Wilhelm’s passing is a tremendous loss for the Clemson Family,” said Billy McMillon, current manager of the Greenville Drive, who played on Wilhelm’s last three teams at Clemson (1991-93). “Coach had an enormous impact on the lives of countless baseball players and Clemson fans for decades. He taught me more than just the game of baseball. I learned about dealing with people fairly, how to hard work and the importance of discipline. I can honestly say that the lessons I learned from Coach Wilhelm have shaped my life on and off the baseball field. He has meant so much to me and I will miss him greatly.”

“The two most important things in my life were my marriage and coming to Clemson,” said Rusty Adkins, who was a three-time All-American from 1965-67 and set a national record during the time with a 41-game hitting streak. “He brought me to Clemson and I had not even seen the school before I accepted a scholarship. I was close to him my entire career and it continued for 40 years. I loved the man.”

“Bill Wilhelm had a huge impact on my life,” said Neil Simons, starting centerfield on two of Wilhelm’s College World Series teams who is still the only four time first-team All-ACC player in Clemson history. “I learned so much about baseball, but about life in general. He is an institution who will be missed by his former players.

“He was the most brutally honest person I have known. In 1980 we were playing Virginia at Clemson and I hit a home run off of Ricky Horton, a left handed pitcher who went on to play in the Major Leagues. The ball curled about the foul pole and the ump called it a home run. After I crossed home plate I looked up and saw Coach Wilhelm at the plate arguing with the umpire that it was a foul ball.

“I couldn’t believe he was arguing against a home run by one of his own players in his ball park. He told me in the dugout that he didn’t want Clemson to get a reputation that we were a bunch of “homers” and that Clemson would be a place where you would be treated fairly.” The umpire did not change his call.

Wilhelm is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Sarah and his sons, Michael and Randall.

(Courtesy Clemson Sports Information)

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

UCSD head coach Dan O'Brien (jacket) and his Tritons could be headed to the Big West.

A Big West Boom?

We started last week’s Notebook with the news that TCU was headed to the Big East Conference. This week we start with news that Hawaii, Cal State Bakersfield and UC San Diego have each applied for membership in the Big West Conference. Hawaii plans to join the Mountain West Conference for football, but the rest of its sports would join the Big West if membership goes through. The Big West would make travel much easier for Hawaii’s non-revenue sports since all nine current Big West teams are located in California.

Keep in mind, it’s UC San Diego – as in the Tritons –  not the University of San Diego – as in the Toreros – that wants to join the Big West. Dan O’Brien’s Tritons were the Division II national runner-ups this past season after advancing to the D II national semifinals in 2009. This year’s team won a school record 54 games with a record low eight losses. They would obviously have to make the move to Division One though to join the Big West.

CS Bakersfield, coached by Bill Kernen, just began playing college baseball in 2009 as part of the school’s transition to Division One. The Roadrunners won 13 games in 2009 and doubled that to 26 victories last season.

The Big West had put a moratorium on conference expansion back in 2005, but it just ended that ban last month.

The Call Of The Hall…

1988 NCAA Player of the Year John Olerud (courtesy Washington State)

He’s a long shot for induction, but former Washington State star John Olerud is on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. The 17-year MLB vet was the 1988 college baseball Player of the Year. He was 15-0 with a 2.49 ERA on the mound that year, while also batting .464 with 23 home runs and 81 RBIs. Olerud was an integral member of the Toronto Blue Jays‘ World Series winning teams in 1992 and ’93, but his 2,239 career hits and 255 home runs are far from HOF benchmark numbers.

Other former college players in this year’s Hall of Fame ballot are: Mark McGwire (USC), Bret Boone (USC), Barry Larkin (Michigan), Bobby Higginson (Temple), Rafael Palmeiro (Mississippi State), Charles Johnson (Miami), Tino Martinez (Tampa), Kirk Rueter (Murray State), John Franco (St. John’s), and B.J. Surhoff (North Carolina). Franco tossed a pair of no-hitters during his freshman year at St. John’s. Surhoff was the National Player of the Year in 1985. He was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this year.

