SLU Baseball 2024

[SLUMedBilliken15]

1 hour ago, Brighton said:

Who should ?

Give it a break, man.

May has been above average recently. The athletic department as a whole has had results that can't be argued with.

He brought Josh Schertz here.

He helped the Champions center be built.

He won AD of the year.

The men's Soccer team is seeing success at a level they haven't seen in over a decade. The women's soccer team is elite. He helped build a new building for the soccer program.

Women's basketball went to it's first NCAA tournament a year ago and won the NIT this year.

Baseball won the A-10 regular season. Sure, you can complain about their facilities, but building new baseball facilities for what the 50-100 max fans who regularly go to games sure isn't a winning investment.

People look for a scapegoat when things aren't going perfectly. May has been SLU's scapegoat. Yeah maybe the culture he creates within the athletic department is bad, but recently his results are good.

[billikenfan05]

8 hours ago, SLUMedBilliken15 said:

Give it a break, man.

May has been above average recently. The athletic department as a whole has had results that can't be argued with.

He brought Josh Schertz here.

He helped the Champions center be built.

He won AD of the year.

The men's Soccer team is seeing success at a level they haven't seen in over a decade. The women's soccer team is elite. He helped build a new building for the soccer program.

Women's basketball went to it's first NCAA tournament a year ago and won the NIT this year.

Baseball won the A-10 regular season. Sure, you can complain about their facilities, but building new baseball facilities for what the 50-100 max fans who regularly go to games sure isn't a winning investment.

People look for a scapegoat when things aren't going perfectly. May has been SLU's scapegoat. Yeah maybe the culture he creates within the athletic department is bad, but recently his results are good.

May has been above average recently.

So you're just going to forget 10 years of garbage for what, 3 months of doing his job and nothing more?

He helped the Champions center be built.

The Champions Center was built because it was needed. R

Sure, you can complain about their facilities, but building new baseball facilities for what the 50-100 max fans who regularly go to games sure isn't a winning investment.

The facilities are bottom of the A10. The turf was installed so late that they nearly did not have a home field to start the season. They did not have lights because May refused to cover installation of new lights donated by a baseball alum. He also refused crowdfunding to cover installation. They had to turn on the decrepit lights to finish a weeknight game and one of the lights exploded above the visiting dugout.

Who cares hows many fans we get? Nobody is asking for a 5k seat stadium. What we're asking for is an overhaul of the seating areas in place. We're not looking for expanded seating, only for increased comfort for those willing to come out and watch the Billikens.

Not only is the seating an issue for drawing spectators. It's a major eye-sore when it comes to recruiting. You wanna sell players families on coming out for a midweek game in April sitting on aluminum bleachers?

FFS, they have unpaid interns staffing these early season midweek games in 50-60 degree weather rain and sh*t in a portable birds nest with no heat and barely adequate coverage. 

People look for a scapegoat when things aren't going perfectly. May has been SLU's scapegoat. Yeah maybe the culture he creates within the athletic department is bad, but recently his results are good.

Things seem to be going pretty perfectly now, per your post. Why are people still angry with May? May f*cking HID IN HIS OFFICE the entire basketball season. How many posts on here about May being MIA from things. Now he's big man on campus because he corrected 2 major hiring errors? Now he's decided to actually do some directoring?

I am telling you all point blank, the baseball program will die if Hendrickson decides he's had enough of being the red headed step child. If updates to the baseball facilities are not made, Hendrickson will leave at some point and as this program stands, the job is damn near dead last in College Baseball.

[TheA_Bomb]

8 hours ago, SLUMedBilliken15 said:

Give it a break, man.

May has been above average recently. The athletic department as a whole has had results that can't be argued with.

He brought Josh Schertz here.

He helped the Champions center be built.

He won AD of the year.

The men's Soccer team is seeing success at a level they haven't seen in over a decade. The women's soccer team is elite. He helped build a new building for the soccer program.

Women's basketball went to it's first NCAA tournament a year ago and won the NIT this year.

Baseball won the A-10 regular season. Sure, you can complain about their facilities, but building new baseball facilities for what the 50-100 max fans who regularly go to games sure isn't a winning investment.

