No mention of portal…
- Thread starter the artist FKA zipp
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They need to figure somethings out internally. The downward shift since Covid is noticeable. I don’t know that is transfer or older players. I think it is a talent issue especially in the pitching staff.
This Freshman class is outstanding imo.
We've got two Freshman outfielders (Dickerson and Lippe) that will push for starting gigs next season. Add Killen to that mix,Anderson and maybe two former all ACC performers (Beard and Humphrey).Catchers, Klein,Vierling, Bamberg.
Four Freshmen pitchers hopefully healthy will be a year older- Forbes, Biven, West and Campbell.
We just need to shore up this pitching staff with a couple of big time arms. Always seems like starting the year,you have too many, but we've come to find out you can never have enough.
If we can keep this group in tact and add a little, I believe we'll be back in the mix.
We've got two Freshman outfielders (Dickerson and Lippe) that will push for starting gigs next season. Add Killen to that mix,Anderson and maybe two former all ACC performers (Beard and Humphrey).Catchers, Klein,Vierling, Bamberg.
Four Freshmen pitchers hopefully healthy will be a year older- Forbes, Biven, West and Campbell.
We just need to shore up this pitching staff with a couple of big time arms. Always seems like starting the year,you have too many, but we've come to find out you can never have enough.
If we can keep this group in tact and add a little, I believe we'll be back in the mix.
While I like the idea of recruiting HS seniors; it will not work anymore, and our beloved baseball program may never be the same. The portal will favor the SEC, the usual suspects in the ACC and those other schools that emphasize their baseball programs. I can see the rest of the country’s best candidates looking for money and exposure when transferring to the aforementioned.
Not sure how many folks are paying attention to how proactive the SEC is with televising their college baseball games, while at the same time the ACC is televising FH, Lacrosse and other non-revenue sports. Maybe it’s a small indication, but I believe it is both intentional and effective for the SEC at dominating this college sport just like football.
Not sure how many folks are paying attention to how proactive the SEC is with televising their college baseball games, while at the same time the ACC is televising FH, Lacrosse and other non-revenue sports. Maybe it’s a small indication, but I believe it is both intentional and effective for the SEC at dominating this college sport just like football.
Interesting, I heard his comments a different way. I heard him admit that some players are already 1 foot out the door and, as a coach, you gotta help them find the right fit for them. I also heard that he will have to fill those spots and the portal was a way to do that.
I do think he previously avoided the portal in an effort to improve his HS recruiting ("don't worry about getting replaced after 1 bad / not great year by some sparkly item from the portal. We develop talent here and if you are willing to work, you'll get the opportunity to play here. Let me tell you a story about Drew Ellis . . . ") I think with the new rules on HS recruits and the massive proof that the portal can work and has changed the competitive balance in college baseball (along w/ extra COVID years and reduced MLB draft), they will be players in the portal before next season starts. If you can balance the HS recruits that blossom (e.g., Kilen) with portals to fill the gaps where HS kids haven't yet met expectations (e.g., Koger) you can create a very competitive team.
CDM said on one of his radio shows that he will take a kid from the portal, but the kid would have to reach out to him. He said you have to vet a kid who's shown ability and wants to play for you.
That's a good example of how he wants the process to work, sort of a passive approach. Granted finishing last in the conference might change your approach, but he's not at the point of scouring a list of portal kids on his own.
In a similar vein, he looks at NIL as a way to supplement baseball scholarships. That is, he wants to provide NIL to kids who aren't good enough to get that money on their baseball ability alone. That's 180 degrees opposite of how NIL was conceived.
The guy's clearly old school and will go down his path until he recognizes it's not working. How long that takes is anyone's guess...
That's a good example of how he wants the process to work, sort of a passive approach. Granted finishing last in the conference might change your approach, but he's not at the point of scouring a list of portal kids on his own.
In a similar vein, he looks at NIL as a way to supplement baseball scholarships. That is, he wants to provide NIL to kids who aren't good enough to get that money on their baseball ability alone. That's 180 degrees opposite of how NIL was conceived.
The guy's clearly old school and will go down his path until he recognizes it's not working. How long that takes is anyone's guess...
My predictions of those with a foot out the door. No inside information.
Smith
Hawkins
Humphrey
Corbett
Smith
Hawkins
Humphrey
Corbett
Smith would be understandable. He may think he's not been given enough of a chance to perform.
Hawkins - I think he was given ample opportunity and simply didn't get it done at the plate.
Humphrey - this would surprise me. He was given more chances to show at least the form he did as a FR this year and did not do so. He clearly regressed.
Corbett - similar to Humphrey
I would use BC and Norte Dame as examples of college baseball teams, that despite being exceedingly north of the Mason-Dixon Line and having some of the very worst baseball facilities of any P5 conference school, they continue to play competitive ball in one of the best conferences in America.
I am one of CDM’s biggest fans, and I love UL baseball, but I am struggling with finding a relationship to UL’s three (3) year decline on the field with its challenging financial support.
Let me be clear, I hope the school and the baseball program can obtain more donations to make the necessary improvements that CDM is seeking; I just cannot see its direct affect on the disappointing performance on the field.
We had a very promising and talented roster before this season started, but with few exceptions the kids underperformed in just about every single category.
I am one of CDM’s biggest fans, and I love UL baseball, but I am struggling with finding a relationship to UL’s three (3) year decline on the field with its challenging financial support.
Let me be clear, I hope the school and the baseball program can obtain more donations to make the necessary improvements that CDM is seeking; I just cannot see its direct affect on the disappointing performance on the field.
We had a very promising and talented roster before this season started, but with few exceptions the kids underperformed in just about every single category.
Well, you can't easily say "this caused that." But as you know, I'm not a big believer in coincidences...
Baseball's budget for this past year (FY2023) was 6% higher than the last budget Jurich set in 2018. Using the same five-year comparison, the 2018 baseball budget was 67% higher than it was in 2013. So we're now growing baseball finances at one-tenth the rate we were prior to Jurich's dismissal.
And to make matters worse, CPI went up 8% between June 2013 and June 2018. (June is when budgets are set...) We're not yet to June 2023, but the comparable inflation stat is already 20% now.
Try it yourself
In real terms, McDonnell was operating with 14% LESS money in 2023 than he was five years ago.
IMO that's the "financial commitment" he's talking about...
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In case anyone wants to see the numbers published by U of L, these are from their annual operating budgets for baseball
2013: $2.01 million
2018: $3.36 million (inflation -8%)
2023: $3.56 million (inflation -20%)
If the AD had increased the budget the last five years as much as the prior five, it would have been $5.6 million this past season. I wonder what McDonnell thinks would be possible with another $2 million annually?
This is where U of L athletics is getting kicked in the teeth because the same is true for most of the sports programs. We're being mismanaged across the board by people who don't know what they're doing...
2013: $2.01 million
2018: $3.36 million (inflation -8%)
2023: $3.56 million (inflation -20%)
If the AD had increased the budget the last five years as much as the prior five, it would have been $5.6 million this past season. I wonder what McDonnell thinks would be possible with another $2 million annually?
This is where U of L athletics is getting kicked in the teeth because the same is true for most of the sports programs. We're being mismanaged across the board by people who don't know what they're doing...
