At the Letters: College baseball’s hot topics

No matter the time of year or what’s happening in the college baseball world, we always receive a wealth of your email questions and comments.

As was the case last week, our inbox once again was filled with intriguing comments this week.

Our story two weeks ago about the biggest needs for college baseball still is a hot topic and some have suggested that the northern part of the country needs to get into the game. How exactly is that done, though? Is there a fair balance between the north and south?

Other questions were posed about conference races and outlooks for specific teams and conferences.

To ask a question for next week’s feature, email Kendall Rogers.

As always, I defend your letters in the italics that follow.

Your recent college baseball teams of the decade story will probably generate a lot of email for you as those of us with different loyalties speak what’s on our minds. I’m writing to make the case for the 2006 Oregon State Beavers. I think they should be ranked higher, but the one thing that stands out in my mind about that team was that you did not want to play them when their backs were against the wall. That team set a record for elimination game wins. Jonah Nickerson and Kevin Gunderson put that team on their arms and carried them. If the sign of a strong champion is that they swept the competition aside then you look at the ’07 Beavers, however, if you think that the champion has to have determination, heart, and the will to succeed then there is no better choice than the ’06 Oregon State squad.
Vince
Sherwood, Ore.

Vince, fantastic points. As illustrated in our rankings of the decade’s best national champions, we believe the ’06 Oregon State squad was better than the ’07 squad. The ’07 team certainly had some great leaders in Darwin Barney and Joey Wong, but I just loved the ’06 team with guys like Kevin Gunderson and Jonah Nickerson leaving everything on the field at Rosenblatt Stadium. What a decade it was for Oregon State baseball in general. Perhaps the Beavers will win more national titles in the near future. For now, though, there’s no question to me the ’06 squad was the most special.

If Major League Baseball would donate $1 million per team (the cost of a bad middle reliever) to the D-1 scholarship fund split by the 250-plus D-1 schools it would add six $20k scholarships per team. If there is a true desire to raise the level of minority player interest in college baseball and thus pro baseball this is the easiest and most cost effective way.
Monte
San Diego

Monte, very interesting comments. You’re delving into a pair of important areas in college baseball and baseball in general. In terms of MLB essentially donating money to the NCAA to fund scholarships, it certainly sounds interesting in theory. But there’d be no reason for MLB to essentially encourage kids to go to college. By funding academic aid, MLB basically would be helping colleges get more top-tier players on campus. That goes against what the organization is trying to do, which is build the farm teams and hope for a fruitful big league team. As for minorities in baseball, that issue is more far reaching than just a scholarship problem. That starts with making baseball more available in some minority-heavy neighborhoods. It also requires, in many cases, youth baseball leagues to be subsidized to some extent. The costs surrounding youth baseball these days are just asinine if you ask me. Great comments.

What do you think in general about the Kansas baseball program?
Steve
Westland, Mich.

Steve, I’m always happy to talk about coach Ritch Price and the Jayhawks. My opinion is that Price has done a fantastic job in Lawrence, Kan. Kansas is not an easy place to win when you consider Missouri, Nebraska, Wichita State and now Kansas State are just down the road. But Price has found a way to become a regional contender. KU reached an NCAA regional final last season and has a team capable of reaching the College World Series in ’10. Tony Thompson is one of the nation’s best hitters and the pitching staff also is loaded with talented players. Kansas is a program I’ve grown a deep respect for the past few seasons. There’s a reason for that.

I’m really glad to see Long Beach State has back former pitching coach Troy Buckley. What do you think the future holds for the Dirtbags?
Oscar
Los Angeles

Oscar, Long Beach State has been one of the most consistent programs on the West Coast the last ten seasons or so, so it was a surprise when the Dirtbags failed to make an NCAA regional last season. That hiatus won’t last long, though. The Dirtbags have a wealth of pitching to replace in the spring, but having Troy Buckley back in the mix is a huge boost. The offense, meanwhile, should be vastly improved with the return of at least seven key hitters. The Dirtbags will at least come close to making a regional in ’10. They definitely should make a regional in ’11.

