University of Maryland

My son has commited to the Terps under the new Coach Erik Bakich. He is going on his offical visit this weekend. We made an unoffical visit in July.

I have read as much as I can on the program pre-Bakich and to be honest it hasn't been good. My son made the decision to go there because of Coach Bakich. He has a realistic vision of turning around the program. He understands its going to take time and support from the AD which he told us was the reason he took the job.

My son and I liked what he had to say and I beleive he is an honest person. He didn't sugar coat where the program and facilities currrenlty stood. He didn't give us a BS answer to our questions, when he didn't know the answer he said so. He made no promises about being in the ACC tournament right away. He told my son he wants his first recruiting class to be known as class who started the turnaround at Maryland. He knows full well they are going to take their lumps for a few years.

I happend to run into Vanderbilt HC Tim Corbin in August. I asked him about Coach Bakich (his former assistant) and he had glowing things to say. Coach Corbin is a NH boy, from about 30 minutes from where I live. I told him no BS (my son had already verbally commited) tell me about Maryland and Coach Bakich. He said "Your son made a very wise choice".


I can tell you alot more if your son is being recruited or has signed on to the program. Send me a PM and I will give you my personal email and cell phone number.

It might be tough for Maryland to make the ACC tournament for a few years. The competition is insane.

I totally agree with nhmonty.My son committed to Maryland the week after his son did and we took our official visit last week with 3 other commits.My son knows all to well about the past at Maryland but to sit and talk with Coach Bakich you can't help but get pumped about the direction the program is headed.My son committed because of Coach Bakich,he wants to play for him.It was a situation where my son just felt right with and the chance to be a part of turning a program around.In addition with Coach Bakich,all of his assistants are class guys and they too are full of energy.I know my son is excited.

Do either of you guys who seem to know alot about the program know if they sign players from their camps? I would love to go to the camp but I just cant continue spending money and not seeing results.

When Bakich first went to Vanderbilt they had below average players and bad facilities. Vanderbilt is now one of the top programs around and they have good facilities and good players. The man has helped build one program and he will build the Maryland program into a very strong baseball program. The Maryland, Norther Virginia, Washington, DC, Eastern PA areas have good baseball players. They probably don't have as many players as the South but there are good players everywhere if you look hard enough.

quote:

Originally posted by RHP22:
Do either of you guys who seem to know alot about the program know if they sign players from their camps? I would love to go to the camp but I just cant continue spending money and not seeing results.

Every program will sign players from their camps. The key is that the player has to be of a certain caliber for the coaches to do so.

Understand that the primary reason for most camps is a money maker for the coaches.

Coach Bakich saw my son at Area Code tryouts in NJ then followed him to WWB in East Cobb so I can't answer your camp question.

I know they are turning over a ton of stones to find the best players to right this program. If you are really interested in Maryland this may be the camp to invest in as they are looking for players for the future. I know most of the camp flyers say the same thing but I agree with CPlZ, most of these camps are money makers for the coaches - my best guess is the major programs already have most of their future players targeted, its just a matter of who they want vs. can get.

The Maryland camp or any other school in a turnaround situation may be the exception.

As a side note, my son did not attend any college prospect camps and he received a fair amount of serious interest from some decent D1 programs.

Like many have said, if you can play, they will find you. However, you might want to be aggressive and let them how who you are and why they should be interested in you - life is about sales, that's a tip you can bank on.

I don’t know how this will print out and I apologize to any of the naysayers. I know the topic is Maryland and we know coach Bakich very well. Yes, Vanderbilt coach Corbin and recruiting coordinator Bakich have done a great job of recruiting. They have something in common with the other national power type programs. College coaches can not go on record promoting any service (NCAA rules), but a little research can speak volumes!

Below is all but two players on the Vanderbilt roster. To the far right of each player in ( ) is the National Ranking by PG while they were in high school and an idea of the PG events they attended. Any subscriber to pgcrosschecker can research this stuff fairly easily.

Sorry if this offends anyone. I just get tired of people not understanding certain things or being misled by others.

To be honest... I don't know how many on the Vandy roster went to a camp or other events. We do know where they did go, though. And we also know where Vanderbilt goes.


