If are interested, here are links to two appearances this past month on WFAN.
http://podcastrss.play.it/rick-wolff-the-sports-edge_mp3_128.xml
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Mississippi State University Joins College Baseball Coaches Camp
Tyler Bratton, Coach at Mississippi State University will be on the College Baseball Coaches Camp staff for the August 26th camp at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, MA. Bratton joins Wayne Mazzoni (Sacred Heart University), AJ McNamara (Post University), Bryan Adamski (Amherst College), John Delaney (U. of Hartford), Eric Cirella (URI), Jeff Vigurs (Northeastern), Jeff Kane (Holy Cross), Brian Murphy (Brown), and Nick Gallagher (Brandies). The camp runs from 10am to 4pm and is a combination of instruction, showcase, and evaluation. Camp is open to high school baseball players in graduation years of 2012 to 2015. Cost for the camp is $295 and registration is online at www.CollegeBaseballCamps.com/CBCC.
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In his third season on John Cohen’s Mississippi State University baseball coaching staff and serving as the director of baseball operations is Tyler Bratton, a native of West Point, Miss. Bratton, 27, is a 2007 graduate of Mississippi State University. He coordinates team travel arrangements, directs the team’s video operations and oversees a wide range of tasks associated with the day-to-day operation of the Mississippi State baseball program. Bratton was a three-year, two-sport standout (baseball and football) and played outfield for coach Bill Miley at Oak Hill Academy in nearby West Point, Miss. He continued his baseball career in 2003 and 2004 at East Mississippi Community College, where he was coached by Bill Baldner. He then matriculated to Mississippi State University, earning a berth on the Ron Polk-coached Mississippi State baseball team as an outfielder in 2006. That MSU squad ascended to a No. 1 inseason national ranking and advanced to the finals of the 2006 NCAA Clemson Regional. Bratton earned an undergraduate degree in secondary education at Mississippi State in 2007 and in 2009 completed graduate degree studies in sports administration at Mississippi State University. He served as an assistant baseball coach at Heritage Academy in Columbus, Miss., in 2005 and at Oak Hill Academy in 2007 before returning to MSU as a student assistant coach for the Baseball Bulldogs in 2008. Bratton is married to the former Bree Munger of Hartselle, Ala. |
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College Baseball Coaches Camp – 8th Annual. Baseball Heaven August 2011
Here is a clip of camp coaches and players. In this short video, Coach Ryan Darcy of Manhattan addresses the campers.
College Coaches Address Campers
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Live Life Like My Dog
Having just ended a recent college season, I was taking some time off and playing with my dog, a two year old Black Lab, named Moxie. We were up at an area near my house called Lake Mohegan. Basically it is a series of trails around a river and like. Big spot for dogs in the summer. Moxie loves it as she can be off the leash, chase squirrels, scents, yet at the same time know her master is there with her. She always runs off and comes back. I get some exercise and she runs a marathon.
It struck me how she, like many other dogs, is hard wired to chase sticks and balls and bring them back to me. This particular day I found a really good stick and I was throwing it in the water, around the trail, and no matter what she had to do, she brought this stick back to me. She was built to do this. It was like Peyton Manning under center, like a Maserati on the highway, she was singularly focused and nothing, NOTHING, would get in her way. Current in the river? No big deal. Another dog going for her stick…are you kidding me…”that stick has my name on it, get your own”, she says.
It struck me that this is a great way to go through life. To know exactly what you want and to go full bore, 100% dedicated to getting it. It’s the way I want my college kids to be, my own kids to be, and myself to be. It doesn’t matter what stick you chase, as long as you chase it like Moxie.
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College World Series Field Set.
I assume everyone reading this blog is a major college baseball fan. And if so your is first to make a college roster, then to start, then to make the playoffs, etc. But your ultimate goal is to get to the College World Series. To track all the games, go to this link. http://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/2011-04-29/2011-cws-schedule
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Clemson, SC NCAA Regional
Thanks to those of you who took the time to follow us during our NCAA Regional. A great experience for all of us. Being outmatched we needed to play perfect baseball and get a few breaks, neither of which happened. However, the picture below give you somewhat of an idea of the kind of experience it was.
