http://collegebaseball360.com/schrage-named-baseball-coach-at-south-dakota-state/ http://collegebaseball360.com/schrage-named-baseball-coach-at-south-dakota-state/#comments Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:29:13 +0000 http://collegebaseball360.com/?p=22799

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Veteran college baseball coach Dave Schrage has been hired to take over the reins of the South Dakota State University baseball program, Athletic Director Justin Sell announced Tuesday.

Dave Schrage

“Dave Schrage’s familiarity with our recruiting area and his success in building programs like ours make him a tremendous addition to the Jackrabbit family,” Sell said. ” This was a very competitive search process which generated interest from a great pool of candidates from across the country.”

Schrage, who begins his duties Aug. 8, enters the 2012 season four wins away from reaching 600 for his career. In 23 seasons as a collegiate head coach, he has averaged more than 25 victories per season, including five campaigns with 32 or more wins. He has coached players who have earned all-conference honors 58 times and 38 of his former student-athletes have gone on to play professionally.

“I am very humbled and appreciative for this opportunity,” Schrage said. “I would like to thank the search committee, the staff, the head coaches, and especially Justin Sell for hiring me to lead the baseball program. I was so impressed with the quality of people when I visited campus. It is a great time to come to South Dakota State University. There is so much growth and excitement happening on campus. My family and I are looking forward to getting involved in the Brookings community and joining the Jackrabbit family.”

At South Dakota State, Schrage replaces Ritchie Price, who resigned on June 30 after three seasons to return to his alma mater, Kansas, as an assistant coach. Unlike many of his previous stops, Schrage inherits a winning program; SDSU has averaged 38 wins each of the past two seasons, tying the school record for wins with a 39-21 record in 2010, followed by a 37-20 mark in 2011. The Jackrabbits have advanced to the Summit League championship series three consecutive years.

“Coach (Reggie) Christiansen and coach Price did a super job building this program into a winner,” Schrage said. “I expect to keep that momentum going and reach even greater heights.”

Most recently, Schrage was head coach at Notre Dame for four seasons, leading the Fighting Irish to a 119-104-1 record from 2007-10. After posting a .500 record (28-28) his first season in South Bend, Schrage put Notre Dame back in contention for postseason play with a 33-21-1 record in 2008 and a 36-23 mark in 2009. The Fighting Irish led the BIG EAST Conference in fielding in both 2008 and 2009, while consistently ranking at or near the top in batting, on-base percentage and earned run average.

Schrage has previously found success at the mid-major level, including a four-year stint at Evansville (Ind.) from 2003-06, during which he guided the Purple Aces to a 130-108 record. Evansville improved its win total each of his four seasons, from 24 in 2003 to 43 in 2006. Schrage earned Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors for the third time in 2006 as Evansville won both the regular season and tournament conference titles, earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Purple Aces advanced all the way to the finals of the Charlottesville Regional, knocking off host Virginia before falling to South Carolina in the championship.

A Chicago native, Schrage directed a dramatic turnaround in his home state during a three-year run at Northern Illinois from 2000-02. After inheriting a team that was 4-51 the year before he arrived, Schrage’s squad turned in a 20-game improvement with a 24-33 record in his first season and then led the Huskies to a winning season in 2001 with a 28-27 overall mark. He was named runner-up for National Coach of the Year by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper in 2000.

Schrage began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant under his predecessor at Notre Dame, Paul Mainieri, at St. Thomas University (Fla.) in 1984. He later returned to his alma mater, Creighton University (Neb.), as an assistant coach for two seasons.

From 1986-87, Schrage coached the Queensland Rams club team in Brisbane, Australia, before returning stateside as he gained his first head coaching job at Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa. From 1988-90 he led the junior college program to a 61-66 mark.

Schrage then spent nine seasons as head coach at the University of Northern Iowa, where he was named Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1997. His teams improved from two league victories in UNI’s first season in the MVC in 1992 to 18 during the 1997 campaign.

As a collegiate player, Schrage was an all-conference outfielder at Creighton, batting .400 as a junior and .433 his senior season. He also was an Academic All-America honoree during his senior campaign in 1983, and graduated that spring with a bachelor of science degree in finance. Schrage was honored on the MVC’s Centennial Celebration baseball team and is the only person in league history to earn all-conference honors and be named MVC Coach of the Year in baseball.

THE SCHRAGE FILE
* at Waldorf College (Iowa): 61-66 record in three seasons (1988-90)
* at Northern Iowa: 211-292 in nine seasons (1991-99)
* at Northern Illinois: 75-92 in three seasons (2000-02)
* at Evansville (Ind.): 130-108 in four seasons (2003-06)
* at Notre Dame (Ind.): 119-104-1 in four seasons (2007-10)

Career Totals: 596-662-1 in 23 seasons

(Release)

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Perseverance Pays For Fifth-Year Senior…

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Eleven games, no starts, 10 at-bats, three hits, and four runs scored. That stat line was the sum of Notre Dame’s Herman Petzold after four years as a reserve infielder under the Golden Dome.

Herman Petzold was 5-for-12 last week after going 3-for-10 in his first four years combined.

All that changed in one swing of the bat on the second day of the 2011 season. It was a moment that would knock a huge self-imposed chip off Petzold’s shoulder, but it was also a moment that almost never happened.

Petzold and his teammates were trailing Purdue 2-0 in the top of the third inning on day two of the Big East/Big Ten Challenge. He was in the starting line-up for the second straight day (and second time in his career) under new Irish head coach Mik Aoki.

The fifth-year senior stepped to the plate with the bases loaded, but quickly found himself down in the count 0-2. Petzold stroked the next pitch into the gap in left centerfield. Matt Scioscia scored, Alex Robinson crossed the plate and Mick Doyle scurried all the way around from first base to touch home as well. Petzold was thrown out at third base trying to stretch his double into a triple, but by then it didn’t matter. His 3-run double propelled his team to a record-setting 19-2 victory while unleashing four years of frustration at the same time.

At the end of his first three career starts, Petzold had batted .417 (5-for-12) with two doubles, three runs scored and a team-high five RBIs to help his team to a 2-1 record and land a spot on the Big East/Big Ten Challenge All-Tournament Team. A career in one weekend, but it’s only half the story. The real story was the fact that Petzold was even on the Irish roster, let alone in the starting line-up in 2011.

When Mik Aoki became the head coach at Notre Dame last July an email to announce his hire was sent to all the players on the team roster, but that roster didn’t include the name Herman Petzold. The infielder from St. Clair Shores, MI had used his four years of eligibility under former Irish head coach Dave Schrage, and there was little reason to believe a little used reserve would come back for a fifth year.

Mik Aoki took over at Notre Dame on July 13, 2010 after four years at Boston College.

Petzold had other plans. He sent Aoki an email urging him to let him return for one more season.

“I think two things (in the email) were clear,” Aoki said. “One was that he loved Notre Dame and that he cared for his teammates here. The other was that he had been less than thrilled with his personal experience with the baseball program.”

That’s where the chip came in. Fifth-year seniors in college baseball are rare, but most guys who do come back have been daily contributors, maybe had an injury along the way, but hadn’t quite done enough to get drafted. Petzhold was a walk-on who had played in 11 games from 2007-2010, but that never kept him from thinking he should have been on the field.

“I got the sense the first time I spoke with him that he absolutely thought that he should have been playing,” said Aoki. “He absolutely thought he hadn’t gotten a fair shake, and I’m not here to tell you whether he did or not.  He’s a polite kid, he’s a good kid, but there’s no question he had a chip on his shoulder.”

Petzold does not disagree about that boulder sized chip lodged on his 5’10 frame after watching from the bench as his team went 119-104-1 over his first four seasons in South Bend.

“I’d be lying to say that I didn’t (have one),” he said.  “Ideally you don’t want to have that, you know give off that aura of attitude. I guess it’s just in my nature. To sit through four years of up and down and inconsistent ball clubs and not have an opportunity to help out was very frustrating.”

To convince his new coach to allow him to come back, the double major in finance and mathematics gave Aoki some tangible evidence to go on. Petzold had been named an All-Star in the Coastal Plains Summer League after his junior year in 2009. He followed that with a solid 2010, batting .284 with a home run, 23 RBIs and 26 runs in 48 games and 176 at-bats for the Florence Redwolves.

