(04-07-2023 09:08 AM)HardBall Fan Wrote:  

(04-03-2023 05:59 PM)correcamino Wrote:  

Bringing two Top 25 programs into the AAC

I ask, what are teams like Memphis doing to improve football and baseball?

Glad you asked.

First off, I've watched several of UTSA's games on ESPN+ this baseball season. Coach Hallmark is doing an amazing job there. The team is playing well and is fun to watch. I enjoy checking them out, wish them continued success and hope they remain in the Top 25, make a regional and ball out. And as a baseball fan, I'm glad to see them bringing a worthy baseball opponent into the AAC to fill a void left by Houston.

Onto your question: Memphis is doing a lot. The baseball program has been awful the past decade. That ambivalence is now gone. UM has a new baseball coach, Kerrick Jackson. Jackson previous was the President of the MLB Draft league and a former player agent and MLB scout. In addition to being a former recruiting coordinator and assistant coach in the SEC. His pitching coach, Tim Jamieson, was head coach at Mizzou for 22 years. Went to several regionals. Was Big 12 coach of the year several times and took Mizzou into the SEC. Developed Max Scherzer and other big time arms.

Field renovations are underway. New turf playing surface is down and looks amazing. New videoboard is up. There are plans to expand the stadium, new and expanded seating and amenities, new lockerroooms, overhaul of the indoor facility. All around the stadium $$ is also coming in to build a student athlete success center, athlete apartments and nutrition, etc. As the facilities come along so do the recruits.

Go to Perfect Game and take a look at the incoming HS 2024 recruiting class. Ranked 42nd in the country currently. Ahead of several Power 5 programs. For the record, UTSA isn't ranked in the Top 100 with 2024 recruits. UTSA is 98th for 2023 recruits.

So, to answer your question, Memphis is upgrading baseball facilities, has a great new staff who are recruiting for the future at a high level. You'll find Memphis more than competitive in short order.

Others have already adequately address your football question.

Good luck the rest of this season. You have a fun team to watch.

Thanks for posting. This is great stuff to see for us baseball lovers. Looking forward to seeing how Memphis breaks out in the coming years

Absolutely. I'm a baseball freak to the point of probably being too obsessive about it haha. ECU is the absolute cream of the crop in the AAC so you have no shortage of reasons to be excited about baseball. Hopefully with Memphis improving and UTSA doing well and Charlotte coming in you'll see a competitive landscape. Rice needs to get good again. Wichita State needs to rebound after that abrupt preseason coaching change. But I actually think the new AAC is going to be just as strong in baseball as it has historically been with Houston, UCF, Cincinnati. We'll see.

Oh god, I knew I shouldn’t have logged in.

(04-07-2023 02:36 PM)HardBall Fan Wrote:  Absolutely. I'm a baseball freak to the point of probably being too obsessive about it haha. ECU is the absolute cream of the crop in the AAC so you have no shortage of reasons to be excited about baseball. Hopefully with Memphis improving and UTSA doing well and Charlotte coming in you'll see a competitive landscape. Rice needs to get good again. Wichita State needs to rebound after that abrupt preseason coaching change. But I actually think the new AAC is going to be just as strong in baseball as it has historically been with Houston, UCF, Cincinnati. We'll see.

clt says rice seems to be on the way back.

charlotte is projected to be top 30 rpi this year

utsa is being dragged down by their infamous mbb team

(04-07-2023 03:33 PM)ghostofclt! Wrote:  

(04-07-2023 02:36 PM)HardBall Fan Wrote:  Absolutely. I'm a baseball freak to the point of probably being too obsessive about it haha. ECU is the absolute cream of the crop in the AAC so you have no shortage of reasons to be excited about baseball. Hopefully with Memphis improving and UTSA doing well and Charlotte coming in you'll see a competitive landscape. Rice needs to get good again. Wichita State needs to rebound after that abrupt preseason coaching change. But I actually think the new AAC is going to be just as strong in baseball as it has historically been with Houston, UCF, Cincinnati. We'll see.

clt says rice seems to be on the way back.

charlotte is projected to be top 30 rpi this year

utsa is being dragged down by their infamous mbb team

Charlotte has great facilities as well. Very sound program.

