BB: USAC: USA South Athletic Conference

[GoldGlove]

The ODAC has their own little section, the ODAC is an enemy of the USAS, post it there, did you expect people to throw a parade for him?

You are right.  I am sorry for getting in your business over here with USAS. Just trying to get some love for a South Region guy who is representing.....even if he is from the hated ODAC.


Where is Randolph Macon?

Richmond, VA

[Catfishncwc]

Where is Randolph Macon?

Richmond, VA

Macon is in Ashland, VA. 

[GoldGlove]

goldglove - first off, the smiley face is there for a reason...mostly to indicate that i'm being a bit of a smart-ass and joking around a little...i like to rib you odac guys who think that your teams play in a real conference

sorry to have offended you

BUT....if you truly think that tom austin "inherited" a program that was in better shape than the rmc program, think again:

in 1980 tom austin became the head coach of an 11 year old program at a 20 year old school that was in very real danger of closing because of financial struggles and low enrollment...not exactly the ideal recipe for great baseball success, and something i GUARANTEE the rmc coaching staff knows NOTHING about -

You are right......but then again RMC has always had a strong reputation.  I would actually think the struggling enrollment helped build up the baseball program b/c it enabled Coach Austin to get anyone he wanted in school.  Infact, isn't that still somewhat the case today?  Isn't your assistant coach paid to bring in X amount of players to fill spots both for the school and for your "JV" team?  Everyone knows that most of the USAS schools, including Methodist, are enrollment driven. Acadademic and financial stability doesn't seem to be an issue for RMC.

bruce shelly had done a fine job of starting the methodist baseball program, posting a winning record in 6 consecutive seasons (after winning 11 games in the first three years of existence), but this was still a young program and school in EVERY way - tom austin went 25-9 in his first year and has NEVER had a losing season, or for that matter, won less than 22 games (and that "horrible" season with a .595 winning percentage was in his second year as head coach) - that kind of sustained success doesn't just happen and isn't "inherited" - as someone who has played and is familiar with both leagues as you say you are, i would expect you to understand how difficult it is to win year-in, year-out, especially in a conference like the usasac.

I never argued Coach Austin's credentials.  His record and success speaks for itself.  Coach Austin did, however, inherit a team that in 1977 won 27 games, a conference championship, and appeared in the NCAA tournament.  Now, I realize that in '78 and '79 the teams came back down to earth, but they still were a .500 team that had been at high level with Coach Shelley.  Those 1977 freshman were seniors in 1980 when Coach Austin led them to a 25-9 record.  So it's not like them cupboard was bare.  Coach Austin has certainly sustained a well repsected program, but as you well know, once programs get rolling and gain a reputation for success, they pretty much can run themselves with the right guidance. Still, to win as consistently as he has, against the likes of Mike Fox, Abe Naff, John Harvell.....he does deserve credit for keeping pace in the top four year in and year out.

Now lets look at RMC.  Coach Hendrick took over a program in 2005 that went 10-28 and 2-16 in the "Lowly" ODAC.  The year before that, 6-22 and 3-15 in the league.  From what I can tell, Macon went double digit years without a winning record.  I don't even know if RMC has ever won the ODAC.  Talk about nothing to work with! I played against RMC in 2004 and they were worse than a HS JV team.  I also played against them in 2005 and 2006 after Coach Hendirck arrived.....NIGHT and DAY.  Now he has no business being compared to Coach Austin at this point, nor does his team, but you can't sneeze at what he has done in a short amount of time at RMC.  They may not be as strong 1-9 as most teams, but I can tell you that they are well on their way and should be competing for conference and regional level championships down the road.

last i checked, having players in professional baseball had little to do with producing winning collegiate teams, especially on the d3 level - it's nice when you get a guy who plays beyond college, but that's not the point of methodist baseball...oh yeah...there are a couple of former monarchs playing some indy league ball, as well (david hoffman and ryan brandt)

Disagree with you on this point.  You obvioulsy need some talent to play at the next level, and if you have several guys in your college program who have that ability, your team should be pretty succesful.  Look at the 1999 NCWC pitching staff....at least two or three of those guys had a chance to play some form of proball....NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!  Look at Emory, look at Kean.  Kids want to be in a program that they believe will give them a chance to play proball, regardless of the division.  That is why I chose my school.  So by saying "That's not the point of methodist baseball," are you saying that Coach Austin in his recruiting spill doesn't talk about all those from Methodist who have had the chance to play at the next level?  Having been recruited way back when by Coach Austin, I can tell you he does.