Those numbers drew interest from Division II coaches who talked to Petzold about transferring to use his last year of eligibility. The numbers also piqued Aoki’s curiosity in the kid who wasn’t on his roster.

“One of the things that intrigued me is that Coastal Plains Leauge is a good league,” said Aoki.  “The fact that Herm for two years in a row produced at a pretty high level in the Coastal Plains League… I just felt like there must be something there.”

So Aoki made Petzold an offer. He could come back for fall workouts to give the new staff a chance to see him and evaluate his play.

“I told him I’ll be honest with you, and if that means it’s a truth you don’t want to hear and I don’t think you’re good enough for us I’ll tell you that,” said the former Boston College head coach.  “If I think you are good enough I’ll tell you that too, and if it’s someplace in the middle, then you have a decision to make. The way it worked out, it was somewhere in the middle.”

Petzhold's play with the Florence Redwolves in the Coastal Plains League helped convince Mik Aoki to give him a shot last fall.

Based on that evaluation, Petzold could either stay at Notre Dame for the 2011 season or move on for one season at a DII program. Petzold had those same kind of DII offers coming out of high school, but this was Notre Dame and this was his team. After four years as a reserve infielder, he spent the fall working in the outfield. There were still no guarantees, but by the time fall camp closed Aoki told Petzold he had a shot.

“Really what I told him at the end of the fall was, listen, I don’t know ultimately how it’s going to shake out, but if I had to project it at this point and time (in October) I can tell you that I think you’ll take on a more significant role than you have at any point prior to this year,” said Aoki.

Aoki couldn’t put a tangible number of at-bats or games on the table, but he felt like Petzold’s bat fit into what the new staff was looking for. He kept putting up quality at-bats when the team began practice in January and found himself in the starting line-up for the first time in his career when the Irish opened the season against Michigan State last week in Dunedin, FL.

“After the fall working with the new staff I felt a better bond. I’m happy with my decision,” Petzold said after his big opening weekend.

It’s still early and it’s only three games, but Petzold says his three starts and what came with them have been worth the four year wait. “Absolutely,” he said. “I’m looking forward to trying to turn the program around this year and being a big part of that.”

Petzold says he’s not the only one to benefit from the fresh slate provided by Aoki and his new staff.

“Watching the team and seeing the team interacting, there’s just more fun being had. The energy level’s higher and you can tell people are a lot more confident too. In the past there was just not that much confidence. People didn’t believe in one another. When you have that kind of chemistry and belief in one another it’s really something special.”

Aoki said Petzold’s bond with his team is something that has been obvious since that first email.

“I think he wanted to come back, because he has a real affinity for his teammates. He had been with them for four years and just wanted to stick it out to the end.”

Three starts, five hits in 12 at-bats, and five RBIs. Numbers from three games that eclipse the stats and frustrations of four years. That chip has the fifth-year senior off to a good start, but that’s just what it is- a start. Both player and coach agree there are many more games to be played this season.

“He’s earned the opportunity he has right now, and he certainly took advantage of it this past weekend,” said Aoki. “That’s going to extend him some more rope and hopefully he takes advantage of it the whole year. If that chip is the gasoline that’s gonna keep the thing burning and he’s gonna be a good player for us all year, then great I hope he has a chip on his shoulder the whole time.”

“Every blind squirrel finds a nut,” added Petzold. “It’s a long season.”

Maybe the squirrel just took a chunk out of that chip.

Press play below to listen to Petzold’s interview with Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires.

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In college athletics few names, if any, are as recognizable as Notre Dame. In college baseball no name lives by itself such as Omaha. For Mik Aoki, his goal is to reunite one of the sporting world’s most prominent names with college baseball’s ultimate destination.

On July 13, Aoki became the 20th head coach in Notre Dame baseball history. In his first press conference as the Irish skipper, nearly right off the bat Aoki touched on the Notre Dame name, and the goal of getting to Omaha.

Mik Aoki

“I think that this is a place that arguably, Notre Dame is the biggest brand name in college athletics, and one of the best academic institutions in the country,” said Aoki. “I feel that that model is one that can help us get back to Omaha.”

Getting back to Omaha is not a simple task for the Irish. Since the NCAA went to the current 64-team tournament field, Notre Dame’s 2002 College World Series appearance is the only trip to Omaha a “Northern” program has made. While the Irish were able to overcome the odds nearly a decade ago, times are not what they once were in South Bend.

That College World Series appearance came in the middle of a grand era in Notre Dame baseball. With Paul Mainieri at the helm, the Irish appeared in NCAA Regional action every season from 1999-2006, hosting Regionals in ‘99, ‘01, ’02, and ‘04. The end of the eight-year tournament run, would coincide with Mainieri’s exit as the coach took over at LSU. In Mainieri’s 12 seasons from ’95-06 the Irish won 71 percent of their games, going 533-213-3.

With Mainieri leaving town, seemingly so to did Notre Dame’s existence in the national spotlight. As Dave Schrage followed as the next Irish coach, the college baseball community knew the mighty shoes Mainieri left would be hard to fill, however few saw the fortunes that would lie ahead for the Irish.

After a 28-28 record in Schrage‘s first season, Notre Dame would improve the next two, going 33-21-1, and 36-23. With the number of wins increasing over the previous two seasons, expectations were high for Notre Dame in 2010. In a season where the faithful expected the Regional drought to end, it would be another streak that ended, a more ominous one.

What unfolded was a 22-32 season as Notre Dame finished sub-.500 for the first time since 1987, so long ago that no current Notre Dame baseball player was yet to be born. After going 119-104-1 in four seasons Schrage was relinquished of his duties, opening the door for Aoki.

Aoki knows the task in front of him. He knows that at Notre Dame the expectations are high and his results will not fly under the radar as was the case during his previous stop. At Boston College, where Aoki spent six seasons, the college was in the heart of a heavy professional sports metropolitan.

At Notre Dame being affiliated with a major university and premiere athletic department comes raised expectations and a brighter magnification. The raised stakes did everything but shy Aoki away from taking the job.

“I think that was part of the attraction of this job,” said Aoki. “I think that in the way that it’s supported, the name brand of Notre Dame, the tradition, and the very recent tradition that this place has, I really truly believe that this program is capable of competing at a national level, at a very high level, a Omaha-type level… I think of this being an Omaha-type program.”

“It’s not a pressure, it’s something I embrace about the program,” Aoki added. Aoki points to the potential that the Notre Dame program has as one of, if not the most influential aspect of his decision to take the job.

“When you look across the Midwest and the Northeast, there are only a handful of programs that you can truly say are Omaha-type programs. I would not have left Boston College, which I think is a great place that I truly loved being at, I would not have left that situation to come to anything short of what I think Notre Dame represents and the potential Notre Dame has.”

Part of what Notre Dame represents is a strong, passionate, and loyal fan base. Discussing his short time at Notre Dame Aoki speaks highly of those around him. While Aoki knew of the expectations to win, the infinite potential the program has, and past success, the amount of support the program receives and realizing the attention paid to the program, exceeded any expectations he had of his new job.

“The one thing that did exceed my expectations was the level of interest in Notre Dame baseball and Notre Dame athletics in particular,” said Aoki.

“Obviously the interest the people have in the football program goes without saying, but I think it extends beyond football to all of the sports at Notre Dame, and certainly baseball is included. That part of it is something I really have not been at a place where the people are as locked in on things as they are here.”

What did happen in Boston was that Aoki was able to turnaround a dormant program in a very difficult ACC. For that to be the case in the Big East for Notre Dame, Aoki alludes to two tasks he and his staff are working to improve.

“There is talent on this team, however I think the talent level is thin. Number one obviously we have to do a good job recruiting players, then secondly, we have to do a really good job of developing player.”

Often when the development of a player is read about, asked of, or discussed, the mind thinks of bigger, stronger, and faster. For Notre Dame and Aoki the development goes beyond physical measurables and starts with the mind being right.

“The big thing from a mindset standpoint is for our players to feel like baseball is the best part of their day again. I think that has been lost for some of the guys in the program. That its fun and that its something that is definitely worth the time, the effort, the extra hours that they’re going to need to put in to be the type of program that gets back to Omaha.”

