Lamar Baseball

[TradinUp BH]

What do you think so far? Will Coach G be on the hot seat if the Cards don't turn it around and miss out on the SLC tourny? There's still alot of baseball to go, but so far there hasn't been many bright spots.

[time2time]

First, I don't think Coach G should ever be on the hot seat.  Look at where he stands in the history of college baseball and the fact that over his tenure he has kept LU relevant.  Yeah, he has had some rough seasons, but generally speaking, his teams are competitive and at the end of the season are vying for the postseason.

As for this team, it looks like it may be lucky to finish the season .500 or better.  It's clear that there is little help coming from the pen, shortstop is a black-hole, hitting while better than recent seasons lacks a consistant middle of the order bat and the three starters are solid but not one is that true Friday starter, at least yet.  It just comes back to pitching and defense, and I think the Cards are average at both this season.

The positive is that the season is not even to the half-way point, and that the players had the character to rally when all else was going bad to get the game three win.  That show's guts and mental toughness, things that will help this team as it moves forward.

Also, positive is that next season's team should be a contender.  Return 2 of 3 weekend starters.  Will return, assuming players don't transfer out, over 9 players seeing regular at-bats and will have a lot of seniors both on the mound and in the field. 

[ForeverADog]

I just posted this on the UCA game thread but I definitely think it is relevant here.

"Our starting pitching isn't bad IMO. Dziedzic has great stuff just needs to control it a little better. Our bullpen is horrible though. I just hate looking at the stat sheet that comes in the program and seeing guys like Cuniff, Boulanger, Cleveland, and Steward have the lowest ERA's on the team but have only thrown 6 or 7 innings this season. Then I look at Ford, Aldridge, Henderson, and McGinnis who all have ERA's of 7.14 or higher but have thrown more innings than everyone else in the bullpen. Since they aren't getting it done I think you have to give some of these other guys at least a chance.

As far as handling the shortstop position I think Mena obviously needs more of an opportunity especially after how well he hit yesterday. Bunner and Theriot give you pretty much the same thing with the bat (.280 hitter with above average speed) but Bunner is slightly better defensively so let him play more.

I can't wait for Anthony Moore to come back healthy. He has 5 tool capabilities. He leads the team in HRs and RBIs even after missing 8 games. Plus any single he hits turns into a double 2 pitches later when he steals second. And he is the only outfielder we have with a halfway decent arm to throw someone out.


We will be fine in conference as long as our starting pitching keeps it up. But if they cant go 6+ innings we are screwed...I'm not counting them out just yet. We just need to win our next two series to be right back in the mix of things. But I do know that is easier said than done."

[Guest baseball25]

Remember bowden stay at fsu 4 yrs to long, what has gilligan squads done the last 4 yrs? Southland is becoming tougher and a 2 team bid for regionals, still early on the season but Lamar is suspposed to be the team to beat every yr but rightnow there are programs in the southland conf that are building better programs than lamar and It has shown the last 4 yrs, teams are going forward and Lamar is going backwards.

[ForeverADog]

I can agree with you on that one baseball25. But I think we can agree we have no shot at that at-large birth into the tourney. So I think for the rest of this year we work more on developing these new pitchers and hitters so we can have some depth for the conference tourney. Hopefully there we can get hot and earn an NCAA tourney spot.

[Guest baseball25]

Yep, thats the way you got to think now, Doesn't matter how you get in the Conf tourney just get there and hopefully you can get hot at the right time. As, of now Lamar SOS-[b]237[/b] and RPI is [b]123[/b], against top 50- [b]1-0[/b], 51-100  [b]3-1[/b], 101-200  [b]5-4[/b],  200+  [b]6-1[/b]

[DP#1FAN]

The seat is getting warm.

