College Baseball 360 » Corky Palmer http://collegebaseball360.com baseball news, college baseball stats, sean stires, pete lafleur, college world series video, college baseball podcast, Fri, 14 Feb 2025 21:33:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.38 Corky Palmer Headed To Mississippi Sports Hall Of Fame http://collegebaseball360.com/corky-palmer-headed-to-mississippi-sports-hall-of-fame/ http://collegebaseball360.com/corky-palmer-headed-to-mississippi-sports-hall-of-fame/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:19:32 +0000 http://collegebaseball360.com/?p=13055

Former Southern Miss. Baseball Coach On New Induction Class…

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame announced today the 2011 induction class which includes former Southern Miss head baseball coach Corky Palmer.

Former USM head coach Corky Palmer (USM photo)

“I am very honored and humbled to be a member of such an elite fraternity of Mississippians,” Palmer said. “I consider this one of the highest honors in my career, right there with being named the head coach at Southern Miss and taking the Golden Eagles to Omaha in 2009. It is truly special to be inducted in your home state’s hall of fame.”

Palmer coached baseball at all levels for 32 years in the state of Mississippi, but is most remembered for turning his Alma Mater at Southern Miss into one of the nation’s elite programs.

In his 12 years at the helm of the Golden Eagles, Palmer amassed a 458-281-1 record while guiding Southern Miss to eight NCAA Regionals, including each of his final seven seasons. It was also Palmer who guided Southern Miss to the 2009 College World Series, one of the most memorable events in the history of Southern Miss athletics.

Joining Palmer in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame 2011 induction class is former Southern Miss punter Jerrel Wilson, who is the only punter in NFL history to led league in punting average four times. In his fourteen-year pro career he played more games in a Kansas City Chiefs/Dallas Texans uniform than any other player in franchise history. He was selected by Pro Football Hall of Fame to All-Time AFL team.

The other members of the induction class includes: Jeff Brantley, Con Maloney, Rita Easterling, and Mike Kinnison.

The six will be enshrined at the 49th annual BancorpSouth Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Weekend on July 29-30, 2011.

(USM Release)

]]> http://collegebaseball360.com/corky-palmer-headed-to-mississippi-sports-hall-of-fame/feed/ 0 Around The Bases-May 19 http://collegebaseball360.com/around-the-bases-may-19/ http://collegebaseball360.com/around-the-bases-may-19/#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 19:30:13 +0000 http://collegebaseball360.com/?p=9364

College Baseball Thoughts Heading Into The Season’s Home Stretch

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

The “weekend” starts early this week.  With most conference tournaments starting next Tuesday and Wednesday the start of the last week of most conference regular season series will start this Thursday instead of Friday.  In fact, so many conferences are starting on Thursday this week (ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big East to name a few) the Big 12 is about the only conference that is sticking with its regular Friday, Saturday, Sunday schedule.

Peter O'Brien

The MEAC starts its tournament this Thursday.  It would be a major upset if Bethune-Cookman doesn’t win the championship.  The top-seeded Wildcats (32-18, 18-0) are one of just two teams in the six-team field with a winning record (North Carolina A&T at 25-23 overall & 15-3 in league play is the other).  BC’s Peter O’Brien leads the MEAC and is tied for fourth in the nation with 19 home runs.

What happened to Portland? Just two weeks ago the Pilots were the nation’s feel good story heading into a home series with West Coast Conference leader San Diego.  Winners of 11 straight heading into that showdown, they had a chance to make a case for at least an at-large NCAA berth and an outside chance to claim the WCC title.  All that is gone now though.  After being swept by San Diego, Portland (31-16) lost a mid-week game to Washington State and was swept again last weekend by San Francisco.  That’s seven straight losses heading into Wednesday’s (5/18) home game vs. Oregon.  Ben Roethlisberger has about as much of a chance at being named Georgia’s Man of the Year as Portland now has to get an NCAA bid.

