floridaguy

2014 Bills baseball recruiting class ranked in top 100 by national source- perfect game. Pretty cool stuff. Unheard of 10 years ago, many on board may not be aware we even have a program from their days. Really cool ------ hard to land that in today's recruiting world of bells and whistles where facilities matter. Landed Wisconsin player of the year and a New York stud catcher along with a solid shortstop and some young arms. Have a local guy too from Borgia and Jefferson JC. Fun to follow

You would have to think that back to back 40+ win years 2 straight a10 champinships and 2 regionals in 4 years for a horsepoop program has Hendrickson on way somewhere bigger? I hope we keep him but seriously folks, program has 6 30 win seasons this coaching staffs tenure has 4 of them. Sounds like big 10, cusa or Missouri valley could be in cards.

B Roy you are a breath of fresh air with your posts. First of all, you know nothing about college baseball now. Doormat programs such as Indiana kent state purdue all have new stadiums and all have made and hosted regionals in the past 2 years, secondly, people are investing in baseball and the Billikens facility isn't even in the upper half of the basketball league a10. St Joseph's has a new stadium George Washington has a new stadium really those schools are awful? Most stadiums are built by boosters help. See UIC most recently so I get no administration is going to go to any fund to do anything for a non revenue sport. Surely there is booster help somewhere to surround the field w the needed amenities

No idea last time they were here it was part of snowbird classic?

Like all teams in division one schedule can't be perfect with slu's travel inside a-10 and trip to VCu this year along with #12 San Diego tourney regional and constant Midwest power Missouri st and sec foe and top 25 team ole miss. Play Charlotte st joes VCu Richmond Dayton as well inside league and open at oral Roberts who is ahead of slu in weather and stadium and tradition. Are u aware that slu usually comes out of gym or armory or wherever theyre at in winter training and goes immediately to games. Easy on the expectations and negativity okie. I was just trying for positive news on this board. If bills don't win 40 it's not a major disappointment considering its happened ummm once in schools tenure. Go bills I'm proud of upward movement in program

not sure if people really realize the magnitude of what Billiken baseball has going on ? Okie Billiken...... "if they dont smash 41 wins its a major disappointment" Dude are you high? 41 wins is a first and probably only in Billiken baseball days. Not too many teams won 40 games last year. When was the last time Billiken baseball got votes in any poll?? Schedule looks tougher, but with a lot back maybe they can handle some pressure. All I know is in the 1990-2000 era they were dead last in all polls now were mentioned among the countrys top 50 or so? Not a bad jump especially since they have the worst facility in the league now minus a few. Folks, to be mentioned in pre season votes shows how far this has come. I hope we can recognize what is happening 41 win team defending A-10 Champs in a sport not expected to do much by University standards, ie all non-revenue sports. Closer is new guy from New York apparently and he is real thing. Catcher is new and dh is better than last year, plus entire starting rotation is back. Also looks like recruiting class for next year is pretty solid. Root for Billikens, Ill be at Port Charlotte series against Maize and Blue!

Certainly I will not debate which league SLU should be in. But, the negatives of commercial flights for all sports to the east coast, missed class times and some lack of who cares opponents that most conferences may have all are valid points for moving, esp missed class and not to mention travel budgets spent getting kids there. This obviously is overruled by one thing-money. The tv contract was butchered as we know by former commish, so not sure about that one, why does SLU continue to preach academics, academic reputation and all when our basketball team has missed over half of their classes. Is one tutor helping them get through it? I doubt it. Commercial flights are not easy anymore folks from the LOO, any layovers make for an all day event traveling, is this what we want our kids doing at our "academic power" what a bunch of hypocrites. I don't want to say this league over that they all have pluses and minuses, but cmon, kids flying to St. Bonaventure or Fordham, that is ludicrous, every league will have its favorites and rivals we all know that and some yawners but missing half of the classes is not acceptable with anything SLU has ever stood for. Guess there trying to be like the big boys now and forgo class to gain exposure and more money, boys, the school mission is changing,esp if Biondi gets out of the way. SLU cannot get it right trying to figure out their identity has always been the hardest part of that place. I just hope Biondi stays out of the way to allow Rick to work his majic, cause he can coach, arent we paying him like a million to do that by the way? If regular students missed half of their classes in the first month do they pass, just curious? Ya, we should stay in the A-10,and to the dumb*&^ that said SMS guys are parking your car and getting your bags, what are you Rodney Dangerfield in caddyshack?

