The new compressed collegiate schedule

jack1234 - I agree with you.

infielddad - To be totally frank, I don't think the higher end academic schools are terribly concerned about this situation. From my limited conversations I think they see it as helpful to them...and the coach you're referring to was at a pretty good academic institution.

His new school is quite good too (my father attended and later taught there ), but this coach will get a little more of the mainstream student-athlete there too and we will see if he still feels the same way in a couple of years.

Actually I hope he does. That would prove my worries wrong and that would be a good thing. But as a parent, I don't like the new schedule. I don't like it at all. 5 games per week is nearly a pro schedule and I think its too much when school is supposed to be the more important thing in this equation.

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by jbb: but this coach will get a little more of the mainstream student-athlete there too and we will see if he still feels the same way in a couple of years.

I feel your pain, as it will be a BIG adjustment for progams in the SW, Cal, & of course Hawaii ..

a small adjustment for most S Eastern schools

and a welcome relief to northern & colder-weather schools whose pgms & players have been operating in the "compressed schedule" mode FOREVER & now will be joined by everyone else

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by jbb: I wonder if the overuse issue that sometimes comes up in college baseball will be even more prevalent..a good question to ask ..
"How do you plan to use pitchers under the new format?" Will Friday/Saturday starters come back for Tuesday/Wednesday relief far more often now?

good point, but a better Q might be -

"will your pitching coach be - "learning on the job with my son's health" re the new format ...

or - - will you hire a cold-weather pitching coach who already has yrs of experience & success with that new schedule format"?



ps - I wanted to be Frank, but you beat me to it

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this coach will get a little more of the mainstream student-athlete there too and we will see if he still feels the same way in a couple of years

The mainstream student-athlete is who I am concerned about -- and I would imagine there are a lot of them out there. I posted these comments on another thread quite a while back, but I think they fit in this thread too:

"My son and I recently heard the head coach of a Top 25 D1 program speak. He remarked that the average SAT of his players is about 1000 and that he has some players who scored 900 or 950 -- and this is at a school that is fairly highly regarded for its academics and is somewhat selective in the admissions process (13,000 applications for 1800 openings)."

The average SAT for students at this school is about 200 points higher, which puts these student-athletes at a real disadvantage when they're missing so many classes and yet are expected to keep up with everyone else.

Maybe my question is directed toward pitcher's parents, like Tigerpawmom -

Our son will be a frosh pitcher on a West Coast D1 this Fall. My impression was that if he had just pitched, the policy would be that he would not suit up for the travel squad to an upcoming road series and at home, he would chart pitches. I guess I was thinking that if he didn't travel he could then do something like "go to class." It's the everyday position player who is going to get rocked by this schedule, correct?

Conditioning is obviously the key, although I do understand that by the end of the season there will be tired arms. But isn't one way of looking at the condensed schedule is that it gives way more opportunities for young pitchers to show their stuff?

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by brod: It's the everyday position player who is going to get rocked by this schedule, correct?

hmmm, the implication is that warm weather students are not as capable (bright) as mid-westerners & northerners who have handled 5 game weeks for yrs

is it over-analysis, or keen insite?

Bee, what are you saying?

Just kidding up there

I think brod was just saying position players will travel to all games, yet some pitchers might stay and get to go to classes.
btw, I was not aware that northern schools played a compressed schedule already. Is that what is being implied here?

I can't see pitchers staying home when they've got other duties such as charting, BP, and conditioning. Not exactly a good recipe for team chemistry anyway.

Bee, I guess it's all over now for the western schools.

That unfair advantage is lost forever, and the power will undoubtedly shift Del Norte way. Can't ya just smell the winds of change?

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Originally posted by brod:
Maybe my question is directed toward pitcher's parents, like Tigerpawmom -

Our son will be a frosh pitcher on a West Coast D1 this Fall. My impression was that if he had just pitched, the policy would be that he would not suit up for the travel squad to an upcoming road series and at home, he would chart pitches. I guess I was thinking that if he didn't travel he could then do something like "go to class." It's the everyday position player who is going to get rocked by this schedule, correct?