What happened to the Big Ten? A year ago at this time there were three Big Ten teams that had a legitimate chance to receive an NCAA bid, and that’s how many bids the league ended-up with.  Ohio State, Minnesota and Indiana all went to regionals, while Illinois just missed out after the Hoosiers won the conference tournament.  There won’t be three bids for the Big Ten this year though.  All ten teams are still in contention for the six spots in the conference tournament, but only the tourney winner will be NCAA bound this year.  Minnesota (25-27, 13-8) leads the conference, while Michigan State (32-17, 10-11) has the best overall record, but sits in a four-way tie for fifth place

Retiring head coach Bob Todd (OSU photo)

heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

Speaking of Ohio State…The Buckeyes have to be the biggest disappointment in the conference.  OSU returned the conference Player and Pitcher of the Year (Dan Burkhart and Alex Wimmers, respectively) from last year’s regular season championship team, but they have floundered their way to a 27-21 overall mark, including 10-11 in conference play.  And if head coach Bob Todd was hoping for a “Corky Palmer effect” by announcing his retirement it hasn’t worked.  Palmer’s Southern Mississippi squad ran a hot streak all the way to Omaha after he announced his retirement before season’s end last year, but Todd’s Buckeyes have gone 3-4 with series losses to Illinois and Iowa since he announced his impending retirement on May 5.

Tony Thompson (KU photo)

Kansas finds itself in a rough situation this weekend. As they head into this weekend’s regular season ending series with Oklahoma, most current bracket projections have the Jayhawks (31-21 DI record, #54 NCAA RPI) staying home for the NCAA Tournament.  A look at the stats shows this year’s team is not much different than last year’s team that finished 39-24 after playing at the Chapel Hill Regional.  This year’s respective team batting average and ERA of .303 and 5.15 are pretty similar to the 2009 marks of .301 and 4.46.  The biggest difference appears to be the absence of the big bat Tony Thompson provided when he won the Big 12’s first triple crown by hitting .389 with 21 home runs and 82 RBIs.  He was one of two Jayhawks to hit double-digit dingers last year, but so far no KU player has reached even 10 long balls in 2010.  Thompson fractured his left knee cap before the season started, and he hasn’t been able to fully regain his form in the 33 games he’s played since his return to the field.  Thompson is batting a respectable .325, but has just five home runs with 35 RBIs.  He also hasn’t seen as many pitches to hit this year.  After walking 21 times in 61 games and 247 at-bats as a sophomore, the junior has drawn 19 free passes in just 126 ABs this season.

]]> http://collegebaseball360.com/around-the-bases-may-19/feed/ 0 Top College Baseball Moments Of 2009 #4 http://collegebaseball360.com/top-college-baseball-moments-of-2009-4/ http://collegebaseball360.com/top-college-baseball-moments-of-2009-4/#comments Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:00:22 +0000 http://collegebaseball360.com/?p=2357

Southern Mississippi Sweeps Florida To Go To Omaha

(With the end of the year fast approaching, we’re counting down some of the top moments from the 2009 college baseball season.  We’ll have one a day through New Year’s Eve.)

Wasn’t the story good enough when Southern Mississippi won the Atlanta Regional?  The Golden Eagles were already the only #3 seed to win a 2009 Regional after beating Elon once and then taking two of three games from Georgia Tech on the Yellow Jacket’s home field to advance to the program’s first ever Super Regional.

Corky Palmer

Did I mention the fact that USM head coach Corky Palmer had announced his retirement just a month before that Regional title?    “This season we will keep working as hard as we can and to accomplish as much as we can,” Palmer said at the press conference to announce his impending retirement.  ” We’ve had two great wins against East Carolina and Ole Miss in the last two games, and we’ll continue to be competitive the rest of the year.”  What an understatement that turned out to be.

Southern Miss became one of three Conference USA teams to make a 2009 Super Regional (along with Rice and East Carolina).  Who could have predicted that Corky’s corps of relative unknowns would be the last C-USA team standing on college baseball’s biggest stage?

Here’s a look at how Southern Mississippi beat #8 National Seed Florida in the Gainesville Super Regional:

June 6: Game one started at 3:05 in the afternoon and Southern Miss. struck first.  Freshman B.A. Vollmuth, who was one of named the Atlata Regional’s Most Outstanding Player a week earlier, started the scoring in the top of the 2nd with his 4th postseason home run.  Corey Stevens gave USM another run in the 3rd on a sac fly.  Then the rain came.