Jack Armstrong
RHP Right/Right 6-6/226 SO Jupiter - Jupiter, Fla. (PG ranked 54) PG National and many other PG events including Aflac All American
Russell Brewer
RHP Right/Right 6-0/210 JR South Stanly - Norwood, N.C. (PG High Follow List) 18U PG WWBA in Georgia
Curt Casali
C Right/Right 6-2/216 JR New Canaan - New Canaan, Conn. (PG ranked 194) Many PG events including PG National
Will Clinard
RHP Right/Right 6-4/224 RS FR East Robertson - Cross Plains, Tenn. (PG ranked 257) Many PG events including PG National
Jack DeAno
OF Left/Right 5-10/172 FR Wheaton North - Wheaton, Ill. (PG rank 446) Many PG events including PG National
Nathan Dorris
LHP Left/Left 6-3/188 FR Marion - Marion, Ill. (PG rank 508) Couple PG WWBA events
Jason Esposito
INF Right/Right 6-1/198 SO Amity - Bethany, Conn. (PG rank 95) Many PG events including PG National
Drew Fann
C Right/Right 6-3/204 SO Oakland - Murfreesboro, Tenn. (PG Follow) PG Showcase
Regan Flaherty
1B-OF Left/Left 6-1/184 FR Deering - Portland, Maine (PG rank 656) Never attended a PG event but his brother who starred at Vanderbilt went to a few PG showcases including the PG National and was highly ranked (10 grade)
Grayson Garvin
LHP Left/Left 6-5/217 SO Wesleyan School - Suwanee, Ga. (PG rank 185) Many PG events including PG National
Andrew Giobbi
C/INF Right/Right 6-1/212 SR Deering - Portland, Maine (PG rank 102) Many PG events including PG National
Anthony Gomez
INF Right/Right 5-11/178 FR Don Bosco Prep - Nutley, N.J. (PG rank 126) Many PG events including PG National
Nate Gonzalez
C Right/Right 5-8/224 FR East Ridge - Clermont, Fla. (PG rank 387) Many PG events including PG National
Richie Goodenow
LHP/DH Left/Left 6-2/202 JR Overton - Nashville, Tenn. (PG rank 304) Many PG events including PG National
Sonny Gray
RHP Right/Right 5-11/195 SO Smyrna - Smyrna, Tenn. (PG rank 14) Many PG events including PG National also named Aflac All American
Connor Harrell
OF Right/Right 6-2/200 FR Kinkaid - Houston, Texas (PG rank 140) Many PG events including PG National
Drew Hayes
RHP Right/Right 6-0/212 SR McKenzie - McKenzie, Tenn. (PG rank 689) No PG events attended
Taylor Hill
RHP Right/Right 6-3/222 JR Mt. Juliet - Old Hickory, Tenn. (PG rank 252) Couple PG WWBA Championships
Alex Hilliard
OF Right/Right 6-1/195 JR Lafayette - Lafayette, La. (PG rank 166) Many PG events including PG National
Bryan Johns
INF Right/Right 5-8/166 JR Howard JC - Allen, Texas (PG rank 1281) PG WWBA Championship
Keenan Kolinsky
LHP-UTL Left/Left 6-0/200 FR Christian Academy - Knoxville, Tenn. (PG rank 415) Many PG events
Joe Loftus
OF Right/Right 6-2/202 SO Academy of Holy Angels - Savage, Minn. (PG rank 76) Several PG events including PG National
Matt Marquis
OF Right/Right 6-0/198 SO Immaculata - Annandale, N.J. (PG rank 46) Many PG events including PG National
Navery Moore
RHP Right/Right 6-1/200 SO Battle Ground Academy - Franklin, Tenn. (PG rank 109) Several PG events
Sean Murphy
2B-OF Right/Right 5-6/152 FR Gonzaga College - Vienna, Va. (PG Follow list) attended one PG showcase
Curt Powell
INF Right/Right 5-10/165 FR Admiral - Knoxville, Tenn. (PG rank 283) Many PG events including PG National
Chase Reid
RHP Left/Right 6-3/212 JR Southlake Carroll (Texas) - Nashville, Tenn. (PG rank 287) No PG events
Riley Reynolds
INF Left/Right 6-1/200 SO Blue Springs South - Lee's Summit, Mo. (PG rank 978) Many PG events including PG National
Sam Selman
LHP Right/Left 6-2/168 FR St. Andrews - Austin, Texas (PG rank 47) Couple of PG WWBA Championships
Aaron Westlake
1B/C Left/Right 6-3/236 SO Shasta - Redding, Calif. (PG rank 206) Many PG events including PG National
Corey Williams
LHP Left/Left 6-1/200 RS FR Madison Academy - Huntsville, Ala. (PG rank 407) Many PG events including PG National
Jordan Wormsley
OF Left/Left 6-0/198 JR Webb School - Knoxville, Tenn. (PG rank 600) Several PG events
Mike Yastrzemski
OF Left/Left 5-10/168 FR St. John's Prep - Andover, Mass. (PG rank 483) Many PG events

quote:

Anyone have any constructive information about the University of Maryland and their baseball program?