Mentioning that he feels that a little of the passion for the game of baseball has gone adrift among his players, Aoki and his staff are making it a concerted effort to make sure that America’s pastime is enjoyable.

“I think we need to do a good job as a coaching staff of coaching them and coaching them hard, but making sure that we’re sending a really positive message to them and that they have fun,” spoke Aoki.

“Because when you boil it all down it’s just a stinking game you know. It should be something that is fun, and in my opinion it should be something that is a hell of a lot better than figuring out calculus derivatives or something like that. I like to think they look forward to practice, the challenge, and the journey of making themselves better players.

So far Aoki feels his message is getting to his players.

“By and large I think our kids have done a really good job of trying to buy into what we’re selling of working and getting back to having some fun while we’re playing and practicing, and working at getting better.”

Making sure fun is evident in the game of his players is a staple Aoki hopes sticks with his program. But do not mistake installing joy and passion in the game as a substitute for working hard and competing relentlessly.

“We talk to our guys all the time that regardless of who you’re playing, whether it’s a big-name team like Florida or Texas, or a lesser known team in a non-conference game, that we’re going to play it the same way,” said the coach.

As Aoki digs in and is ready to turn the tide for the Blue and Gold, he expects that a program with his fingerprints is going to work hard, be mentally tough, and compete with pride day in and day out.

“Those are the three biggest things… compete like crazy, work like crazy, and have some fun while doing it.”

And if all of those things come together?

“I think the sky is the limit at this place.”

BC’s Coach Expected To Take Irish Helm Next Week…

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South Bend, Ind. – During his 12 seasons at Note Dame (1995-2006), Paul Mainieri amassed a record of 533-213-3 as head coach of the Irish baseball team. In his final eight seasons at Notre Dame, the current LSU head coach won 367 games while taking the Irish to eight straight NCAA Tournaments. He also ended ND’s 45-year College World Series drought with a 2002 trip to Omaha.

In his first four seasons at LSU, Mainieri’s teams have made two College World Series appearances with a 2009 national championship under his belt.

Dave Schrage

It would be an understatement to say things have not gone as well at Notre Dame during the past four seasons, as Mainieri’s successor Dave Schrage compiled a record of 119-114-1 from 2007-2010. Schrage’s Irish finished this past season with a 22-32 record while failing to qualify for the Big East Tournament for the first time since Notre dame joined the conference in 1996. It also was the program’s first losing record since 1987.

Dave Schrage was fired in June.

Sources have told CollegeBaseball360.com that a press conference will be held “early next week” and at that time Boston College head coach Mikio Aoki will be named Notre Dame’s next baseball coach.

Aoki’s 114-104-1 record over the past four years is only slightly better than Schrage’s, but the BC coach has compiled that record in an Atlantic Coast Conference that has seen a total of eight teams advance to the CWS during that time. Louisville is the only Big East team to qualify for the CWS since 2007. In fact, while Louisville and Notre Dame are the only current Big East teams to advance to Omaha in the past 20 years, ACC teams have combined to make 26 appearances in the CWS during that same stretch (Miami has made several CWS appearances since 1990, but the Hurricanes did not join the ACC until 2005). Only the SEC, with 33 appearances, has sent more teams to Omaha in the past two decades.

Mikio Aoki

Aoki also has another feather in his cap that Schrage could not accomplish – an NCAA Regional berth. Aoki’s 2009 squad became the first Boston College team in 42 years to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 42 years, and he coached in possibly the most famous game in NCAA Regional history when his Eagles fell 3-2 in 25 innings to eventual CWS runner-up Texas.

“You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?” – Talking Heads Once In A Lifetime lyrics

When Schrage was hired at Notre Dame in the summer of 2006, he stepped into his dream job. He was was a lifelong Notre Dame fan who had grown up in the Chicago suburbs, shagging batting practice home run balls at Wrigley Field. It wasn’t long, though, before his dream turned into a nightmare. Schrage’s wife, Jody, died after a battle with cancer shortly before the start of the 2007 season. “He was never the same person after that,” a person close to Schrage told me. “He was still a baseball guy, but there were times in the dugout when you could just tell he didn’t have that same fire.”

While Schrage’s personal tragedy was devastating, the contrast of his own personality compared to that of Mainieri’s was a tough adjustment for the players who had suited up for both coaches. “I think it all goes back to that first year,” former ND captain Jeremy Barnes told CB360. “A lot of things happened off the field that were hard to deal with.  I would say Schrage was not fully himself and things were a little more lax.”

Jeremy Barnes

Barnes, who is in his second season in the Philadelphia Phillies minor-league organization, added, “Mainieri ran a very tight ship. It created a different culture, and with the team being so young it was unfortunately the wrong type of foundation to build upon for the next couple of years, because the majority of that group was there for the next three or four years.”

“Player A” agreed. “Mainieri had incredible senior leadership in the lockerroom where everything was policed amongst us,” he said. “Coach Schrage didn’t implement that disciplinary value amongst the players from the get-go, and so when he doesn’t come back with [discipline] either … the discipline was missing. The culture itself of Notre Dame baseball is completely different [now]. There are no similarities at all. None.”

Last of the breed …

Ryan Connolly was a fifth-year senior for the Irish this past season. He sat out all of 2006 (Mainieri’s last at ND) due to a shoulder injury. He battled the injury during his Notre Dame career but still managed to lead his team with a .335 average, 11 HR and 38 RBIs in 2010. He was the only player remaining from the Mainieri era.

Ryan Connolly

“I think the biggest difference [between Schrage and Mainieri] was organization,” Connolly said. “Mainieri was overly organized to the point it was overwhelming, but at the same time we would have been lost without it. You knew when you had to go to the bathroom, tie your shoes … everything was down to the second. That just made going out and playing baseball that much easier, because you didn’t have to worry about anything. You could just go out and play. Coach Schrage was looser, and I think guys struggled with that.”

However, Connolly says he and his teammates share the blame with Schrage: “Did he go out there and play? No. There are nine guys who go out there and play, but at the end of the day if we don’t go out there and win they’re going to go to the top. It’s the nature of the beast, and he’s an easy target. I have no beef with Dave Schrage.” Connolly said.

The great communicator …

While Connolly sees organization as the biggest difference between Mainieri and Schrage, ‘Player B‘ sees another big difference. “Mainieri was always talking to players and communicating with them to make sure everyone was mentally prepared to succeed,” he said. “He wanted to always make sure that everyone knew their role on the team and that we were in the loop on what was going on. Not every player was OK with it, but everyone always knew what was going on at all times.”

However, “Player B” says that approach was not the case with Schrage: “Not a lot of guys knew what was going on.  Not a lot of guys understood their role on the team. Some guys would just happen to see the lineup card and see they were playing that day, but there was no communication between player and coach before that, whereas coach Mainieri would have a 30-minute conversation with a guy if it was someone who hadn’t played in a while, so he would be mentally prepared.”

When it comes to communicating, Aoki would appear to be somewhere in the middle between Mainieri and Schrage.

Mike Belfiore pitched for Boston College in the previously mentioned 25-inning game during the 2009 Austin Regional. He was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 45th overall pick in the 2009 MLB draft and now pitches for the single-A South Bend Silverhawks … whose stadium happens to be about a 10-minute drive from the Notre Dame campus.

Mike Belfiore

Belfiore recently told the South Bend Tribune: “Coach Aoki doesn’t say a lot. That’s part of his personality. He lets everything pan out, and then he’ll bring you in his office and let you know where things stand. He doesn’t play that game of you have to guess where you’re at.:

Belfiore also told the Tribune: “[Aoki] is a great guy. He always made school the first priority …H e knows how to back his players up in every sense. He doesn’t let you beat your head into a brick wall. He’ll always point out things that you need to work on. He always wants you to be better.”

Barnes says it’s an approach that he thinks will be important for Notre Dame’s next head coach. “You have to be firm and unwavering,” Barnes said. “As soon as you get there, implement your rules and philosophies and do not waiver, even on the little things. Have an open door to the players and try to keep a good relationship with them, but at the same time you’re the boss – players don’t run the program.”

Northern exposure …

Assuming Aoki is Notre Dame’s next head coach, he will face many of the same challenges that he has faced at Boston College. Boston is only slightly farther north on the map than South Bend, so Aoki has dealt with similar weather to what he will see in Northern Indiana.

