Florida Gulf Coast/Florida International

I went with my son to FGC in the fall for a visit.

Positives 1. nice campus. 2. nice dorm/apartment style rooms. 3. Nice baseball field

Negative 1. admission office could not tell us how to get from their office to the gym. 2. college seemed to nickle and dime the students and parents on every thing. 3. Baseball team is jumping to DI. They seem to think they can compete with UF, FSU, and Miami. Coach was on the arrogant side. My son has had contacts with DII schools that played even with or better than FGC.

Royals

Hey guys. I know coach Tollett pretty well and he has never seemed arrogant to me. He is a quality baseball guy and a good teacher of the game. The school has a nice reputation and the team is always very competitive. I was unaware that they are moving to D1 as that will by a big challenge. I can tell you that if the coach recruits a kid for his program, it is usually his intention to play the kid. His track record is solid. Good luck to you.

We attended their holiday camp this year and I found Coach Tollett to be quite personable. However, Coach McKee, the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator seemed extremely arrogant. My son's favorite people on Earth are baseball coaches, he's enamored with every coach he meets, but after the first day of camp he looked at me and said "Dad, I don't think I like this guy at all". I was floored. Traveled 1500 miles to find out my son didn't like the recruiting coordinator! No one said this process was cheap!

Just to add to my last post about FGCU, the campus is very nice. Once everything is completed and not under construction the place is going to be dreamy. The dorms, well, you can't even call them dorms, are unbelievable compared to other schools. I'd be a little concerned about the jump to DI maybe. 5 years ago they were NAIA. They are either getting way ahead of themselves or the school has made a tremendous commitment to their baseball team. I know the field is already undergoing major changes ie: new clubhouses, weight room, ect...

Pop...That's why visits are so important. The campus IS beautiful, the weather could not be better, they seem to have a strong committment to their baseball program but none of that matters if your son is not comfortable with his coaches. My son had the same reaction to the program/head coach when we visited Tulane. Not that he is a bad person, his manner just wasn't my son's style and he couldn't imagine playing somewhere where they had a "crewe" rake their field. We went up the road to UNO and when we walked into the stadium all the kids were working on the fields and getting ready for the game- no hoopla- and he said, after meeting the coaches, "Now this is my type of school". Had it not been for the Hurricane, he might have signed with them.

puma,

your son would be an asset to any program he
went to.if he was inches taller he probably
wouldn't see the inside of a college classroom.

take that and stick it in your dirty shorts fbg.

j.bags, Glad to see you are still alive and well. After missing you and "our buddy" down in Ft. Myers, I thought you might be in jail for murder.

I just saw the FGCU schedule and they are playing a D-2 schedule this year.

I notice that there has been a constant turnover on the coaching staff at FGCU. Just makes me curious.

It may be D2 for this year. I just received information from the head coach that they will soon be playing D1.

Coach Tollet can persnable during visits
We dealt with Mckee when he was at Flager. I can relate to those who say he is arrogant.

Try to talk to some former players to get a realistic point of view. Do not just rely on a one time visit. There is sometimes a difference between what is presented on a short visit and what happens on the field.

Royals

It's my impression FGCU overrecruits. I liked the recruiter from FIU, and the head coach is very well liked, to my knowledge.

But, keep very, very closely in mind that Ft Myers is extremely vulnerable to hurricanes. I know of what I speak, having been through 3 in Florida in 2004 and then having my son at school in NO for Katrina.

If you are referring to Coach Danny Price at FIU, you are absolutely correct about his greatness. He is a steward of the game as well and Shep has a great deal of respect for him.

Met him in 1984 and also bumped into him several times through the years and really like his professional and knowledgeable approach to the game.

His scouting evaluations and info always matches up with what I see>So many others will agree with that statement and can assure you the player "will" get a look there, a really good look by a lot of baseball minds and eyes.

The only problem I have seen there is over-abundance of MLB prospects and sometimes traffic jams at certain positions. Casanova at Clemson is the first player that comes to mind about that. He is the starting catcher at Clemson this year but found himself in the postion of traffic jam in catching dept at FIU.

BTW, look for son of poster here at HSBBWeb from Washington state to get some time behind plate soon at Clemson. Think he is already getting some ABs

Shep