SHU Baseball vs. Clemson, 2011 NCAA Regional
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Starting pitching a surprise strength for tourney-bound SHU
The bullpen never stirred, not even once.
What was a mystery for the Sacred Heart baseball team going into the season turned out to be its greatest strength on the way to a Northeast Conference championship — and a trip to the NCAA tournament — two weeks ago at Dodd Stadium in Norwich.
Three starters. Three complete games. Three wins.
And now one sophomore and two freshmen are looking to continue that string this weekend in South Carolina when the Pioneers (34-21) open play in the Clemson Regional against the host Tigers (41-18).
UConn (41-17-1) and Coastal Carolina (41-18) are the other teams in the double-elimination pairing at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. UConn plays at 3 p.m. Friday and the Pioneers follow at 7.
“We are young, but we have a couple guys who throw strikes,” said sophomore ace and Washington Depot native Troy Scribner, who went 9-2 with a 3.69 ERA over 922/3 innings.
“It doesn’t matter how hard you throw (if you throw strikes),” added Scribner, who has won seven straight and tied for the conference lead in victories.
“His mental toughness is his greatest asset,” SHU coach Nick Giaquinto said. “And he can locate his three pitches (fastball, curve, changeup).”
The Pioneers lost three starting pitchers from last year’s squad, but Scribner, whose older brother Evan pitches in the San Diego Padres‘ organization, stepped up, along with freshmen Kody Kerski (Waterbury) and Nick Leiningen.
The trio allowed only three earned runs over 27 innings in three conference tournament games and helped SHU post a school record in wins.
“They pitched well,” Monmouth coach Dean Ehehalt said. “We’ve been in the same situation before where we’ve had youth on the mound and it’s one of those things that sometimes in this tournament, it’s better to be young because you don’t know any better.
“Certainly Kerski, Leiningen and Scribner did a great job against everybody.”
Kerski battled through a half-dozen no-decisions to post a 2-4 record with a 4.76 ERA over 641/3 innings. He was on the mound in the 9-2 NEC championship game victory over Monmouth, allowing six hits and one earned run with one walk and three strikeouts in nine innings.
“He throws the hardest and has really developed well,” Giaquinto said. “He’s kept us in games.”
The big surprise of the staff has been the southpaw Leiningen, who was named NEC Rookie of the Year after compiling a 7-3 record with a 3.68 ERA over 802/3 innings.
“Nick came out of nowhere and he’s just become the guy,” Giaquinto said. “He’s our crafty lefty.”
He’s also become a difficult change of pace for opposing hitters with his off-speed stuff sandwiched between two hard throwers in Scribner and Kerski in the rotation. The trio has been the perfect complement to an offense that led the NEC with a .311 batting average and features Seymour graduate John Murphy, Masuk’s Hunter Phillips and fifth-year seniors Steve Tedesco and JJ Edwards.
Not only has the starting staff done its job, but the Pioneers’ bullpen has pitched in, too. Milford native John Hermanson tops the relievers with a 6-1 record to go with a 3.43 ERA. He recorded one of his wins against UConn.
“Beating UConn was big, they are a solid program, but it’s only one game,” Giaquinto said. “It did give us some confidence.”
The Pioneers also beat Southeast Louisiana twice and the Southeast Conference’s Mississippi State once during a road trip in March along with beating UNLV.
“We played a competitive schedule,” Giaquino said.
The wins over major conference schools has given the underdog Pioneers an optimistic outlook going into the NCAAs.
“We can play with the best,” Scribner said. “We are going in confident … and we’re going to do the best job we can.”
