After watching the women's softball and lacrosse play great OOC schedules and compete nationally, I find myself having less and less interest in our men's baseball and basketball. Basketball doesn't even play p5 teams any more. And when baseball does, they get clobbered. I have little interest in a baseball squad that can only hope for .500 in the CAA and only realistically defeat low majors. When I was a freshman, we were best in the state. Sure wish we could figure out the ECU blueprint for baseball success and replicate it.

(03-04-2019 06:26 PM)olddawg Wrote:  After watching the women's softball and lacrosse play great OOC schedules and compete nationally, I find myself having less and less interest in our men's baseball and basketball. Basketball doesn't even play p5 teams any more. And when baseball does, they get clobbered. I have little interest in a baseball squad that can only hope for .500 in the CAA and only realistically defeat low majors. When I was a freshman, we were best in the state. Sure wish we could figure out the ECU blueprint for baseball success and replicate it.

I mean, I was actually happy with the OOC schedule. If our Mens basketball or football played against the #8 team in the country (FBS) we would probably get clobbered too. Jury is still out on the baseball team IMO, they need to show significant improvement this year and you cant judge them @#8 team in the country nor against Norfolk State. Basketball, well yea thats a clear dumpster fire, especially as its one of the big revenue sports

(03-04-2019 06:14 PM)Dukester Wrote:  This team is the same as since the new coach took over. We can beat bad teams, and we will lose to good teams. I'd guess it will be nip n tuck if we qualify for the CAA tourney.

Was not impressed with the Baseball or Men's basketball hire, and sadly both have panned out as I thought they likely would.

In each case the hire's underwhelmed me. Not sure how that was the best they could find.

I agree with you, but I don’t believe the hires werethe best they could find. The hires were the most they would pay for.

(03-04-2019 11:54 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(03-04-2019 06:14 PM)Dukester Wrote:  This team is the same as since the new coach took over. We can beat bad teams, and we will lose to good teams. I'd guess it will be nip n tuck if we qualify for the CAA tourney.

Was not impressed with the Baseball or Men's basketball hire, and sadly both have panned out as I thought they likely would.

In each case the hire's underwhelmed me. Not sure how that was the best they could find.

I agree with you, but I don’t believe the hires werethe best they could find. The hires were the most they would pay for.

At least Coach Ike had experience as a manager so they got half of it right. The half I was concerned about was his record. So far it hasn't been much different than his time at VMI.
There is one thing for certain: missing out on the tournament again this season is absolutely unacceptable. If he isn't fired the next day, they just don't care anymore and neither should we.
But for now, I'm cheering this team on and hope they can turn this program around.

Bump...Mason at Diamond Dukes today at 3pm. Link to Facebook Live at jmusports.com.

Dukes with 4 in the bottom of the 2nd to take the lead.

Back and forth game Dukes take back the lead 9-7 in the 8th

DUKES WIN!

DUKES WIN!

DUKES WIN!

10-7. Ethan Ratke hits another game winner. He gets a lot of leg tonight back in the dorm. News at 11...

Well done batsmen!

I really believe this is going to be a good year for baseball. I have liked this hire from the beginning. JMU is easier to recruit to than VMI. If Ike was so bad at VMI, please share with me the record of the next coach after Ike year by year. I am going to be shocked if it is equal or better than Ike’s record.

JMU baseball was a dumpster fire when Spanky retired. The cupboard was pretty bare. We had some hitters but no pitching. Pitching has improved each year under Ike. I expect the hitting to makes strides this year. JMU will make the CAA tournament this year and some of you negative Nancy’s will be eating crow.

DD's are 8-1 at home this season. 10 of the next 13 are at home including next 5. 3 on the road sandwiched in will be out in California at Fullerton.

(03-05-2019 08:12 PM)JMUNation Wrote:  I really believe this is going to be a good year for baseball. I have liked this hire from the beginning. JMU is easier to recruit to than VMI. If Ike was so bad at VMI, please share with me the record of the next coach after Ike year by year. I am going to be shocked if it is equal or better than Ike’s record.

JMU baseball was a dumpster fire when Spanky retired. The cupboard was pretty bare. We had some hitters but no pitching. Pitching has improved each year under Ike. I expect the hitting to makes strides this year. JMU will make the CAA tournament this year and some of you negative Nancy’s will be eating crow.

Well said and I agree 100%. Some that do not follow baseball carefully do not realize how bare the cupboard was and the train-wreck the program was when Spanky retired. JMU could hit pretty good and score runs but JMU literally had to outscore the other team each game b/c there was zero pitching. I think the team ERA has dropped from 5.5-6 to 3.5-4 under Ike. Pitching is the key to being really successful in college baseball and having sustainable success. Pitching is also the hardest to find b/c the elite pitchers in HS are snatched up by the premier programs pretty quick. If your problem is offense that is a much easier quick fix in baseball than if your problem is pitching. Is JMU baseball going to be going to Omaha anytime soon, not likely.....but I think the foundation is being laid to get this program pointed in the right direction and in a way that is sustainable for the long haul.

