**SLC TOURNEY THREAD AND UPDATES**

[AshlyHasBeen]

Texas State eliminates UTA 15-10.

Lamar vs Texas State, 6 pm on MYTX

[UNLV]

The heat should have Texas st tired. Why couldn't UTA put this game into extra innings.

[Guest baseball25]

You don't get tired when your 1 win away from
regionals, thats a excuse.

[AggiesAreWe]

end of 1st

Texas St.    0
Lamar          1

[LU Baseball Fan]

[quote name="baseball25" post="807267" timestamp="1275161782"]
Just because yall love the guy thats fine and dandy lol and bleed red, but people have there opinion i mean no reason to get all uptight, I hope lamar beats texas st and gets to go to the UT regional or TCU and make alot of noise there, but I feel the program wise and recruiting wise the program is going another direction and other teams in the conference are stepping up and building there programs, I mean thats why you play tourneys because teams get hot at the right time and Lamar has gotten hot, I mean there 34-24 for a reason but like I said I would love to see lamar win today it would be good for this group because the kids have battled all yr.
[/quote]

We have had our moments all year.  I think considering the illness and injuries we have had also contributed to our ups and downs.  I think winning tournament and going to regionals will go a long way with recruiting.  We have a good recruiting class for next year.  We had some young kids also that have stepped up.  Say what you want and yes you are entitled to your opinion but if I recall 3 months ago you were adamant that this program was not going to be successful.  I for one am very proud of everyone including G and the other coaches.

Hey you better be nice your bros told me they would straighten you out if need be...lol

[Guest baseball25]

I already said I'm happy that Lamar is going to regionals, all I said that Lamar program is going in another direction, I mean people at fsu want mike Martin Gone bec he can't win a national champ and he has over 1500 wins so they want oconnor from Virginia to be head coach bec Martin can't win the big one and Martin has done wonders for the program, I mean if u consider going to regionals every 5 yrs and winning 34 games a yr that's great so be it , I just would expect better expectations at Lamar that's all, I'm saying, I just feel Lamar program could be way better than it is,and it isn't just me thinking this it's alot of baseball/good hs coaches I talk to on a everday bases that think the same, like I said I hope Lamar upsets Texas this coming weekend and goes to super regionals, but I am sticking on how I feel about GAilligan.

[bigred360]

Man, I respect a guy who sticks with his beliefs. Who do you think Lamar could get to do a better job than Coach Gillligan? Please, no High School coaches!

I remember when Gilligan left before and Perkins took over. That didn't work out to well for the Cardinals.

[Guest baseball25]

first yr was 30-26, He was (regionals 34-19 in 2008) and (Regionals2009 38-17), 28-27  this yr, Dan heefner Dallas baptist unIversity, one of the best young coaches in nation and the guy can flat out recruit.



Dan Heefner is entering his sixth season with the DBU Baseball Team and third season as the Patriots’ Head Coach. It did not take Heefner long to make a mark at DBU after being named the sixth head coach in DBU history in July of 2007.

Heefner led the Patriots to several historic milestones for the DBU Baseball Program in his first year as Head Coach. In 2008, the Patriots earned their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance by receiving a #2 seed in the College Station Regional. DBU's at large bid marked the first time an NCAA Division I Independent team made the tournament since 1992.

DBU earned their #2 seed by finishing the regular season with a 37-17 record and the 29th best RPI in the nation. The Patriots earned their high RPI by playing against and beating some of the best Div I teams in the nation. DBU picked up two victories over Rice, Oral Roberts, Texas Tech and Sunbelt Champion Louisiana-Monroe while also defeating Texas A&M and Baylor.

The 2009 season proved to be very successful, as well, as the Patriots accumulated a 38-17 record while finishing the regular season with the 36th best RPI in the nation. Once again the Patriots played an outstanding schedule picking up victories against Texas A&M, Baylor, Texas Tech, Oral Roberts, Sam Houston and Jacksonville. In Heefner’s first two seasons as head coach, DBU has averaged nearly 38 wins a year giving DBU the 18th best winning percentage in all of Div I baseball over the two year span.

The team's success has resulted in individual accolades for Heefner along with numerous Patriot players. Following DBU’s 2008 Regional appearance, The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) named Heefner the Midwest Region Coach of the Year and Rivals.com named him one of the Top 5 Rising Coaches in the nation. Heefner has also won the Independent Coach of the Year award in each of the last two seasons.

The Patriots have also seen numerous players get rewarded for their individual success. In 2008, Evan Bigley and Ryan Goins were both named to the ABCA Midwest All-Region Team. Bigley was also the Rawlings Div I Center Field Gold winner. Chris Haney was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and the Patriots had seven players named to the All Independent team.