People look for a scapegoat when things aren't going perfectly. May has been SLU's scapegoat. Yeah maybe the culture he creates within the athletic department is bad, but recently his results are good.

Are the changes in the landscape of College Athletics finished or still coming?

Is May a leader with vision who can anticipate changes and put SLU in a better position for them?

I don't think so.

They implemented some changes just this year, two years too late. Will we have two years to struggle next time and survive?

Has anyone heard any thoughts, visions, or plans from the AD? 

Only thoughts I heard were complaining about NIL, complaining about the state of things.

[BrettJollyComedyHour]

3 hours ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Is May a leader with vision who can anticipate changes and put SLU in a better position for them?

This is definitely a big no. Not even an I don't think so, haha.

[HoosierPal]

19 hours ago, OkieBilliken said:

South Florida just hired Indiana State’s excellent baseball coach.  Wonder if they are going to go after ours?

 

[brianstl]

23 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

 

200k goes a long way in Terre Haute 

[billikenfan05]

 

[HoosierPal]

23 hours ago, OkieBilliken said:

South Florida just hired Indiana State’s excellent baseball coach.  Wonder if they are going to go after ours?

3 hours ago, brianstl said:

200k goes a long way in Terre Haute 

Some of the Sycamore faithful believe the 2023 Super Regional issue where ISU had to turn down hosting the even was a factor in Hannahs leaving. ISU has been operating under an Interim AD since January 2.  No idea why they haven't named a permanent one.

https://gosycamores.com/news/2023/6/5/baseball-athletic-department-statement-on-ncaa-super-regional.aspx

[thetorch]

I haven't seen Hendo's name come up in a coaching search for a couple seasons.

Is there any real indication that he is going to leave the program soon?

SLU should have a plan set in place to make all of our athletic and support facilities at the top of the A10, either currently or in the planning fundraising stage and then a plan to maintain them at those levels.  Anything less is unacceptable.

[OkieBilliken]

Just now, thetorch said:

I haven't seen Hendo's name come up in a coaching search for a couple seasons.

Is there any real indication that he is going to leave the program soon?

SLU should have a plan set in place to make all of our athletic and support facilities at the top of the A10, either currently or in the planning fundraising stage and then a plan to maintain them at those levels.  Anything less is unacceptable.

His name up in the Boston College opening last year.   His daughter just graduated this year which might be a reason he stayed so long.  
 

i think he is pretty disheartened by how this season ended and the lack of institutional support the team is getting.  He responded to an email I sent him a couple weeks ago and it was pretty bad.

Now he lost just his ace and a key lineup piece in the portal.  I’m officially worried. 

[davidnark]

College baseball will never be a profitable, high-revenue sport at SLU. If a donor steps-up who has a connection with baseball and wants to fund major baseball facility upgrades at the school, then go for it. Otherwise, invest every extra dollar in the basketball program. 

[billiken_roy]

18 minutes ago, davidnark said:

College baseball will never be a profitable, high-revenue sport at SLU. If a donor steps-up who has a connection with baseball and wants to fund major baseball facility upgrades at the school, then go for it. Otherwise, invest every extra dollar in the basketball program. 

Amen 

[OkieBilliken]

42 minutes ago, davidnark said:

College baseball will never be a profitable, high-revenue sport at SLU. If a donor steps-up who has a connection with baseball and wants to fund major baseball facility upgrades at the school, then go for it. Otherwise, invest every extra dollar in the basketball program. 

Couldn’t disagree more.   I want SLU to compete for conference championships in every sport.  There is a difference between competitive and high-revenue.   No one’s baseball is high revenue but similar institutions as us can support all of their sports.  There is no reason we couldn’t be similar to Evansville if we did things correctly.   They are close to upsetting  #1 Tennessee in a super regional but we can’t install lights.   
 

In the end men’s basketball ends up generating all of the revenue so coach Schertz might end up being as responsible for good things happening for baseball as Coach DH.  
 