The results of HOF voting will be announced on January 11, 2011. The induction ceremony is July 24 in Cooperstown, NY.

Tigers Get Their Rings…

The Clemson baseball team recently received its 2010 College World Series rings. Jack Leggett’s squad received its hardware before last week’s Clemson-Michigan basketball game at Littlejohn Coliseum. Clemson finished 2010 with a 45-25 record after making its 12th trip to Omaha. CLICK HERE to see the video.

The Scouts Like Nino…

Nino Girratano

The Northern California Scouts Association has named University of San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano its four-year college baseball Coach of the Year. The NCSA is comprised of at least 70 scouts who work for the 30 MLB clubs. Of Giarratano, Florida Marlins scout John Hughes said “He does such a great job at USF and his coaching staff does a great job overall. They do more than coach baseball at USF — they develop kids into great people. Nino is cooperative and communicates well with Major League Baseball scouts so that he can do what’s best for his players.” Giarratano was the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team head coach this past summer.

Two-Sport Playoff Push…

If you saw our latest Two-Sport Report last week, you know that several college baseball players who also play football were involved in the FCS (formerly I-AA) playoffs last week. In a head to head match-up, Landon Bennett (punter) and Wofford knocked Jacksonville State and freshman QB Coty Blanchard out of the playoffs with a 17-14 win. Wofford now takes on Georgia Southern.

Defending FCS national champion Villanova beat Stephen F. Austin 54-24 to advance to the FCS quarterfinals and the Wildcats have three baseball/football players. Matt Szczur (signed with the Chicago Cubs last summer) scored a touchdown, while Marlon Calbi threw a TD pass. Villanova next faces Appalachian State.

South Carolina has released its 2011 college baseball schedule. The reigning national champions will begin the defense of their championship with 21 straight games in the Palmetto State, including 18 of those first 21 games on their home field at Carolina Stadium.

The season opens February 18-21 when the Gamecocks host a three-game series against Santa Clara. A three-game series against Southern Illinois comes the following weekend.

CLICK HERE to see the complete 2011 South Carolina baseball schedule.

After a March 1 home game against Furman, USC plays three games in three days against intrastate rival Clemson in three different cities. South Carolina hosts game one in Columbia, SC on March 4. The action shifts to Greenville, SC and Fluor Field for game two the next day and Clemson hosts the finale on March 6. The Gamecocks beat the Tigers twice at the 2010 College World Series to advance to the CWS finals and end Clemson’s season.

South Carolina opens SEC play March 18-20 when it hosts Georgia. Other conference home series are against Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Arkansas.

The Gamecocks make their first trip outside their home state March 25-27 when they play their first SEC road series at Florida. Like South Carolina, the Gators advanced to Omaha in 2010. Other conference road series are at Tennessee, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Alabama.

The SEC Baseball Tournament is May 25-29 in Hoover, AL.

The place to find authentic South Carolina baseball caps is Dugouthats.com. The Dugout has 16 different Gamecock caps to choose from. You can also still find plenty of officially licensed 2010 College World Series memorabilia and apparel to commemorate South Carolina’s 2010 national championship in the last CWS ever played at historic Rosenblatt Stadium.

Just click on any of the red links to find the best selection, including South Carolina Under Armour national championship shirts, at Dugouthats.com!

Clemson has unveiled its 2011 college baseball schedule. The Tigers open the season February 18-20 by hosting a three-game series with Eastern Michigan. They continue their five-game season-opening homestand with games against Cincinnati and Charleston Southern and then head to Greenville, SC for a February 27 game against Michigan State.

