I know some of you are still excited about conference basketball play, but some others of us have been waiting for baseball season since football ended. So I'd like to hear about expectations and what teams are going to look like this Fall.

(01-16-2016 02:23 AM)EagNBran Wrote:  I know some of you are still excited about conference basketball play, but some others of us have been waiting for baseball season since football ended. So I'd like to hear about expectations and what teams are going to look like this Fall.

As crappy as our football season was, and as crappy as has been our basketball team to this point, count me amongst those looking forward to baseball. LOL

Here's a few links to some baseball reading material.

D1Baseball Preseason Top 25

Perfect Game Preseason Top 25

Collegiate Baseball Preseason Top 25

D1Baseball Top 25 Recruiting Classes for 2015


C-USA finished last year a very respectable 8th in RPI with Rice, Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss being the class of the conference. FIU sort of came out of nowhere to win the conference tournament and with that C-USA had 3 teams in the post season.

Don't know how things would have shaken out if FIU had not won the auto-bid, but I could still have imagined C-USA getting 3 teams in the playoff field.

I haven't looked at this year's lineups as compared to last year's but believe Rice will be the team to beat.

Good luck to the Eagles.

Ours will be more of the same. 4th year in a row left at home....I can't understand how our administration can let this continue. Hope I am wrong...

more than half of Tech's baseball team is new and it looks like one of Tech's QBs, J'Mar Smith, is playing baseball as well

I expect another 30 win season and missing regional play for my eagles. Hope I'm wrong, but I simply don't hear a lot of things to be overly excited about.

If we do make a regional or win the conference, in my opinion, we will have over achieved.

Hate how our baseball team has gone down hill after a string of 10 strong years, including a World Series appearance.

This is the first year in recent memory that Rice has been left off two major preseason polls.
We're "o-fer-2" on this so far as I have never given much/any credence to "CB". Would like to see if we make the Baseball America preseason rankings.

That said, I think there's plenty of upside to this year's Rice Owls. I still think we're going to be favored to win conference, but far from a given. I think CUSA should be strong again with at least 2 or 3 teams with a legitimate shot at making an Omaha trip.

(01-16-2016 03:27 PM)MasMack Wrote:  I expect another 30 win season and missing regional play for my eagles. Hope I'm wrong, but I simply don't hear a lot of things to be overly excited about.

If we do make a regional or win the conference, in my opinion, we will have over achieved.

Hate how our baseball team has gone down hill after a string of 10 strong years, including a World Series appearance.

that's the interesting caveat.....which one does the fan want to see?.....more years of mediocrity with a smattering of success or developing another game plan through losing and changes.....

it's not close to the Elllllllllllloss debacle......reminds me quite a bit of Turk's and Bower's end run....

I'm going wait and watch the talent/game planning on the field.....shouldn't take long to make up my mind....

(01-16-2016 03:49 PM)stinkfist Wrote:  

(01-16-2016 03:27 PM)MasMack Wrote:  I expect another 30 win season and missing regional play for my eagles. Hope I'm wrong, but I simply don't hear a lot of things to be overly excited about.

If we do make a regional or win the conference, in my opinion, we will have over achieved.

Hate how our baseball team has gone down hill after a string of 10 strong years, including a World Series appearance.

that's the interesting caveat.....which one does the fan want to see?.....more years of mediocrity with a smattering of success or developing another game plan through losing and changes.....

it's not close to the Elllllllllllloss debacle......reminds me quite a bit of Turk's and Bower's end run....

I'm going wait and watch the talent/game planning on the field.....shouldn't take long to make up my mind....

This is year 5 for Berry. He made a regional in year 1. Has missed the last three. He had seniors last year that were part of the #3 recruiting class in the nation. Last year they showed flashes of being a better coached team, but still lost some games that were head scratchers.

In my opinion, Berry will never get us to where we want to be. Which is a consistent top 25 team, making regionals every year, with legitimate shots at hosting regionals and making it to supers and CWS. We were there when he took over. But not today. 30 win seasons with no championships or regional appearances is not acceptable at USM.

(01-16-2016 04:22 PM)MasMack Wrote:  

(01-16-2016 03:49 PM)stinkfist Wrote:  

(01-16-2016 03:27 PM)MasMack Wrote:  I expect another 30 win season and missing regional play for my eagles. Hope I'm wrong, but I simply don't hear a lot of things to be overly excited about.

If we do make a regional or win the conference, in my opinion, we will have over achieved.

Hate how our baseball team has gone down hill after a string of 10 strong years, including a World Series appearance.

that's the interesting caveat.....which one does the fan want to see?.....more years of mediocrity with a smattering of success or developing another game plan through losing and changes.....

it's not close to the Elllllllllllloss debacle......reminds me quite a bit of Turk's and Bower's end run....

I'm going wait and watch the talent/game planning on the field.....shouldn't take long to make up my mind....

This is year 5 for Berry. He made a regional in year 1. Has missed the last three. He had seniors last year that were part of the #3 recruiting class in the nation. Last year they showed flashes of being a better coached team, but still lost some games that were head scratchers.

In my opinion, Berry will never get us to where we want to be. Which is a consistent top 25 team, making regionals every year, with legitimate shots at hosting regionals and making it to supers and CWS. We were there when he took over. But not today. 30 win seasons with no championships or regional appearances is not acceptable at USM.

Actually, Berry made regionals his first two years. Hasn't been since, 4 years in a row. This is his 7th year as head coach.

(01-16-2016 12:38 PM)techdawg88 Wrote:  more than half of Tech's baseball team is new and it looks like one of Tech's QBs, J'Mar Smith, is playing baseball as well

Hearing anything about some of the transfers? I coached one of them when he was in High School. Very talented.

Alas...If only we had a stadium.

