New Addresses, More Uncertainty For Many Teams…

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

It’s all about football (and BCS money), but the latest round of conference shuffling – brought to you by the Big East Conference – will ripple through college baseball as well.

As of this writing, an official announcement is apparently imminent that Boise State, San Diego State, Houston, Central Florida (UCF), and Southern Methodist (SMU) will all join the Big East to bolster its sinking BCS football status. Boise State and San Diego State would join as football only members, while the other three would be full fledged Big East members in all sports. The planned moves would go into effect for the 2013-2014 academic year.

We’re not going to go into all of the football implications. You can find that on 800 other sites. We also won’t touch the irony that the new look “Big East” will include schools that are not even remotely in the “east”.

The question we are most concerned with is:  How does all this affect college baseball?

First, neither Boise State nor SMU have baseball teams, so those schools are out of this discussion (how SMU does not have a baseball team though is a head-scratcher). So, let’s start out west and work our way back east to look at how this latest conference shuffle will affect the college baseball landscape.

San Diego State currently plays in the Mountain West Conference in all sports. Since the Aztecs are joining the Big East in football only, the other sports are in line for a new landing spot. According to multiple reports, that landing spot will be the Big West Conference.

It’s a move that would make perfect sense for Tony Gwynn‘s baseball team. The farthest his team would travel for a conference game would be Hawaii (set to join the Big West for the 2013 season) every other year, rather than current jumps to Colorado Springs, Albuquerque and Ft. Worth.

Gwynn would also add another big name to the coaching ranks in the conference. The Big West already includes another former Big Leaguer – Ed Sprague (Pacific) – as well as Hall of Famer Mike Gillespie (UC Irvine) and a hot up and comer – Rick Vanderhook (Cal State Fullerton) – who is returning to his roots after helping UCLA reach the College World Series as an assistant.

The conference that will feel the most ill effects from all the maneuvering is the Mountain West. The conference, which has been somewhat underrated when it comes to college baseball anyway, has just five teams – Air Force, New Mexico, San Diego State, TCU, and UNLV – that will field baseball teams in 2012.

TCU, which was originally set to join the Big East, will leave the Mountain West after the current season to align with the Big 12. Fresno State and Nevada have agreed to leave the WAC for the MWC next year, but they could easily reconsider that move considering there will be no Boise State and no San Diego State in two years. And don’t forget, Utah left the MWC to help form the Pac-12 this season, while BYU left the conference for football independence, while baseball and other BYU sports are now in the WCC.

As it stands, the Mountain West would be left with just Air Force, New Mexico, UNLV and possibly Fresno State in 2014. Odds are those schools will either all be somewhere else or the MWC will align with another conference – the WAC? – before then.

From a baseball standpoint, it’s just a shame. The MWC, especially with the addition of Fresno State, was shaping into what would have been a great conference. The Bulldogs won the 2008 national championship, TCU went to Omaha in 2010, New Mexico is coming off back-to-back NCAA appearances, and Utah and San Diego State have each gone to NCAA regionals in the last three years as well.

Moving east…

Houston and UCF will leave Conference USA to join the Big East in all sports, including baseball starting with the 2014 baseball season.

Houston has experienced an NCAA drought in recent years. The Cougars were a win away from a Super Regional in 2008, but that is their only NCAA appearance over the last five seasons. Houston improved from 25 wins to 27 victories in Todd Whittling’s first season as head coach in 2011.

UCF has made upward movement in head coach Terry Rooney‘s three seasons as head coach after helping LSU reach the CWS as an assistant in 2008. The Knights were one of four C-USA teams to receive an NCAA bid in 2011.

The move to the Big East for those two schools comes as Syracuse and Pittsburgh head to the ACC and West Virginia exits to the Big 12. Syracuse does not have baseball, while neither Pitt nor WVU have sniffed the NCAA Tournament in nearly two decades.

The argument can be made that the addition of two southern schools like UCF (located in Orlando) and Houston will make the Big East a better baseball conference. That argument was made when South Florida (USF-located in Tampa) joined the Big East after the 2005 season, but it hasn’t turned out that way.

USF has not received an NCAA bid in its six seasons as a Big East member. The Bulls compiled a 7-10 record at the Big East Tournament from 2006-2010, but did not qualify for the Big East’s postseason tournament in 2011.

Meanwhile, northern teams in the same conference have been more successful in that stretch. Notre Dame, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s, and UConn (all dugout space heater spots in March and early April) have all received NCAA bids since 2006, while UConn advancing to the program’s first Super Regional this past season. Louisville also earned NCAA bids from 2007-2010, but the Cardinals are the only Big East school not in Florida to play home games in February.

