BB: General New England Discussion

[wordsmith]

Nice article in the Worcester paper (still think it should be spelled Wooster if these heren' New Englanders are goin' pro-nounce it Woorsta)

Anyway about the article seems Worcester State is getting their own field. Good for these guys. I always like it when schools/programs are able to upgrade their facilities. Should help recruiting as well.

Now we need to root for the UMESS Boston boys to get their own field.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20101203/NEWS/12030671

PS THE Ohio State beat Michigan AGAIN  this year......

Word

[KSCfan]

Word-

Where would Umass Boston locate Beaconville.  I have been to the college myself and there are not a lot of places for that field to go.  They have a high school right next door and i guess they could co-use the field as most high schools dont play on the weekends, but what about practices, and what not.  If they dont use that where are they going to put a field?  Umass Boston has to be about one of the only teams i kow that does not have its own field to play on in the LEC, after a world series berth shouldnt the school find them a field?

[LEC Fan]

KSCFan- One would think that any college fielding a collegiate baseball team (regardless of division) would provide a field for their use! I am guess that money and facility management would be the biggest concerns for a college to build/buy a baseball field?!? Anybody else have any insight? JCONN?

I guess I have always been fortunate enough to have facilities like KSC.

No offense to the beacons but I think the name stays as UMESS for as long as they dont have a field!

[KSCfan]

Having played in and watched the LEC since 2003 I guess that I am spoiled when it comes to the fields of the LEC.  Two the nicest fields in new england (USM and ECSU) are located in the LEC.  Keene State, Umass Dartmouth both are very nice fields as well.  The only real bad field in the LEC is Western CT.  It seems that the schools put a good amount of attention, money , and pride in the fields.  Umass Boston you are a World Series partcipant get on a field. 

Does Trinity still play right next to the football field.  For a national champion that seems like a modern marvel.  How can a school that is not short of money, (look at the football field right next to the baseball field)  have such a terrible field.  Its randomly put in the middle of a field. 

it seems that the public schools of NE which have less money than the private ones have the nicer fields in NE on the whole.

Top Public-  Eastern CT, USM, Keene State, Westfield State,
Top Private- St Joes of Maine, Babson, ...?

Worst Public- Western CT, Fitchburg State,
Worst Private- Becker, Trinity if they still play on campus, Salve Regina on campus not newport gulls stadium,

Did i miss any and why is it like this

[ECSUalum]

Trinity decribes their athletic facilities on the Trinity web site:

"The College also has a wide range of outdoor facilities, including Robin L. Sheppard Field, a state-of-the-art artificial turf field hockey and lacrosse field with lights, along with two Class A soccer/lacrosse fields, softball and baseball diamonds, eight tennis courts, and four recently renovated intramural fields.  Additionally, Trinity makes use of a number of other high-quality athletic facilities throughout the Greater Hartford area".

You can use Bing maps, (Birds Eye Views), to view most college sports facilities and examine the facilities from 4 directions.

Certainly TC has first class football and LAX/Field Hockey facilities.  I guess the TC athletic department/Alumni do not think spending the cash from Student fees or the Endowment to build a better baseball facility is justified .  Maybe Coach Decker will push for one in the future .  It would make a class baseball program even classier!!

Coach Holowaty is waiting for Coach Eygabroat and UMass Boston Beacons to initiate a hostile take over for purchase of the Eastern Baseball Stadium.
They played "pretty good" in Mansfield last year

Personally, I think WCSU tends to divert most of its resources to the basketball team/facility, sadly at the expense of the baseball program.

