| BASEBALL PLAY AMERICA |
Eugene, OR – The University of Oregon is in its first college baseball season after dropping its program 28 years ago. The Ducks’ reinstated program, which last took the field in 1981, returned to the diamond on February 20 at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. Oregon won the opener 5-3 on Friday, but the Gaels swept the doubleheader on Saturday 6-3 and 4-2. Oregon athletic director Pat Kilkenny, an ardent baseball fan, was one of an estimated 600 Oregon fans who attended the Ducks’ opener,” wrote Rob Moseley of the Eugene Register-Guard. “Saint Mary’s officials said the announced crowd of 749 fans was a record for its facility, Louis Guisto Field, and Duck fans appeared to outnumber the home crowd by at least 3-1.” The following week on the Oregon campus, an enthusiastic crowd of 2,777 filled PK Park to watch Oregon’s first home game in nearly three decades. The Ducks sent them home happy when pinch-hitter Andrew Schmidt singled in Eddy Rodriguez with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 1-0 triumph over defending national champion Fresno State. Pictured here is Oregon freshman second baseman Danny Pulfer putting the tag on Fresno State's Danny Muno, who retreated into a rundown after trying to steal second base in the eighth inning.
Defensively, Oregon committed no errors in backing up the combined six-hit pitching of UO starter Tyler Anderson, pictured here, and Ryan Fleckenstein, who was the winner after a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Anderson, one of the seven freshmen the Ducks used on Friday, never allowed more than one base runner in any inning. The best Fresno State threat against him came in the fifth when Dusty Robinson led off with a double. Rodriguez, the UO catcher, said, “Tyler did a really good job on the mound, spotting up, throwing great pitches for strikes and getting Muno to watch strike three.” Anderson said, “I think he was expecting up and away, and we froze him and locked him up with a fast ball in.” “Oregon fans were probably ready to accept any kind of baseball in the program’s debut at its new home,” said Bob Clark of The Register-Guard. “It looked as if they were going to be rewarded with some bonus innings until Schmidt’s full-count single to right. ‘It was definitely exciting,’ said Schmidt, ‘so I had to take a big breath, relax and stick with my plan. Fortunately, I came through’” The Oregon Ducks are coached by George Horton, whom Oregon lured from Cal State Fullerton. Horton coached the Titans for 11 seasons, taking the team to the College World Series six times. His team won the national title in 2004, and he was twice the national coach of the year. Kilkenny, Oregon’s AD and the namesake of the Ducks’ impressive new ball park, donated $4 million to the Stadium project. He was scheduled to throw out the first ceremonial first pitch but he thought the honor belonged to the coach. So Kilkenny called Horton to the mound, and Kilkenny went behind the plate.
“I love the challenge of developing young men individually and developing a team,” Horton said. “What really makes me go is the adrenalin rush and taking your philosophy and fundamentals against someone else.” At Oregon, Horton has had to build a program from the ground up in just 17 months. As a result, the Ducks are inexperienced – 20 freshmen on a roster of 35. “I’m pretty spoiled and confident in myself and my staff,” Horton said. “We’ve got good athletes here. It’s just a question of whether they believe they’re good enough. I think if they stay in character from what I’ve seen, I believe we have a chance to be competitive.” His players are realistic. “We’ll take lumps this year, but we’re also going to put on some lumps,” said freshman second baseman Pulfer. Bringing back baseball – and so quickly – wasn’t easy. Besides the nuts and bolts of putting together a staff, finding players among those who hadn’t already been recruited to other schools, acquiring uniforms and equipment, and devising a schedule, the Ducks had no real home. Until recently, workouts were held at high schools. The Ducks used to play at Howe Field, built in 1936. The ballpark was converted in 1987 to accommodate the softball team. So the university built an $18 million ballpark in the shadows of Autzen Stadium. Ground was broken just last August. The first phase was finished so the Ducks could host defending national champion Fresno State for a three-game series that started February 27. The second phase will start after the season, when temporary bleachers will be replaced with a permanent grandstand. Contributing to this article are Rob Mosely and Bob Clark, The Eugene Register-Guard; and Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press. Photographs by Chris Pietsch, Gregory Urquiaga, and Kevin Clark of the Register-Guard |
| PITTSFIELD, Mass. - The 150th anniversary first game of college baseball will be carried live nationally on ESPNU on Sunday, May 3, 2009, between Amherst and Williams at historic Wahconah Park. The two teams competed in the first intercollegiate game on July 1, 1859, to start a glorious, 150-year tradition of college baseball.
The Lord Jeffs and Ephs renew the oldest series on the college diamond after playing their initial game at Pittsfield when a mutual site could not be agreed upon in 1859. The city amateur Pittsfield Baseball Club offered its original grounds, a field located near the intersection of Maplewood Avenue and North Street, which now is the site of a coffee shop in the downtown area of the city. The College Baseball Foundation, in Lubbock, Texas, designated Wahconah Park as the “Birthplace of College Baseball”, site of minor league and key collegiate and amateur games for two centuries. Amherst and Williams were scheduled to play on April 12, 2008, but the game was rescheduled due to heavy rains. Williams prevailed 9-4 in a May 4 makeup tilt. A logo to celebrate college baseball’s birthplace was revealed in pregame ceremonies. Amherst and Williams originally challenged one another to a “friendly game of ball” in 1859 as players from both schools had competed in “rounders” and “base ball” on sandlot sites and at prep schools before the initial intercollegiate clash. This also was 47 years before the founding of the National Collegiate Athletic Association by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, so eligibility of contestants was not an issue.