The losses of Houston and UCF leaves C-USA with seven baseball playing schools, while the net for the Big East is unchanged at 12 baseball schools (lose Pitt and West Virginia and gain UCF and Houston).

Other smaller conferences are set to shuffle as well. UT San Antonio and Texas State (as well as Denver, which doesn’t play baseball) will soon join the WAC. Houston Baptist will join the Southland after leaving the Great West Conference (a conference that does not an automatic NCAA bid), while Oral Roberts will leave the Summit League for the Southland Conference.

Dallas Baptist, which went all the way to a Super Regional in 2011 as a DI Independent, joined the Missouri Valley Conference this year, but will leave to join the WAC for the 2012-2013 season.

Nebraska is also in its first season in the Big Ten after leaving the Big 12 after last season, while Missouri and Texas A&M will jump to the SEC next year. As of now, the only change in the ACC will be the addition of Pitt.

The X-factor in the entire situation is the BCS contract will likely be redone prior to the 2013-2014 season, so this latest move by the Big East might not even keep the conference in the BCS.

Confused?

The only certainty in any of this is – there is bound to be much more uncertainty before the smoke clears.

Here’s a look at how many of the aforementioned conferences are currently aligned and how they will potentially look in 2014. Keep in mind that seemingly every move is tentative and all of this could be moot before any of the changes actually take place.

Potential College Baseball 2014 Conference Baseball Alignment

National Schedule Set For Lobos…

New Mexico has released its 2012 college baseball schedule. The Lobos open their season Feb. 17-19 when they host a three game series with Nevada. Their second weekend sees them travel to San Antonio for four games vs. UT San Antonio.

A marquee three game series with Oklahoma takes place when UNM hosts the Sooners March 2-4 at Iosotopes Park. The Lobos played at Oklahoma last year.

The Lobos visit intrastate rival New Mexico State on March 6. The Aggies return the trip to Albuquerque a week later. The two teams play two more times during the season, with each team hosting a game.

New Mexico hosts three games vs. Gonzaga March 9-11. A two game set vs. Arizona State is planned for April 9 & 10. The Lobos play a pair of two game series with Texas Tech. Each team will host two games. They host two games vs. Stephen F. Austin and a three game series vs. Florida Gulf Coast as well. UNM also plays a four game series at Fresno State March 30-April 1.

Mountain West Conference play begins March 16-18 when New Mexico hosts San Diego State. Other conference home series are against TCU, UNLV and Air Force.  The Lobos will also make return trips to all four of those schools for conference series.

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Tough Slate Again Awaits Horned Frogs…

TCU has unveiled its 2012 college baseball schedule. The Horned Frogs open their season with a marquee series Feb. 17-19 when they host a three game series with Mississippi.

After a Feb. 21 game at Baylor, TCU goes on the road for another stiff test when it visits Cal State Fullerton for a Feb. 24-26 three game set.

An eight-game home stand begins on Feb. 28 with a game vs. Texas State. Oklahoma State visits for three games March 2-4, Baylor comes to Ft. Worth on March 6 and then Texas Tech completes the home stand with three games March 9-11.

Mountain West Conference play begins March 16-18 at UNLV. Other conference road games are at New Mexico, San Diego State, and Air Force. The Horned Frogs host those same teams in conference action as well.

UNC Wilmington and Manhattan visit Lupton Stadium for three game series during the season as well. Dallas Baptist, Louisiana-Monroe, Texas A&M, and UT Arlington are among TCU’s other mid week games in 2012. They will also play single home and home games vs. Oklahoma.

2012 will be TCU’s last in the Mountain West Conference. The Horned Frogs are set to join the Big 12 in 2013.

The Dugout in Omaha is your one stop for the most officially licensed 2011 College World Series apparel.

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TCU has announced its 2011 college baseball schedule. The Horned Frogs are fresh-off the first College World Series appearance in program history, and they will play 15 games against teams that played in the 2010 NCAA Baseball Tournament.

CLICK HERE to see the complete TCU 2011 baseball schedule.

In addition to its game against Baylor (2), TCU also faces fellow Texas teams Dallas Baptist (2), Texas Tech (3), UT-Arlington (2), Houston Baptist (3), Texas State (1), Houston (3), UT-Pan American (2), Stephen F. Austin (1) and Texas A&M (1) for a total of 20 games against teams from the Lone Star State.