He succeeded in recent years with rosters that were comprised mostly of players from the northeast, at a time when many of the top players from that region have opted to stay relatively close to home by playing in the warmer weather of the nearby Carolinas and Virginia, to name a few.

Evan Marzilli and Christian Walker are from Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, respectively, but they helped South Carolina win the 2010 national title. Cody Wheeler (Indiana), Tommy LaStella (New York) and Anthony Meo (Rhode Island) helped Coastal Carolina’s 2010 team fashion the best season in the program’s history, while Virginia’s talented closer Kevin Arico hails from New Jersey.

Aoki’s new association with Notre Dame will give him a much broader recruiting canvas, but it also will bring with it a more strict academic standard. According to one source, San Diego pitcher Sammy Solis and Illinois outfielder Willie Argo are two recent examples of smart student-athletes who wanted to play for Schrage at Notre Dame, but they could not meet the school’s high academic standards.

An inside shot of Eck Stadium (courtesy und.com)

Solis – whose father played at Notre Dame – was 9-2 with a 3.42 ERA for the WCC champion Toreros this year, while Argo belted 16 home runs with 51 stolen bases and a .335 batting average during his first two years for the Illini (’09-’10).

Whatever challenges Aoki faces in academics could be countered with a facility upgrade. At Boston College, the playing field also doubles as a parking lot during football season, while Notre Dame’s Frank Eck Stadium (built in 1994) still is among the top three baseball facilities in the Big East. Only Louisville’s Jim Patterson Stadium and Marge Schott Stadium in Cincinnati would rank above Eck.

Back to the future?

If in fact Aoki is named Notre Dame’s next head coach, the first questions will be the composition of his coaching staff. Aoki did not have a pitching coach at Boston College, and one source has indicated that current Irish assistant Dave Dengler could be retained in that role.

There also is the question of the value of having a former Notre Dame player on the new staff.  “I don’t think it’s important,” Barnes said. “I think when I was there, we had the kind of players who understood team cohesiveness.  If one of those players was hired as an assistant, he would know that feeling and type of player they should recruit and be successful there. I think it would be beneficial, but I don’t think it’s a necessity.”

Connolly concurs: “I don’t think [a former ND player on the staff is] necessary, but it may help. [ND football coach] Brian Kelly had no ties to Notre Dame, but that guy knows what it means to be at Notre Dame. He kicked it up seven gears.  You don’t have to be associated with ND to coach here.”

“Player A” simply says of the current change: “This is a great time for Notre Dame baseball”.

National Search To Begin Immediately

Dave Schrage was 119-104-1 in four years at ND. (Notre Dame photo)

Schrage compiled a record of 119-104-1 (.533) with the Irish, including a 22-32 mark in 2010. He has a career record of 595-657-1 in 23 seasons, which includes a 535-591-1 mark in 20 years at the Division I level, including stints at Northern Iowa (1991-99), Northern Illinois (2000-02) and Evansville (2003-06).

“I appreciate all the contributions Dave has made over the past four seasons to Notre Dame baseball,” said Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick.

“Like Dave and his staff and his players, we all would have liked to have enjoyed more success, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of effort or commitment.

“I will begin today to work with (senior assistant athletics director and baseball administrator) Josh Berlo to conduct a national search for our next baseball coach.”

After an inexperienced squad finished 28-28 in 2007, Notre Dame improved its victory total each of the next two years (33-21-1 in 2008 and 36-23 in 2009) and earned top-25 rankings in consecutive years for the first time since 2005-06. Then in 2010, the Irish failed to qualify for the eight-team BIG EAST Conference Championship for the first time in 15 years following a 22-32 season.

In BIG EAST play under Schrage, the Irish finished 11-17 in 2007 for seventh place (0-2 at BIG EAST Championship), 16-10 for third place in 2008 (0-2 at BIG EAST Championship), 15-12 for fifth place in 2009 (3-2 at BIG EAST Championship) and 10-17 for an eighth-place tie in 2010.

Schrage was introduced July 18, 2006, as the 19th head coach in the history of the Notre Dame baseball program. Prior to accepting the position at Notre Dame, Schrage completed his fourth year at Evansville in 2006 while guiding the Aces to the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles, reaching the NCAA regional championship round and finishing 19th in the national polls. MVC coach of the year in 2006, Schrage guided the Aces in building the program victory total each season: 24-31 in 2003, 28-32 in ’04, 35-23 in ’05 and a 43-22 mark in 2006 that represents the second-most wins in Evansville history.

Schrage came to Evansville after a three-year stint at Northern Illinois. Collegiate Baseball magazine recognized Schrage as runner-up for its 2000 national coach-of-the-year award. Prior to his three years at Northern Illinois, Schrage spent nine seasons as head coach at Northern Iowa where he was MVC coach of the year in 1995 and ’97.

Schrage’s standout playing career at Creighton included all-MVC honors in 1982, after leading the conference with a .400 batting average. He raised that mark to .433 as a senior and received 1983 CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.

Former Notre Dame head coach Paul Mainieri gave Schrage his first job in coaching when he hired him to his staff at St. Thomas University (located in Miami and also known as Biscayne College). Schrage spent the 1983-84 season as a graduate assistant at Biscayne/St. Thomas before returning to Creighton to work two seasons with current Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry.

Schrage coached overseas in 1987-88 with the Mt. Gravatt Eagles Club in Brisbane, Australia, and returned to direct the baseball team at Waldorf Junior College (now a four-year college in Forest City, Iowa) for three seasons (1988-90) before taking over at Northern Iowa.

A two-sport standout in baseball and basketball at Chicago’s Fenwick High School, Schrage received his bachelor of science degree in business administration from Creighton in 1983 and a master’s in sports administration from Biscayne/St. Thomas in 1987. The Chicago native was born April 29, 1961.

(Courtesy Notre Dame Sports Information)

Louisville Looks To Continue Recent Dominance

2009 Regular Season Champion:  Louisville

2009 Tournament Champion:  Louisville

Louisville enters 2010 with two straight Big East Tournament championships, and the Cardinals are fresh off their second Super Regional appearance in the last three years.  UL has a loaded line-up back this season, but teams with veteran offenses like West Virginia and Connecticut along with talented pitching staffs at USF and Notre Dame are poised to challenge as well.

Ten Big East teams will take part in the 2010 Big Ten-Big East Baseball Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission.  The second annual event  takes place Feb. 26-28. For tickets visit www.BigTenBIGEASTChallenge.com.

2010 Big East Baseball Preview

Cincinnati

2009 Record:  (29-29, 13-14)

Mascot:  Bearcats

Head Coach:  Brian Cleary

Location:  Cincinnati, OH

Vitals:  .285 BA, 72 HR, .382 OBP, .965 Fld%…6.73 ERA, 1 CG, 12 SV, 376 K, 194 BB, .318 opp. BA

Thefts Are Down:  After stealing 130 and 133 bases in 2007 and 2008, respectively, the Bearcats swiped just 33 bases last year.  The only Big East team with fewer stolen bases was West Virginia with 23.

Long Gone Spina:  Cincinnati has a big hole to fill in the middle of the order with the loss of Mike Spina (.342, 23 HR, 69 RBIs).  The third baseman was taken in the 11th round of last year’s MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s.  His home run total was second in the Big East to Louisville’s Chris Dominguez (25).  Spina had an 1.121 OPS last year.

More Losses:  The Bearcats also lose Lance Durham, whose .427 average was the second-best in the conference last year.  Durham was drafted in the 14th round by Toronto last June.  His 99 hits set the UC single-season record formerly held by Boston Red Sox infielder Kevin Youklis.  Cincinnati also loses its top pitcher, Jake Geglein (6-1, 2.97 ERA, 9 SV), who signed a free agent contract with the Texas Rangers.  Geglein was the only Bearcat pitcher with either a winning record or a sub-3.00 ERA last year.

Across The Pond:  Cincinnati head coach Brian Cleary served as the pitching coach for the British National Baseball Team at the 2009 Baseball World Cup.  He served in the same role when the team won the silver medal at the 2007 European Championships.