As of right now what is your prediction for how the Big 12 will finish next season 1-10?
Bentley
Dallas

Bentley, my friend, you’re putting me on the spot sooner than expected. But hey, I’m always game for these types of questions. But let’s take a crack at it. Look for Texas to be the clear-cut leader with an exceptional weekend rotation and pitching staff back in the spring. Every spot outside of the top spot is up for grabs, but I see the Big 12 shaping up like this: 2. Texas A&M, 3. Kansas, 4. Oklahoma State, 5. Baylor, 6. Oklahoma, 7. Kansas State, 8. Missouri, 9. Texas Tech and 10. Nebraska. These rankings, of course, are subject to change before the season begins. But for now, it’s what I’m thinking.

I thought the Pac-10 Conference was looking at adding a conference tournament this season?
Corey
Jacksonville, Fla.

Corey, the Pac-10 trying to add a conference tournament in an economy deep in recession probably wouldn’t be the greatest idea. That probably is at least one reason the tournament wasn’t added for the upcoming season. There’s no question, though, that most Pac-10 coaches are in favor of adding the tournament so the league has an automatic bid as with the rest of the power conferences. Still, there’s much work that goes into having a conference tournament. First, the league must find out where it actually wants to have the tournament. Second, the format of the tournament must be figured out. Lastly, there are plenty of operating costs that go into having a conference tournament. If the Pac-10 adds a tournament in the next two-to-three seasons, look for the tourney to take place on Pac-10 campuses. Not sure the interest is there for a neutral venue.

Do you see East Carolina continuing its success in the spring? Will Conference USA be as strong this year as in the past?
Kevin
Greenville, N.C.

Kevin, don’t worry too much about your Pirates. Sure, they have a few key cogs to replace in the spring. But the bulk of the team is back and the pitching staff and weekend rotation should be much improved. The Pirates could have the best pitching staff in Conference USA with Brad Mincey, Kevin Brandt and Seth Maness leading the way. Offensively, the Pirates once again will be potent with the return of Kyle Roller, Trent Whitehead, Devin Harris, Jared Avchen, Dustin Harrington and Austin Homan. Look for ECU to host another regional and get back to an NCAA super regional. As for the rest of C-USA, the league only will get better. Memphis took a step forward a few seasons ago with a regional berth, and should get back in the upper half of the league in the spring. Houston always will have a competitive club and Tulane has enough talent to finish top three and make an NCAA regional. C-USA is in outstanding shape.

I think in order for college baseball to really take off, it can’t just be a regional game. Nearly all the baseball powers are in warm weather states in the south and west, which means fans in our largest media markets in the Northeast and Midwest simply don’t care because their favorite local programs aren’t relevant. That limits the value of college baseball television contracts, limits the coverage by major newspapers, etc. which in turn limits the growth of the game. What suggestions do you have that might help the northern and Midwestern programs become more competitive so that college baseball can be embraced as a national sport?
Coyote
Atlanta

Coyote, that’s a fantastic question without too many easy answers. The northern coaches will tell you that the only way they can be competitive on a consistent basis is to move the season back a few weeks and add some weeks to the end of the season. I’m fine with moving the season back a bit, but also agree with the current uniform start date. The fact of the matter is that SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Pac-10 programs will not travel to MAC and Big Ten schools no matter the time of year. A schedule format change will not fix that issue. So, the northern schools need to find creative ways to market their baseball teams on and off the field. There’s absolutely no reason for Ohio State and Michigan not to play in front of packed houses. The same goes for other teams in the region. Nebraska, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio State, Louisville and Kentucky have proven that you can win in colder climates. It’s all about how you build your program. If you don’t utilize resources, it’s tough to come out and say you need scheduling changes to improve. Also remember that cultures are different by region. There are only select western schools that have rabid fan bases, where as the Southwest and Southeast have passionate fan bases. The north is not alone when it comes to “not caring too much” about college baseball. The sport is in great shape and is only gaining viewers, but it still has a ways to go. I do believe the Big Ten Network’s commitment to covering baseball is huge for the sport.