Contact William S. Paxton at wpaxton@ctpost.com Follow him on twitter at wspaxton
A look at the Clemson Regional
Hitters to watch
SS John Murphy (SHU): NEC Tournament MVP, batting .305 with 43 RBI
1B Rob Griffith (SHU): .333 average and Pioneers’ top RBI man (44)
SS Brad Miller (Clemson): ACC Player of the Year, hit .419 batting average with 5 HRs, 46 RBI, 21 stolen bases
OF George Springer (UConn): Big East POY. .361 average, 12 HRs, 74 RBI
2B Tommy La Stella (CC): .391 average, 11 HR, 63 RBI
Pitchers to watch
RH Troy Scribner (SHU): 9-2, 3.69 ERA, 44 strikeouts
RH Matt Barnes (UConn): 11-3,1.12 ERA
LH Matt Rein (CC): 9-2, 1.78 ERA
RH Anthony Meo (CC): 9-3, 2.21 ERA
RH Justin Sarratt (Clemson): 7-2, 2.40 ERA
Schedule
At Kingsmore Stadium, Clemson, S.C.
Friday
UConn (41-17-1) vs. Coastal Carolina (41-18), 3
Sacred Heart (34-21) vs. Clemson (41-18), 7
Saturday
Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3
Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7
Sunday
TBA, 3
TBA, 7
Monday
TBA, 7
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Sacred Heart Baseball Opens NCAA Regional vs. Clemson
Sacred Heart to Play Clemson in NCAA Baseball Regionals Beginning Friday
See Full NCAA Baseball Championship Bracket here
(Fairfield, CT) – The Sacred Heart Pioneer Baseball team, 2011 champions of the Northeast Conference, will play the Clemson Tigers in the Regional round of the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, announced Monday.
Clemson is hosting one of the 16 regional rounds at Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C., and will be the one seed taking on Sacred Heart as the four seed beginning on Friday. Each regional round is played as a double-elimination format with four teams in each bracket. Connecticut and Coastal Carolina will also play in the Clemson regional, with the Huskies as the number two seed and the Chanticleers as the three seed.
Sacred Heart reaches the field of 64 for the second time in program history after sweeping the Northeast Conference Baseball Tournament last weekend at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, CT. The Pioneers culminated a run of 11 consecutive conference wins with a 9-2 win over Monmouth Sunday, May 22 for their first NEC Championship since 2006. SHU enters the NCAA Tournament with their best-ever record of 34-21.
Clemson has won 27 of its last 33 games to enter the tournament with an overall record of 41-18, as well as a 17-13 record in the ACC.
Connecticut went 41-17-1 this season and won the Big East regular season championship with a conference record of 22-5, but lost to Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament. The Pioneers and Huskies played earlier this season on March 15 at Dodd Stadium, with Sacred Heart coming out on top 5-4.
Coastal Carolina (41-18, 26-6) goes to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season and 11th time overall as the champions of the Big South.
The winner of the Clemson regional will play the winner of the South Carolina regional next weekend in the Super Regionals.
Sacred Heart will play Clemson at 7:00 p.m. Friday night, with UCONN and Coastal Carolina playing before at 3:30 p.m.
Youtube link of Regional Party
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D0zspQ6owY&feature=feedu
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SHU Baseball to NCAA Regionals
Norwich, CT – Runner-up once, twice, but not thrice. Riding a trio of tremendous pitching performances and the bat of Tournament MVP John Murphy (Seymour, CT/Seymour), Sacred Heart went all the way at the 2011 Northeast Conference Baseball Championship.
SHU cruised past top-seeded Monmouth in Game 6 of the tournament, clinching the conference crown with a 9-2 win on Sunday afternoon. As a result, Sacred Heart has earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Championship and will contest a regional for the first time since 2006.
The Pioneers had been the NEC Tournament runner-up in 2009 and 2010. They squandered a 7-0 lead to Monmouth in the championship round two years ago before watching Central Connecticut come out of the loser’s bracket and beat them twice last May.
Becoming the third SHU starting pitcher in three days to toss a complete-game, freshman Kody Kerski (Waterbury, CT/Crosby) allowed six hits, one walk, and one earned run over 9.0 innings.