Connecticut

2009 Record:  (36-24, 14-13)

Mascot:  Huskies

Head Coach:  Jim Penders

Location:  Storrs, CT

Vitals:  .318 BA, 51 HR, .393 OBP, .959 Fld%…4.39 ERA, 1 CG, 14 SV, 455 K, 197 BB, .269 opp. BA

George Springer

Hungry Huskies:  UConn returns eight batters from a scrappy line-up who hit .301 or better last year, including George Springer (.358, 16 HR, 57 RBIs, 1.133 OPS), Mike Nemeth (.346, 6 HR, 47 RBIs, 22 doubles), Pierre LePage (.340, 1 HR, 38 RBIs), and Mike Olt (.301, 8 HR, 40 RBIs).  LePage helped the Bourne Braves win the Cape Cod League Championship last summer.  The biggest loss is that of Pete Fatse (.354, 11 HR, 54 RBIs).  CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast interview with LePage.

Husky Hurlers:  The Huskies lose key relievers David Erickson (3.21 ERA, 12 SV), Dusty Odenbach (2-3, 3.34 ERA) and Dennis Accomando (1-1, 3.46 ERA), who combined to make 75 relief appearances last year.  They also lose John Folino whose six wins led the staff.   Top returnees to the staff include Soph. Scott Oberg, who was 4-0 with a team-best 1.78 ERA, Matt Barnes (5-3), and Elliott Glynn (5-4, 4.76 ERA).  Glynn led the team with 12 starts and also hit .266 while making 24 starts as an outfielder.

Coast To Coast:  After opening its season in Florida at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge UConn heads to California for a four-game series with Cal State Northridge followed by a game at USC.  The Huskies then play Tennessee, Marshall and Ohio State in Knoxville, TN.

Georgetown

2009 Record:  (17-34, 8-18)

Mascot:  Hoyas

Head Coach:  Pete Wilk

Location:  Washington, D.C.

Vitals:  .279 BA, 45 HR, .354 OBP…6.04 ERA, 0 CG, 9 SV, 269 K, 163 BB, .311 opp. BA

Key Returns:  Georgetown returns six of its top seven batters from a year ago.  Junior Erick Fernandez led the team in average (.349, doubles (16) and OPS (.970).  The catcher also hit five home runs.  Fellow junior Sean Lamont hit just .267, but he smacked a team-best 14 home runs while driving-in 50 runs.  The players Georgetown returns this year combined to hit 37 of the club’s 45 home runs in 2009.

Pitching:  Senior Tim Adleman(4-8, 5.40 ERA) is the only returning weekend starter from 2009.  His four wins were a team-high.  The Hoyas do return a quartet of solid relievers, Pablo Vinent (0-1, 4.24 ERA), Bobby Kirby (1-1, 5.09 ERA), Billy Concannon (1-0, 5.12), and Tommy Isaacs (2-2, 5.40 ERA), who combined to make 55 appearances with six starts and three saves last year.  They’ll likely take-on more significant roles with the departures of Jimmy Saris and Will Harris who combined to make 24 starts.

No Challenge:  For the second straight year Georgetown will not participate in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge.

Louisville

2009 Record:  (47-18, 19-7)

Mascot:  Cardinals

Head Coach:  Dan McDonnell

Location:  Louisville, KY

Vitals:  .304 BA, 85 HR, .394 OBP, .970 Fld%…4.32 ERA, 2 CG, 13 SV, 536 K, 182 BB, .261 opp. BA

Cardinals Trending Hot:  Louisville’s 135 wins over the last three seasons rank sixth in the nation.  The Cardinals   have made three straight NCAA appearances, including two Super Regionals and a College World Series trip, under head coach Dan McDonnell.

Phil Wunderlichappearances with two Super Regionals and a 2007 College World Series appearance during his tenure. Cal State Fullerton beat Louisville last year in the Fullerton Super Regional to advance to Omaha.

Loaded Line-Up:  The Cardinals return seven of eight everyday players from last year’s Super Regional squad.  All-American junior Phil Wunderlich (.367, 18 HR, 68 RBIs, 1.113 OPS) leads the group of returnees.  Seniors Andrew Clark (.350, 9 HR, 55 RBIs) and Adam Duvall (.328, 11 HR, 51 RBIs, 12 SB) are back as well.

Ready To Return:  Outfielder Stewart Ijames is back after last season with a shoulder injury.  Ijames was a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American in 2008 after hitting .351 with 8 home runs, 11 doubles and 39 RBIs.  He led the Coastal Plain League with 12 home runs for the Thomasville HiToms last summer.

Pitching Prowess:  Louisville returns 12 of the 15 pitchers who saw action last year, but they do lose their ace, Justin Marks (11-3, 3.77 ERA, 129 K in 105 IP).  The left was taken by Oakland in the 3rd round of last year’s MLB draft. Dean Kiekhefer (6-5, 5.00 ERA),  Gabriel Shaw (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 3 SV), Tony Zych (6-2, 3.25 ERA, 2 SV) and Thomas Royse (3-2, 3.48 ERA, 2 SV) lead the group of returnees.

Gone But Not Forgotten:  The Cardinals also lose 6’4, 240 lb. Chris Dominguez (.345, 25 HR, 82 RBIs) who hit 61 home runs with a school record 218 RBIs in his three-year career (he only played three games in 2006 due to a broken forearm).  He was taken in with the 86th overall pick by San Francisco in last year’s draft.  His 25 home runs in ’09 are a single-season school record, while his 61 career long balls are second in the Louisville record books.

Reunion Time:  Louisville plays a 3-game series in Oxford, MS vs. 2009 Super Regional team Ole Miss March 12-14.  McDonnell was a Rebel assistant for five seasons prior to his current tenure.

Notre Dame

2009 Record:  (36-23, 15-12)

Mascot:  Fighting Irish

Head Coach:  Dave Schrage

Location:  Notre Dame, IN

Vitals:  .309 BA, 51 HR, .392 OBP, .966 Fld%…5.36 ERA, 7 CG, 12 SV, 328 BB, 220, .286 opp. BA

Line-Up Losses:  The Irish lose their top three hitters, including their top two run producers from 2009. CF  A.J. Pollock (.365, 10 HR, 52 RBIs, 21 SB) was taken by Arizona with the 17th overall pick in last year’s MLB draft.  He was the highest Irish player drafted since 1965.  SS Jeremy Barnes (.353, 15 HR, 70 RBIs) was drafted in the 11th round by Philadelphia.  Barnes was Notre Dame’s RBI leader in 3 of his 4 years.  Meanwhile, OF Golden Tate (.329, 45 R, 13 SB), who won the Biletnikoff Award on the football field last fall, won’t play baseball this year to prepare for April’s NFL Draft.

Solid Nucleus:  Despite the significant losses Notre Dame still returns six players who hit .301 or better in 2009,

Cole Johnson

including Jr. INF Mick Doyle (.327) and Sr. OF David Mills (.325), who was also 2-1 with a save as a relief pitcher.

Plenty Of Pitching:  Virtually every significant pitcher from 2009 is back this season, including the entire weekend rotation of Jr. Cole Johnson(7-3, 4.47 ERA),  Jr. Brian Dupra (6-5, 3 CG) and Sr. Eric Maust (6-3, 4.94) who has also doubled as a punter on the Irish football team.  Relievers Will Hudgins (2-0, 3.65 ERA, 3 SV), Todd Miller (1-2, 5.40 ERA, 5 SV) and Ryan Richter (5-2, 3.85 ERA) return as well.  RHP Ryan Sharpley is also back after missing all of 2009 due to injury.

Addition By Addition:  Collegiate coaching veteran Dave Dengler joins the Irish staff as the pitching coach for 2010.  As a head coach he led Linn-Blinton CC and Yavapai JC to a combined five Junior College World Series appearances, including the 1993 NJCAA National Championship (Yavapai).  Dengler was also the head coach at Portland State for four years before the program was disbanded.  In his 23 years as a college coach Dengler had 23 pitchers, including World Series MVP Curt Schilling, selected in the MLB Draft.