I am, again, cautiously optimistic about our squad this year. There is a lot of talent coming in and some veteran leadership coming back. I hope we start to see some progression from our players this year. Several talented guys on this team and many coming in. One of the biggest knocks on Berry has been the somewhat regression of talented players.

If we don't make post season this year, I believe Scott is gone.

(01-18-2016 10:01 AM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  Alas...If only we had a stadium.

Don't you guys travel something like an hour to your home stadium?

Also, thought there was an on campus or close to campus stadium in the works?

(01-18-2016 10:05 AM)eagle04 Wrote:  

(01-18-2016 10:01 AM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  Alas...If only we had a stadium.

Don't you guys travel something like an hour to your home stadium?

Also, thought there was an on campus or close to campus stadium in the works?

Our home stadium is Appalachian Power Park in downtown Charleston (about an hour). It's home of the single A farm team WV Power.

There was talk of a stadium being located on the ACF grounds (a defunct rail car manufacturing company), but I have heard that the EPA would force a buyer to dig down something like 10-20 feet or so to excavate contaminants. I have no idea of knowing how much truth there is to that. Probably some considering the factory had operated for decades and there is probably a lot of oil and grease in the ground.

The second site is property across from ACF (its parking lot) and an adjacent lot. I've heard that the seller wants an exorbitant amount of money for it. It would be nice if Marshall could claim eminent domain.

HerdZoned or Coach MacLid probably have more information on this than me. Or at least more accurate.

Believe Blue Raider Baseball Team conducts annual Ground Hog Day Luncheon at Murphy Center on February 2. Think they have been doing this Kick-off lunch for about 50 years. And it is never too early to start talking about the National Pastime!

This is a big year for Charlotte. Our 1st C-USA level recruiting class will be JRs this season and we lose almost nothing to graduation/draft from last year's team.

Our full weekend rotation returns on the mound and we add a Maryland transfer who may compete for a weekend spot.
In the line-up we only lose 1 starter, and get our senior starting 3B back after a medical RS last year. We have brought in a JUCO behind the plate to help improve one of our weak spots from last season. Freshman class is talented and may have 2 starters in the OF.

At the very least, this team should take the next step up into finishing in the top 8 and making the C-USA tournament. With the off the field issues from last year behind us, I think we can finish in the 5-8 range in the conference.

Also, we have added a new synthetic turf infield this season. Should help out with some of the early season rain/ snow that we've had cancelling games over the past few seasons.

(01-18-2016 04:19 PM)Mr. Bojangles Wrote:  This is a big year for Charlotte. Our 1st C-USA level recruiting class will be JRs this season and we lose almost nothing to graduation/draft from last year's team.

Our full weekend rotation returns on the mound and we add a Maryland transfer who may compete for a weekend spot.
In the line-up we only lose 1 starter, and get our senior starting 3B back after a medical RS last year. We have brought in a JUCO behind the plate to help improve one of our weak spots from last season. Freshman class is talented and may have 2 starters in the OF.

At the very least, this team should take the next step up into finishing in the top 8 and making the C-USA tournament. With the off the field issues from last year behind us, I think we can finish in the 5-8 range in the conference.

Also, we have added a new synthetic turf infield this season. Should help out with some of the early season rain/ snow that we've had cancelling games over the past few seasons.

Really cautiously optimistic about this years squad Mr. Bo. It has been too long since we have been a player. I really hope Coach Hibbs has a good year. He is a class act and deserves it. Our pitching should be a real strength.

(01-18-2016 09:59 AM)eagle04 Wrote:  

(01-16-2016 12:38 PM)techdawg88 Wrote:  more than half of Tech's baseball team is new and it looks like one of Tech's QBs, J'Mar Smith, is playing baseball as well

Hearing anything about some of the transfers? I coached one of them when he was in High School. Very talented.

which transfer?

(01-18-2016 05:35 PM)Norm DaNiner Wrote:  

(01-18-2016 04:19 PM)Mr. Bojangles Wrote:  This is a big year for Charlotte. Our 1st C-USA level recruiting class will be JRs this season and we lose almost nothing to graduation/draft from last year's team.

Our full weekend rotation returns on the mound and we add a Maryland transfer who may compete for a weekend spot.
In the line-up we only lose 1 starter, and get our senior starting 3B back after a medical RS last year. We have brought in a JUCO behind the plate to help improve one of our weak spots from last season. Freshman class is talented and may have 2 starters in the OF.

At the very least, this team should take the next step up into finishing in the top 8 and making the C-USA tournament. With the off the field issues from last year behind us, I think we can finish in the 5-8 range in the conference.

Also, we have added a new synthetic turf infield this season. Should help out with some of the early season rain/ snow that we've had cancelling games over the past few seasons.

Really cautiously optimistic about this years squad Mr. Bo. It has been too long since we have been a player. I really hope Coach Hibbs has a good year. He is a class act and deserves it. Our pitching should be a real strength.

I think cautiously optimistic is a good way to put it. The last two years have been a struggle, but we knew that coming into C-USA. On paper, it appears that the staff addressed our shortcomings in the off-season. We really needed a catcher and a center fielder. Hope the new guys pan out. I'd be pretty leased with our progress if we finished in the 5-8 range.

(01-16-2016 03:48 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  This is the first year in recent memory that Rice has been left off two major preseason polls.
We're "o-fer-2" on this so far as I have never given much/any credence to "CB". Would like to see if we make the Baseball America preseason rankings.

That said, I think there's plenty of upside to this year's Rice Owls. I still think we're going to be favored to win conference, but far from a given. I think CUSA should be strong again with at least 2 or 3 teams with a legitimate shot at making an Omaha trip.

Based on what I have seen over the years, i am confident that Rice will again be the bell cow. Just a really good solid program.