Baseball Regional

[billiken_roy]

Are you saying SLU doesn't have the money? or more likely just doesn't feel it's a project worth spending the money on

saint louis university is not going to go into the general fund to build a baseball stadium. the athletic dept has to function on it's own and be able to fundraise and generate the needed revenue on it's own. it would be different if the current facility was akin to a true cow pasture of sorts. it isnt the best, but it is far from the bottom. no way it is justified. find a booster.

[Littlebill]

I'm having fun on both sides of this, so I'll add a bit here, your million dollar estimate is way too low. To do anything worth doing we would need at least 15-20, and you need the land to do it. I don't think it's real feasible, but it's fun to dream. Just checked on the University of Nebraska park, it was just over $29 million

You don't need anything like that. You can always build around what the field has now. Some stadium seating behind the plate, and just some other things to give it a "ballpark atmosphere" instead of just a field. The team is obviously earning it the last few years.

I was thinking something similar to Braun Stadium over at Evansville. Nothing spectacular, but very nice nonetheless.

http://www.gopurpleaces.com/sports/2007/10/22/BB_1022072024.aspx?tab=braunstadium(base)&path=baseball

[floridaguy]

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

[billikenfan05]

You don't need anything like that. You can always build around what the field has now. Some stadium seating behind the plate, and just some other things to give it a "ballpark atmosphere" instead of just a field. The team is obviously earning it the last few years.

I was thinking something similar to Braun Stadium over at Evansville. Nothing spectacular, but very nice nonetheless.

http://www.gopurpleaces.com/sports/2007/10/22/BB_1022072024.aspx?tab=braunstadium(base)&path=baseball

Bingo.

[billiken_roy]

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

well then present the booster to donate the bucks if it is so common. good luck

[Emoracze]

well then present the booster to donate the bucks if it is so common. good luck

Doesn't Chaifetz need a sister Dome?

[Bobby Metzinger]

some of you amaze me. where do you think the money to build a lighted baseball stadium will come from? baseball doesnt even come close to generating the revenue to fund what we have now without spending A LOT of money building a new baseball field. while i understand what we have doesnt compare to a miami (FL) or omaha or oklahoma state or texas facility, it isnt even close to the bottom of the barrel. some of you need to do a little traveling about and see what the typical top 100 program has in the way of facilities.

i would guess state of the art lights, top of the line drainage and turf system, seating for say 1000+ with plumbing and concession included would probably run near a million dollars mimimum. we cant raise the needed money via boosters for our basketball program. what makes you think we can get a project like this done? find us a baseball chaifetz or get serious about the reality of funding our baseball team facilities beyond what we got.

Successful college baseball programs will get funded one way or another. Case in point - the University of Virginia. Almost fifteen years ago, UVa was considering making baseball a club sport. A club sport. One more time - a club sport.

Enter Brian O'Connor - who was a Paul Mainieri disciple at Notre Dame before PM went to Baton Rouge to take over for demigod Skip Bertman. O'Connor has put together one of the most successful programs over the last decade in college baseball. Guys like Mark Reynolds, David Adams have broken through the ranks with big league clubs and have stepped up to the plate financially to make Charlottesville one of the most attractive places to play - not just in the ACC - but in all of college baseball.

We're not there yet. But if we keep Hendrickson around - we will get there. People will come, Ray Roy. People will most definitely come.

[floridaguy]

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.

[sluball200]

some of you amaze me. where do you think the money to build a lighted baseball stadium will come from? baseball doesnt even come close to generating the revenue to fund what we have now without spending A LOT of money building a new baseball field. while i understand what we have doesnt compare to a miami (FL) or omaha or oklahoma state or texas facility, it isnt even close to the bottom of the barrel. some of you need to do a little traveling about and see what the typical top 100 program has in the way of facilities.

i would guess state of the art lights, top of the line drainage and turf system, seating for say 1000+ with plumbing and concession included would probably run near a million dollars mimimum. we cant raise the needed money via boosters for our basketball program. what makes you think we can get a project like this done? find us a baseball chaifetz or get serious about the reality of funding our baseball team facilities beyond what we got.

I think you need to do a little traveling. I have gotten a chance to go out and see a lot of college baseball and the facilities are getting a lot nicer. The fact of the matter is if you want to be good in every sport you have. If building a facility is going to help ensure that Hendrickson stays and helps improve the chances of landing better recruits, than I want to do it. The fact is what this staff has done with what they have is truly remarkable. That field is good for a high school program. They have no indoor place and they have zero clubhouse. From what I hear they have a locker room that is good enough to fit 10 people. Also where is the press box? We either want to be good or we don't. Clearly you don't

[MusicCityBilliken]

Al, the chickens draw well. Also, since Clemson and Liberty are in that region there could be a good sized crowd. I can't make it as I have a wedding to go to. I'd call USC ticket office, or take a chance on a scalper.

Thanks Larry, I have drive from Asheville to Atlanta tomorrow, it takes me a little out of my way but not bad. Get to Atlanta sometime after midnight if I can get in. If its sold out I am sure scalpers will be in abundance.

Been to a lot of ACC/SEC baseball games (actually like them better then MLB). The crowds are very different then football and MBB. Not the high roller crowd & students you see for football and MBB. What I observe is it is mostly families, local older alums and local retirees seeking night out. Ticket prices probably have lot to do with it. With promotions (which all seem to have a lot of) usually you can get in for free or $5. Most of the stadiums are outstanding with boxes for Diamond Club members, nice seating and all seem to have jumbotron score board. Very similar to single A or double A stadium.