Pittsburgh

2009 Record:  (28-21, 13-15)

Mascot:  Panthers

Head Coach:  Joe Jordano

Location:  Pittsburgh, PA

Vitals:  .307 BA, 60 HR, 77 SB, .376 OBP, .971 Fld%…6.35 ERA, 4 CG, 8 SV, 304 K, 189 BB, .314 opp. BA

Needed Facelift:  The Big East baseball facility that was most in need of an upgrade will finally get one.  Pittsburgh announced a “generous and substantial gift” last fall for the construction of the Peterson Sports Complex, which will be built on 12 acres of Pitt’s upper campus.  The complex will benefit baseball, softball and soccer.  Baseball upgrades include a press box, team dugouts, synthetic playing surface, practice areas, and lighting.  Completion is scheduled to be ready for next season.

So Long Sedon:   Junior college transfer Chris Sedon made the most of his only year at Pitt.  The second baseman led the Panthers in average (.398), HR (22), RBIs (62), Slg% (.796), OBP (.449), and SB (19).  He signed professionally after being taken by Detroit in the 10th round of last year’s MLB Draft.

Panthers Back:  Pitt returns five players, Kevan Smith (.363), Danny Lopez (.323), John Schultz (.319), Joe Leonard (.316), and Frank Mercurio (.306), who will try to make-up for the loss of Sedon’s production.  However, their combined home run total was just 19, while Leonard’s 35 RBIs led the group.  The Panthers also return two-thirds of their weekend rotation with Corey Baker (6-3, 5.91 ERA) and David Kaye (3-4, 5.74 ERA).  They combined for three of the staff’s four complete games.

Un-Challenged:  For the second straight year Pittsburgh will not compete in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge.  The Panthers open their season with three games at Wofford and then play Bradley, Memphis and Toledo at the Service Academy Classic in Memphis, TN Feb. 26-28.

Rutgers

2009 Record:  (22-31, 8-19)

Mascot:  Scarlet Knights

Head Coach:  Fred Hill

Location:  Piscataway, NJ

Vitals:  .292 BA, 35 HR, 52 SB, .374 OBP, .956 Fld%…6.24 ERA, 1 CG, 10 SV, 311 K, 236 BB, .310 opp BA

King Of The Hill:  Entering his 27th season at Rutgers, Fred Hill is easily the longest tenured head coach in the Big East.  Hill will become just the third person to have his jersey retired at Montclair State at a Feb. 13 ceremony.  He

Jaren Matthews

started his head coaching career there and guided Montclair to the 1983 NCAA Division III World Series.  Hill enters 2010 just 20 wins away from 1,000. Hill’s  brother Brian is currently an assistant coach for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, and his son, Fred, is the head coach of the Rutgers men’s basketball team.

A Lot In The Line-Up:  The Scarlet Knights return eight position players, a DH and 10 of their top 11 hitters from last year’s team.  Michael Lang (.343, 8 HR, 38 RBIs, 10 SB and Jaren Matthews (.328, 6 HR, 28 RBIs, 10 SB) head the pack.

Mound Presence:  2009 Cape Cod All-Star Casey Gaynor (2-9, 5.54 ERA) is among the pitching staff’s top three pitchers who return.  Gaynor was the pitching staff’s workhorse, with the team’s only complete game.  Willie Beard (0-2, 2.28 ERA) thrived as the team’s closer with 8 saves as a freshman, while senior RHP Matt Giannini returns after missing 2009 due to injury.

Challenges Abound:  Rutgers makes its Big Ten/Big East Challenge debut this year, but it has a pair of challenges sandwiched around the second weekend of the season.  The Scarlet Knights open 2010 with three games vs. the Miami Hurricanes in Coral Gables, FL and then face another ACC power with three more games vs. Georgia Tech in Atlanta March 5-7.

Seton Hall

2009 Record:  (25-24, 13-14)

Mascot:  Pirates

Head Coach:  Rob Sheppard

Location:  South Orange, NJ

Vitals:  .274 BA, 20 HR, .371 OBP, .954 Fld%…4.33 ERA, 9 CG, 5 SV, 307 K, 199 BB, .282 opp. BA

All In The Family:  Head coach Rob Sheppard’s brother, Mike Sheppard, Jr., is the head baseball coach at Seton Hall Prep.  Their father, Mike Sheppard, Sr., coached the Pirates from 1974-2003.

All In The Family II:  Seton Hall volunteer assistant Zach Porcello’s younger brothers, Rick and Jake Porcello, both played for Mike Sheppard, Jr. at Seton Hall Prep.  Rick Porcello was a first round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2007.  He was 14-9 with a 3.96 ERA for the Tigers last year.   Jake Porcello is now a freshman pitcher on the Seton Hall roster.

Tale Of The Tape:  The Pirates lose their top two hitters, Matt Smedberg (.382, 2 HR, 26 RBIs) and Chris Affinito (.324, 9 HR, 50 RBIs), as well as two of their weekend starters, Sean Black (4-6, 3.99 ERA, 2 CG) and Keith Cantwell (6-3, 3.48 ERA, 5 CG), from last year’s team.   Their top returners are Sr. OF Michael Rogers (.299, HR, 23 RBIs), Jr. SS A.J. Rusbarsky (.271, 1 HR, 20 RBIs) and Jr. RHP Joe DiRocco (4-3, 4.46 ERA, 2 CG).

Texas 3-Step:  Seton Hall opens the season with a 3-game series in College Station, TX vs. Texas A&M.

St. John’s

2009 Record:  (30-22, 16-11)

Mascot:  Red Storm

Head Coach:  Ed Blankmeyer

Location:  Queens, NY

Vitals:  .349 BA, 42 HR, .422 OBP, .963 Fld%…6.20 ERA, 1 CG, 10 SV, 328 K, 235 BB, .315 opp. BA

Red, White & Blue:  Head coach Ed Blankmeyer will serve as an assistant coach this summer for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.  The 2010 schedule is highlighted by the V FISU World University Championships in Japan.

Greg Hopkins

Red Storm Regulars:  St. John’s returns five players who made at least 34 starts and hit .331 or better.  Soph. OF Jimmy Parque (.360, 5 HR, 61 RBIs) and Jr. third baseman Greg Hopkins (.349, 7 HR, 45 RBIs).  They lose Tim Morris (.415, 12 HR) and Matt Kemp (.379, 16 SB) who were selected in the 11th and 19th rounds, respectively, in last year’s MLB Draft.

Plus Pitching:  The Red Storm returns a group of pitchers that accounted for 44 of the staff’s 52 starts last year, including Nick Cenatiempo (5-3, 7 starts), Eddie Medina (5-3, 4 starts, 1 SV), Brendan Lobban (4-2, 7 starts) and Bruce Kern (5-4, 11 starts) who had the team’s only complete game.  Senior closer Ryan Cole (2-0, 3.49 ERA, 5 SV) is back as well.

Last Go ‘Round:  St. John’s opens its season with a 3-game series at New Orleans.  This will be the Privateers’ last season of Division I competition as they transition to Division III in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

South Florida

2009 Record:  (34-25, 18-9)

Mascot:  Bulls

Head Coach:  Lelo Prado

Location:  Tampa, FL

Vitals:  .315 BA, 36 HR, .407 OBP, .968 Fld%…4.79 ERA, 8 CG, 11 SV, 402 K, 204 BB, .274 opp. BA

Big Plans:  Plans are in the works for a new baseball stadium at USF.  The stadium is part of a $30 million facilities upgrade that will benefit other sports as well.  The overall capacity of the stadium is expected to exceed 3,000 and is being designed to accommodate additional seating that will enable USF to host NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals.l The new home plate and press box area will be built on what is currently the right field foul pole area of Red McEwen Field.

Sophomore Slump:  Junior OF Ryan Lockwood will look for a big bounce-back season in 2010.  He hit .415 and

Randy Fontanez

was named Collegiate Baseball’s 2008 National Freshman of the Year, but slumped to just a .289 average last year.

The Champ Is Back:  Lockwood and 2009 Big East batting champion (conference games only) Junior Carlin (.384 overall/.471 Big East games)) are among five line-up regulars who return in 2010.  57 of Carlin’s hits last year were singles, which contributed to USF’s .441 ranking 8th in the 12-team Big East.

