MBB: Landmark Conference

[NEPAFAN]

Any chance this starts to happen in the Landmark ? How are the Landmark teams doing in terms of economic stability?




Lock Haven to drop its baseball program


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BY SCOTT WALSH
STAFF WRITER
Published: Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Updated: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 4:15 AM EDT
Members of the Lock Haven University baseball team were getting ready to embark on a four-hour bus ride early Friday to California, Pa.

Before leaving, however, 17-year head coach Paul "Smokey" Stover had something he needed to tell the team.

While the Bald Eagles would be playing their doubleheader against the nationally ranked Vulcans that afternoon, the school would announce that it will drop the baseball program at the end of the season.

Lock Haven president Keith T. Miller said in a press release that the decision was financial. Dropping the program will save the school approximately $110,000 per year in the long run.

"We were scheduled to leave at 7:30 in the morning. We were all on the bus when coach asked us to come inside the field house," Lakeland graduate and Lock Haven sophomore pitcher Drew Simonik said in a telephone interview. "He (Stover) wanted to be the one to tell us. He didn't want us getting text messages from our friends, asking us about what happened."

Simonik is one of three local players at Lock Haven affected by the decision. Redshirt junior outfielder Mark Strouse and junior pitcher Erik Christensen, both Delaware Valley graduates, are also on the team.

"We're all shocked. We can't believe what's going on," Christensen said in a telephone interview. "There were rumors on campus that they might drop a male sport. We never expected it to be us. In my opinion, we hardly cost the university anything to run. And of all the male sports at Lock Haven, we have the best record."

With three doubleheaders left in the regular season, the Bald Eagles are 16-30 overall. By comparison, the men's basketball team was 5-22 this season, while the football team is a combined 1-21 the past two seasons.

Other men's sports at Lock Haven include wrestling, which was 7-9-1 this season; soccer, which was 11-6-3; cross country, which was nationally ranked, won the NCAA East Regional title and placed 19th at the NCAA Division II Championships; and track and field.

What makes the school's decision worse is the timing. The Bald Eagles are 9-11 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division. If they win two of the four scheduled games against Gannon University on Friday and Saturday, they're in the postseason.

"We're trying to make a playoff run and they decide out of nowhere to cut our program," Strouse said. "It's just wrong. We have a lot of young, talented guys on the team who have two or three more years left. Now, they're stuck in a situation where they'll have to transfer to another school to play ball."

Since the program is being dropped, players can transfer to another school and be immediately eligible for next season. Lock Haven will honor a player's scholarship if the player decides to stay at the school.

Strouse is a senior academically, but has junior eligibility athletically. He said he plans to stay at Lock Haven and is resigning himself to the fact that his baseball career is coming to an end.

Both Simonik and Christensen said they are not sure what they plan to do. They would like to stay, but they also want to play baseball.

"If I wanted to change after two years, I would have gone to a junior college," Simonik said. "The reason I came here was to be here for four years.

"I'm settled here, I have so many friends here. Everyone's torn. No one knows what to do."

At the final home game Friday, a large crowd is expected to attend to show support for the team. The players are hoping that the rally could perhaps change the administration's mind about the decision.

"We're not going down without a fight," Simonik said. "We're pushing to make the playoffs. It's like that scene in 'Major League' when the mean owner is trying to cut them. (The team) got together and said the only thing left to do is win the whole thing. That's what we're going to try to do. The more we win, the longer we stay together."

Contact the writer: swalsh@timesshamrock.com

[saratoga]

Just another of the many reasons why schools in great financial shape avoid DII like the plague.

[susiddad]

I find it odd that Catholic University Basketball doesn't go to church on Sundays and plays basketball games. 

[NEPAFAN]

I find it odd that Catholic University Basketball doesn't go to church on Sundays and plays basketball games. 

Is there any way to ignore someone on this forum?

[TheGrove]

I find it odd that Catholic University Basketball doesn't go to church on Sundays and plays basketball games. 

Is there any way to ignore someone on this forum?

Seriously.

susiddad, if you're "representing" for Susquehanna, I wish you wouldn't. It's embarrassing.

[kate]

Some of my best prayers emanate from a gym.

[susiddad]

your embaressing.

[kate]

So sorry, but OUCH!  Until the season starts, i'm back to the MAC!  Still miss ya all, Scranton posters!

[TheGrove]

So sorry, but OUCH!  Until the season starts, i'm back to the MAC!  Still miss ya all, Scranton posters!

Only Scranton? I'm hurt. 

[kate]

We had such a great lively group a few years ago that i seldom ventured into the MAC Commonwealth room, Grove.  Certainly nothing against Susquehanna or your former MAC teams.  i used to get on everyones nerves back then   ; they were the good old days, that's for sure.  It's still fun to check in on you guys occasionally, though. 

[NEPAFAN]

Kate,


I believe susiddad was attempting to  insult TheGrove, not you.

[TheGrove]

Kate,


I believe susiddad was attempting to  insult TheGrove, not you.

Yeah, no worries kate, I'm pretty sure susiddad is "embaressed" by me, not you. 

[susiddad]

We love Kate!!!    It was aimed at the grove who threw the first grenade that landed in my backyard and is banned from my old side of campus.  Enough tit for tat though.  Who is coming next year into the Landmark recruit wise?  I would think Drew should have a fresh new cast of characters with a first yr. coach coming back.  I wouldn't be surprised if Danzig has a nice class as well with all of the talent gone in the past two years.

I think SU only needs to grab a big or two with all of the guards and forwards returning.  We are like a machine these days.

[Pat Coleman]

I find it odd that Catholic University Basketball doesn't go to church on Sundays and plays basketball games. 

I only know of three schools that refuse to play sporting events on Sundays: Calvin, Messiah and Wheaton (Ill.).

I think there's plenty of time to go to Mass in the morning or on Saturday night.

And I agree -- there's a good candidate for an Ignore button on this forum.

[lefty2]

Any chance this starts to happen in the Landmark ? How are the Landmark teams doing in terms of economic stability?


Lock Haven to drop its baseball program

Lock Haven University just announced that their baseball program will survive at least through the 2010 season.