A one hour delay was not good for Golden Eagles starting pitcher J.R. Ballinger, who was named to the Atlanta All- Regional team as well.  Ballinger gave up four runs (just one of them earned) in the bottom of the 3rd and exited with his team trailing 4-2.   The lead changed twice over the next two innings until Southern Miss. put a four spot on the

Collin Cargill

board in the top of the 6th inning to go up 9-6.

Jonathon Johnston gave-up just one hit in 3 2/3 scoreless innings to make sure his team would not give-up the lead again and then Collin Cargill earned his 12th save of the season (despite giving-up a 9th inning run) to finish-off the stunning 9-7 win.

Both teams managed 12 hits and one home run in the game.  It was the fourth time in five NCAA Tournament game that the Golden Eagles rapped-out at least 12 hits.

June 7: Southern Mississippi was the designated home team for game two, but it looked early on like it wasn’t going to be their day.  Florida jumped-out to a 6-1 lead through the first three innings.  USM ace Jeff McInnis was roughed-up for all 6 runs in 5 IP.

The Golden Eagles chipped at the lead by scoring two runs in the 4th and adding another in the 5th inning to make it a 6-4 game.   That was the score when USM batted in the bottom of the 8th.

Southern Miss. rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the inning.  USM had tied the score 6-6 and had runners at first and third with one out.  Adam Doleac scored on a ground ball hit by Tyler Koelling after Joey Archer was forced out at second base.  Koelling had to beat the relay throw to first to avoid an inning-ending double play.

Doleac was only in the game because he had entered the game in the clean-up spot after Corey Stevens was ejected from the game after a collision with Florida catcher Buddy Munroe.

B.A. Vollmuth

The bullpen came-up big again for Southern Miss.  Scott Copeland tossed 3 shutout innings and then Cargill induced a double play to end the game and send the Golden Eagles to the school’s first College World Series.  “Their bullpen again did a heck of a job,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said afterward. ” We had a solid game plan going against their starter, but once again their bullpen put up six-straight zeroes on the scoreboard.”

In the two Super Regional games the USM bullpen pitched gave-up just 3 runs on 8 hits in 10 innings of work.  Cargill saved both games to run his season total to 13.

“It’s been a great ride,” Palmer said after the Super Regional win.  “I don’t know what happened three weeks ago but those seniors bonded and we just grew up each week. We’ve earned everything that we have got. We had great relief pitching and Joey (Archer) got the big hit. This is quite an accomplishment for our school to go to Omaha. Seven-straight regionals are nothing to sneeze at but to take this step to Omaha will do wonders for our program.”

Palmer’s retirement would have to wait.

CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast interview with Southern Mississippi’s B.A. Vollmuth.

Other Top Moments Of 2009

5.  The Texas vs. Boston College 25-inning Game

6.  Andrew Darr Comes Off The Bench & Comes Up Big For Arkansas

7.  Virginia Beats Stephen Strasburg In Irvine Regional Opener

8.  Washington State And Gonzaga End Long NCAA Tournament Droughts

9.  Cal Poly Gets Its First NCAA Tournament Bid

10.  Kansas’ Field of Dreams: Kansas, Kansas State & Wichita State All Get NCAA Bids

11.  Stephen Strasburg Strikes out 17 in a no hitter

12.  Ohio State’s Alex Wimmers No-hits Michigan

13.  Kansas Sweeps #1 Texas

14.  Bryce Brentz Has An April To Remember

15.  Clemson’s Kyle Parker Does Double Duty

16.  #1 Arkansas Beats #1 Arizona State

17.  Rhode Island Beats Miami And Oklahoma State

18.  Kansas State’s A.J. Morris beats Arizona State’s Mike Leake

19.  North Carolina’s Mike Fox Wins His 1,000th Game

20.  Illinois Shocks #1 LSU In Baton Rouge

21.  Alabama’s Kent Matthes Launches Longballs

22.  Freshman Levi Michael Starts In North Carolina’s Season Opener

23.  LSU Opens The New Alex Box Stadium

24.  Oregon Brings Back Baseball

]]> http://collegebaseball360.com/top-college-baseball-moments-of-2009-4/feed/ 0 Podcast Interview With Southern Mississippi’s B.A. Vollmuth http://collegebaseball360.com/podcast-interview-with-b-a-vollmuth/ http://collegebaseball360.com/podcast-interview-with-b-a-vollmuth/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:05:42 +0000 http://collegebaseball360.com/?p=496