TCU opens Mountain West Conference play March 18-20 at UNLV. Other MWC road series are at San Diego State, BYU and New Mexico. The Horned Frogs will host New Mexico as well as Air Force, UNLV, and Utah in conference action.

The Horned Frogs play a non-conference home and home series against fellow 2010 CWS participant Oklahoma. They visit Norman on April 12 and host the Sooners on April 26. TCU also visits Oklahoma State May 6-8.

The Mountain West Conference Tournament is May 24-28 in San Diego, CA.

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San Diego State’s 2011 baseball schedule is not completely finalized, but the bulk of it is in stone. Tony Gwynn’s Aztecs will open the 2011 campaign at home against Winthrop on February 18. They will host either San Diego or Vanderbilt the next day and then face Winthrop again on Feb. 20.

Click Here to see the tentative 2011 San Diego State schedule

After a game at Cal State Northridge the Aztecs come home for three games against Arkansas and another against Connecticut. They then go to Loyola Marymount and then return home to begin Mountain West Conference play for a three game series with New Mexico.

Including New Mexico, San Diego State plays 17 of its first 21 games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams. They host another NCAA team when Oral Roberts visits April 1-3.

Other home MWC series are against Utah, TCU and BYU. They go on the road for conference series vs. BYU, Air Force, Utah, and UNLV. They also go on the road in late April for a three game series at Western Carolina.

The Aztecs host the Mountain West Conference Tournament in May.

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First Place & More On The Line This Weekend…

Collegebaseball360.com contributor Stephen Francis covers TCU for Examiner.com.  We talked with him earlier this week in our podcast to talk about the Horned Frogs and their big series this weekend in Albuquerque vs. the New Mexico Lobos.

By Stephen Francis

Of the eleven (and a third) games remaining in the regular season for the TCU baseball team, the following three may be the most important.  This weekend, the Horned Frogs travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the series that could clinch them the Mountain West Conference regular season title.  Of course, the task looks much easier in writing than it actually is.

With a 12-5 record in conference play, and at 30-15 overall, the New Mexico Lobos currently sit two games behind the Frogs in the Mountain West standings and are just outside the top 25 in most of college baseball’s major polls.  This team is more than capable of taking a key series.  Just ask Texas; who fell victim to the Lobos in two out of three games to start the season.

Obviously, that’s the most prestigious on on New Mexico’s resume and with the Longhorns’ current 21-game winning streak going on, that’s all they really need.  This team is good enough for an at-large bid to the NCAA baseball tournament, and they’re even good enough to pull an upset on the Horned Frogs.  That means taking the series is all-the-more important for TCU.

CLICK HERE to read more…

At Least 33 Games To Be Nationally Televised

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Mountain West Conference announced its 2010 baseball television schedule today. This season’s slate features 33 games on national television, with the possibility of a 34th game if a second championship contest is necessary at the 2010 Conoco MWC Baseball Championship. It will be the fourth consecutive season that all games from the baseball championship will be televised.

Thirty-two games will be shown on The Mtn. – MountainWest Sports Network, while one is set to be telecast on CBS College Sports Network (CBS C).

In addition to game broadcasts, The Mtn. will feature The Mountain View – Diamond Edition, which brings viewers scores and highlights of all the baseball action from across the Conference every Thursday at 7 p.m. MT during the season beginning in March. Live pre- and post-game shows from The Mtn. studios will be part of all MTN-produced baseball telecasts, including the full slate of 2010 Conoco Mountain West Conference Baseball Championship games.

The Mtn. is carried nationally by DIRECTV (Channel 616) and numerous cable operators representing over 200 municipalities in nine states. CBS College Sports Network is widely available on cable systems across the country and via satellite on DIRECTV (Channel 613) and Dish Network (Channel 152).

Below is a listing of the 2010 broadcast schedule:

