(05-16-2017 07:28 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(05-16-2017 06:17 PM)tribe_transfer Wrote:  I'm not as familiar with college baseball or the program's history, but my impression from attending many games this year is that a coach would need 3-4 years to right the ship. Pitching is so integral to the game, and it seems unlikely that we'd be able to recruit top flight arms as frosh/sophs when mlb and major programs can scoop them up that you have to focus on developing guys who will be successful as juniors and seniors. Has it been reasonable to expect more than that from programs w/ JMU's level of funding and support in the past?

JMU fully funds its baseball program, and has for years. Prior to UVA's rise, JMU was the only program from VA to make the CWS. JMU is a historically strong baseball program and competed at the highest level nationally against the elite of college baseball. The problems with the program today are self-inflicted, and are directly related to having kept the last HC on too long, and settling for a less than impressive new ballpark. I'd also point out that JMU sits right in the middle of a rich baseball recruiting ground. The good people of the Shenandoah Valley love baseball, and the potential for supporting, recruiting and building a sustained national program of excellence are here. While MLB does have its pick of the litter of HS pitching, JMU can still recruit sucessfully against any program, and it's still possible to build a college program very quickly, within a 2-3 year time frame. Your idea JMU is somehow relegated to a third tier recruiting status behind MLB and "major" programs is not applicable to college baseball.

I call total BS and lack of awareess on the statement that 'JMU can still recruit successfully against any program, and it's still possible to build a college program very quickly, within a 2-3 year time frame. Your idea JMU is somehow relegated to a third tier recruiting status behind MLB and "major" programs is not applicable to college baseball.'

You might not like to admit up but JMU is 3rd tier in recruiting talent.
1. MLB out of HS.
2. Consistent top-30 programs (i.e. UVA, UNC, etc. ; UVA is the only top tier college program in Virginia)
3. All the other 4 year colleges.

I do agree that JMU can compete heads up recruiting against anyone else in the state of VA with the exception of UVA. We will rarely if ever win that recruiting battle as long as UVA is consistent top-20 program.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the stadium/complex JMU play in. It did lack some indoor facilities but that has been addressed since Ike has been the coach. The facilities are appropriate for JMU and a HUGE upgrade over the previous facility.

The original poster is correct JMU will have to find and then develop pitching as juniors/seniors much more so that elite programs who can just plug in freshmen into the weekend rotation and not miss a beat year-in year-out