On Campus: First-Year Coaches Make First Impressions
Opening Day represents a fresh start for everyone in baseball, no matter how many years they have spent in the game. But for new head coaches, the first weekend takes on even greater significance. It is a chance to set the tone, make a first impression for fans and, hopefully, get the first victory.
There were 19 coaching changes this year, and 16 of them picked up at least one win on opening weekend. Jay Johnson and Arizona may have made the loudest statement, going on the road to win a series against Conference-USA favorite Rice and legendary coach Wayne Graham, but no matter who the first victory came against, it is one that will be cherished.
| Early Returns |
| How this season’s new head coaches are faring |
| Arizona: Jay Johnson (2-2) |
| Auburn: Butch Thompson (2-2) |
| Austin Peay: Travis Janssen (3-1) |
| Baylor: Steve Rodriguez (1-3) |
| Clemson: Monte Lee (2-1) |
| College of Charleston: Matt Heath (2-1) |
| Cornell: Dan Pepicelli (0-0) |
| Cal State Bakersfield: Bob Macaluso (2-1) |
| Eastern Illinois: Jason Anderson (0-4) |
| Eastern Kentucky: Edwin Thompson (1-3) |
| James Madison: Marlin Ikenberry (2-2) |
| Nevada: T.J. Bruce (3-2) |
| New Orleans: Blake Dean (3-1) |
| Northwestern: Spencer Allen (2-2) |
| Pacific: Mike Neu (0-4) |
| Pepperdine: Rick Hirtensteiner (2-2) |
| Portland: Geoff Loomis (3-1) |
| Washington State: Marty Lees (1-4) |
| Western Kentucky: John Pawlowski (2-1) |
Northwestern coach Spencer Allen is in his first season as a head coach after working as an assistant coach at schools such as Illinois and Washington State. He got his first win last Friday, as Northwestern swept a doubleheader in Mesa, Ariz., against Nevada and its own first-time head coach T.J. Bruce.
“Friday, to have a doubleheader and to win two games is probably one of those days that I won’t forget in my life,” Allen said.
Bruce would get his own first wins the next two days, as Nevada won the final two games to split the series.
Across the country in South Carolina, new Clemson coach Monte Lee and College of Charleston coach Matt Heath, who was promoted after Lee took the Clemson job, both had to wait until Saturday for their first victories.
Lee and Heath remain close and congratulated each other after their first win.
“We talked again on Sunday after the series was over, just going over the whole weekend,” Lee said. “He and I both coached and recruited those kids together, so we talked about how their weekend went and we talked about our team up here. He and I both have strong relationship and we’re always going to share how each other’s doing as coaches.”
The first victory often comes accompanied by plenty of congratulations and maybe a few presents. Auburn coach Butch Thompson said after his Opening Day win against Sacramento State, he received a bottle of Dom Perignon to go with the game ball. And Thompson said his neighbor Scott Sullivan, a former big leaguer and Auburn pitcher, got someone to take the lineup card to be framed.
“It’s been 120 days (since he was hired) and it’s been like a whirlwind,” Thompson said. “That was a neat moment. We’re all human. It was like an exhale for a second.”
But with the first weekend and much of the pomp now over, the long process of coaching and developing a team is now paramount. That is especially true for Thompson, who was hired after the end of fall practice, due to the timing of Auburn’s firing of Sunny Galloway. Thompson admitted he is still learning what kind of team he has.
“We just need more reps,” Thompson said. “Our team needs to play as much as we possibly can.”
But even for coaches that had a full complement of fall practices it can be tough at the outset of the season. Pacific coach Mike Neu took over a team that went 14-37 last season and was swept in a four-game series at Cal Poly last weekend.
Pacific will now host Northwestern and Allen, as Neu looks for his first win in his first home series. Neu is eager to get his first victory, but knows it will take time to get the Tigers where he wants them.
“It definitely is a transition, it’s pretty much a whole new staff,” Neu said. “We’re trying to begin to build this program and to create a culture. We have some pieces in place, we feel good about recruiting for next year’s class and in the future. We’re hoping to get this thing moving in the right direction.”
The transition to a new school or a new role requires time and patience for any coach. But Opening Day marked the beginning of a new era, one that maybe seemed a little more real with the start of the season.
Lee said during the weekend was when he truly comprehended that he was now Clemson’s coach.