2010 MWC Baseball Television Broadcast Schedule
Date	Game	Time	Broadcast Network	Broadcast Date/Time
Tue., Mar. 2	UT-San Antonio at TCU	6:30 p.m. CT	*	Tue., Mar. 2/11:00 p.m. CT
Fri., Mar. 12	Texas Tech at TCU	6:30 p.m. CT	*	Mar. 13/1 p.m. CT
Tue., Mar. 23	Texas State at TCU	6:30 p.m. CT	*	Live
Tue., Mar. 30	UT-Arlington at TCU	6:30 p.m. CT	*	Live
Thu., Apr. 1	San Diego State at TCU	6:30 p.m. CT	*	Thu., Apr. 1/8:30 p.m. CT
Fri., Apr. 2	San Diego State at TCU	6:30 p.m. CT	*	Fri., Apr. 2/8:30 p.m. CT
Sat., Apr. 3	San Diego State at TCU	2:00 p.m. CT	*	Live
Tue., Apr. 6	Oklahoma at TCU	6:30 p.m. CT	*	Live
Tue., Apr. 13	Texas A&M at TCU	6:30 p.m. CT	*	Live
Thu., Apr. 15	TCU at BYU	6:30 p.m. MT	(re-air)	Live Fri., Apr. 16/3:00 p.m. MT
Sat., Apr. 17	TCU at BYU	1:00 p.m. MT	(re-air)	Live Sun., Apr. 18/3:00 p.m. MT
Fri., Apr. 23	UNLV at TCU	6:30 p.m. CT	*	Fri., Apr. 23/8:30 p.m. CT
Fri., Apr. 23	Utah at BYU	6:30 p.m. MT	(re-air)	Live Sat., Apr. 24/6:00 p.m. MT
Sat., Apr. 24	Utah at BYU	1:00 p.m. MT	(re-air)	Live Sun., Apr. 25/3:00 p.m. MT
Sat., Apr. 24	UNLV at TCU	4:00 p.m. CT	*	Live
Sun., Apr. 25	UNLV at TCU	1:00 p.m. CT	*	Live
Tue., Apr. 27	Baylor at TCU	6:30 p.m. CT	*	Live
Sat., May 1	New Mexico at San Diego State	6:00 p.m. PT	*	Live
Sat., May 1	TCU at Utah	5:00 p.m. MT		Live
Thu., May 13	San Diego State at BYU	6:30 p.m. MT	(re-air)	Live Fri., May 14/3:00 p.m. MT
Fri., May 14	San Diego State at BYU	6:30 p.m. MT	(re-air)	Live Sat., May 15/3:00 p.m. MT
Sat., May 15	San Diego State at BYU	1:00 p.m. MT	(re-air)	Live Sun., May 16/Noon MT
Tue., May 18	Utah Valley at BYU	6:30 p.m. MT	(re-air)	Live Wed., May 19/8:00 p.m. MT

2010 CONOCO MWC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday, May 25
3:00 p.m. PT	Game #1		Live
7:00 p.m. PT	Game #2		Live
Wednesday, May 26
11:00 a.m. PT	Game #3		Live
3:00 p.m. PT	Game #4		Live
7:00 p.m. PT	Game #5		Live
Thursday, May 27
11:00 a.m. PT	Game #6		Live
3:00 p.m. PT	Game #7		Live
7:00 p.m. PT	Game #8		Live
Friday, May 28
3:00 p.m. PT	Game #9		Live
7:00 p.m. PT	Game #10		Live
Saturday, May 29
1:00 p.m. PT	Game #11 (If necessary)		Live

Broadcast schedule times subject to change.
* TCU Film/Television/Digital Media Dept. Production

NC State’s Poulk, Georgia Tech’s Bradley receive ACC Baseball weekly honors

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –­ New Mexico senior Max Willett and junior Mike Lachapelle have been named the Mountain West Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.  This is the second career weekly honor for Willett and first for Lachapelle.

Willett, from Highlands Ranch, Colo., batted .636 (7-for-11) from the plate with two doubles, a triple, three runs scored and one RBI as the Lobos earned the program’s first-ever victories against a No. 1 ranked opponent, going 2-1 at top-ranked Texas last weekend.  In the 6-2 season-opening loss to the Longhorns on Friday, Willett went 2-for-4 with a double.  In New Mexico’s 6-5 come-from-behind game two win on Saturday, he went 3-for-4, scoring one run and driving in another that gave the Lobos their final margin of victory.  His RBI-sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth put the Lobos up for good at 6-5 after trailing in the game, 5-2.  In the Lobos’ 3-1 series finale win on Sunday, he went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.  For the series, Willett posted a .615 on-base percentage and a 1.000 slugging percentage, while tallying six putouts from his outfield position with no errors defensively.

Lachapelle, a transfer from Pima Community College, allowed just one run over six innings to earn the first win of his Division I career in New Mexico’s 3-1 victory over No. 1 Texas on Sunday. The lefthander from Tucson, Ariz., scattered seven hits, surrendering only one extra-base rap, while striking out one batter and issuing one walk.

TCU Picked To Win A Fifth Straight Crown