(04-07-2023 04:54 PM)HardBall Fan Wrote:  

(04-07-2023 03:33 PM)ghostofclt! Wrote:  

(04-07-2023 02:36 PM)HardBall Fan Wrote:  Absolutely. I'm a baseball freak to the point of probably being too obsessive about it haha. ECU is the absolute cream of the crop in the AAC so you have no shortage of reasons to be excited about baseball. Hopefully with Memphis improving and UTSA doing well and Charlotte coming in you'll see a competitive landscape. Rice needs to get good again. Wichita State needs to rebound after that abrupt preseason coaching change. But I actually think the new AAC is going to be just as strong in baseball as it has historically been with Houston, UCF, Cincinnati. We'll see.

clt says rice seems to be on the way back.

charlotte is projected to be top 30 rpi this year

utsa is being dragged down by their infamous mbb team

Charlotte has great facilities as well. Very sound program.

clt says wait until you see our tennis facility!

(04-08-2023 01:24 AM)ghostofclt! Wrote:  

(04-07-2023 04:54 PM)HardBall Fan Wrote:  

(04-07-2023 03:33 PM)ghostofclt! Wrote:  

(04-07-2023 02:36 PM)HardBall Fan Wrote:  Absolutely. I'm a baseball freak to the point of probably being too obsessive about it haha. ECU is the absolute cream of the crop in the AAC so you have no shortage of reasons to be excited about baseball. Hopefully with Memphis improving and UTSA doing well and Charlotte coming in you'll see a competitive landscape. Rice needs to get good again. Wichita State needs to rebound after that abrupt preseason coaching change. But I actually think the new AAC is going to be just as strong in baseball as it has historically been with Houston, UCF, Cincinnati. We'll see.

clt says rice seems to be on the way back.

charlotte is projected to be top 30 rpi this year

utsa is being dragged down by their infamous mbb team

Charlotte has great facilities as well. Very sound program.

clt says wait until you see our tennis facility!

I would like to nominate it as a utsa outstanding facility

https://www.usta.com/en/home/about-usta/...wards.html

(04-08-2023 05:31 AM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(04-08-2023 01:24 AM)ghostofclt! Wrote:  

(04-07-2023 04:54 PM)HardBall Fan Wrote:  

(04-07-2023 03:33 PM)ghostofclt! Wrote:  

(04-07-2023 02:36 PM)HardBall Fan Wrote:  Absolutely. I'm a baseball freak to the point of probably being too obsessive about it haha. ECU is the absolute cream of the crop in the AAC so you have no shortage of reasons to be excited about baseball. Hopefully with Memphis improving and UTSA doing well and Charlotte coming in you'll see a competitive landscape. Rice needs to get good again. Wichita State needs to rebound after that abrupt preseason coaching change. But I actually think the new AAC is going to be just as strong in baseball as it has historically been with Houston, UCF, Cincinnati. We'll see.

clt says rice seems to be on the way back.

charlotte is projected to be top 30 rpi this year

utsa is being dragged down by their infamous mbb team

Charlotte has great facilities as well. Very sound program.

clt says wait until you see our tennis facility!

I would like to nominate it as a utsa outstanding facility

https://www.usta.com/en/home/about-usta/...wards.html

clt says usta > utsa

Besides the national rank, utsa sits #1 in the feeder league despite losing a game to Charlotte.

1. UTSA (9-2) (48)
4. FAU (7-5) (52)
5. CLT (6-5) (63)
T6. RICE (6-6) (88)
T8. UAB (3-9) (172)

Prolly need a thread on UAB’s lagging RPI. Hopefully they have a plan to fix.