[billiken_roy]

I think you need to do a little traveling. I have gotten a chance to go out and see a lot of college baseball and the facilities are getting a lot nicer. The fact of the matter is if you want to be good in every sport you have. If building a facility is going to help ensure that Hendrickson stays and helps improve the chances of landing better recruits, than I want to do it. The fact is what this staff has done with what they have is truly remarkable. That field is good for a high school program. They have no indoor place and they have zero clubhouse. From what I hear they have a locker room that is good enough to fit 10 people. Also where is the press box? We either want to be good or we don't. Clearly you don't

I just don't want to spend millions we don't have in the athletics acct on a non revenue sport when we aren't fully funding men's basketball which is our only revenue sport.

Don't get me wrong Hendrickson needs to stay, but when it comes down to it more salary makes it harder for him to leave and is a lot less taxing on the checkbook than new stadiums.

Last again, I never said we have great Facility now but I still suspect it is a top 100 - 150 facility.

It would be interesting to only look at private like schools and see how SLU compares.

Take care of basketball first. When there are absolutely no budget needs for crews spend elsewhere

[willie]

I think Chris May would take exception to you statement that basketball isn't fully funded.

[prebilliken]

Let's look at these costs objectively.

I agree that lofty dreams of a Baum Stadium or likewise are ridiculous but some improvements can be made without massive costs. And if we enjoy this little spring love-fest with the Bills baseball team (which I do immensely because I love college baseball) then we will need to make a few improvements. Still, we have to take into account that other than Yogi and a 1965 CWS run, the Bills are not the Cardinals of college baseball, so let's keep improvements in perspective.

-How much better does the field already look after will built those nice chaiftez-brick read dugouts and the bricked up the backstop? Way better, not that expensive. The cost were bricks, nice bricks, but still just bricks.

-You don't think that you could build around simple metal stands, with perhaps a 100-200 chairback section, with a simple brick structure for structural cohesiveness? Make it seat something like 1,200.

-The landscaping in the outfield probably didn't cost that much

-Ticketing students doesn't matter because the cost is tied-in to the Athletic Funds fee, so it doesn't have to be a structure that keeps people out without tickets.

-Allow kids to bring coolers, students will go to ANYTHING if you let them drink at it.

-Build an outdoor concession stand similar to the one at the Soccer Stadium, have it sell beer. We are the SAINT LOUIS Billikens. Beer should be available at everything in St. Louis.

-If HS football programs can afford a nice scoreboard in the outfield with a single video screen, so can SLU baseball. I am sure of this.

Baum stadium, Carolina Stadium, or Baylor Field, those are massive undertakings for programs that have rich baseball history, save those dreams for down the road, but to think SLU can't make a few simple improvements at the request of a growing program is ridiculous.

And the people saying SLU doesn't have the worst field are correct, there are way worse. I spent a summer in DC for an internship and we played pickup baseball games on Georgetown's D1 field, I played on fields nicer than that in HS, it was terrible, this is GEORGETOWN we're talking about. Those d-bags at Creighton lucked out because TD Ameritrade Park let's them play there games there. If you think about it CU only owns there soccer stadium, which granted, is gorgeous.

Still, SLU can do better. Let's go Bills! Nine innings of destiny tomorrow.

[sluball200]

http://www.gocsucougars.com/news/2012/10/24/BB_1024123445.aspx

The worst team in D1 baseball just got 2.5 million yet we somehow can't afford it.

[White Pelican]

http://www.gocsucougars.com/news/2012/10/24/BB_1024123445.aspx

The worst team in D1 baseball just got 2.5 million yet we somehow can't afford it.

I don't know where the money comes from, but that IS a state school, right?

[JMM28]

Just rent out Busch. Problem solved. It worked for the basketball team.

[billiken_roy]

I think Chris May would take exception to you statement that basketball isn't fully funded.

well then i dont want to read anymore about charter vs commercial flights, assistants that leave because they werent paid enough, etc.

[Box and Won]

I think our MLB star is going to build one, right? RIGHT?!

Hey, we've got Andy Benes!

[DirtyRican]

I actually saw May last night at the Festival of Miles. I told him I was pumped about the baseball program and he said he was as well.

[Westy03]

I actually saw May last night at the Festival of Miles. I told him I was pumped about the baseball program and he said he was as well.

[slufanskip]

saint louis university is not going to go into the general fund to build a baseball stadium. the athletic dept has to function on it's own and be able to fundraise and generate the needed revenue on it's own. it would be different if the current facility was akin to a true cow pasture of sorts. it isnt the best, but it is far from the bottom. no way it is justified. find a booster.

It's not really a question of whether or not they could afford it since we all know they could. It's really a question of the role and level of importance the school feels athletics plays in it's mission.

[DirtyRican]

Westy, you and I are throwing down!

[RUBillsFan]

ESPN Preview of the SC regional:

Columbia, S.C.

Field: South Carolina (1), Clemson (2), Liberty (3), Saint Louis (4)

The Saint Louis Billikens aren't your beaten-down 4-seed, not with Alex Kelly hitting .340/.427/.546 to lead the offense and a stingy bullpen backing up a sturdy if not spectacular starting rotation. If an underdog is going to emerge from this regional, I think Saint Louis is the pick. The committee is giving Clemson No. 3 Liberty in its first game, which means it didn't give the Tigers death; they should handle Liberty quite easily.

But in brutal honesty, any game featuring Liberty and Saint Louis in this regional is going to feel like wasting time, not because of their unworthiness but because of the fervor for a South Carolina-Clemson final to advance to the supers. Some folks around those parts aren't happy the committee sent the Tigers to Columbia in the regional round, but after the moaners finish their final sentence, what we'll have is potentially one of the most charged fields among the regionals.

[sluball200]

Liberty up 8-2 in bttm 8