They have one of the best young coaches and recruiters in college baseball. He has already surrounded himself with a very good staff.

I don't know anything about the school or the head coach. However, I do know the new pitching coach; Sean Kenny. I got to know Sean 5-years ago while at Pepperdine. My son went to a winter camp run by the Pepperdine coaching staff.

He took an interest in my son which carried beyond that camp. We would run into Sean once or twice a year at various events. He always asked how our son was doing and made a point to say hello. He was always glad to see me as a parent and truly wanted to here how my son was doing. He didn't have to but he made a point of being open and interested.

In my book he was one of the "good guys."

PG,

Don't know what you are refering to about people misleading others? Could you clarify your concern since I don't want to be put into that category.

My post was in response to college coaches camps. There are a whole bunch of people on this web-site who have stated they are money makers for college coaches. Also widely stated that if you are interested in the school then you might want to attend the camp - who knows what will happen.

I have posted numerous times on the Northeast blog the virtures of the WWB tournament in East Cobb since its the only one my son attended. Nobody can argue about the number of professional and college scouts who attended.

Is the connection with your Vanderbilt post; that the ratings come from attending a showcase or PG event (for the most part)?

I agree with your assessment of the Maryland coaches.

FWIW, I find it interesting in this discussion that my son (2011) was just contacted by them out of the blue. Since all of his summer/fall activity has been West Coast based I found it a little curious. It may be that they are trying to cast their net a little wider, may be a coincidence. (or not)

BOF

quote:

FWIW, I find it interesting in this discussion that my son (2011) was just contacted by them out of the blue. Since all of his summer/fall activity has been West Coast based I found it a little curious. It may be that they are trying to cast their net a little wider, may be a coincidence. (or not)

BOF, Coach Sean Kenny, the new pitching coach/recruitor for Maryland.
Just left Pepperdine this Summer.
He knows West Coast players, and obviously must have seen your son play.

EH

My concern has nothing to do with this thread, but more so with many other threads that relate to college recruiting possibilities. You can promise the world, but producing results is what it's all about. Results are what count!

If we are talking about DIII possibilities that is one thing, if we are talking about playing at the highest level of college baseball it's all together another thing. There is nothing wrong with DIII baseball, it's just not what we are most involved with. We are looking for the DI player! Might not be the best thing for business, but it is true.

Maryland just went from lower level to high level recruiting. I think they will compete in the ACC within a couple years if not sooner. College baseball success is all about coaching and recruiting. It's very obvious to us who the best recruiters are. It's the ones we see the most. Erik Backich has been one of those.

The misled part is in reference to many other threads that are more promotional in nature. Results are what count! I just wish the college coaches could speak up.

Even when coach Bakich started at Vandy, many college baseball aficionados considered him a rising star and tagged him for being an impact coach in college baseball.

While I have no inside information, given the respect he's garnered, should he make Maryland a much better team, it may well just be a stepping stone to a bigger program. History tells us that the duration between steps up the coaching ladder, shorten with each successive jump and are relative to the perception of the potential of the coach...especially in recruiting, which Bakich has a pretty good resume with.

From the local in-state rumor mill....sounds like Coach Bakich is defintely on the right track....and agressively so.

The hiring of Bernie Walter (local HS coaching legned) was a smart move and Coach Bakich & staff are connecting to the local hs scene.

Also understand the Fall workouts are tougher than ever and the players (that remain) like it more.

ACC is tough, but sounds like the Terps will not continue as a doormat team for much longer. I agree with PG....Maryland will compete.

BOF you have a PM

I don't know Coach Bakich personally, but I spoke with Coach Burton at the WWBA Underclass in Ft. Myers. After that discussion and a few e-mails, it's hard not to be fired up about Maryland Baseball. If the rest of the staff is anywhere as excited and energetic as Coach Burton, it sounds like an exciting time in College Park. Let us know how it goes!!
GED10DaD

Maryland has recently hired Bernie Walters as their Dir of Baseball Operations. He is a Maryland Grad, a multi-time Coach for USA Baseball, and a class act all the way around. I would find it hard to believe he would be working as part of an organization that was not made up of quality people.

Being just across the bridge from MD, we have heard a lot about MD baseball in recent years ... little of it good. The buzz these days is that something good could be brewing across the border.