One thing I will agree on with the negative Nancy’s is that JMU baseball should be the best program in the state outside of UVA and VT. ACC baseball has the upper hand but JMU is a more attractive college for high schoolers than the rest of the state and private schools.

Beating Mason yesterday and VMI last week was a step in the right direction. JMU has future games with both and UR plus W&M in conference. Sweeping the season series against these teams would go along way toward building the baseball program back to prominence. Beating UVA at all this year would be huge but not expected.

(03-06-2019 08:55 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  One thing I will agree on with the negative Nancy’s is that JMU baseball should be the best program in the state outside of UVA and VT. ACC baseball has the upper hand but JMU is a more attractive college for high schoolers than the rest of the state and private schools.

Beating Mason yesterday and VMI last week was a step in the right direction. JMU has future games with both and UR plus W&M in conference. Sweeping the season series against these teams would go along way toward building the baseball program back to prominence. Beating UVA at all this year would be huge but not expected.

That should be the goal for JMU Baseball.....consistently be right behind UVA & VT as the 3rd best baseball program in the state with an occasional win or up-tick.

W&M got one from UVA this season so they are vulnerable to mid-week losses this year. Typically the earlier you get those teams in mid-week games the better. You can definitely beat better teams in mid-week games but it often comes with an expense if the decision is made to sacrifice a weekend starter for a mid-week game. I know first hand that while that strategy works it 'ticks' off major programs. ODU tooks that strategy to steal a mid-week game from UVA back in the day (pitching I think Verlander).......UVA - O'Conner, repaid them by not scheduling them for a few years as punishment.

(03-06-2019 09:14 AM)ShadyP Wrote:  

(03-06-2019 08:55 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  One thing I will agree on with the negative Nancy’s is that JMU baseball should be the best program in the state outside of UVA and VT. ACC baseball has the upper hand but JMU is a more attractive college for high schoolers than the rest of the state and private schools.

Beating Mason yesterday and VMI last week was a step in the right direction. JMU has future games with both and UR plus W&M in conference. Sweeping the season series against these teams would go along way toward building the baseball program back to prominence. Beating UVA at all this year would be huge but not expected.

That should be the goal for JMU Baseball.....consistently be right behind UVA & VT as the 3rd best baseball program in the state with an occasional win or up-tick.

W&M got one from UVA this season so they are vulnerable to mid-week losses this year. Typically the earlier you get those teams in mid-week games the better. You can definitely beat better teams in mid-week games but it often comes with an expense if the decision is made to sacrifice a weekend starter for a mid-week game. I know first hand that while that strategy works it 'ticks' off major programs. ODU tooks that strategy to steal a mid-week game from UVA back in the day (pitching I think Verlander).......UVA - O'Conner, repaid them by not scheduling them for a few years as punishment.

Until the last years of Spanky, and the ascendancy of UVA baseball with their current coach, JMU was every bit the equal, and often the better of UVA and VT baseball. I believe it could be again with the right HC. I am not willing to surrender any turf to any other college baseball program in VA. JMU should be in the mix for being the best, period.

(03-06-2019 10:34 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(03-06-2019 09:14 AM)ShadyP Wrote:  

(03-06-2019 08:55 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  One thing I will agree on with the negative Nancy’s is that JMU baseball should be the best program in the state outside of UVA and VT. ACC baseball has the upper hand but JMU is a more attractive college for high schoolers than the rest of the state and private schools.

Beating Mason yesterday and VMI last week was a step in the right direction. JMU has future games with both and UR plus W&M in conference. Sweeping the season series against these teams would go along way toward building the baseball program back to prominence. Beating UVA at all this year would be huge but not expected.

That should be the goal for JMU Baseball.....consistently be right behind UVA & VT as the 3rd best baseball program in the state with an occasional win or up-tick.

W&M got one from UVA this season so they are vulnerable to mid-week losses this year. Typically the earlier you get those teams in mid-week games the better. You can definitely beat better teams in mid-week games but it often comes with an expense if the decision is made to sacrifice a weekend starter for a mid-week game. I know first hand that while that strategy works it 'ticks' off major programs. ODU tooks that strategy to steal a mid-week game from UVA back in the day (pitching I think Verlander).......UVA - O'Conner, repaid them by not scheduling them for a few years as punishment.

Until the last years of Spanky, and the ascendancy of UVA baseball with their current coach, JMU was every bit the equal, and often the better of UVA and VT baseball. I believe it could be again with the right HC. I am not willing to surrender any turf to any other college baseball program in VA. JMU should be in the mix for being the best, period.

