BB: USAC: USA South Athletic Conference

[narch]

Anybody know anything truly factual?   

my sources say that su will leave the usasac for sure...not sure of what the usasac will do (gsac/usasac merger rumors are flying around), but i'm 97.2% certain that su is gone from the usasac in the next couple of years...

[Catfishncwc]

So they win one Regional baseball title and they ready to bolt.  Hope they stay but I can see where it would make sense for them to look for another conference. 

[hokieone]

   If the Hornets take their Regional/World Series rings and bolt, I'm told on good authority that the USAS would have  two years to replace them to keep the Automatic Pool A bid. I understand the horrid travel distances they have but as we live 18 miles from Shenandoah, we really enjoy it when SU plays CNU at Winchester. It has become a true rivalry, at least in baseball, so lets hope they keep playing each other, either way.  Maybe USAS will add some warmer spring weather folks located a bit further south than Winchester.     The "word on the street" is that Shenandoah's academic side is in for a boost, pushing things to a higher level. CNU's   increase in admission standards in recent years has made it harder to get some athletes in several sports. Without a GPA over 3.0 and preferably close to 3.5, and SAT's of at least 1100 and preferably close to 1200, admission isn't a given.   

[Ralph Turner]

   If the Hornets take their Regional/World Series rings and bolt, I'm told on good authority that the USAS would have  two years to replace them to keep the Automatic Pool A bid. I understand the horrid travel distances they have but as we live 18 miles from Shenandoah, we really enjoy it when SU plays CNU at Winchester. It has become a true rivalry, at least in baseball, so lets hope they keep playing each other, either way.  Maybe USAS will add some warmer spring weather folks located a bit further south than Winchester.     The "word on the street" is that Shenandoah's academic side is in for a boost, pushing things to a higher level. CNU's   increase in admission standards in recent years has made it harder to get some athletes in several sports. Without a GPA over 3.0 and preferably close to 3.5, and SAT's of at least 1100 and preferably close to 1200, admission isn't a given.   

You are correct.

[coachmilburn]

I understand that Shenandoah will remain in the USA-South for at least 1 more year, after that, it's has to find a home with football moving into the ODAC.

[narch]

an article about a monarch recruit...his high school coach is a legendary former monarch, brian ford...

http://www.theherald-nc.com/sports/story/10672.html

[coachmilburn]

SU confirms search for new conferences
Fitzsimmons also says college will begin search for athletic director soon
By Robert Niedzwiecki
The Winchester Star
http://www.winchesterstar.com/showarticle_new.php?sID=5&foldername=20090718&file=su_article.html


SU exceeds $65 million funding goal
By Rob Snyder
The Winchester Star
http://www.winchesterstar.com/showarticle_new.php?sID=6&foldername=20090718&file=goal_article.html

[LTBB1971]

It will be a shame to see Shenandoah move out of the USA SOUTH.  I have grown this past year to admire their style of baseball and was hoping to see them challenging CNU, NC Wesleyan and Methodist every year for the Conference crown. 

I do not understand much why USAS would be joining with GSAC.  Travel down in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama will be tough on the kids.  I do like the competition of bringing in a team like La Grange and Piedmont into the conference though...two very good programs.


http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20090528/SPORTS/305289987

[coachmilburn]

SU adds 19 for 2010 spring season.  

Biggest recruit that I see and know of from this neck of the woods in the Shenandoah Valley, is Daniel Hawkins from Woodstock, VA who was given a scholarship to WVU last year.  Hawkins throws it up there in the upper 80's.  Getting Daniel Hawkins was huge for SU.

Ryan Altamirano RHP Fr R/R   Ashburn, Va./Broad Run
Wallace Andrus P/3B Fr R/R 5'11" 200 Crimora, Va./Wilson Memorial
Scott Belton P Fr R/R   Luray, Va./Grace
Jonathan Best P/OF Fr S/L 5"9' 175 Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield
Tucker Brown C So R/R 5'11" 200 Newport News, Va./Menchville
Will Burton 1B/P Fr R/R 6'4" 220 Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis
Wyatt Carpenter LHP Fr L/L 6'0" 155 Alexandria, Va./Wakefield
Vince Claudio P/1B Fr L/L 6'0" 190 Forest, Va./Jefferson Forest
Brian Fritzinger RHP Fr R/R   Hampton, Va./Hampton Christian
Daniel Hawkins RHP Fr R/R 6'4" 185 Woodstock, Va./Central
Ethan Jones C Fr R/R 6'1" 200 Gordonsville, Va./Homeschool
Kurt Krout UTIL Fr R/R 5'9" 165 York, Pa./York Central
Hunter Leight IF Fr R/R 5'11" 175 Winchester, Va./James Wood
Nicholas McMahon OF/P Fr R/R 6'2" 175 Warrenton, Va./Fauquier
Sean Morris OF So L/R 5'9" 175 Sinking Spring, Pa./SUNY Orange
Eric Rhodes OF Fr L/R 5'6" 150 Katonah, N.Y./John Jay
Mike Smith RHP/OF Jr R/R 5'10" 175 Chesapeake, Va./Potomac State
Leland Snaider C Jr R/R 5'10" 170 New York, N.Y./Queensborough CC
Steven Walker RHP Fr R/R 6'2" 180 Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen
Alexander Woods OF Fr R/R 5'11" 168 Newark, Del./St. Mark's