Conditioning is obviously the key, although I do understand that by the end of the season there will be tired arms. But isn't one way of looking at the condensed schedule is that it gives way more opportunities for young pitchers to show their stuff?

quote:

Originally posted by brod:
Maybe my question is directed toward pitcher's parents, like Tigerpawmom -

Our son will be a frosh pitcher on a West Coast D1 this Fall. My impression was that if he had just pitched, the policy would be that he would not suit up for the travel squad to an upcoming road series and at home, he would chart pitches. I guess I was thinking that if he didn't travel he could then do something like "go to class." It's the everyday position player who is going to get rocked by this schedule, correct?

Conditioning is obviously the key, although I do understand that by the end of the season there will be tired arms. But isn't one way of looking at the condensed schedule is that it gives way more opportunities for young pitchers to show their stuff?

I do not know what they do at other schools. In three years he missed one game, he was sick and they sent him home to bed.

The only ones who may get a night off on a travel week night would be weekend starting pitchers, but I do beleive on son's team they all opted to go to every game. The more experienced pitchers not playing those games would chart pitches or have bull pen duty. It was very much a team effort and those guys felt it important to be there for their teammates.

As far as the comment about cutting back on games, that is the decretion of every program. However, if a D1 program wants to make a run for a conference championship or the NCAA tourney field, you ain't gonna make it with 40 something games.

I had a discussion with someone today regarding thoughts on the new uniformed starting date. It will be tough on everyone. The end result will most likely be those players who are taking very difficult majors will either, go an easier route, or give up baseball. Those students that play two sports will become non existant (not that there are too many left out there these days).



I do know that at many schools pitchers not needed do not have to travel week nights.

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The end result will most likely be those players who are taking very difficult majors will either, go an easier route, or give up baseball.

Exactly TPM...

At the same time the NCAA is all hot and bothered about academic performance...They change the rules to make academics more difficult.

I for one can certainly see the logic in this...

Here's another good one...

heard today that some coaches are denying transfers to unused, high academic bench players in order to keep their APR's up...

...smart move by the coaches but this amounts to descrimination against academic acheivers.

44
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by szlpp: Bee, I guess it's all over now for the western schools ... That unfair advantage is lost forever

that's exactly what the NCAA's intent was, and as evidenced by o44, they don't like it at all

Of course one of the main points of condensing the schedule was to try to level the playing field between northern and southern schools.

At Army, the answer has been to add several fall ball contests this year. The 56 game limit is over the entire academic year, therefore they can schedule some opponents in the fall, evaluate some incoming talent, and take some pressure off the condensed schedule but still get all their games in.

It wouldn't surprise me to see more programs go this route as they adapt to the schedule.

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Exactly.

While the NCAA quibbles and bickers myopically over West/East, North/South, Cold/Warm....

...it is academics and the players that lose.

44
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At Army, the answer has been to add several fall ball contests this year. The 56 game limit is over the entire academic year, therefore they can schedule some opponents in the fall, evaluate some incoming talent, and take some pressure off the condensed schedule but still get all their games in.

I wonder how you can do that when fall is very restricted by NCAA rules. Even their practices are limited.

Bobblehead - I believe I heard that practices in the Fall will no longer be limited...or much less limited than previously.

BTW, colleges used to play part of their schedules in the Fall...way back in the day.

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Bobblehead - I believe I heard that practices in the Fall will no longer be limited...or much less limited than previously.

Details anyone?

44
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Why do you have your shorts in a knot ?/

The August 9th NCAA meeting should explain it all or they will continue to discuss and the situation remains status quo for now

No shorts in a knot here.

Its what we do here TR...post an opinion or a question and then discuss. My opinion is I don't like it. You do?

The August 9 meeting isn't to discuss schedules...thats a done deal. My understanding is that is to discuss the new scholarship guidelines/limits (33% min., etc...).

O44 - I'll send you a pm...but I was told that about practices by one very reliable source.

some teams choose to play some fall games, those are subtracted from the 56 for the spring

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by o44: it is academics and the players that lose

again, northern players have played in the new format for years, but if it's too tough for the sunshine guys ...

well perhaps college sports is not the right path for them