VollheadshotVollmuthThe Southern Mississippi shortstop had a whirlwind first year as a college baseball player.  First he helped the Golden Eagles to their first College World Series, and then he was named a Cape Cod League All-Star over the summer as a member of the Falmouth Commodores.

Vollmuth talks with Sean Stires about his CWS and Cape Cod experiences as well as his former and new head coaches, Corky Palmer and Scott Berry, respectively.   He also talks about USM’s plan to keep things going in 2010.

6’4 – 200 – So. – Biloxi, MS     Head Coach: Scott Berry

]]> http://collegebaseball360.com/podcast-interview-with-b-a-vollmuth/feed/ 0 Southern Mississippi Baseball Team To Be Honored Saturday http://collegebaseball360.com/southern-mississippi-baseball-team-to-be-honored-saturday/ http://collegebaseball360.com/southern-mississippi-baseball-team-to-be-honored-saturday/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:59:23 +0000 http://collegebaseball360.com/?p=429

SouthernMiss2009 College World Series Team to be Honored at Halftime Saturday

The team will be presented with their championship rings after winning the NCAA Atlanta Regional and NCAA Gainesville Super Regional.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – All 25 members of the 2009 College World Series Baseball team are expected to be back in Hattiesburg Saturday and will be recognized at halftime during the Memphis football game.

The 2009 team led by now retired coach Corky Palmer went on a magical run to close the 2009 campaign winning the school first regional and super regional before advancing to the mecca of college baseball, Omaha, Nebraska for the College World Series.

The team finished with a No. 8 final ranking and a 40-26 record in the most successful season of any sport in Southern Miss athletics history.

Included in the halftime ceremony will be a video tribute of the historic 2009 season and the introduction of each member of the team and coaching staff.

The Golden Eagles advanced to their seventh consecutive NCAA Regional where they toppled heavily favored Georgia Tech to win the schools first NCAA Regional. Southern Miss opened the tournament with a shootout 17-15 win over No. 22 Elon before defeating the No. 13 ranked Yellow Jackets twice on their home field in three tries.

The Golden Eagles continued on to face No. 9 Florida in the Gainesville Super Regional where Southern Miss came from behind in both games to defeat the home standing Gators, including a three run eighth inning in the decisive game two for a 7-6 victory that sent Southern Miss to Omaha.

(Courtesy Press Release)

]]> http://collegebaseball360.com/southern-mississippi-baseball-team-to-be-honored-saturday/feed/ 0 Tuesday College World Series Thoughts http://collegebaseball360.com/tuesday-college-world-series-thoughts/ http://collegebaseball360.com/tuesday-college-world-series-thoughts/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:47:52 +0000 http://collegebaseball360.com/?p=244

Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires shares some College World Series thoughts…