...and i acknowledged the "nice note about a dIII player having success" and said that i was rooting for him

Thanks!

[SamuelAdams]

Can't we just all throw the olive branch of peace and move forward with this.

With regards to the proball and DIII program relationship, it is huge that Macon's pitcher is doing so well because that he will help future recruitment down the line for kids who want to play DIII ball but see it can lead to proball, so good for Macon and Beazley. On the broader scheme of things, it is great for DIII because it can be a stepping stone for the next level.

And no matter what the talent of the player is when he arrives to play at school, especially a DIII one, the coaching staff will help develop that player and deserves some credit if a player plays at the next level.

[GoldGlove]

I am with SamuelAdams.....time to move on. 

[hokieone]

His name is "Hedrick", not "Hendrick". Coach Hedrick is a very good baseball man. He came into a situation where players would miss practices for Greek functions, no off season program, etc., so it'll take a while, but I suspect he'll develop a very good program. Good location to recruit (close to Richmond), well-respected academic school, wealthy alumni. It could work. He's a very personable guy and will recruit well. If my guys weren't where they are (CNU), RMC would be my second choice.

[narch]

sorry to have offended you

none taken

I would actually think the struggling enrollment helped build up the baseball program b/c it enabled Coach Austin to get anyone he wanted in school.  Infact, isn't that still somewhat the case today?  Isn't your assistant coach paid to bring in X amount of players to fill spots both for the school and for your "JV" team?  Everyone knows that most of the USAS schools, including Methodist, are enrollment driven. Acadademic and financial stability doesn't seem to be an issue for RMC.

first, "infact" is actually 2 words and "Acadademic" is not a word at all as far as i know...but what would i know...methodist admits anyone with a pulse and the ability to pay tuition, right

secondly, no, the assistant coach isn't "paid to bring in x amount of players"...he's paid to coach and recruit just as the head coach is, although it is true that mu chooses to field a jv squad in addition to the varsity squad - no question mu operates a budget which is dependent upon tuition revenue, but there is also no question the jv squad provides a good developmental opportunity for players who aren't quite ready for usasac play

but as you well know, once programs get rolling and gain a reputation for success, they pretty much can run themselves with the right guidance.

so do good programs run themselves or do they need the right guidance? the last part of this statement seems to contradict the first part of this statement...

Now lets look at RMC.  ...but I can tell you that they are well on their way and should be competing for conference and regional level championships down the road.

sounds like a great turnaround...time will tell if they win regional championships, but forgive me if i don't hold my breath in anticipation...if i'm not mistaken, mu and ncwc each have more regional championships than the entire odac conference

Disagree with you on this point.  You obvioulsy need some talent to play at the next level, and if you have several guys in your college program who have that ability, your team should be pretty succesful.  Look at the 1999 NCWC pitching staff....at least two or three of those guys had a chance to play some form of proball....NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!  Look at Emory, look at Kean.  Kids want to be in a program that they believe will give them a chance to play proball, regardless of the division.  That is why I chose my school.  So by saying "That's not the point of methodist baseball," are you saying that Coach Austin in his recruiting spill doesn't talk about all those from Methodist who have had the chance to play at the next level?  Having been recruited way back when by Coach Austin, I can tell you he does.

not sure what coach austin's recruiting "spill" is, but i don't believe he ever considers the professional potential of a player in the recruiting process - does he talk about former monarchs who happened to play professionally?...sure - is it nice to have guys who are good enough to play beyond college?...yes - is it necessary to have pro prospects to compete on this level?...i don't think so - hell, the monarchs won the usasac regular season last year with exactly ZERO 1st team all-conference performers and just 1 second teamer...

i can guarantee you that tom austin worries more about a student-athletes ability to compete in the usasac and south region than his ability to compete in the sally league or the carolina league or any other professional league...

[GoldGlove]

His name is "Hedrick", not "Hendrick". Coach Hedrick is a very good baseball man. He came into a situation where players would miss practices for Greek functions, no off season program, etc., so it'll take a while, but I suspect he'll develop a very good program. Good location to recruit (close to Richmond), well-respected academic school, wealthy alumni. It could work. He's a very personable guy and will recruit well. If my guys weren't where they are (CNU), RMC would be my second choice.