Great Expectations:  League coaches named Jr. RHP Randy Fontanez (7-3, 3.09 ERA, 6 CG) the Preseason Big East Pitcher of the Year.  Fontanez made 13 starts in 2009, while holding opponents to a .250 average.  He tossed six of the staff’s eight complete games.   USF also returns starters Derrick Stultz (5-4, 4.48 ERA) and Teddy Kauffman (3-5, 5.86 ERA) as well as reliever Kevin Quackenbush (2-2, 3.94 ERA, 6 SV).

Villanova

2009 Record:  (22-28, 6-20)

Mascot:  Wildcats

Head Coach:  Joe Godri

Location:  Villanova, PA

Vitals:  .282 BA, 23 HR, .384 OBP, .970 Fld%…6.15 ERA, 4 CG, 8 SV, 283 K, 206 BB, .308 opp. BA

Matt Szczur

Hail Szczur:  OF/C Matt Szczur (pronounced like Julius Caesar) helped lead the Villanova football team to the 2009 FCS Division I National Championship in December.  He was named both the CAA’s Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year this for the season.  The junior ran for 810 yards and 10 touchdowns, passed for 22 yards and 2 TDs, averaged 27.2 yards on 30 kickoff returns, and had 51 catches for 610 yards and 4 more TDs in 2009.  Szczur missed his freshman baseball season due to injury, but he led the Wildcats with a .346 average and 18 stolen bases last year.  CLICK HERE to listen to a recently recorded podcast interview with the two sport star.

More Experience:  Szczur is one of five returning position playing starters for VU, including Jr. INF David Koczirka (.340, HR, 39 RBIs) 12 of 14 pitchers who saw action for the Wildcats last year are back as well.  The group combined to make all 50 starts in 2009.  Senior RHP Brian Streilein (5-8, 5.46 ERA, 2 CG) leads the rotation, while Jr. LHP Mike Francisco (1-2, 4.24 ERA, 4 SV) leads the relief corps.

Challenge Debut:  Villanova opened the 2009 season by playing eventual national champion LSU in the first games in the new Alex Box Stadium, making this year the team’s debut in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge.

West Virginia

2009 Record:  (37-18, 17-10)

Mascot:  Mountaineers

Head Coach:  Greg Van Zant

Location:  Morgantown, WV

Vitals:  .360 BA, 68 HR, .443 OBP, .966 Fld%…5.40 ERA, 7 CG, 10 SV, 375 K, 199 BB, .300 opp. BA

Dinging It:  The Mountaineers led the Big East in batting average (.360), slugging percentage (.564), on-base percentage (.443), and runs scored (525) in 2009.

Dan DiBartolomeo

.400 Or Bust:  Two of the top three hitters in the Big East return to lead the West Virginia offense this year.  Dan DiBartolomeo’s .439 overall average led the conference, while Jedd Gyorko’s .421 avg. was third.  Gyorko is a 2009 Cape Cod League All-Star who was the 2008 Big East Freshman of the Year.  Big East coaches voted him the 2010 Preseason Player of the Year.  CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast interview with Gyorko.

Line-Up Losses:  WVU loses its top two home run hitters in Justin Parks and Austin Markel who hit 12 and 15 HR, respectively last year.

Mound Men:  Weekend starters Jr. RHP Jarryd Summers (7-3, 3.06 ERA, 2 CG) andLHP Jonathon Jones (6-2, 6.57 ERA) are joined by workhorse closer Chris Enourato (6-2, 3.66 ERA, 6 SV) as the top returnees on the pitching staff.  Enourato made 20 relief appearances last year and averaged more than two innings per outing.  The senior has been named to the NCBWA’s Preseason Stopper of the Year watch list.

Phantom Starts:  WVU pitchers Jarryd Summers, Jonathon Jones and Billy Gross were credited with a combined 15 “starts” on the offensive scorecard last season, but none of them had an at-bat or any offensive stat during the year.  Head coach Greg Van Zant’s custom is to substitute his DH for the pitcher when that spot in the batting order is due at the plate for the first time in a game.

2010 Big East Baseball Predictions

Player of the Year: Phil Wunderlich – Louisville

Pitcher of the Year:  Jarryd Summers – West Virginia

Conference Champion:  Louisville

Irish Two Sport Star Is The First ND Player To Receive The Honor

2009 Biletnikoff Award Winner Golden Tate

history. He finished with 93 receptions for 1,496 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns in 2009. Tate added two rushing touchdowns, one punt return for a score and totaled 1,915 all-purpose yards, second most in Irish single-season history.

Tate equaled or surpassed eight school records this year, including most catches and receiving yards in a season, tied for most touchdown catches in a season, most receiving yards in a career, most 100-yard receiving games in a season and career, most receiving yards per game in a season and tied for most consecutive games with a touchdown reception.

Tate ranks in the top eight nationally in nine different statistical categories and no wide receiver had more games with at least 100 receiving yards this year than Tate’s nine. He also scored at least one touchdown in each of the final 11 contests for Notre Dame.

The American Football Coaches Association has already named Tate, who shared Irish season MVP honors with junior QB Jimmy Clausen, a first-team All-American.

Tate, who recently declared his intention to enter the 2010 NFL draft, departs as the most prolific receiver in Notre Dame history. He recorded 2,707 receiving yards on 157 receptions with 26 touchdowns. Tate ranks second in career touchdown receptions and is tied for third in career receptions.

Tate is the first Irish player to be named Walter Camp First Team All-American since defensive back Shane Walton received the honor following the 2002 season. He is also the first Notre Dame offensive player to earn first-team honors from Walter Camp since offensive tackle Mike Rosenthal in 1998. In fact, Tate is the first Irish wideout to accomplish the feat since Raghib Ismail in 1990.

Tate is the first Notre Dame receiver to take home the Biletnikoff Award. Former All-American Jeff Samardzija was a two-time finalist (2005, 2006), while Derrick Mayes was a two-time semifinalist (1994, 1995).

Tate has also played for Dave Schrage’s Fighting Irish baseball team for the last two seasons.  Collegebaseball360.com has followed Tate and other two sport athletes in the Two Sport Reports throughout the fall.

(Release)

A Look At Some Of The Stats Tate Has Put Up On The Gridirion & Diamond At Notre Dame

Golden Tate declared for the NFL draft on Monday (AP Photo)

college baseball one last go round.  After all, Tate was actually recruited by the Irish baseball team before ND football recruiting coordinator Rob Ianello got him on campus for a visit.

Tate also had the model of Jeff Samardzija, another former Irish two sport guy, to look at.  Samardzija was the guest speaker at the Notre Dame baseball Opening Night Dinner before last season and he prophetically told Tate “You might break my records, but you’ll never look this good.”

Like Tate, Samardzija didn’t burst on the national stage until after a monster junior season on the football field.  MLB scouts then flocked to Irish baseball games all spring in 2006, and Samardzija capitalized when he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the first round, played minor league baseball that summer, and then caught more passes from Brady Quinn that fall.

Samardzija has something Tate doesn’t though (besides his trademark shaggy hair):  a 6’5 frame with an upper 90s fastball.  Tate is just 5’11, albeit with blazing speed, but he was still considered a work in progress on the baseball field.

With that said, Tate did play two seasons of college baseball, and he rewrote the Irish receiving record book in just three seasons.

Here’s a By The Numbers look at Tate’s two sport career at Notre Dame:

1,496…receving yards by Tate this season-a new Notre Dame school record

1,211…total receiving yards in his first two seasons combined…

15…touchdown catches in 2009 for Charlie Weis and the football team

16…career stolen bases with the Irish baseball team

93…football receptions in 2009-also a new school record

92…total bases on the diamond in 2009

(ND Photo)

8…straight games with a touchdown catch in 2009-a school record tied with Samardzija

8…doubles for the baseball team in 2009

2…games of 200-plus receiving yards this season-including a school record 244 vs. Washington

222…career at-bats as a baseball player

.329…batting average in 2009

63…career starts for baseball head coach Dave Schrage

64…combined receptions as a freshman and sophomore in 2007 & 2008

9…games this season with 100-plus receiving yards – another single-season school record

7…sacrifice bunts in 2009 – the second-most by an Irish player

1,915…all-purpose yards during the 2009 football season

1…Irish player with more all-purpose yards in a season – Tim Brown with 1,937 in 1986

1…career home run by Tate – a late inning longball that helped his team win a crucial late April series at Louisville

22…career base on balls drawn by Tate

23…his jersey number with the football team

32…Tate’s baseball number

21…RBIs in 2009

11…straight games with either a receiving, rushing or punt return TD in 2009

.813…OPS (on-base plus slugging %) in 2009

0…other college baseball players who are a 2009 Biletnikoff Award finalist

(Tate is one of more than 35 players who have been featured in the exclusive Collegebaseball360.com Two Sport Reports.)