The Lord Jeffs and Ephs (both members of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) and solid contenders for the ’09 league crown) finished with identical 24-12 records (Amherst also had a tie to close at 24-12-1) last year and have two of the strongest baseball traditions among New England colleges. Amherst won the 1859 game 73-32 in 25 innings. Teams played (like cricket) in those days until the squads tired, or it was time to hitch the wagons or catch the trains to return to campus. The nine-inning framework for baseball contests followed in the later 1860s and early 1870s. Boston Baseball All-Star’s executive Dan Duquette (Amherst 1980) and his daughter Denise (Williams 2009), mentioned the game prominently during the 123rd anniversary of the Amherst-Williams football game national telecast in November, and local interest is continuing to build for the 150-year observance of the first college baseball contest. Phil Wood, host of the premier show “Talkin’ Baseball” – which is part of MLB.com – plans to broadcast on site the day of the event. “This 150th Anniversary game will be preceded by a reenactment of the original game under the old rules with alumni players of both schools participating in vintage uniforms provided by Nokona,” Duquette noted. “We are also planning to honor Amherst baseball coach Bill Thurston (longtime head of the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee) who will be completing his 41-year Amherst coaching career.” “Pittsfield as the birthplace of college baseball, and the first city in America to play ball is proud to host the 150th anniversary game,” said Pittsfield Mayor James M. Ruberto. “We are also looking forward to unveiling our new infield and upgrades to historic Wahconah Park.”
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| Bill Thurston, head coach of the Amherst College baseball program since 1966, has led the Jeffs to nearly 800 victories over the last 43 seasons. Widely respected as a teacher of baseball skills and techniques and a full-time tenured professor of physical education, his teams have posted 18 consecutive winning seasons. Thurston has done more than guide the Amherst baseball team. He has directly affected the way the game is played, taught, staffed, researched, officiated and equipped at both the national and global levels.
“Thurston is one of the most influential figures in contemporary baseball history,” wrote Kevin Graber. “He has been a pioneering clinician, author, biomechanist, rules aficionado, safety advocate and international baseball ambassador. His fingerprints are affixed on nearly every facet of the modern game, from rules to bat manufacturing to pitching mechanics.” As the No. 1 pitcher and leading hitter at the University of Michigan, Thurston signed with the Detroit Tigers organization after his junior year and played three seasons of professional baseball. He began coaching in Dearborn, Michigan shortly thereafter and made his way to Amherst in the fall of 1965. Since his arrival, Thurston has been named New England College Coach of the Year on four occasions (1974, 1980, 1984 and 1997). In 1982, he was the recipient of the prestigious Jack Butterfield Award for coaching excellence and contributions to the game. In July 1996, he was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame, and in January 1997, he was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Fall of Fame. In 1997, Thurston received the Dr. James R. Andrews Award for his research and contributions in sports medicine. Thurston has been actively involved in coaching international baseball in Australia, Canada, China, Holland, Italy, Panama and Romania. In 1984 and 1985, he was the head coach of the Australian National Team, which competed in a number of international tournaments in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Thurston served as the NCAA baseball rules editor for 14 years and has worked as a pitching consultant for the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Alabama for the past 11 years. He has also served on various committees for the American Baseball Coaches Association, the International Baseball Association and the United States Baseball Federation, along with numerous NCAA committees. The Amherst College baseball coach and professor is widely known and respected as a baseball clinician, lecturer, and writer and has conducted baseball clinics in over 25 states and five Canadian provinces. He has authored a book – “An Instructional Manual for Pitchers and Pitching Coaches”, and has published numerous articles and studies on baseball skills, rules and coaching techniques. Thurston has produced four pitching videos as well, stressing proper pitching mechanics, video analysis of the pitching motion, the proper care of the pitching arm and prevention of arm injuries. Contributing to this article are Amherst College Athletics, Amherst Magazine, and Kevin Graber. Photograph by Frank Ward. |
| The Louisiana State University Tigers christened sparkling new Alex Box Stadium when it opened its 2009 baseball season February 20 against Villanova. The Tigers took the field as the top-ranked team in the country. It is a distinction LSU coach Paul Mainieri embraces and discounts at the same time.