No, did not say ANne Kordes did not deserve one at all, she certainly does, SLU's lucky to have her, just cannot see how popular sport like soccer did not have one and has been successful, maybe not by all standards, but lets not kid each other, it has been pretty good. I agree with you, coaches should prove their worth if given the resources to succeed, i.e Kordes. Volleyball is great for SLU, but its still volleyball. Soccer and basketball are SLU's top 2 right we all agree, so soccer should have been compensated properly, unless they wanted him out, which is very possible. Just curious about 2 womens 1 mens aint like that anywhere else.

I read in TT's blog, that Anne Kordes , RickMA and Shimmy are the only ones with multi year deals?? Are we the only school in the nation that has 2 womens coaches and one mens coach on multi year deals? No wonder there is feuding and disarray, what the hell is going on here? No wonder Donigan left, like him or not, been there 9 years made NCAA Tournaments and SLU would not take care of him? 2 womens sports and one mens again, am I reading that right? How do you not take care of your second most high profile sport coach behind mens basketball. No wonder we cannot keep any coaches with that menatlity. I know I know Title 9, give me a break, we may be the only D-I in country that has that ratio.

According to TT article, SLU has two womens coaches and one mens coach on a multi year deal? Uggh! My guess is we may be the only school in the nation with that ratio, except for the all-girls schools out east. Did I miss something, we cant get much right in athletics? Headscratcher!

Cheeseman, ARe you serious about basketball footing the bill? That is a perception not reality. Basketball is not making any money to pay for other sports....yet! It is going to take plenty of time to pay of the ARena before SLu turns any profit for other sports, see Xavier example of when they built the Arena and profited. As for the MVC, it was neat to watch a local rivalry game the other night versus watching Anne Kordes play a Conference Tourney in Dayton or Rick play a Conference Tourney in Atlantic City, how many people really go. A nice rivalry is what college sports are all about and since Mizzou and Illini are not playing us anytime soon, that's all we have. let's face it who is our big A-10 rival in any sport. The MVC is inferior in national perception and east coast bias is real, a super whatever made-up league is all mythical right now. It is all about mens basketball and tv and revenue dont get me wrong, but we aint making any money....yet and wont for some years. The endless plane trips for all of our kids is ridiculous when you consider the academic loads that are placed on them, basketball flies charter so ya Femi can make that final, but can the others?? I played in Conf USA and it was bad then, now the A-10, there is no identity with any rivals, how many people get geared up for a Rhode Island game, ya its fun to watch Dayton and Xavier, but wouldnt you rather watch the boys in a St. Louis Conference Tourney, could you imagine? I hear your points but the MVC is our answer for now. No matter what we want or wish we are a mid level program until we prove otherwise and thats what the MVC is, add saving travel budgets missed class time and rivalry games and it is a no-brainer for me. Actually the MVC beats the hell out A-10 in soccer as well. Drake, Creighton, Mo ST all did well again, but not all have it. WHo wants to think about our sports in the Bronx or Olean NY are you serious?

Just reading over some of the posts esp about soccer, basketball expectations and could not help but wonder, does anybody think that Florida St, Miami, Michigan and Notre Dame football all went in the tank overnight. Something happened there along the way and it was not all coaching. Other schools sunk money into the lucrative BCS system and folks caught up, TCU, Cincinnati, Iowa, Boise St to name a few. The same thing is happening on a lesser scale in soccer. How do we think Indiana and Kentucky basketball feel, they have endured some pretty tough ones recently. SLU has not kept up, teams have come up in facilities, scholarships, coaches and have become hot places, along with the cities they recruit from. Tulsa and Akron are just a few to mention. Just ready to start some discussion! It aint all coaching folks!

Shimmy would have been gone but SLu aint paying her golden parachute buyout that Cheryl gave her so they deal with her until it runs out and then hire another coach. Title 9 and womens extensive contracts..oops I choked on those statements.

They have lots of internal problems with discipline, prima dona players created by soccer culture. Where was their best guy the first two exhibition games-suspended. Last night was a pasting by UNM.

