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(08-15-2014 01:15 PM)EA3 Wrote:  BUMP.

In the last two days, I've seen two separate articles on mlive. The first was about a young man from Gull Lake who just committed to CMU for baseball. The second was about a young man from Portage Central who is headed to Toledo for baseball. Throw in another from Portage Northern who is headed to EMU.

Lots of DI talent in Southwest Michigan.

Why do you think they don't want to come to WMU? I know that in the last 10 years we have had kids stay around to play at WMU, but it never seems like the "top" kids from the area do. I could understand if it was UofM or MSU or a bigger school down south. But that's just not the case.

Is it because WMU has struggled to be a consistent winner and really just doesn't have a winning tradition? Or is it that kids just want to get away from home? Or is it simply because WMU has done such a bad job of promoting themselves to Kalamazoo and the surrounding area?

It's crazy, because WMU used to be a baseball powerhouse.

They won 13 of 19 MAC titles from 1949-1967.

(08-15-2014 02:04 PM)WheresWaldo42 Wrote:  

(08-15-2014 01:15 PM)EA3 Wrote:  BUMP.

In the last two days, I've seen two separate articles on mlive. The first was about a young man from Gull Lake who just committed to CMU for baseball. The second was about a young man from Portage Central who is headed to Toledo for baseball. Throw in another from Portage Northern who is headed to EMU.

Lots of DI talent in Southwest Michigan.

Why do you think they don't want to come to WMU? I know that in the last 10 years we have had kids stay around to play at WMU, but it never seems like the "top" kids from the area do. I could understand if it was UofM or MSU or a bigger school down south. But that's just not the case.

Is it because WMU has struggled to be a consistent winner and really just doesn't have a winning tradition? Or is it that kids just want to get away from home? Or is it simply because WMU has done such a bad job of promoting themselves to Kalamazoo and the surrounding area?

I wish I knew the answers to those questions. Just frustrating to see other MAC teams snatch up players in our backyard. Especially MAC teams that have been better than WMU over the last 10 years or so.

I don't know if WMU runs any baseball skills camps for prospects, but they should. There is a lot of talent within an hour drive that our coach should be able to pull.

(08-17-2014 08:27 PM)broncofan1 Wrote:  I don't know if WMU runs any baseball skills camps for prospects, but they should. There is a lot of talent within an hour drive that our coach should be able to pull.

We don't have any money

I've really wondered in recent years why more local kids....especially top local kids..... don't choose WMU. Portage Central and Gull Lake just to name a few have had absolute studs all over the field playing for them. And there are several other kids over the last 10 years that have gone on to play D-1 ball. Obviously some, like Fish from GL were going to go bigger than WMU.

Without going back and looking at rosters, maybe there are more "local" kids that have played for WMU than I realize, but like was brought up before it sure seems like so many go to other MAC rivals rather than stay in Kalamazoo.

WMU used to have baseball camps for kids. Ages 10-13 if I remember correctly. I attended them. I don't think they have them anymore. I thought they practically paid for themselves. They should be doing high school camps if they aren't. Winter break is a popular time for those.

As mentioned above, there is lots of DI baseball talent within an hour of kalamazoo. Without looking at the roster, I believe Gernon has 6-8 local kids on the roster every year. Not sure if loading it with 10+ is the path to winning more. But if he isn't winning, the question will be pondered. Especially with portage central, portage northern and gull lake being powerhouses in the state now.


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Have to get permission from Peej to use Seelye or he'll rip down more batting cages.

(08-18-2014 06:48 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Have to get permission from Peej to use Seelye or he'll rip down more batting cages.

Actually a TRUE statement. This in fact happened.

(08-17-2014 09:39 PM)EA3 Wrote:  WMU used to have baseball camps for kids. Ages 10-13 if I remember correctly. I attended them. I don't think they have them anymore. I thought they practically paid for themselves. They should be doing high school camps if they aren't. Winter break is a popular time for those.

As mentioned above, there is lots of DI baseball talent within an hour of kalamazoo. Without looking at the roster, I believe Gernon has 6-8 local kids on the roster every year. Not sure if loading it with 10+ is the path to winning more. But if he isn't winning, the question will be pondered. Especially with portage central, portage northern and gull lake being powerhouses in the state now.


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I went to those camps a LONG time ago to. I still remember going with one of my little league teams, I was probably 10 or 11 at the time. And they had us hitting tennis balls with length of garden hose. I actually have used the same drill with my kids when I coached them in LL.

They used to head to the REC if weather didn't cooperate. This was before the Seelye Center was built though. No reason it can't be used again during the month of June and/or winter break if other teams (specifically football) need the Seelye.

http://www.wmubroncos.com/evt/Event.dbml...ATEGORY=73

Looks like they have a fall prospect camp. I'm thinking they probably have others, but the website gets updated every 6-8 months. Maybe a winter break one will pop up in a month or two...or the camps for younger kids in June will show up once the new year hits. The prospect camp is a day only thing for high schools students and juco players. $135 per player.

I don't remember the garden hose drill. But I do remember a lot from those camps. Basically you stay in the dorms for a week, eat at the cafeteria 3 times a day, hang out with 100 other kids, and practice baseball all day. Lots of drills. I even remember the base running sessions they used to hold on the football field back when the astro turf was there. Fun times.

I think the "camp" I went to there was more of a one day or weekend thing. I don't recall staying in the dorms. As I recall it was in late winter/ early spring just as LL season was starting. Kind of a weekend skills camp. It was held in the old Reed Fieldhouse. I basically remember it being something that we did on a Saturday with the LL team and coaches. Again, that was 30 years ago so I don't recall all of the details.

(08-18-2014 01:15 PM)WheresWaldo42 Wrote:  I think the "camp" I went to there was more of a one day or weekend thing. I don't recall staying in the dorms. As I recall it was in late winter/ early spring just as LL season was starting. Kind of a weekend skills camp. It was held in the old Reed Fieldhouse. I basically remember it being something that we did on a Saturday with the LL team and coaches. Again, that was 30 years ago so I don't recall all of the details.

They might have moved away from the week long camps because of liability concerns. Not sure that having 100+ kids between the ages of 10-13 in the dorms is the best idea nowadays.