[Guest mffl]

[quote name="time2time" post="780224" timestamp="1269274485"]
First, I don't think Coach G should ever be on the hot seat.  Look at where he stands in the history of college baseball and the fact that over his tenure he has kept LU relevant.  Yeah, he has had some rough seasons, but generally speaking, his teams are competitive and at the end of the season are vying for the postseason.
[/quote]

I think that is a little ridiculous. Your job is to win, no matter what age or what you have done. Look at Bobby Bowden at FSU, he is the 2nd winningest coach in CFB [i]history[/i], and yet he finally stepped down or maybe was forced to. Either way, Coach G needs to take a look at himself in the mirror if he doesn't get it done this year, if not then maybe Billy will give him the ultimatum.

As the great Herm Edwards said, "You play to win the game!"

[Guest baseball25]

Yeah your exactly right here, you play to win the game, you don't play for your career overall record and pad it up with easy non-conference wins    8)

[time2time]

Your both right, the only thing keeping Lamar from the CWS is Jim Gilligan.

[Guest baseball25]

you mean from Regionals, you got to get to Regionals first and lamar hasn't been there in 5 yrs.

[Guest coachacola]

Lamar could hire the wrong coach and be a lot worse.  As long as Gilligan does a decent job and no alumni step up with tons of money to pay for a great coach then he'll be here until he retires.

[Guest baseball25]

All they need is a coach like Texas states, UTSA, Sam houston, they don't need a big type name, I mean A&M corpus christi has tons of guys wanting that job, people from Rice,Texas,Tech and etc, they could get a good young coach, that knows how to recruit around this area, and other areas.

[AshlyHasBeen]

Sam Houston's coach is a huge name in the college baseball circles he was at A&M for years. Wow I'm gone to Vegas for a while and the panic button is being pushed and thoughts of Gilligan on a hot seat are being brought up WOW!

[time2time]

I think Baseball25 is the only one demanding Gilligan be replaced.  It's clear he believes that Gilligan is only in this to pad his career wins statistics by playing a soft schedule.  Maybe he's right (and I do agree the non-conference schedule is soft), but I still believe Gilligan is right man for the job. 

As much as Baseball25 knows about baseball, and it may be a lot, Gilligan has forgotten more the Baseball25 knows, especially when it comes to running a Division 1 baseball program, unless Baseball25 is a head coach at a Division 1 university, then I apologize to Baseball25.

As far as the Bobby Bowden comparisons, apples and oranges.  College baseball is not college football.  YOu act like LU was winning the conference every year up to the last 5 seasons.  Not true.  This program like many others has had it's up and downs.

One last thing, LU has a winning record, at least as of right now.  Hopefully the players has a little more resolve then some of the posters on here.

[TradinUp BH]

Records don't mean anything if you don't get to the post season. My only hangup is that LU has had some good success until the past five years. I don't know if it's the recruiting or the coaching. I don't think anyone is saying they know more about baseball than Coach Gilligan on here. When you have a forum like this, everybody is going to be internet coaches. This is what makes the site interesting. I know that most people on here have followed sports for a long time and are just speaking from their observations. Lamar has always had good baseball teams. Even during the years they've had bad records, they played quality teams and for the most part been in the thick of things come tourney time. It just appears lately they have fallen, and nobody can say why.

[Guest baseball25]

There's  a reason why Texas st, Sam Houston, utsa, south eas la, are ahead of Lamar and there programs are moving up and Lamar is going Down, all athletes wanna play against the best and top schools and all those schools I named that are moving up play top teams, Lamar don't play top teams anymore, I mean who else do u blame, gilligAn was a heck of a coach but Lamar's program is going down and it's not the players fault it's the head coaches fault, when was the last time Lamar won 38 games and not even consider to get a regional bid? I mean 10 yrs ago if they would have won 38 games they were getting a bid this isn't the same program from 5 yrs ago this is going on 6 yrs that Lamar might not make regionals, I mean what are you plAying for regionals are just winning 35 plus games? Playing a cup cake schedule isn't going to build your program because it's not getting your program anywhere, I think gilligan is a heck of a pitching coach but its  time for the guy to go and let a new fresh face get this program back on track. I mean who's the one being hard headed and won't travel to play big schools it's gilligan, who goes scout
players and bringing these guys in it's gilligan, the southland is becoming a good conf with top talent type players, this isn't the southland from 8 yrs ago,  things change and it's time for a change at Lamar, there's a reason why lamar can't get 1000 fans at games, it all builds up people, stop ignoring the facts and just be realistic and that's just what I am being. I am not saying Gilligan is a bad coach, he's won that many games for a reason its because he's a hell of a coach, but remember when Bobby Bowden was a hell of a coach, remember when Gilligan WAS a hell of a coach, the word in there is WAS, this is NOW.