[hokieone]

They bring in 20 guys to replace the 4-5 that graduated?  Somebody is going to be surprised by some serious pine time.

Shenandoah's on line roster now lists 60 players, including the guys listed by Coach Milburn.

Shenandoah's 2010 Schedule is up as well. It looks a lot like the 2009 schedule, but I'll save my wise cracks about being made in a bakery (cup cakes, get it?), as they sure had a great year last year so you can't argue with success. Speaking of SU, congrats to Brashears and Van Sickler on being named to 2009 All State Academic team, covering all sports, D I, II, and III.   

[coachmilburn]

SU has a full-fledged JV program and there will be no surprises, other than Mr. Daniel Hawkins toeing the rubber for SU in the spring.  I look for him to be able to fill Josh Simmons spot as a weekend starter.

A quote in the paper from Daniel's summer league coach in the RCBL:
"He's a big, hard thrower coming off of Tommy John surgery, so that's why he's having slight control problems," Barnes said. "When he throws strikes, he's unhittable. He's got that sinker, and it's a heavy ball, it feels like you're hitting a rock when you hit it. We've just gotta get his mechanics back and get him pumping strikes the way he did when he was coming out of high school."

Last I read, Hawkins was leading the RCBL league with an opponents batting average just under a .120 clip.

Two other pitchers from SU have gotten alot of quality mound time in the RCBL Ben Hendrickson and Matt Griffin.  Both Daniel and Ben have given the Clover Hill Bucks (the NY Yankees of the RCBL) all they can handle.

The Pitching continues to improve for SU.

Lastly, everyone on the roster will have an equal opportunity to win a starting positing starting every fall.  That's pretty darn fair.  Obviously, these 19 recruits must of wanted to come to Shenandoah University OR their name would not be on this list and nobody is making these kids stay at SU.

There's a lot more than just baseball going on with that program, Coach Anderson and his staff is producing quality young men ready to be productive citizens.  Last year's team had an overall GPA of (3.0).

The baseball program, along with softball are the most successfull programs at SU and women's basketball is on the rise.

[hokieone]

Easy coach, no offense intended, but 20 new players are 20 new players any way you slice it. And I'm very familiar with Daniel, a fine young man, and wish him all the best except of course against CNU.  There are  D III schools known for doing "cattle call" tryouts, at least one in Virginia,  bringing in tons more than 20 kids, all thinking they were "recruited", only to show up and see 6 kids going for the same spot. I've never heard Shenandoah does any such thing.    As for the "equal opportunity", I'm sure Coach Anderson is a fair man, and everybody will get a shot,  but SU has some excellent returning starters that surely won't be sitting on the bench come spring, so while there may be fair treatment of all, some starting spots are pretty much locks. 

[vabaseball]

Why would Daniel Hawkens choose SU over WVU?

Also, just a proofreading tendency: I am pretty certain Wyatt Carpenter comes out of Mt. Vernon HS, not Wakefield.

Matt Griffin and Ben Hendrickson are both talented players.  Yet they are both rising juniors and have very few varsity innings in yet.  JV program or no, these guys probably would have had more varsity playing time at a school with fewer than 60 guys on the roster.

[hokieone]

Daniel is a great kid but a true country boy, loving hunting, fishing, and the Shenandoah Valley. WVU didn't have much of a rehab plan in place for him when he got there following summer Tommy John surgery, and there was likely some home sickness. WVU has about 10 times the population of his hometown.  He was only there briefly and quickly withdrew from his classes even before the end of add/drop so it's as if he was never  there academically.  Shenandoah is the closest school to his home on the family farm outside of Woodstock, Virginia.  He's a fine young man, very quiet, and  throws some pretty impressive heat. 

[vabaseball]

Well he sounds like a great addition to the Shenandoah pitching staff.