Thank you, hokieone.  I am sorry for the misspelling of his name, I don't know him other than from playing aginst them over the past two years.  I agree with your comments, atleast from what I can tell from the other dugout.  His players seem to be happy and they play hard for him.  I know my coach swears that they will be the team to beat in the ODAC within the next few years.  He really thinks Coach Hedrick is doing a great job, and he isn't making life any easier on us at Bridgewater and VWC.

narch, you may want to take some notes from hokieone.  Obviously he is affiliated with CNU....and yet he has no problem complementing someone outside of CNU on a job well done.  In fact, hasn't CNU won more USASAC titles and regional titles in say the last seven years that Methodist?    I would say they have alittle more going for them as of late.....and yet, still willing to be positive about what other, competing in-state programs are doing well.  I think RMC might even have been CNU this year.....but hokieone still takes the high road. 

[narch]

narch, you may want to take some notes from hokieone.  Obviously he is affiliated with CNU....and yet he has no problem complementing someone outside of CNU on a job well done.  In fact, hasn't CNU won more USASAC titles and regional titles in say the last seven years that Methodist?    I would say they have alittle more going for them as of late.....and yet, still willing to be positive about what other, competing in-state programs are doing well.

let's review...i've made one comment that could be construed as a "low road" comment by pointing out that it's interesting that a losing record puts a program "on the map"...and this comment was meant in a light-hearted manner as evidenced by the ...everything else i've written has been in defense of points you've made (well, except the derogatory comments about the odac...but they're all true )

let's review the highlights of your most recent posts on this board:

you start out by trying to make your boy beazley more impressive by comparing his stats to those of former mu player, blake maxwell...puffing up one person by deflating another doesn't seem like a very "high road" thing to do, now does it?

next you imply that methodist's that 27 straight seasons of winning baseball is due in some part to the program that the head coach "inherited" and that he "inherited" a better situation than the rmc coach (that's laughable)...then you add (inaccurately) that tom austin has always been able to "get anyone he wanted in school"

you made inaccurate statements about the assistant coach, reducing his role to the mu baseball program to that of a revenue generator (aren't all d3 coaches revenue generators in some way?) and in the same sentence you seem to imply (again inaccurately) that mu is somehow financially and academically unstable

then you take it upon yourself to again belittle a program which has won or shared 3 straight conference regular championships and 5 of the last 7 by pointing out that cnu has won more regional championships (which is actually true!)

you called me insecure (that hurt, by the way...i just want everyone to like me )

who is on the high road?

[CNU85]

Interesting discussion. I couldn't say I agree or disagree with any of it. However, I am a little in touch with the RMC baseball situation. My very good friend and next door neighbor's kid is a starter for RMC. He is thinking about a transfer b/c he thinks Coach Hedrick is a complete donkey's butt. I can't even repeat the nickname they have for the guy on this board. Anyway, he says the guy is pompous and a jerk. He even joked with me the other week that the guy is so dumb he couldn't tell you the difference between Richmond and Ashland!!

[GoldGlove]

Harsh words all around.....guess you can't win for losing.  Whatever, I guess we will wait and see what the future holds.  At least hokieone and samueladams were positive.  GO METHODIST....the program all others should fall in line with.

[CNU85]

Harsh words all around.....guess you can't win for losing.  Whatever, I guess we will wait and see what the future holds.  At least hokieone and samueladams were positive.  GO METHODIST....the program all others should fall in line with.

yeah...they were harsh words...but not mine. I think the kid will transfer after this semester. It's sad when a coach has such a high opinion of himself that he adversely impacts players. D3 sports should be about the kids, not egotistical coaches who never grow up.

[GoldGlove]

That's ashame.  I guess everybody has their own opinions.  That is the first negative I have heard about that guy.  But I guess every coach has his naysayers/issues. Probably would be best for everybody if the unhappy player transfered.  Why, though, would he wait?  He's had all summer.

[CNU85]

he's waiting b/c he's considering the entire college issue...not just baseball. you know...."acadademics" are more important in life when "proball" isn't likely. Although I told the kid RMC reputation for "acadademics" isn't all that  great in Virginia.....too many good schools in Va. Heck most people don't even know what city RMC is located.



Narch - where'd ya go? GG is easier than PSBBG.......he has no clue what we know, does he? It ain't no rocket science either!!!!!

[GoldGlove]

Guess you are right CNU85.  So be it, good luck to that key starter....I hope they can survive without him.  Gotta focus on school first, baseball will end eventually.