Big East Baseball

[Guest Unregistered Opinion]

What is the general feeling of the move to B.E. baseball/leaving CUSA baseball?

IMHO, B.E. baseball has been relatively ho-hum.  Your inclusion will definitely help raise the bar for the conference.  It'll be interesting to watch.

[Papa_Bull]

I like it because it means we will be one of the top Baseball teams in the conference rather than a middle of the pack team in C-USA. We should have a much easier time making it to the NCAA tourney year in and year out rather than always being on the bubble and struggling for a spot.

The same will be true for some of our other sports as well.

[CyberBull]

We need new facilities or we are going to be average in any conference.

The place is a dump....it's amazing we get ANY good players.

Fortunately this will hopefully soon change. I believe I read somewhere that school officials are looking at Cincy's newly opended park as a model. If that is true....then we will go from worst to first among the State's baseball facilities.

[Guest Unregistered Opinion]

We need new facilities or we are going to be average in any conference.

The place is a dump....it's amazing we get ANY good players.

Fortunately this will hopefully soon change. I believe I read somewhere that school officials are looking at Cincy's newly opended park as a model. If that is true....then we will go from worst to first among the State's baseball facilities.

Cyber-  It is truly amazing that you get any good players.  A tribute to your coaches and your conference.

What is Cincy's park like?

[NokiaBull]

Traditionally the BE has only received one or two NCAA bids each year while C-USA normally sends 5 to 6 teams.  It will depend on the level of competetion in the BE.  

Cincy's stadium is pretty nice, but if we were to model one, how about ECU's brand new stadium, that place looks awesome from the pics.

[Guest S.  Bien]

Here's a link to a Cincinnati Enquirer article when it opened.  The article also has a pdf file that includes all the construction plans for UC's $80mm construction for their campus Village.  Actually, the plan seems to have many of the same ideas and plans USF has for our athletic compound.   The only major difference is Nipper Stadium, and I believe the reason their improvement costs are so high is because nearly half the money went into improving the football stadium.

For me the baseball stadium would be heaven, and at $11mm a very reasonable cost for what they got.  In fact, due to it's immediate proximity to the Athletic Facility they maybe able to get away with not including some subtle features, and because we're in FL maybe go with grass over turf thus dropping the cost slightly.

http://www.enquirer.com/bearcats/2004/05/19/uc1a.html

http://www.enquirer.com/bearcats/2004/05/19/varsityvillage.pdf

This is what UC's baseball stadium contains:

Seating capacity of 3,085

Indoor batting cages and pitcher’s mound

A fully equipped pressbox with private viewing areas

A player’s clubhouse and lounge

Dressing rooms for coaches

Full laundry and equipment facilities

State-of-the-art training room

FieldTurf playing surface

A fully lighted playing field

Dimensions of 325 down the lines, 370 to the power alleys and 400 to centerfield

I think for recruiting purposes, and to satisfy baseball well into the future we'd need all of the above at a minimum.  Teams like when they've got some autonomy, and facilities exclusive for them.   This could serve that purpose.

[CyberBull]

Are there any college baseball stadiums that have that old time stadium feel of a Fenway or Camden Yards?

How cool would it be for USF to have it's own Green Monster. Not only would that help the pitching staff but it would create a signature building/facility for the Tampa Campus.

Other random thoughts.....can anybody else get used to the name Steinbrenner Park.....aka as 'The Stein" ?  

[Guest S.  Bien]

Are there any college baseball stadiums that have that old time stadium feel of a Fenway or Camden Yards?

How cool would it be for USF to have it's own Green Monster. Not only would that help the pitching staff but it would create a signature building/facility for the Tampa Campus.

Other random thoughts.....can anybody else get used to the name Steinbrenner Park.....aka as 'The Stein" ?  

As long as he's happy with it.  If George puts up some money for the facility he can name it whatever he wishes.

[Ricky the Bull]

And the hotdog special would be the 'Frank in Stein'.