  • How important is it to win your first round game in Omaha? Since the CWS began in 1947 just ten teams have lost their first game and gone on to capture the national championship.
  • Since 1980 just Oregon St. in 2006, USC in 1998 and the 1980 Arizona teams lost their first round game in Omaha and then claimed national titles.
  • Could Southern Mississippi head coach Corky Palmer have picked a better time to retire?  USM can never match what Palmer’s team did with its run to Omaha over the last three weeks, and Palmer would only be chasing a golden carrott if he weren’t retiring.  Just like George Costanza…Corky’s leaving on a high note.
  • If you don’t believe how tough it is for a Cinderella to return to Omaha see: Fresno State which went 0-2 in the Irvine Regional this year after winning last year’s title.  There are others: Louisville-2007, Arizona-2004, Southwest Mo. State-2003, Notre Dame-2002, San Jose St.-2000.  Getting to Omaha raises the expectation level of a program, but those expectations are seldom met in most cases.
  • Speaking of Southern Mississippi, great shot by ESPN of USM players scooping dirt from behind home plate to take home some Omaha dirt in paper cups and Gatorade bottles after Tuesday’s 11-4 loss (and elimination) to North Carolina.
  • When the new CWS stadium is built downtown in two years will Zesto’s bring its ice cream along?
  • Also, when the stadium’s downtown will outfield tickets still be sold as general admission seating?  If so, where will fans stand in line to get in? Fans currently stand in lone serpentine lines that go down the hill beyond the Rosenblatt outfield area.  The new stadium will have just a small parking lot and a sidewalk in those same locations.  Will they close off the street beyond right field?
  • LSU scored eight of its nine runs in Monday’s win over Arkansas with two outs. Coming into the CWS, the Tigers had just ten 2-out RBIs in five previous NCAA Tournament games.
  • After Monday’s win over Arkansas, LSU is now 35-3 this season when a right-hand pitcher starts.
  • With its 2-0 start, LSU now waits until Friday afternoonto play either Virginia or LSU.  I know the steaks in Omaha are good, and the pitching will be rested, but three days in between games at the most important time of the year is just too much.

]]> http://collegebaseball360.com/tuesday-college-world-series-thoughts/feed/ 0 Pre-Day Two CWS Thoughts http://collegebaseball360.com/pre-day-two-cws-thoughts/ http://collegebaseball360.com/pre-day-two-cws-thoughts/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:39:57 +0000 http://collegebaseball360.com/?p=240

Yesterday was a day for mostly “big boys” with LSU, Fullerton, Arkansas, and Virginia all in action. Arkansas and Virginia have just three trips to the CWS between them in the last ten years (and obviously this is UVA’s first trip), but they’re still from power conferences.

Three more “big boy” teams are in action today, but Cinderella makes steps up to center stage tonight when Southern Mississippi plays #1 Texas. (North Carolina and Arizona State play the matinee). Some thoughts on today’s action…

  • As of last night, we still had not heard who Texas will start tonight. Fullerton went with Noe Ramirez over Daniel Renken, and now Dave Serrano’s team is in a Monday elimination game vs. Virginia. Will that decision make it that much easier for Augie Garrido to go with Chance Ruffin if he was even thinking about anyone else?
  • Southern Mississippi starting pitchers have made it past the fifth inning just once in their six NCAA Tournament games, but the Golden Eagles are still 5-1 and in Omaha.  Their offense has scored 8.8 runs a game to counter the lack of pitching longevity. (Remind you of a team from California last year?)
  • Seriously, isn’t it cool to have a head coach named Corky Palmer in the CWS?
  • Speaking of starting pitching, as of last night ASU’s Pat Murphy still hadn’t announced his starter for today’s game vs. North Carolina.   If it’s not Pac 10 Pitcher of the Year Mike Leake (16-1, 1.36 ERA, 150 K), I’ll go sun bathe with Sparky in the left field bleachers (trust me, you don’t want to see that).
  • The last time Mike Fox and North Carolina failed to make it to the College World Series was 2005 when his Tar Heels were eliminated by Paul Mainieri’s Notre Dame team at the Gainesville, FL Regional. The Florida team that won that regional went on to finish as the national runner-up with a loss to Texas in the CWS Championship Series.
  • As noted last night, LSU used all three of its weekend starter in its opening win over Virginia.   SEC Pitcher of the Year Louis Coleman pitched just an inning, and with a day off Sunday, it was essentially a bullpen workout on a big stage. Mainieri says he and Austin Ross will still make their next scheduled starts.
  • The crowds inside and outstide Rosenblatt Stadium as well as on the streets and in the press box itself were enormous yesterday. I don’t think I’ve seen as many people here.  I wonder how much that fact that Rosenblatt’s days are numbered (along with LSU and Texas as well as homeboy Brian O’Connor being here) have to do with it?

You ready for day two?