[Cat22]

[quote name="baseball25" post="781657" timestamp="1269519085"]
There's  a reason why Texas st, Sam Houston, utsa, south eas la, are ahead of Lamar and there programs are moving up and Lamar is going Down, all athletes wanna play against the best and top schools and all those schools I named that are moving up play top teams, Lamar don't play top teams anymore, I mean who else do u blame, gilligAn was a heck of a coach but Lamar's program is going down and it's not the players fault it's the head coaches fault, when was the last time Lamar won 38 games and not even consider to get a regional bid? I mean 10 yrs ago if they would have won 38 games they were getting a bid this isn't the same program from 5 yrs ago this is going on 6 yrs that Lamar might not make regionals, I mean what are you plAying for regionals are just winning 35 plus games? Playing a cup cake schedule isn't going to build your program because it's not getting your program anywhere, I think gilligan is a heck of a pitching coach but its  time for the guy to go and let a new fresh face get this program back on track. I mean who's the one being hard headed and won't travel to play big schools it's gilligan, who goes scout
players and bringing these guys in it's gilligan, the southland is becoming a good conf with top talent type players, this isn't the southland from 8 yrs ago,  things change and it's time for a change at Lamar, there's a reason why lamar can't get 1000 fans at games, it all builds up people, stop ignoring the facts and just be realistic and that's just what I am being. I am not saying Gilligan is a bad coach, he's won that many games for a reason its because he's a heck of a coach, but remember when Bobby Bowden was a heck of a coach, remember when Gilligan WAS a heck of a coach, the word in there is WAS, this is NOW.
[/quote]
Good Point!

[time2time]

Baseball25 is being short sighted when it comes to his theory of the sinking-ship that is the LU baseball program with Gilligan as manager.

Baseball25 likes to say it's been 5 years since LU made the NCAA tournament.  But if he had done a little research he would discover that it isn't like LU made the tournament every year.  In fact LU did not make the tournament for 6 years in a row, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.  It could have been argued that LU baseball was a sinking-ship after those six seasons.  However the next three seasons (2002, 2003 and 2004) they did make the NCAA tournament.  So if LU had canned Gilligan, would the Cards made one of the best runs in LU history? 

Anyway, I am just hoping to add some perspective.  And honestly I expect it to be lost on Baseball25.  It's obvious he loves to thump his chest after every LU lose and give conditional congratualions after every win (i.e. that team sucked but good win). 

[Guest baseball25]

thats when the southland was down, the southland is a 2 team bid now for regionals, other teams are getting better and there program is moving up we are talking about now, not 1985 not 2004, its 2010 things change man.

[time2time]

"thats when the southland was down, the southland is a 2 team bid now for regionals, other teams are getting better and there program is moving up we are talking about now, not 1985 not 2004, its 2010 things change man" - Baseball25

Just refuse to give Gilligan any credit.  If it wasn't already, well your bias has definately been exposed.

Interesting, I guess Rice's national title should not count since they came from a weak conference.

Facts, don't let them get in your way; and when they're presented to you, you argue . . . "yeah but . . ."

[Guest baseball25]

Lamar program is going downwards not forward plain and simple.