“It was kind of a reality set in that I am at Clemson,” he said. “Getting to see the crowds and the guys, it completely sunk in when you see somebody in the other dugout and you see the crowd.”
NEWS AND NOTES
Atlantic Coast Conference: Righthander Clate Schmidt was the winning pitcher Saturday in Clemson’s 9-4 victory against Maine. Schmidt was diagnosed with nodular sclerosing Hodgkin’s lymphoma last May but was cancer-free by late July. The senior won the Saturday starter’s job for the Tigers and pitched well in his season debut (5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 5 K). Lee said he was pleased with Schmidt’s start from a baseball perspective, as he threw strikes and competed well, but that Saturday was about more than the game. “This is a kid who went through life changing moment,” Lee said. “Not every kid who plays college baseball has had to deal with a life-changing event like cancer. I was fortunate to see him go through recovery to being able to compete for us. It’s been rewarding for me and the team.”… Miami shortstop Brandon Lopez was suspended for opening weekend, and will remain out this weekend against top-ranked Florida.
Big 12 Conference: After righthander Alec Hansen (1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 1 K) struggled mightily last Saturday against Northeastern, Oklahoma coach Pete Hughes has pushed him back to Sunday in this week’s rotation. Lefthander Austin Kerns, who also pitched last Saturday in the Sooners doubleheader, will start this Saturday at Sam Houston State, following Friday starter Jake Elliott.
Big Ten Conference: As a first-time head coach, Allen has received lots of advice. But one thing he has heard happens to head coaches that he’s trying to avoid is seeing his relationships with players change. “I’ve tried to fight that because I don’t want it to change,” the Northwestern coach said. “I want to be personable. I want to be honest with them and approachable.”
Pacific-12 Conference: North Dakota traveling to Los Angeles and beating Southern California in the first two games of the season was one of the most surprising results of opening weekend. But after losing those two games, the Trojans salvaged a win in the series finale and won again Tuesday night. All four of USC’s games have been one-run affairs, and coach Dan Hubbs is pleased with his pitching staff. USC has a couple big weekends coming up, with Wake Forest visiting this weekend and the Dodger Stadium Classic the following week. “For us, it doesn’t matter who we play, it’s about us,” Hubbs said. “If we play our game, I think we’re 4-0. But we didn’t, so we’re not.”
Southeastern Conference: Bids to host the SEC Tournament from 2017-21 were submitted this week, according to reports around the Southeast. The tournament has been in Hoover, Ala., for the last 18 years, but competition for the tournament is expected to be stiff, with cities such as Memphis, Nashville and New Orleans all among the potential hosts. “The SEC Baseball Tournament continues to enjoy great success in Hoover,” SEC assistant commissioner Herb Vincent told The Tennessean. “As we near the end of the current contract, our membership thought it was important to explore what locations, including Hoover, would have interest in serving as a host in the next contract period beginning in 2017. This is consistent with the process used in the past to determine the location of the baseball tournament and other SEC championship events.”… Vanderbilt righthander Hayden Stone made his season debut Sunday, coming on for an inning of relief in the No. 7 Commodores’ 17-1 win against San Diego. The junior is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and is expected to take on a more prominent role in the Commodores’ pitching staff when he returns to full health. After a scoreless appearance Wednesday, he has three strikeouts in two innings.
Other conferences: Lamar, fresh off a sweep of Southeast Missouri on opening weekend, defeated Arizona and No. 8 Louisiana State in midweek action. In longtime coach Jim Gilligan’s farewell season, the Cardinals are 5-0 for the first time since 2010, the last time they made the NCAA Tournament. Lamar hosts North Dakota State for a four-game series this weekend … After four games, Pacific outfielder Gio Brusa is hitting .333/.368/.500 with a home run. Already, it is a much better start to the season for Brusa than last year, when he opened the season with a 4-for-26 skid. Now, the key for Brusa will be remaining healthy. He missed most of last season due to an elbow strain, leading him to slide to the 23rd round (Cardinals) in the draft. He chose to return to school for his senior season, and his play will be critical as the Tigers and new coach Mike Neu try to post their first winning season since 2010. “We’re trying to keep him healthy,” Neu said. “He had some unfortunate injuries in the past here that have kept him out. If that means we need to give him some time at DH to keep his body healthy, we’ll do that.”
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