The Tigers have an early season series against their fiercest rival when they play three games against defending national champion South Carolina. The first game of the series is in Columbia on the Gamecocks’ home field, game two is in Greenville and the third game is at Clemson’s Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The series takes place March 4-6. South Carolina ended Clemson’s 2010 season with two wins over the Tigers to advance to the College World Series Championship Series. The South Carolina series starts a stretch of 15 of 21 games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams.

CLICK HERE to see the complete 2011 Clemson schedule.

Clemson opens ACC play by hosting Virginia March 11-13. Other conference home series are against Duke, Maryland, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech. Clemson hits the road in conference play to face North Carolina State, North Carolina, Boston College, Virginia Tech, and Florida State.

The Tigers play a total of 32 home games and 24 of their 55 scheduled games in 2011 against teams that advanced to the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

The ACC Baseball Tournament is May 25-29 in Durham, NC. The top eight teams in the conference advance to the tournament.

The place to find authentic Clemson baseball caps is Dugouthats.com. The Dugout has been selling officially licensed gear during the College World Series in Omaha for 15 years, and now you can find all the same great gear online at Dugouthats.com.

Pro Baseball Signee Prepares For Football Season…

He just signed a professional baseball contract with the Colorado Rockies, but Clemson’s Kyle Parker still as football to play this fall.  Parker helped the Clemson baseball team reach the College World Series this past year after helping the Tigers to a Music City Bowl win as the football team’s quarterback.  He is the first player in Division One history to throw 20 touchdown passes and hit 20 home runs in the same academic year.

Parker begins his second season as Clemson’s quarterback in 2010.  He will report to spring training next year.  In this exclusive interview with College Baseball 360’s Sean Stires Parker talks about his decision to sign with the Rockies, his CWS and Bowl experiences, whether or not he’ll play football again next year and more.

Parker

CLICK HERE to read the Q&A with Parker.

Authentic college baseball caps are hard to find, unless you know where to look.  Find the hat of your favorite college baseball team at The Dugout, where you can also still get College World Series t-shirts and more!

Clemson, SC — Clemson Head Coach Jack Leggett announced the addition of Bradley LeCroy to the baseball coaching staff.   LeCroy replaces Tom Riginos, who accepted the head-coaching job at Winthrop in early August. LeCroy will assume the role of recruiting coordinator along with hitters and outfielders coach.

Bradley LeCroy

LeCroy (pronounced luh-CROY) spent the past three seasons (2008-10) as Tennessee’s infielders coach and recruiting coordinator under Head Coach Todd Raleigh. Prior to his stint in Knoxville, LeCroy served under Raleigh at Western Carolina in 2006 and 2007. LeCroy was also a volunteer assistant at Clemson for three seasons from 2003-05 and was an assistant coach at Anderson College during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. In his 10 years as a coach, LeCroy has coached 37 players who went on to be drafted and 40 players who have signed professional baseball contracts.

“We are very excited to have Coach LeCroy return to Clemson,” said Leggett. “He has a long history of playing and coaching on very successful Clemson teams. He will be a great addition to our staff and will be valuable in many ways. His recruiting efforts and work ethic have been outstanding at each school he has been at as a coach. Success seems to follow him and I know our players will respond to his personality and knowledge of the game. He is one of the top recruiters in the country and he is very excited about his opportunity here at Clemson.”

During his tenure at Tennessee, LeCroy put together a pair of signing classes that ranked among the best in the nation. In 2008, his signing class was rated #28 in the country by Collegiate Baseball, then his 2009 signing class was ranked #14 in the nation by Baseball America.

Tennessee posted 67 home runs in 56 games in 2008, at the time the fifth-best mark in school history. A year later, he was a big reason the Volunteers slugged 87 long balls in just 55 games, good for the second-highest total in Tenneseee history. LeCroy also coached one of Tennessee’s best offensive players in history in Cody Hawn, who hit for the team Triple Crown in 2009 by totaling a .364 batting average, 22 home runs, and 81 RBIs.

