C-USA changes a boost for baseball programs

[Brad]

C-USA changes a boost for baseball programs

By Nick Zulovich, The Daily Reflector

Friday, April 22, 2005

Changes to Conference USA means the level of baseball competition should be getting even better. The conference will have nine baseball programs next season, the first time there's been that many since the league's inaugural season. While some of the fodder for conference heavyweights depart, the new clubs likely won't be slouches.

"One of the wonderful by-products (of changing conference membership) was the enhancement of an already strong baseball league," said Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky, who was in Greenville this week visiting East Carolina. "I think when you go down the line with this program here at East Carolina, which historically year and year out is very strong, Central Florida, Rice, Tulane, which I think is ranked No. 1 in the country, Southern Miss, you've really got a collection of programs that compete at a very high level and get to the NCAA Tournament. I think it's a great thing for baseball."

The only team from the Western Athletic Conference that plays baseball and is headed for C-USA is Rice, which happens to be the 2003 College World Series champions. The Owls' program has been to Omaha three other times and has produced a host of All-Americans and high major league draft picks.

The other schools from the WAC that will join Conference USA, Tulsa, SMU and UTEP, do not field baseball programs.

The other two programs that will be new in C-USA next season include Central Florida and Marshall.

Central Florida is in the midst of a great campaign, currently ranked No. 25 nationally. The Golden Knights already own 35 victories and are well on their way to winning the Atlantic Sun Conference title in their last season there.

There are some ties to the programs at Marshall and East Carolina. Pirate assistant coach Allen Osborne played for the Thundering Herd for four years and was an all-Southern Conference selection in '94 and '95.

"There seems to be a growing interest in the sport of college baseball, which I think is a fascinating trend and a good trend for us," Banowsky said. "Having good baseball is good for us."

Departing from C-USA are teams who have struggled in this sport. The highest Charlotte ever finished was third in 1998. Saint Louis has gone to the league tournament only twice, and the Billikins' highest seed was seventh during C-USA's first year of existence. Cincinnati has finished either last or next to last four times since 1996.

The only programs who are leaving Conference USA who have won either the league's regular season or tournament championship are South Florida and TCU. USF is bound for the Big East with Cincinnati and Louisville while TCU is going to the Mountain West.

That conference tournament might be coming to Greenville some time soon. Clark-LeClair Stadium left quite an impression in Banowsky's mind. He said the league will have meetings within the next couple of weeks to decide future tournament sites. This year's tournament will be conducted at Southern Miss.

"This is one of the nicest facilities I've ever seen at the collegiate level. For a college ballpark, this is as good as it gets," Banowsky said. "Most of these quality baseball programs have quality facilities and all want to host. But to be honest, I have not seen one as good as this one. My sense is in the near future we'll have a Conference USA baseball championship here."

Nick Zulovich can be reached at (252) 329-9593 or nzulovich@coxnews.com.

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Thought you Knights would like to see your new commish comment on the level of baseball in C-USA.

[goodknightfl]

Have to agree with that ..... NCUSA.. will be one of the best baseball conf in the country... Acc might be the only one consistantly better.

[DawgPound]

No way.  I'd rate the SEC and Big XII higher.  No state is better in baseball than Texas.  Florida is second.