Do you have high school aged kids?

Do you have high school aged kids?
by OITLinebacker (2019-06-13 08:44:38)

In reply to: How attractive is the baseball job, really? * posted by NDCWS

If their academics are decent enough, I'm guessing you could help get them in to ND or another good school and have ND cover that as part of the package.

It's a rebuild for sure but the athletic department has a decent culture due to a long history of fielding good teams and student-athletes.

Recruiting won't be easy, but ND does have players doing well enough in MLB with the addition of getting a top education with a ton of support staff to help get them through the rigors of said education. I think that is the value proposition for recruiting on partial scholarships. Yes it's going to cost more on that partial scholarship, but the value of an ND degree vs attending an SEC school (graduation rates + value of particular degree) has to mean something.

There are more college players getting drafted higher than before (I wonder if MLB high school scouting is getting harder/cheaper?), but I have to figure most college baseball players know that an MLB career is a long shot. So offering the best degree/education/tutoring package possible has to help.

Facility-wise I would hope that improvements could be asked for. The SB Cubs put up a decent facility, perhaps the area around and in between the Softball and Baseball stadiums could be used to put in some top notch training facilities. Then allow the coaching staffs to run camps and training sessions for area youth (within reason/NCAA guidelines) in the hopes of developing a few local players.

Maybe hold some youth tournaments in conjunction with some local travel teams/Little League teams to bring in top players from the region to play at and see ND. I believe that a similar program might be starting to pay some dividends for ND Hockey.

I think the goal here is to get program builders like Brey and Muffet in basketball. Let's get them some nicer facilities, get them the support they need and get ND baseball and softball back on the map.

There is no point in having a poor/below average program at ND. If your are going to have it and say it is worth doing at ND there is no reason to not try succeed against the odds. That's how/why this place was built.

The CCL is doing great in baseball these days

St. Laurence finished 2nd in 4A, St. Rita finished 3rd in 3A, Br. Rice was nationally ranked a year or two ago. I know it's not Florida, but it's Catholic schools right in ND's backyard.

Alek Thomas from Carmel....

Best kid I have seen in Illinois.

Click here for link at http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/ct-spt-alek-thomas-josh

St Viator

Also does well in baseball (and produced the brother Kmet).

They beat Marian for the state title two years ago

ND does have some decent young talent

That hasn't produced wins, but I don't think the successor is going to find the cupboard bare, so the "rebuild" shouldn't be as challenging as what Murphy encountered (nor anywhere close).

I think facilities are badly needed for both the team, and program support. The stadium is the equivalent of a MAC school. Build in some amenities that make it attractive to go to games. More fans will equal more urge to win in the administration, or at least one would think.

Try making ND baseball games an event as much as a game. So many games are going to be played in cold weather you have to try something different. Although, winning games and hosting "big" games with ND in contention for something would do wonders as well.