As a matter of fact even Division I CCSU's facility was sort of average until last year when they installed some decent stands.  D-II SCSU has a nice field

[KSCfan]

Alum-

SSCU field is i feel is a lot like Southern Maine.  Stands kind up up behind home plate with the big open dugouts.  I played at CCSU my last year of legion against NB but that was in 2002 , and I have not seen the field since.  On a whole the public college's have nice fields.  Does Wesleyan in Middletown play at Palmer?  OR do they have a field on Campus.  Palmer is obviously a nice field and seems like a great place to play.  The Middletown Giants played there a couple of years there in the NECBL before moving to somewhere else.  You would think that a school like Trinity would throw some money into that field and at least close it off, fences, real dugouts and the whole nine yards. With a new field and a national championship they could become a serious recruiting threat to Eastern.  Might attract some of those DI or D2 transfers that come in from other schools

[ECSUalum]

KSCFan,

I believe Trinity does have fences , a score board, but thats about it.  I watched the Wesleyan/ECSU 40 run game in Middletown last year  and I have to say the field is not something really to be proud about.  I sits in between some nice modern and historic buildings, as a matter of fact soo close to one behind the backstop that they must budget extra $$$ for broken windows.  Just benches on both baselines, many ECSU players have to stand or sit on the ground.  They have a fence and a hill side for fans on one side, and a few aluminum bleachers on the other.

Again, I think the NESCACs, ("little ivys"), would rather spend for academic programs rather than athletics.  Cant fault them for that as they have to maintain their acedemic reputations, but, then again look at Yale Field or even Harvard's O'Donnell Field,... its not too bad.

UConn has improved  J.O. Christian Field over the last couple years a la CCSU, however,Eastern Baseball Statium still is IMHO one of the best on campus facilities in Connecticut and the Northeast, (ie Montclair State U. plays at Yogi Berra Stadium ).  

MSU Baseball web site states re Yogi Bera Park:

Yogi Berra Stadium is one of the premier college athletic facilities at any level in the country. The stadium which was built as part of a public/private partnership with Floyd Hall Enterprises and New Jersey's Educational Facilities Authority, is also the home to the Independent New Jersey Jackals, the 2001 and 2002 Northern League champions.

[wordsmith]

Having played in and watched the LEC since 2003 I guess that I am spoiled when it comes to the fields of the LEC.  Two the nicest fields in new england (USM and ECSU) are located in the LEC.  Keene State, Umass Dartmouth both are very nice fields as well.  The only real bad field in the LEC is Western CT.  It seems that the schools put a good amount of attention, money , and pride in the fields.  Umass Boston you are a World Series partcipant get on a field. 

Does Trinity still play right next to the football field.  For a national champion that seems like a modern marvel.  How can a school that is not short of money, (look at the football field right next to the baseball field)  have such a terrible field.  Its randomly put in the middle of a field. 

it seems that the public schools of NE which have less money than the private ones have the nicer fields in NE on the whole.

Top Public-  Eastern CT, USM, Keene State, Westfield State,
Top Private- St Joes of Maine, Babson, ...?

Worst Public- Western CT, Fitchburg State,
Worst Private- Becker, Trinity if they still play on campus, Salve Regina on campus not newport gulls stadium,

Did i miss any and why is it like this

Gosh, I'd have to place the WNEC baseball Complex as one of the top fields in D-III NE. Although there is no electricity due to the fact it sits on a rock ledge. Otherwise, The Wesleyan field as I remember was pretty nice.

Anna Maria is a little like a Babe Ruth filed in both lay-out and dugouts. Curry College has the worst sight lines and access to a field, IMO, New England College has shal I say an interesting filed as does Colby-Sawyer.

We know it is winter in the Northeast when the New England D-III baseball wennies are discussing fields and playing surfaces, don't believe me? just look back at past postings, dates and subject matter.

Word

[KSCfan]

Alum you must be talking about a field on campus then.  Palmer field is the one downtown by Home Depot and 5 guys burgers and fries.  It is an actual stadium that is not as good as Eastern but still pretty good.  I have never seen or played at montclair but now i have a new field to travel to and check out

Word Curry is terrible, the field is on a slant along with no where for you as a spectator to sit.  WNEC is much nicer than springfield so i will give the battle of western mass to them.  I completely forgot about NEC, Colby Sawyer isnt that bad just sitting on top of a mountain.  I would take Colby Sawyer over Western CT for sure.  Oh what else are we going to talk about in the winter time?  Give us a new topic and im game. 