 

[thetorch]

58 minutes ago, davidnark said:

College baseball will never be a profitable, high-revenue sport at SLU. If a donor steps-up who has a connection with baseball and wants to fund major baseball facility upgrades at the school, then go for it. Otherwise, invest every extra dollar in the basketball program. 

Why do we do anything for the soccer teams then?

[HoosierPal]

55 minutes ago, davidnark said:

College baseball will never be a profitable, high-revenue sport at SLU. If a donor steps-up who has a connection with baseball and wants to fund major baseball facility upgrades at the school, then go for it. Otherwise, invest every extra dollar in the basketball program. 

I looked at the attendance for this season's team.  The average was about 115, with the high of 217 for Davidson.  Eight games had attendance below 100.  For a decent team, one in contention for the A10 title throughout the season, this seems low.

D1 baseball costs are going to increase.  With the House v NCAA settlement, schools can go above the 11.7 scholarships which is now the cap.  Can you afford full rides to 27 players?  Schools will be able to pay baseball players directly.  How many non-P5 schools, (add in those southern small schools that have high profile programs such as East Carolina, etc.) will be able to afford to even have a baseball program a couple of years down the road?

[willie]

26 minutes ago, thetorch said:

Why do we do anything for the soccer teams then?

Because soccer is a big deal in St Louis. College baseball is not. 

[billikenfan05]

2 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

I looked at the attendance for this season's team.  The average was about 115, with the high of 217 for Davidson.  Eight games had attendance below 100.  For a decent team, one in contention for the A10 title throughout the season, this seems low.

D1 baseball costs are going to increase.  With the House v NCAA settlement, schools can go above the 11.7 scholarships which is now the cap.  Can you afford full rides to 27 players?  Schools will be able to pay baseball players directly.  How many non-P5 schools, (add in those southern small schools that have high profile programs such as East Carolina, etc.) will be able to afford to even have a baseball program a couple of years down the road?

You’re not even a Billiken fan, why are you here? 

[thetorch]

3 hours ago, willie said:

Because soccer is a big deal in St Louis. College baseball is not. 

If it was a big deal it should make money. I'd add that soccer is a big deal in St. Louis, college soccer is not. 

Soccer and baseball are on similar levels, much closer to each other than they are to college basketball.

Talk of dropping baseball because it doesn't produce revenue is a silly argument and if it prevailed would extend to every sport except mens basketball.

Baseball had as much attendance as volleyball should we drop them too? Volleyball also has an advantage as their is a place to watch the game in comfort. Baseball doesn't have that.

[SLUMedBilliken15]

3 hours ago, thetorch said:

Why do we do anything for the soccer teams then?

Soccer has significantly more than 115 average fans at each game. It's not even a close comparison.

[Lord Elrond]

2 hours ago, SLUMedBilliken15 said:

Soccer has significantly more than 115 average fans at each game. It's not even a close comparison.

So does Volleyball, attendance for the last regular season game against GW was 435, 3-4 times the 115 average for baseball. Helps that Chaifetz Pavillion is much nicer for fans, with concessions and easy access to rest rooms.  Lighting also means you can schedule at more convenient times for fans than baseball, I’m sure attendance at baseball would be better in the evening on mid-week games. Hearing the the rest rooms between the baseball and softball fields were locked at game time as reported on here I’m sure also didn’t help things. Nothing says we don’t really care if fans show up like locked bathroom facilities. 

[Pistol]

14 hours ago, OkieBilliken said:

Now he lost just his ace and a key lineup piece in the portal.  I’m officially worried. 

Anyone new? I'm aware of Easton Richter, Jackson Holmes, Owen Chaffin, Max Babitch, Colby Downard, Brock Graf, and Harrison Dubois.

[billikenfan05]

The attendance/interest argument against baseball and softball is hilarious.

1. Counting attendance at a game with no tickets is basically just asking an intern to guesstimate. 

2. The Billikens did not start a single game this year after like 3pm. Including weekdays and Fridays. I don't know about most of you, but that makes it difficult on attendance. Saturday's are really the only time you get non-students/non-player families with a schedule like that. This is all due to the lighting issue. 