“I love polls because they create interest across the country and get people talking about college baseball,” Mainieri said. “But it’s different than football, where the polls determine who plays for the national championship. In baseball, I’m not sure the (NCAA) selection committee even looks at them. What you do on the field is what matters. Still, it’s nice to be recognized.” In two seasons since leaving Notre Dame for LSU, coach Mainieri has restored the once-dominant Tiger program to national prominence. He led LSU to the College World Series in June and, featuring a 2009 lineup littered with possible first-round draft picks, the Tigers are the preseason favorite in the USA TODAY/ESPN American Baseball Coaches Association poll. LSU failed to reach the NCAA tournament in 2006 for the first time in 21 years before Mainieri arrived. In the 2009 preseason college baseball poll, LSU (49-19-1 in 2008) edged North Carolina for the top spot. Ten conferences are represented in the top 25, with the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 leading with five schools each. Defending champion Fresno State is 19th. Coach Mainieri has built a team long on speed, defense and power. The Tigers return seven position starters from last year’s CWS team, led by probable first-round picks outfielder Jared Mitchell (.297, 16 stolen bases), shortstop D.J. LeMahieu (.337, 44 RBI) and outfielder Blake Dean (.353, 20 homers, 73 RBI), and sophomore catcher Micah Gibbs (.322, 35 RBI) is a future All-American. The rotation lost Jared Bradford, Ryan Verdugo and Blake Martin (combined 24-11) but will reload behind right-handers Louis Coleman (8-1, 1.95 ERA in 23 appearances), Jordan Brown (5-0) and Daniel Bradshaw (4-5, four saves in 23 appearances). Photograph by Bill Feig, The Associated Press |
| On the floor of the 2008 American Baseball Coaches Association convention in Philadelphia, several coaches bemoaned their lack of involvement in college baseball’s decision-making process and spoke emphatically about the need for a summit where every Division I coach could say his piece.
That vision came to fruition in Indianapolis in November. ABCA executive director Dave Keilitz invited every Division I head coach to a two-day meeting, and the response was tremendous. Coaches from 164 schools and 29 of the 30 conferences attended the summit. “I did not know what to expect – we’ve never done this before,” Keilitz said. “My biggest fear was we’d throw ourselves a party and no one would show up.” Not only was there a large turnout among coaches, but the NCAA was well represented also, including NCAA’s vice president for football and baseball Dennis Poppe, giving coaches direct access to the ear of perhaps the most powerful figure in their sport. Topics discussed included details of Academic Progress Rate-related issues, eligibility issues and ways to approach the agent/advisor issue, ways the Ratings Percentage Index could work for and against schools as well as possibly altering the way the RPI is calculated to provide some relief to Northern schools. NCAA president Myles Brand also addressed the coaches and expressed his commitment to helping the sport maintain its 56 games. “I thought his talk was the most significant thing of the whole event,” Keilitz said. In light of a proposal to cut the number of spring games to 52, Keilitz conducted a straw poll to gauge support for maintaining 56 games; a 163-1 vote in favor resulted. The coaches voted on their top priorities, and keeping 56 games was No. 1. It was followed by expanding the spring schedule from 13 weeks to 14 weeks, preferably by adding a week onto the end of the season. Next was increasing scholarships from 11.7 to 14, a notion that received broad support, even from coaches who currently have less than 11.7 to work with. Coaches also want to tweak the recruiting calendar by changing the 10-day dead period in September to a quiet contact period. They want to allow volunteer assistants to do some recruiting and to add a graduate assistant to their staffs. Two notable rules committee issues also were discussed. The committee passed a measure this summer to change the way bats are tested. Wichita State coach Gene Stephenson’s proposal to implement a 20-second pitch clock received support, as coaches and officials are concerned about picking up the sport’s pace of play and shortening the length of games.
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| Carl Hunckler has been a head baseball coach for 20 seasons, one at Joliet Catholic and the rest at Naperville North High School in suburban Chicago. During that time, he has won more than 400 games and seven DuPage Valley Conference titles. For that, Hunckler was one of six coaches inducted into the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on January 31 in Woodridge.
“I am very grateful that people recognize me for this honor,” said Hunckler, shown here carrying the second place trophy in the summer of 2006. “At the same time, I think like a lot of coaches, you’re really humbled by this. For an individual to be recognized, you cannot forget the amount of people that have played an important role in getting that individual to this point.” This weekend, Huncker joined several area coaches in the IHSBCA Hall of Fame, including: Dick Smith, Naperville Central, 1982; Jim Schmid, Waubonsie Valley, 1996; Bill Seiple, Naperville Central, 1996; Phil Lawler, Naperville Central, 1997; Mark Lindo, Aurora Central Catholic, 2005; and Paul Ryan, Naperville North, 2006. Lindo, who once played against Hunckler and St. Francis while at Aurora University, described him as a players’ coach: able to hold them accountable, and adapt with the times. Lawler said, “Carl’s record speaks volumes. He came from a baseball community. He got his start in the Joliet area, and anybody that knows high school baseball knows the Joliet-Lockport area is a hotbed.” Naperville North High is right there with some of the state’s elite programs. Along with Benet, which annually produces Division I talent, the Huskies have become a force in the area. Hunckler, a social studies teacher who will soon turn 51, said he plans to retire at age 60, meaning he has 10 more seasons left, including this one. The biggest challenge at the banquet was getting the chatty Lindo to keep his introduction of Hunckler short, and for Hunckler to stay within his speech’s allotted time. Carl explained, “Ten minutes, when you’re an experienced teacher, I could have two things written on a piece of paper, and I could teach 45 minutes on those two things.” Photograph by the Naperville Sun |
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