]]> http://collegebaseball360.com/pre-day-two-cws-thoughts/feed/ 0 Wrapping-Up Super Regionals-More CWS Thoughts http://collegebaseball360.com/wrapping-up-super-regionals-more-cws-thoughts/ http://collegebaseball360.com/wrapping-up-super-regionals-more-cws-thoughts/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:17:58 +0000 http://collegebaseball360.com/?p=223

The TCU-Texas game is just starting.  It’s the only Super Regional game remaining. Who would have thought that just two of the eight series would go the distance?  Here are a few random thoughts on some of what we saw this weekend…

  • Maybe Southern Mississippi’s Corky Palmer has the key to career success figured out: Announce your retirement.  Palmer made the announcement in April that his 12th season as head coach would be his last.  Instead of a gift certificate for an early bird special, Palmer’s team’s retirement present is a trip to Omaha.
  • I’ve always said that in sports (and really life in general) you always get a chance, and then it’s up to you to make the most of it.

Exhibit A-Palmer’s clean-up batter, Corey Stevens (.329, 8 HR, 58 RBIs) was tossed from Sunday’s decisive Super Regional game vs. Florida with his team trailing 6-4.  Stevens’ replacement in the clean-up spot, Adam Doleac (.286, 0HR, 7 RBIs),  lined a ball through the right side to load the bases.  It set-up Joey Archer’s 2-run, 2-out hit to tie the score 6-6.

Exhibit B-Arkansas’ Adrew Darr hadn’t started a game for the Razorbacks since March, but head coach Dave Van Horn had him in the line-up Saturday in the Hogs’ Super Regional clincher vs. Florida State.  Darr responded by going 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles and 3 RBIs, including a walk-off 2-run double to send the Razorbacks to Omaha for the first time since 2004.

  • Not So Super…After losing that game to Arkansas, Florida State is now just 3-3 in Super Regional Series played in Tallahassee.  The Seminoles are now just 3-6 all-time in Super Regionals.
  • The Real Rudy…You’re going to hear more about Arizona State freshman Johnny Ruettiger during the College World Series. He’s the nephew of Dan “Rudy” Ruettiger, the former Notre Dame football walk-on that prompts every opposing fan of any ND athletic team (from football to fencing) to derisively chant Rudy at every Irish player.  Like “Rudy”, Johnny is from Joliet, and his intensity reminds me more of another former Irish football player, linebacker Mike Goolsby, who also hailed from Jake and Elwood’s home town.  Johnny is faster than either his uncle or Goolsby, and he’s hitting .356 in 87 at-bats with 12 stolen bases.
  • Speaking of Arizona State, do you think head coach Pat Murphy has ever actually called his Australian pitcher, Josh Spence, a “beautiful kid” to his face the way he did multiple times during his mid-game dugout interview during Sunday night’s telecast?
  • Speaking of the mid-game dugout interview with a team’s head coach/manager (depending on whether it’s a college or pro game), hasn’t it jumped the shark?  I like the one during the WCWS when the Washington softball coach responded “Score runs, win the game”, when asked what her team needed to do to win.
  • Speaking of broadcasts, this gem by Keith Moreland at the end of a North Carolina-East Carolina game on the ESPN family might be my all-time favorite bit of wisdom from a color analyst: “Good pitching always beats good hitting…most of the time.” That’s rates right up there with “Sixty percent of the time it works every time.”-Paul Rudd as Brian Fantana in Anchorman-The Legend of Ron Burgandy.
  • Speaking of broadcasts pt. 2…I think Dave Ryan, who’s doing the Texas-TCU game tonight is becoming my favorite college baseball TV play-by-play guy.  Good blend of enthusiasm & facts.  He used to do too much reciting of the media guide & random “nuggets” early on. However, his partner tonight, Eric Young, is not on my short list of favorite analysts.  He has good information, but he’s tough to listen to. Young is far from dulcet, the Rutgers alum and former major leaguer is somewhere closer to Stephen A. Smith (in tone, not content).
  • Visigoths…really? Is that the best campaign Capital One can come-up with? Go Jaguars!

That’s it for now. I’ll have more later in the week when I’m in Omaha. My daughter’s been trying to fall asleep next to me for the last 45 minutes, and her elbow keeps jerking and hitting me in the arm while I’m trying to type.

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