3. The bleachers are ancient and uncomfortable. They are flat aluminum bleachers that, I'm pretty sure, pre-date the birth of our opening day starting 9. 

4. On the off chance they do have concessions available, it's bare minimum. 

How does one bring in revenue, when you don't even give it an opportunity to?

I fully understand that the construction of a facility fit to sell tickets to is just not going to happen. We're not going to get a fully contained stadium like a GCS Ballpark or CarShield Field. But you're telling me that NOBODY is interested in putting up at least a 500k to put their name on the the Billiken Sports Center? Nobody is willing to buy an ad on the outfield walls of baseball or softball? 3/4 of all entrants into Chaifetz Arena have to walk past the Billiken Baseball and Softball facilities. That's a lot of eyes on your brand name even in the offseason.

BOTTOM LINE:

Light donations were turned down by May. (reminder that a light exploded over an opposing dugout mid game this season)

All fundraising for the recent updates including field, walls, hitting facility etc have been done by Hendrickson. 

The infield turf is already outdated. 

Dugouts are on par with high school programs.

No backed seating, no press box. 

TEN 30 Win Seasons

6 A10 regular season or tournament titles

3 NCAA Appearances

 

May's ignorance of the Baseball program doesn't make any sense. It's not a cost/benefit analysis because the donations were there. As I've said before, they had a donation lined up for lights and they turned it down because it didn't come with installation. Softball had a donation lined up to bring the field up to level of the baseball team, it was turned down. Multiple sources have told me this was because he was focused on raising money for the Champions Center and wanted all donations earmarked for that. 

[OkieBilliken]

52 minutes ago, Pistol said:

Anyone new? I'm aware of Easton Richter, Jackson Holmes, Owen Chaffin, Max Babitch, Colby Downard, Brock Graf, and Harrison Dubois.

That's all I have so far.  Not surprisingly six Indiana State players hit the portal today after their coach walked this weekend.  Eleven Dayton players so far in the portal with their coach departing

[TheA_Bomb]

22 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

Dugouts are on par with high school programs.

Nah my kid's under privileged, broke school district has a way better field.  

I went to SLU vs B12 UC and no one counted anyone. There's no way to control entry. So those attendance numbers don't matter.

 

I do think it's a legitimate argument to have. Do you only focus on one revenue generating sport and minimally fund others? My preference is that if SLU is going to field a team, I want the team to be competitive.  I think SLU given the location in a sports loving city, with natural recruiting territories, and our status compared to other conference schools can compete in the A10.   We have competed well and can do better with more support to the facilities. 

Though I understand those that only care about basketball. With the advent of online streaming providing the ability to watch all kinds of sports we couldn't watch before. I enjoy watching SLU athletes of all types.  

[billikenfan05]

9 minutes ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Nah my kid's under privileged, broke school district has a way better field.  

I went to SLU vs B12 UC and no one counted anyone. There's no way to control entry. So those attendance numbers don't matter.

 

I do think it's a legitimate argument to have. Do you only focus on one revenue generating sport and minimally fund others? My preference is that if SLU is going to field a team, I want the team to be competitive.  I think SLU given the location in a sports loving city, with natural recruiting territories, and our status compared to other conference schools can compete in the A10.   We have competed well and can do better with more support to the facilities. 

Though I understand those that only care about basketball. With the advent of online streaming providing the ability to watch all kinds of sports we couldn't watch before. I enjoy watching SLU athletes of all types.  

I totally agree there's an argument to be made. But I want those on the other side of this to understand that what is being asked for by fans, alumni, and I'm sure Darin Hendrickson, is not some massive stadium. We're all simply looking to stay at or near the top of the conference in facilities. Currently SLU is probably bottom 4 with like Bona, Rhode Island and take your pick on 4th from last. I'd have to look at Dayton, VCU or George Mason but I don't think any other teams in this conference generate revenue or sell tickets. Why are their field better? Simply asking for the ability to play night games without endangering the opposing team, comfortable seating, an industry standard press box and maybe church up the exteriors to not be a campus eyesore. Also for the administration to maybe not actively impede fundraising.