[time2time]

Look, it just boils down to this:

1. I agree with a lot of what you say, i.e. the schedule is weak, the program is not performing like we all would hope, Lamar should play for championships, the conference is improving
2. You could be right in saying that Gilligan just wants Ws and has gotten lazy about how he does it, although I don't believe it, but like I said you could be right and I may be wrong
3.  This season is far from over but there are some serious questions.  Further, talent or lack there of is a bigger concern than whether the preseason/non-congerence schedule strength.
4.  I do NOT believe Gilligan should be fired.  You have your opinion, I have mine.  Gilligan and the Cards have not had a losing season since 1998 and making 9 straight conference tournament appearances does say a lot, but I do recognize the Cards could be .500 team overall the season even with a weak schedule. They have a lot of work to do to make the conference tournament this season.  
5.  I do belive that Gilligan could be replaced/fired, but he has not reached that point yet.  For me, it is not even close and [i]really[/i] it doesn't matter what you or I believe?  That is unless you have a lot sway and money with LU athletic department - which I don't  and I highly doubt you do either.
6. I do believe there is a personal bias by Baseball25 against Jim Gilligan.
7.  FINALLY, I'm tired of getting on this board to read about LU baseball and having Baseball25 hijack every baseball thread with "how weak the schedule is" and "how baseball has passed Gilligan by".  Since I don't forsee a change at the top for the foreseeable future, it has become really depressing to think that those are only two things we're going to hear from Baseball25 until the day comes that Gilligan does step down.  It would be nice if we talked about what's happening on the field, which I've tried to do before, but once LU loses, here comes Baseball25 to say "see I told you so."  So please turn the page, at least until the end of the season.    I know I will.

[AshlyHasBeen]

There is no winning with this guy. Sorry I've been around the program a long time and will tell you there hasn't been a consistant dominant force in the SLC besides Northwestern State for years and even then they choked in the tournament and got snubbed even with 40 win seasons. The season isn't over after two weekend series, man  I would've hated to have a teamate that would feel that way. This team was picked 3rd in conference before the season and I don't see why the panic button is being pushed. The facts are the bullpen is weak that was known before the season and it's being exposed now but it doesn't mean things can't be turned around. When Gilligan left for Salt Lake let's look at what happend to the program, now that was a disaster and it came back when G came back, leading them to a Sun Belt title.

[LU Baseball Fan]

[quote name="baseball25" post="782446" timestamp="1269631673"]
thats when the southland was down, the southland is a 2 team bid now for regionals, other teams are getting better and there program is moving up we are talking about now, not 1985 not 2004, its 2010 things change man.
[/quote]

OK Mr. Know it all and always have the facts right.  Not this time......

You say that Southland is not a 2 team bid for regionals now not 2004.  Well in the first 6 years there were 3 with 2 bids only 1 in last four years.  Seems like the conference may have been stronger in the earlier part of the decade. 

2000  Tx State and McNeese

2003 Lamar and McNeese - BTW  LU was one out away from winning this regional at Texas

2005 UTSA and Northwestern

2009 TX State and Sam Houston State

Also you continually talk about the last 5 years.  And how Lamar has not gone to Regionals.  They have however been very competitive in the Southland Conference...

Conference Winners last decade....  Lamar won their division but lost championship UTSA had better record...

2001 .....................................Northwestern State      Lamar 6th
2002 .....................................Northwestern State      Lamar 3rd
Louisiana-Monroe
2003 .....................................Lamar
2004 .....................................Lamar
2005 .....................................Northwestern State        Lamar 2nd
2006 .....................................McNeese State                Lamar 4th
2007 .....................................UTSA1                            Lamar 2nd
2008 .....................................UTSA1                            Lamar 2nd
2007 Lamar UTSA2
2008 Lamar UTSA2
2
The Southland played in divisions in 2007, 2008.
UTSA was declared the regular-season champion
based on overall record.

2009 ......................................Texas State                    Lamar 4th

Ok man get off it.  Lamar has not been on a slide into the cellar.  So zip it and lets talk about the games.  ShlyKBMT and time2time are correct.  I do not agree with everything that G does but he has been great for Lamar and HE STILL IS!!!!!!

Hey Baseball25.  Where are you from? What high school did you attend?  Where did you play college ball?  Just curious.....