The success of the 2009 team brought about even more awards for the Patriots. Six players were named to the NCAA Division I All-Independent Team, three to the All-Independent Academic Team as well as the numerous All-American and All-Region honors seen below.

2009 DBU Patriot Individual Honors

Ryan Goins              * 2nd Team All-American: All-Ping Baseball
                                  * 3rd Team All-American: Baseball America,
                                  Louisville Slugger, Pro-Line/NCBWA
                                  * 2nd Team All-Region: American Baseball
                                  Coaches Association
                                  All Independent Player of the Year

Jason Krizan             * 3rd Team All-American: American Baseball
                                   Coaches Association
                                   * 1st Team All-Region: American Baseball
                                   Coaches Association

Ryan Enos                * 3rd Team Academic All-American: CoSID
                                   *1st Team All-Region: American Baseball
                                   Coaches Association

Ryan Behmanesh   * 3rd Team Freshman All-American: All-Ping
                                   Baseball
       
Three of the Patriots who made a major contribution to the Patriots success in 2009 were rewarded by being selected in Major League Baseball's first year player draft. Junior pitcher Victor Black became the highest drafted player in DBU baseball history when he was selected in the Supplemental 1st Round by the Pittsburg Pirates with the 49th overall pick. The power right-handed pitcher finished the year with 99 strikeouts in 88 innings of work. Ryan Goins followed Black by being selected in the 4th Round and the 130th overall pick. Senior catcher Brandon Bantz was the third DBU player selected when the Seattle Mariners selected him the 30th Round.

Players going on to professional baseball has been nothing new for the Patriots or for players that Heefner has coached. Throughout his career, Heefner has seen 33 of the players he has coached go on to play professional baseball, including 21 DBU Patriots in the last four years alone.

Heefner has led the Patriots to a great deal of success on the field, but it was far from the teams' sole focus. The team has a discipleship program which is designed with opportunities to challenge players at all levels of spiritual maturity. The Patriot baseball team has also embraced DBU's mission of developing servant leaders by participating in numerous service activities in the community and even internationally. Over the past two years the Patriots have served in the San Gabriel Orphanage and conducted three baseball clinics while on a mission trip to Guatemala, volunteered at the North Texas Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity and at the Special Olympics of Texas Track and Field Championship. The Patriot baseball team has excelled in the classroom as well, posting a 3.1 team GPA in 2008 and 3.24 in 2009.

Prior to taking over as head coach at DBU, Heefner developed the Patriots into one of the most powerful offensive teams in the nation as the DBU hitting coach. DBU has inserted itself into the college baseball spotlight by being nationally ranked in at least five offensive categories each year. The Patriots offensive success has continued with Heefner as head coach with the Patriots best offensive year to date coming in 2009.

DBU Patriot Offensive National Rankings

2009- 5th Slugging % (.582), 7th Homeruns (102 or 1.85/game), 7th Scoring (9.4/game), 10th in total runs (515), 12th Batting Avg (.343), 14th Doubles (139 or 2.53/game), and 18th in total hits (681).

2008 - 24th Batting Avg. (.323), 37th Slugging % (.492), 41st Runs Scored (7.7/game), 43rd Doubles (2.23/game), 46th Hits (655)

2007 - 9th Homeruns (1.25/game), 13th Scoring (7.6/game), 23rd Doubles (2.17/game), 24th Slugging % (.479/game), 27th Triples (.36/game)

2006 - 4th Homeruns (1.54/game), 5th Slugging % (.518), 6th Triples (.50/game), 10th Runs Scored (8.4/game), 15th Doubles (2.25/game)

2005 - 3rd Doubles (2.69/game), 7th Batting Avg. (.329), 9th Slugging % (.510), 10th Triples (.45/game), 17th Scroing (7.9 runs/game)

Prior to coming to DBU, Heefner was an Assistant Coach at Creighton University and the University of Northern Iowa. While at Creighton, he was the hitting and catching coach. Under his guidance in 2004, the Bluejay hitters saw an improvement in nearly every statistical category from the 2003 season including a 24-point increase in batting average. Defensively, the Bluejay catchers contributed to Creighton’s nation leading .982 fielding percentage, the second best in NCAA history.

While working with the hitters at UNI his 2003 team led the Missouri Valley Conference in 10 offensive categories in conference play. His 2002 squad also had the highest batting average of any team in conference play.

[bigred360]

Interesting, but why would he come here?

[Guest baseball25]

Dallas baptist is independent div 1, Lamar is in a conference, Dallas baptist has to schedule tough and win 35 games to get a regional birth.