BB: NCAC: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Dr. Acula]

I was just thumbing through the 6/8/09 issue of SI and thought "Hey that looks like a CoW jersey".  Well, it is.  In the "Leading Off" section that starts each issue w/ 2 page photos there is a photo of Mark Miller walking away from home plate while the Tommies celebrate in the background.  I know it's probably not what the Scot fans want to see right now, but I thought I would point it out since it is in SI.  Plus it mentions Miller's ridiculous 11.1 inning effort in the caption.  Congrats again on the great season.  No doubt the Scots will be contending again next year. 

[fantastic50]

Below is an article from the Wooster Daily Record about that photo and the photographer.

http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4603178

[David Collinge]

NCAC Commissioner Dennis Collins passes away of a heart attack.  RIP, Dennis. 

[SCOTSman]

I'm excited to finally have an account set up here at d3.com!  First, congrats to Wooster and St. Thomas for standing head and shoulders over the rest of the field at this years world series.  As scary as Woo was this year, they should be BETTER talent wise next year.  Groezinger and Beath will be top hitters nationally and Johnson and Barnes who were figured to be Woosters two lynch pins this year will be back to full health.  There is going to be a ton of senior leadership next year, and the most important thing in my mind is that the scots will KNOW they are one of the top two or three teams in the country.  I would think a preseason number 1 or 2 ranking for sure.  Also, was anyone else a little surprised Sean Karpen didn't get drafted!?  Amazing speed and hitter with some pop, and after his performance at the series I thought he was a lock.  OAC fan, I really hope you have played for a national championship with the big talk you put up

[countyroad]

I was surprised Karpen did not get drafted as well.  As many rounds that there are for baseball it's a real shock to me, especially how he performed in Appleton.

[imderekpoe]

NCAC Commissioner Dennis Collins passes away of a heart attack.  RIP, Dennis. 

Nice article in the Columbus Dispatch this morning.  Dennis' dedication to the NCAC will clearly be missed.

[old scot]

My take on why Sean Karpen has not signed with an MLB organization. First, is his age, Sean is a 5th year senior.(he sat out his Frosh year due to injury) Second, above/ average speed, average/ below power, good contact hitter, average arm strength.
What really suprises me is that no independent pro team has signed him. Sean is from Peters Twp. which is a suburb of Pittsburgh. The Washington Wildthings are an independent pro team from just down the road  where he grew up. GIVE THE GUY A SHOT AND SIGN HIM!

[SCOTSman]

Very good point old scot, especially considering that Karpen played at Console energy park last summer (home of the Wild Things) in front of Wild Thing personel numerous times for his summer team!  Also my best wishes and prayers go out to friends and family of Dennis Collins who did a fantastic job year in and out with the NCAC.   

[Dr. Acula]

Denison is looking for a new coach?  What's the story there?

Denison Opening

[DenisonFan]

Coach Dedman's contract wasn't renewed, and the university is interviewing.

As a close observer of the program for more than 10 years, I think the university has made several mistakes here.

I'm not worried about the young coach, who did a very good job in a tough situation. He showed great integrity. It can be tough replacing a coach who gets fired for cause during the school year. It can be tough when you have only three seniors, and one of them quits on his teammates. Or when your best hitter/pitcher breaks team rules and gets suspended, missing the biggest conference series. Still, the coach worked hard, he respected the game, and he'll get picked up by a good program.

I'm more worried about Denison and where the baseball program goes from here. The university is sending its students and their parents all the wrong messages. Parents have learned, if the coach benches your son or makes him run after a game, then all you have to do is complain to the athletic director. If your son is suspended for drinking, all you have to do is complain to the athletic director. The latest twist: Denison's athletic director has invited parents to help choose the next coach. Several parents have told me that they're declining to participate in this effort; as one parent said, it's not high school! Are some parents going to want a coach who expects the players to work hard, who enforces team rules? No.

What decent coach would take a job where making out the lineup requires remembering, "Now, let's see, I'd better start this player at first base, because his father (who might someday give money to our school) led the campaign to hire me."

It's a great school, a great environment in many ways, and I hope the athletic program gets its priorities straight.

[Dr. Acula]

Wow.  That's just sad, DenisonFan.  Fine school, nice program and yet it sounds like whatever coach they select may be handcuffed before he sets foot on campus.  That's doing a disservice to the future coach and, more importantly, to those kids.  What kind of message would that send?  Hopefully this gets straightened out as that should be one of the best small school jobs in Ohio, IMO. 

[Dr. Acula]

I feel like I ask you guys this question annually, but what's going on w/ Mott at OWU?  The HC position is still listed on the OWU open jobs page, but the deadline to apply was 2/09.  Now they also posted an Asst. Coach position last week on higheredjobs.com.  Are they just going to keep reopening the HC position to applicants each off season? 

[DenisonFan]

Copied from JJHuddle board:

I would like to mention, in response to the post from the d3 page, that the 3 seniors that started with the team in the fall finished with the team in the spring. One didn't play in the last double header due to an injury. Not one of them "quit on his teammates".

and the reply:

I believe the remark about quitting on teammates didn't refer to the player with injuries, but to the player who hit .213 in conference games and otherwise didn't show the sort of leadership that is expected of seniors.

The AD has told parents that they will be allowed to help choose the next coach, and the ringleader of the parents group has sent out e-mails about this to all parents of current players -- and to players who had committed to come to Denison in the fall. Some of those high schoolers are now having second thoughts, looking again at other programs they had been considering. The university needs to rethink this plan.

True.

[Bump]

Denison has a mess on their hands. Hope it all works out in the end.

[DUBALL]

Denisonfan,

     Not only is everything that you posted inaccurate, but disrespectful as well. Lets first discuss the player who you believed quit on his teammates because he hit .213 in league play. Just saying that not only makes me mad, but also destroys any credibility in anything you have said. I know the player you are talking about and he busted his butt for four years and did everything he could to help the team. His production during league senior year was not a result of his effort or giving up on his team, rather a simple fluctuation in performance.
   Next let us discuss your statement that Coach Dedman " did a very good job in a tough situation". I agree with you that Denison did make a mistake and that mistake was hiring him in the first place, when there were so many more qualified candidates out there. While Coach Dedman did excerpt large amount of effort in which he should be recognized for, he was not ready in the least bit to run a baseball program. He showed great immaturity in numerous ways, treated his assistant coaches and other staff miserably, did not take any sort of criticism or direction well, and seemed to think he was bigger than the program. Denison is an extremely hard academic institution and when a coach holds 5-6 hour practices student/athletes are unable to find enough time to compete in the classroom. This led the team to have the worst GPA in the last 8 years, which is a big issue. The main concern here is the players did not enjoy their year with him as a head coach. This is not because of their on field performance its because of the way the team was run and how he treated many of the players.
   Secondly, you stated that parents are involved in the hiring of the next coach. While the incoming seniors are involved, which I believe is a good thing there is no parent involvement at all. I am not a parent, but this information is coming directly from the parents of Denison players.
    Finally I have no idea what you are talking about when you are referring to the player suspended. He got into trouble and was reprimanded, no parent complained about him getting suspended and that did not lead to Dedman getting fired. In fact the AD and staff knew there was a problem with Dedmen before any of the players complained. I believe that Denison is sending the right message as a coach is like a government and quoting Thomas Jefferson,
   Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends [i.e., securing inherent and inalienable rights, with powers derived from the consent of the governed], it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and    happiness.

Or if you don't agree with this comparison let me point to a quote by Jim Tressel in which he said, "The fate of my job lies in the hands of 18-20 year olds." I hope all this information will set the record straight and show that Denison is heading in the right direction!