One thing we could throw out is the change in the bats from BESR cert to BBcore which i guess takes some of the pop out of the bats.  Also i had heard that the two pieces like the Easton Stealth, Vexxum from Denmarini and bats like that are going to be outlawed as well.  Is it time for colleges to switch to wood.  Tough hitting in march with wood, but MLB does it no problem.  Give me wood in college baseball

[ECSUalum]

"The Wesleyan field as I remember was pretty nice"

Hello Word,  Nice to see you have posted your comments, however the above comment baffles me

Must have been you were remembering Virginia, Ohio or NC Wesleyan's baseball facility or some Wesleyan you discovered on one of your VW bus trips across the country back in the late 60's  

Yes, I am referring to Weslyan U campus baseball field on which ECSU played last April.

[Rick Vaughn]

Wesleyan's field is a great setting, but a terrible surface and no dugouts.  You can get stoned sitting on the bench b/c all the hippies smoke pot on the hill down the left field line!  Williams has the nicest field in the NESCAC, but the field is all the way at the end of campus.  Trinity and Amherst have similar fields in terms of a great on campus setting, but Amherst's surface is MUCH nicer. 

Babson had the nicest facilities I played at in college.  Great setting, dugouts, and surface.

[wordsmith]

"The Wesleyan field as I remember was pretty nice"

Hello Word,  Nice to see you have posted your comments, however the above comment baffles me

Must have been you were remembering Virginia, Ohio or NC Wesleyan's baseball facility or some Wesleyan you discovered on one of your VW bus trips across the country back in the late 60's  

Yes, I am referring to Weslyan U campus baseball field on which ECSU played last April.

Yea, you know, I have been to sooo dang many baseball fields in New England, Ohio, Fla, NY ...between my son playing, me coaching, my daughter played rugby in college, her boyfriend played Lax, gosh I sometimes mix things up...that and another year older....that BIG 60 looms closer everyday. So if you are baffled by my comments imagine how baffled I am by them.


Just call me the Mr. McGoo of ball fields.


McGoo you've done it again....

Word

[ECSUalum]

Now there is the Word we all know and love!!!!

I guess Wesleyan played at Palmer field at some point?  Just saw the one game last year on campus.

[wordsmith]

Now there is the Word we all know and love!!!!

I guess Wesleyan played at Palmer field at some point?  Just saw the one game last year on campus.

Gee thanks Alum, I think....so while we're waiting for it to warm-up, it was 2 degrees at the house this morning....I'll bore you with a question and a list, I luv lists....What is the most bizarre place and circumstances you ever played/coached/watched a game from....

My List:

1) It was the 10 year NH Bambino State Championship, being held in early August 1994, in of all places the convenient location of Berlin, NH, might as well been Berlin Germany! The field was right next door to the Berlin Paper & Pulp Mill; ya'll ever been to a city that has a paper mill? One word describes it SULFUR (Rotten Eggs stench)! our first game of the Tourney was at 8am and the Temp was around 80, the kids stood in the field with their gloves over their nose and mouth. I think there are still pictures of my defense I called it the Stinky Defense but mainly because we gave up like 10 runs in the first 2 innings.

2) My other oddity was in the late 60's I was a football player for Westerville High in Ohio. We went to Danville Ohio to play a preseason game...at least we thought it was a preseason game. You know big football power house schedules smaller school to work out the kinks type of thing? Danville's entire town shows up and they are yelling at us as the bus drives into the field. They point us to our "locker room". It is a corn field next to the football field. As we are changing the local Farm Mafia are lobbing cow pies at us thru the rows of corn. Heck they even let a couple of pigs loose that charged us. When the movie deliverance came out a couple years later the scene in there that, well you know the scene, it reminded me of that day, We ended up losing to this smaller school 42-6. but who is keeping score.
Needless to say we undressed in the bus as the friendly locals threw bottles of urine into the bus windows and called us suburban trash and other nasty names.

I am scarred to this day.

Love to hear your stories on this cold day.



Word

[3rdgenerationnation]

Babson had the nicest facilities I played at in college.  Great setting, dugouts, and surface.

4thGen is a SS at Babson and he got spoiled practicing and playing at home on the great surface they have.  Three or four times last season road series had to be moved to Babson because the other team's field was still under water and Govoni Field was playable.