I think the #2 spot in VA is up for grabs b/c VT is really not that good. In reality it is UVA and everyone else in VA. As long as O'Conner is at UVA I think the ship has sailed on passing UVA anytime soon. I hate admitting/saying that but they are a big step up from the rest of the teams in VA within pitching depth & power arms.

But I agree JMU should not accept they cannot get there too. UVA has come back to the pack a tad the last year or so........they have had some misses in recruiting and and had top kids pass and go straight to draft out of HS.

(03-05-2019 08:12 PM)JMUNation Wrote:  I really believe this is going to be a good year for baseball. I have liked this hire from the beginning. JMU is easier to recruit to than VMI. If Ike was so bad at VMI, please share with me the record of the next coach after Ike year by year. I am going to be shocked if it is equal or better than Ike’s record.

JMU baseball was a dumpster fire when Spanky retired. The cupboard was pretty bare. We had some hitters but no pitching. Pitching has improved each year under Ike. I expect the hitting to makes strides this year. JMU will make the CAA tournament this year and some of you negative Nancy’s will be eating crow.

Under Coach Ike, they were in Big South
2004 23 32 4 20 8th – –
2005 27 28 11 13 5th 6th place – – –
2006 30 25 9 15 7th – – – –
2007 34 21 10 11 4th 8th place – – –
2008 29 26 14 7 3rd 8th place – – –
2009 18 35 10 15 8th 6th place – – –
2010 33 22 13 14 6th 6th place – – –
2011 27 24 1 14 13 6th 8th place – – –
2012 16 36 7 17 11th – – – –
2013 20 35 6 18 6th (North) – – – –
2014 25 23 11 16 5th (North) – – – –
282-307-1 .478 winning pct. Conf 109-159 win pct .407
Under Jonathan Hadra, they are now in the SoCon
2015 21 30 12 12 4th 5th place – – –
2016 21 35 4 20 9th 9th place – – –
2017 24 34 7 17 9th 5th place – – –
2018 26 27 12 12 4th 8th place
92-126 win pct .422. Conf 35-61 .365

Yes it's lower than Ike, but also a lower sample size. But I would say that's not a huge drop off in numbers. Plus they are in much better conference (rankings from last year the SoCon was 16th and the Big Sky was 24th). So the new guy has a similar record with a tougher conference schedule.

(03-06-2019 12:52 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(03-05-2019 08:12 PM)JMUNation Wrote:  I really believe this is going to be a good year for baseball. I have liked this hire from the beginning. JMU is easier to recruit to than VMI. If Ike was so bad at VMI, please share with me the record of the next coach after Ike year by year. I am going to be shocked if it is equal or better than Ike’s record.

JMU baseball was a dumpster fire when Spanky retired. The cupboard was pretty bare. We had some hitters but no pitching. Pitching has improved each year under Ike. I expect the hitting to makes strides this year. JMU will make the CAA tournament this year and some of you negative Nancy’s will be eating crow.

Under Coach Ike, they were in Big South
2004 23 32 4 20 8th – –
2005 27 28 11 13 5th 6th place – – –
2006 30 25 9 15 7th – – – –
2007 34 21 10 11 4th 8th place – – –
2008 29 26 14 7 3rd 8th place – – –
2009 18 35 10 15 8th 6th place – – –
2010 33 22 13 14 6th 6th place – – –
2011 27 24 1 14 13 6th 8th place – – –
2012 16 36 7 17 11th – – – –
2013 20 35 6 18 6th (North) – – – –
2014 25 23 11 16 5th (North) – – – –
282-307-1 .478 winning pct. Conf 109-159 win pct .407
Under Jonathan Hadra, they are now in the SoCon
2015 21 30 12 12 4th 5th place – – –
2016 21 35 4 20 9th 9th place – – –
2017 24 34 7 17 9th 5th place – – –
2018 26 27 12 12 4th 8th place
92-126 win pct .422. Conf 35-61 .365

Yes it's lower than Ike, but also a lower sample size. But I would say that's not a huge drop off in numbers. Plus they are in much better conference (rankings from last year the SoCon was 16th and the Big Sky was 24th). So the new guy has a similar record with a tougher conference schedule.

On a silver platter......

From JMU Baseball Twitter...


JMU Baseball @JMUBaseball
2h 2 hours ago

SCHEDULE CHANGE

With the extra snow today tomorrow's doubleheader has been moved to Sunday at noon.

We will play one game tomorrow! First pitch is at 2:00 PM!

Dukes leading High Point, 2-0, heading to the btm of the 8th. JMU #1 starter, Kevin Kelly, has given the team a boost with 8 innings pitched (so far), only 2 hits allowed, and 11 K's.

Well done, Kevin. Let's give him some insurance!!