LeCroy led Western Carolina’s offense to heights not seen in recent history. In 2007, the Catamounts were in the top 11 in the nation in runs per game, homers per game, slugging percentage, doubles per game, and batting average. Western Carolina had a 7-2 combined record against the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC in 2007 and had a school-record five players selected in the Major League draft. He also recruited, signed, and coached 2007 Southern Conference Player-of-the-Year Kenny Smith, who hit 20 homers with a .759 slugging percentage.

During the 2005 season, the last of his three years as the volunteer assistant at Clemson, LeCroy contributed to the Tigers’ third-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and a trip to the Waco (TX) Super Regional. He was a big reason Taylor Harbin had a stellar .974 fielding percentage along with 28 doubles, 10 homers, and 63 RBIs in earning second-team All-America honors as a freshman.

In 2004, the Tigers hit 73 home runs and 149 doubles. He coached Brad McCann to an All-America season, as the third-baseman hit .379 with 16 homers and 65 RBIs. The 2003 season was his first coaching at Clemson, his alma mater. The Tigers had a .326 batting average in ACC regular-season games, the best mark in the ACC by 19 points. LeCroy coached four all-conference players in 2003, all of which comprised the Tigers’ starting infield. Included in that list were underclassmen Brad McCann (3B) and Russell Triplett (SS). Seniors Michael Johnson (1B) and David Slevin (2B) also earned All-ACC honors as infielders in 2003.

LeCroy coached in the Valley League in 2003 as an assistant coach for the New Market Rebels in Virginia. The Rebels were the Valley League runnerup after compiling a 31-18 record. The 31 wins were a franchise record, while he coached eight all-stars on the Rebels’ squad. Included among those all-stars was Most Valuable Pitcher Phil Bartleski. LeCroy also worked closely with Kevin White, who was the league homer and RBI champion.

LeCroy was an assistant coach at nearby Anderson College in 2001 and 2002. In 2001, he coached David Mattox, who was drafted in the 11th round by the New York Mets and was named Minor League Pitcher-of-the-Year in the Mets’ organization in 2002. In 2002, the Trojans led the Division II ranks with 41 triples. LeCroy coached three all-conference players during his time at Anderson College.

During both summers of 2001 and 2002, he was the head coach of the Williamston (SC) American Legion team. Both teams played in the state legion playoffs.

LeCroy earned four letters at Clemson from 1997-00. He was a valuable utility player who hit .266 in 173 career games and 395 at-bats. He was the everyday starting shortstop on the 1999 team that came one inning from making it to the College World Series. LeCroy was the starting shortstop alongside Khalil Greene, who was the starting third-baseman on that 1999 squad. LeCroy was also a member of Clemson’s 2000 College World Series team and a member of four NCAA Tournament teams as a Tiger.

LeCroy, 32, earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Clemson in May of 2001. LeCroy was a three-sport star at nearby Walhalla (SC) High School, earning all-state honors in baseball, basketball, and football.

He was born Bradley James LeCroy on February 1, 1978 in Anderson, SC. He married the former Meredith Chandler on January 8, 2005. Meredith was a four-time letterwinner in tennis at Clemson from 1996-99.

(Clemson Release)

Turns Down Chance To Join Rockies…

Kyle Parker

Clemson two-sport standout Kyle Parker will remain a two-sport student-athlete for at least another year.  The quarterback/outfielder for the Clemson football and baseball teams will pass on the chance to become a big league baseball player to return to school this fall.

Parker was taken by the Colorado Rockies with the 26th pick of the first round of last month’s MLB draft, but he announced Wednesday that he will return to play football at Clemson for the 2010 fall season.

“I am excited about this decision,” Parker said.  “I am ready to get back to Clemson, work out with my football teammates and coaches and get ready for the season.”

Parker had set a midnight Tuesday deadline for the Rockies to agree to the $3 million signing bonus he was looking for, but the deadline came and went without a deal.  The MLB’s actual deadline for drafted players to negotiate with teams is August 16.

CLICK HERE to continue reading.