[huntandfish]

Then here is the question why over recruit ? If players are told they are a recruited walk-on then why list them on the roster or have them sign an NLI? I understand the process but it don't have to be that why. I do get the fact that players get beat out etc... but to have 20 plus guys sign NLI knowing somebodies gone seems to be bad business. But that's just me and I don't have a dog in the fight just love LU and hate to see this. Seems to me that the coaching staff should recruit their needs and not just get all they can and then pick the club.

[jinxy]

That happens everywhere. Lu has done before toman as well. Its just a fact of the way baseball works. So many kids leave so you have to over recruit to be prepared. Plus as a fan I want the best product which comes from depth and competition

[newoldschool17]

You are right there Jinxy. Only difference was there used to be no roster limits. So kids could redshirt and practice, lift, and be with the team. Just to clarify, no judging on how Toman does things - was just clarifying. Hunt - mass recruit is really just out of necessity now. You have 27 scholarship players automatically on the 35 man roster no matter if they are healthy, hurt, whatever. So that leaves 8 walk on spots for the team. In baseball, a lot of the time these kids can turn into your major players (Cordell and Perritt for example). To answer the NLI question, it's not necessary for walk ons. A lot of them will don't though for like a local newspaper press release or something.

[Chris Lang]

Baseball opened practice today. I wrote about it. You can read about it:

http://www.newsadvance.com/sports/fresh ... f6878.html

[Lburglifer]

Did the man say 20 million dollar baseball stadium?

[Chris Lang]

I'm not a big hyperbole guy, but I was fairly blown away by the player amenities inside the stadium. I can believe that number.

[Lburglifer]

It will be interesting to see if the community comes out this year. Great stadium.

[huntandfish]

Why would they not come out? Is there a disconnect with the community and baseball? I am a old timer and have not seen the stadium finished. Looks great and they my be understated. But back in the day the baseball team had a great following. I would assume there is community out reach stuff that would bring out those in the community plus its new.

[SuperJon]

Baseball will have the community. It's a good team with high expectations in a gorgeous setting. They'll come out.

On a side note, and I'm completely serious when I say this, but after watching the season preview with Nick, Coach Toman looks good. He's dropped quite a bit of weight. From one big guy to another, great job on that.

[Chris Lang]

He said he was down about 30 pounds.

[jinxy]

Fast start will help. I hope that if we can build off this year we can keep getting better non conference games. This years isnt bad but most people wont recognize that kent state is a massive series. If the frosh pitchers are as good as advertised we can win 40 plus again

[Chippy]

Fast start will help. I hope that if we can build off this year we can keep getting better non conference games. This years isnt bad but most people wont recognize that kent state is a massive series. If the frosh pitchers are as good as advertised we can win 40 plus again

Last year's non conference schedule was brutal yet we held our own. I agree, with decent pitching we can top 40 wins with the schedule as is. Pray for the health of all the players this year.

[jinxy]

I should have said home slates. This year is good but still think eventually we shohld be able to attract some more big programs

[Chippy]

I should have said home slates. This year is good but still think eventually we shohld be able to attract some more big programs

We had Penn State, Virginia, West VA, Army, Duke and Maryland at home last year. I think you mean teams like LSU, South Carolina, UCLA etc?

[sporter]

Will be nice to attract some higher profile teams to Lynchburg but this year's schedule projects to have solid depth without as many names. UNC Wilmington and Kent State usually have good RPIs while two with Missouri will help because of the SEC. A huge benefit is that we don't play near as many Coppin States, Siena's etc this year (no offense meant to them).

Hopeful that the weather will give the guys a chance to get outside over the next couple of weeks. The good thing is that all but 3 of our first 15 games will be against teams that face the same cold weather issues we do.

[SuperJon]

We are still in the stage where it's not worth it for big names to come to our place. Another regional run could change that.

[jinxy]

Uva is the only team that fit what i was describing. Jon thats not entirely true. Look at clemson, gt and uga"s road schedule last few years. They all play at schools that arent near the program we are. Army duke penn st and wvu are names but those arent baseball schools. Im not knocking the schedule at all. I think the last 2 years are the 2 best weve had im recent memory. Sporter your exactly right. I said the same thing the day it came out

[BJWilliams]

We are still in the stage where it's not worth it for big names to come to our place. Another regional run could change that.

Jon nailed it...we really don't have that much cachet where we can get home series against the big guns...we might be able to get a one off or a midweek game, but we won't get the MIamis, LSUs, Floridas, UNCs, Texases (shout out to Sly for that one) or your regular contenders for the regionals and super regionals to come to our house...but as Jon said, we make another run like last year, and when Liberty comes up on the caller ID, youll probably see more of those teams answer that phone and make something happen.

[SuperJon]

Jon thats not entirely true. Look at clemson, gt and uga"s road schedule last few years. They all play at schools that arent near the program we are.

Sorry. Should've clarified. I was talking about weekend games.

[jinxy]

I know your right for the most part but seriously look them up. They played at furman ap state kennesaw state mercer wofford etc. I think we can get some of those games soon. Im sure its not from a lack of trying

[BJWilliams]

Think about the location of all those schools relative to those three though...South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.

[jinxy]

Thats true for mid-week bj. Look at our weekend non-conference games. A lot of it has to do with weather as well. We will get there if we have a year or two like the last

[BJWilliams]

I agree jinxy and that is what Jon and I were getting at. Given another run like last year (I really think that getting over the hump against CCU in the tournament last year will be a big help as well), youll see some of the bigger players like Clemson, North Carolina, LSU, Florida State, WIchita State, Texas, etc will be more inclined to answer our calls for weekend series.

[Sly Fox]

We played at defending national champion Rice for a weekend series the year following one of the Regional runs.

[huntandfish]

Southern teams (the big boys) are not going to come north for a mid week game esp early. Flames will have to continue to travel to play Clemson's Chapel Hill's Etc.. However the focus should be to continue picking off the Regional teams from the north where Central Va is consider a southern hot spot. Remember Lburg is not MB that's why CCU has the mid week games they have early. ( Central Va is not exactly a Spring Break spot for the co-ed's or at least my kids did not have it circled) UNC-W and C of C are in the same boat . The key is to keep winning the BSC and that get us where we need to be period. The focus of who comes to Lburg is a waste of time. As an old time I would have love to had a conference to play in.