Notre Dame Football/Baseball Star To Forego Remaining College Eligibility

Two Top Two-Sport Stars Go Head-to-Head Saturday

Toby Gerhart

Gerhart is a 6’1, 235 lb. senior who has rolled through Pac 10 defenders like a bowling ball through Weebles this season to the tune of 1,531 yards (2nd in the nation) and 23 nation-leading touchdowns.  He is one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award, which is given to the nation’s top college running back each season.

At 5’11 and 195 pounds Tate is the lightning to Gerhart’s thunder.  His blazing speed has helped him reel-in 83 receptions for 1,295 yards (both ND school records) with 12 touchdown grabs.  Tate has also rushed for two touchdowns, and returned a punt 87 yards for another score.  His efforts rank him fourth nationally in receiving yards and have made him one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, which is bestowed annually upon the nation’s top college receiver.

Gerhart has now exhausted his football eligibility, but he has one season of eligibility left if he decides to play for Mark Marquess and the Cardinal baseball team next spring.  (That could be tough with the NFL draft in April.)  Gerhart has made 105 baseball starts in his first three seasons while helping Stanford to the 2008 College World Series.

Tate has a few more options remaining.  As a junior on the Irish football team he could still return for a last bit of

Golden Tate

gridiron refining next fall.  He also has two years of baseball eligibility left, so he could potentially patrol the outfield for Dave Schrage for two more seasons.  He could also go the route of another former Irish two-sport star, Jeff Samardzija, who is now a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.  Samardzija played minor league baseball after his junior baeball season, and then returned for his senior football campaign to break more records & catch more passes thrown by current Cleveland Brown QB Brady Quinn.  (Tate has already broken Shark’s single-season yardage record and needs just 88 yards to break his career mark of 2,593.)

But here’s the best part:  We get to see both Gerhart and Tate in action on the same field while we’re gorging on leftovers this weekend when Notre Dame visits Stanford this Saturday night in the regular season finale for both teams.

*CLICK HERE to read the Collegebasell360.com Two Sport Reports which have featured Gerhart, Tate & other two sport athletes throughout the fall.)

Following is what Weis had to say about each of them on Tuesday:

On Toby Gerhart

Q.  Their running game, what do you need to do to slow that down?  What do they do that makes them so successful?

WEIS:  Well, I mean, I could talk about their offensive line, I could talk about their tight ends and I could talk about their scheme and their mentality, but

That No. 7 (Gerhart), the guy with the ball in his hands, you know, he’s special.  He’s a hard north‑south runner.  Not that he can’t bounce it outside, but you have to gang‑tackle him, and we’ve had a few problems with tackling now, and I think that if you don’t gang‑tackle him, he gets a lot of hidden yardage because you don’t get 139 yards a game by just being running in open field all the time and just by scheme.  I mean, this kid is a heck of a runner.  I have a lot of respect for him.

Q.  Where does Gerhart rank in terms of the skill position players you guys have faced this year?

WEIS:  Well, I think that, for example, if you’re going into the draft, let’s take him ‑‑ with this guy, you’re going into the draft, he’ll be one of the first guys taken, because one of those guys who wants a guy, a dependable, every‑down runner they can just hand the ball to 25, 30 times a game, there aren’t very many of them that are that type of size that are that type of durable that have proven track records.  He obviously has a proven track record.  So he’s right up there with the best of them.

There’s guys that we play that are faster than him, but I don’t know if there’s any more grounded than this guy.

Q.  I know you get this kind of question a lot.  Who does he remind you of?  Is there anyone?

WEIS:  Size alone puts him in a different category than a lot of running backs.  Yeah, there’s a bunch of guys that come to mind, but I’d have to think about that a little bit more.  I really haven’t thought about the parallel.

On Golden Tate

Q.  I don’t know how familiar you are with the strength and conditioning numbers of your players, and I don’t know if Golden Tate is pound for pound one of your strongest players.  Is it that?  Is that what makes it so difficult to bring him down, or is it just desire and will that keeps him on his feet sometimes?

WEIS:  Well, he is a rocked‑up unit to start out with.  I agree.  I think it’s a combination of both those elements.  I think you hit it twice.  I don’t think it has to be one or the other.  I think it’s a combination of both those things.  He’s a strong, physical rocked‑up unit, and he has a great center of gravity when he’s playing.  He’s well‑grounded when he gets hit a lot of times.  How many times have we seen people bounce off of him?  But I think that and a strong will, it’s a good combination.

Q.  And I know that he and you both said he’s learned the game a lot more, and that’s helped him become a better player.  But what pushed him down that road do you think?  What got him ‑‑ because this guy has improved so much.

WEIS:  Yeah, well, first of all, he’s a great competitor any time he’s on the field.  That’s why in baseball season he doesn’t want to talk about football, and in football season he doesn’t want to talk about baseball, because he’s such a fierce competitor.  I think he’s got ‑‑ he’s probably improved more than any player on the team, and there’s still some things that he can even get better.  There’s some things that when he goes over a few more of the more refined coaching points, he can even get better than where he is.  Maybe not necessarily numbers‑wise, okay, but he can get better from where he is now.

Q.  Whether it’s this year or next year, and I know that he’s going to make that decision at the appropriate time, but he’s going to play in the NFL, and there are some people that you talk to, it just seems like the only thing that they’re worried about is the height.  Can you address that, what you think ‑‑

WEIS:  They won’t be worrying about the height.  You know what’s going to happen is they’re going to watch the tape, because anyone who watching the tape, they’re not worrying about the height.  I think that more importantly, they want to let him go to the combine and see what number he runs, because when all of a sudden it’s a 4‑4 flat or something along those lines, that height will be thrown right out the window, because unlike a lot of other receivers, the volume ‑‑ just think about the number of plays that you’ve seen him make this year.

The bottom line is he has evidence.  You have visual evidence when you watch him.  You don’t want to bet on the come with him.  He’s already got a body of evidence on tape.  You just go pick a game out, and you’re going to have at least nine or ten plays where you say, this kid is something special.

Q.  Is there anybody at the next level that you see a parallel to?

WEIS:  Unlike Gerhart, who I don’t have, so I’d have to think about it, he reminds me of Steve Smith’s clone.  I know Steve Smith well.  I’m a big fan of Steve Smith.  A little trash‑talker just like Golden.  But their personalities are alike, they’re fiery guys, they make big plays.  They’re tough.  They don’t back down from anyone.  I would imagine ‑‑ I don’t know exactly Steve’s size, but I would imagine it’s probably pretty close, and he’s done pretty well, last time I checked.  He reminds me a lot of Steve.

Q.  Following up on that, you say size is not a limitation for him.  Route‑running, which two years ago was really non‑existent for him, is that the area where he has improved the most?

WEIS:  He has improved the most, and he has work to do yet.  The two things, because he’s capable of running even better routes, which he has improved exponentially on that subject right there.  But he’s capable of running even better routes, and with his strength and quickness getting off the line of scrimmage versus a jam, when he starts using even more proper technique and better technique at that right there when people come up and they want to try to take him away, it’s going to be scary when he really gets that down the way ‑‑ with the same improvement that he has in route running.

Q.  Assuming that he came out right now, how would the NFL judge him?  Would they say, okay, he’s weak on the route running but he’s so physically skilled that we’ll take him early and develop him?

WEIS:  I think it would really come down to two things, and he already has one of them in the bank already.  I forget who I answered it with, but he already has the volume of evidence in the bank.

I mean, when you start studying a player in college, you’re looking for him to make plays.  Well, he doesn’t take long to find this guy.  He’s a highlight reel.  You’ve got a highlight reel.  Just imagine, do you want to make his highlight real for the year?  How would you like to be his age when it came to that?  There would be plenty of evidence; you could put play after play on there, and they’re all from this year.  You don’t have to go to any other year.

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