Kerski’s performance followed a 6-1 victory from NEC Rookie of the Year Nick Leiningen (Millwood, NY/Horace Greely) on Saturday and a 10-1 win by all-NEC second team starter Troy Scribner (Washington Depot, CT/Shepaug Valley). Both Scribner and Leiningen earned two of the nine spots on the All-Tournament Team for their efforts.
The final line on SHU pitchers – 27.0 innings, 4 runs allowed, two walks, and 3 wins.
Meanwhile, Murphy provided some pop at the plate to go along with a tremendous three-day performance from freshman catcher Derick Horn (Valatie, NY/Ichabad Crane).
The 6-foot-2 backstop drove in a run and scored another in Sunday’s title game, finishing the three-day event with a .455 batting average. Both Murphy and Horn recorded a tournament-high five RBI.
Murphy hit the first home run of the 2011 NEC Championship on Friday and became the first, and only, player to log a triple when his extra-base hit plated a run in the fifth inning on Sunday. He also walked and came around to score in the second innings when the Pioneers pushed three across to jump out in front, 3-0.
Kerski made the early lead hold up, taking a shutout into the ninth inning.
Despite a 9-0 deficit, NEC Player of the Year Ryan Terry (Levittown, PA/Truman) was not going to walk away quietly. The three-time NEC all-star opened Monmouth’s ninth by lining a hard-hit single to right field.
He eventually came around to score on a groundout. Fellow senior Nick Pulsonetti (Old Tappan, NJ/Northern Valley Regional) also crossed home plate in the inning, but Kerski eventually closed the door.
With two outs, Kerski retired Josh Boyd (Port Murray, NJ/West Morris) on a fly ball to right and the Pioneers dance party was on.
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Rain, Rain, Go Away
Weather Delays Start of 2011 NEC Baseball Tournament
League Plans to Announce Official Start Date & Time by Wednesday Evening
5/17/2011
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Somerset, NJ – The Northeast Conference has decided to delay the start of its annual baseball championship due to inclement weather and wet field conditions at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, CT.
The NEC’s four-team, double-elimination tournament, the winner of which will receive automatic access into the NCAA Division I Championship bracket, was initially slated to start on Thursday, May 19 with the first pitch set for 12:00 pm.
Although a definitive start date and time has not yet been determined, competition at the 2011 NEC Baseball Championship will begin no earlier than Friday, May 20 at 12:00 pm. Conference administrators and tournament officials will reconvene via conference call late Wednesday afternoon (May 18) to reassess the situation and decide upon the tournament’s official start.
In consultation with Dodd Stadium management and grounds crew personnel, the NEC’s administrators determined that it would not be in the best interest of student-athlete safety to begin play as originally scheduled.
“Student-athlete safety is paramount to what we do here at the Northeast Conference,” said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. “In addition to minimizing the potential for injury, it is our aim to provide the best possible experience at all of our championship events.”
When conditions permit, Monmouth, Sacred Heart, Long Island, and Central Connecticut will compete for the 2011 NEC Tournament crown. Top-seeded Monmouth (34-17, 25-7) and defending tournament champion Central Connecticut (25-23-1, 17-14), which holds the No. 4 seed, will square off in Game 1. The other opening round matchup pits No. 2 Sacred Heart (31-21, 23-9), the NEC runner-up in both 2009 and 2010, against No. 3 Long Island (28-21, 19-11), which is making its first postseason appearance since 2000.
About The Northeast Conference
Now celebrating its 30th Anniversary season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 12 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States – New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#23), Baltimore (#27), and Hartford/New Haven (#30). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 23 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic or play-in access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island, Monmouth, Mount St. Mary’s, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (NY), Saint Francis (PA) and Wagner. Bryant will become the NEC’s 12th member upon completion of the NCAA Division I reclassification process in 2012. For more information on the NEC, visit www.northeastconference.org.
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