Well, I mis spoke or misremembered earlier, like Roger Clemens said, about our baseball prorgam and the support to our coaching. SOme donors, I heard it was through Hendrickson's cardinal connections, gave money to help with a new infield and soon to be new dugouts. There have been tractors out there and new sod is going down. They have a new outfield wall, a brick backstop and now dugouts, it looks like somebody has woken up. Funny what donors can do! Good luck I just saw their 5 new signees as well, looks like those guys mixed with their large first class last year should make for better days. I know Coach is happier and feels the love. Chris May mentioned in his chat that all sports were going through a strategic plan, maybe it is changing slowly over at the BSC. Soccer needs it too. Watch out for their recruiting class he and his coaches can get it done with a little support, they can go pretty high, but be realistic they will never be Mizzou, so let's not expect the world out of a really bad prorgam for the past 30 years. Good for SLU coming to bat for the program.

Actually, I am from Florida originally and then moved here and played here, so I have witnessed it first hand. I think some of the information I got was embellished and the school is trying to help, it is just the timing is bad. It has been delayed. The school is trying apparently to help the program and as for the funding, none of it is coming from the school so Title IX people calm down, this was just to let off some steam about all the years we were blasted in Conf USA and now we get a new coach new arena and same results?? That was my intent. Talk to some real bitter alums! The school is trying to help, it just takes SLU decades to do with others can get done easier, take it easy on the men vs. women attacks, that is so far out of the relativity of this subject's intent. Chris May seems to be one who is willing to help out, he has much on his plate too and maybe I should not have been so harsh as he is working for all programs I'm sure. I think our new coach gets frustrated with the slowness of everything especially since winter months are here and it is difficult then as they also have no true indoor space to practice, only hit. Anybody have a building call Coach, I know he is looking now. Ft. Lauderdale area by the way BLIKN

Thanks for the "bit of history" except when raising money by people who donate for that cause Title IX is not in play. The school is not raising any money. It all comes privately by donors so that does not mean squat to softball, that is the part that is confusing as to why SLU would not be looking to improve any facilities with free money. They are not being asked to put one dime in for anything obviously with recent completion of the arena, their plate is full one would assume.

Aj, Soccer contrary to popular belief raises no revenue. Thye have not won an A-10 conf championship title since joining the A-10 and finished in 4th this year with 4 A-10 losses, the last title won by soccer overall was 1973 perception does not equal reality. Basketball is and should be the moneymaker not soccer. My point, was to say if donors come out and give with the intentions of designating monies and nothing gets done for whatever reason, unless validated by the school, no one should give and that is where aSLU is at in some non-revenue sports. The donors are trying to improve what the school will not so they should not be roadblocked, get it. As for the coach getting a new job, yes it is a tough time for a new job, but that has nothing to do with donated money not being guided to where it was given. SLu will find a way to turn this into something it is not and beat another good person down. There are not any revenues coming for about 4-5 years either for this ARena is still to be paid my foolish friends.

So basically it is the track recrod of the school to control everything. The funny part is the coach or alumni group booster club whatever raises the money and then cant spend it on the designated projects? Wow, who would coach at SLU besides RM who has it all and deserves most of it, why do they have sports? Is anyone happy in the athletics department, I know their business manager just left to go to UIC because he could not stand it one more day. What a f*&^%d up place.

I just heard from baseball alum close to coach, not sure, that coach rasied money for some new projects to help baseball facilities and the school is dragging their feet and not allowing these to be done. ANyone got anything on this probably not since it is basketball, but if this is true, and it is not unheard of for the little magician in the evil tower. Maybe he is trying to steal their money like he did several years back. God Bless Bob Hughes! This is apparently pretty serious as coach is trying to get out, could not blame him, but surely there is some illogical explanation knowing our dumb school. I heard the donors would get involved soon. ANyone got anything, because I know he has been raising funds for new projects, dugouts and indoor maybe? They are going to lose another coach and not even blink an eye because they blew smoke at him to come here and are not delivering. What an unbelievable place! I realize this is a basketball blog mostly but anyone got anything? It sounds pretty amazing, considering they played the Cards last year, won some games and have a great coach with a sound track record of winning, and a Top 100 recruiting class to boot, oh forgot, Mizzou this year at Busch Satdium. Congrats to Lisch for hitting a 3 today and I cant wait to see Chaifetz, but I also like baseball.