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Bradley baseball

PhiAlphaBoy said:
That's already been discussed. Elvis is NOT a bad coach. Bradley has just made it a point not to fund the baseball program adequately to compete with the top Valley programs. We get it, Glasser sucks, but she's NOT the reason the baseball program is bad to mediocre.
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Well said. It's time we moved on from default Glasser-Cross excuses across the board.
 
PhiAlphaBoy said:
That's already been discussed. Elvis is NOT a bad coach. Bradley has just made it a point not to fund the baseball program adequately to compete with the top Valley programs. We get it, Glasser sucks, but she's NOT the reason the baseball program is bad to mediocre.
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If Bradley had the budget, resources, and support that mens soccer has had over the past decade, they'd be a top MVC program annually. Basbeall gets the shaft and is probably the most likely sports program to produce an alum of donation power.
 
JMM28 said:
If Bradley had the budget, resources, and support that mens soccer has had over the past decade, they'd be a top MVC program annually. Basbeall gets the shaft and is probably the most likely sports program to produce an alum of donation power.
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This is what has always bothered me about the lack of support for the baseball program. Obviously, Curtis Granderson's $5 million gift to UIC wasn't typical, but a well-funded baseball program at Bradley is more likely to generate a major leaguer than the basketball program generating another NBA player.
 
Da Coach on 4/27/23 said:
With basketball season (and recruiting) over, it would be nice to follow a winning BU baseball program.
But after several years of mediocrity, BU baseball has fallen back into a bottom-dwelling MVC program.
Bradley is tied for last place going into a 3-game weekend series at UIC starting tomorrow night. Pitching has not been a strong point for this year's team. The team ERA is 7.05, and in MVC games it is even worse, 7.96.

This is Elvis Dominguez' 16th season (see record below) as Bradley's head coach. And though he's well liked, is anyone else bothered by the long record almost devoid of real success in the baseball program? There have been just 4 seasons in the 16 years with overall winning records (2015, 2016, 2018, & 2019).
And there have been only 5 seasons with winning MVC records, though three of those were 11-10 records, and the other two were 11-9 and 12-10.
There have been no MVC regular season titles, and no MVC Tournament championships. And only one NCAA at-large bid (2015), with a first round elimination.
I am not suggesting a change, but can anything be done to make Bradley baseball respectable? Or is is hopeless? Or does anyone even care any more?

Record over last 16 seasons-
2023- 13-23, 4-11
2022- 20-29, 11-10
2021- 20-22, 12-10
2020- 4-6, 0-0
2019- 31-19, 11-10
2018- 32-19, 11-10
2017- 20-31, 6-14
2016- 29-21, 11-9
2015- 36-21, 10-11
2014- 24-27, 5-16
2013- 17-32, 2-19
2012- 27-27-1, 8-13
2011- 22-32, 4-17
2010- 20-32, 8-13
2009- 16-32, 4-17
2008- 26-28, 10-14
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Final wrapup-
Bradley baseball finishes the season with a final record of 16-32, losing 9 of their final 12 games.
They finished the MVC season 7-20, and in 10th place (dead last).
https://mvc-sports.com/standings.aspx?path=baseball
They failed to make the MVC postseason tournament, which takes only the top 8 teams.
https://mvc-sports.com/news/2023/5/19/2023-mvc-baseball-tournament-field-set.aspx
 
Attendance seems to be a problem with all of the BU sports other then basketball. The ladies sports are not well attended at all. I am not sure how well the soccer games are attended. In light of this then it is no wonder these sports aren't given the money to be top of the line. Baseball always seems to get some outstanding ball players but the MVC usually has several very good baseball teams which then makes it harder for the under funded teams.
It seems like they do not get the best news coverage (TV of newspaper) in this area so a lot of times people don't even know they had a home game until after it is over.
The baseball team has had several major leaguers over the years so it is a better program then the record looks like a lot of seasons.
 
Bradley baseball used to be very respectable. Now it is one of the worst in the conference. I think Bradley needs to make a decision on what to do with the baseball program. Either support it to make it competitive or disband the team and put the money into other programs. Dont do half-ass.
 
bradleyfan124 said:
Bradley baseball used to be very respectable. Now it is one of the worst in the conference. I think Bradley needs to make a decision on what to do with the baseball program. Either support it to make it competitive or disband the team and put the money into other programs. Dont do half-ass.
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Post covid hasn't been friendly to Bradley baseball. The few years before COVID, BU was a top 100 program in the country and doing well.

If baseball enjoyed the same level of support that soccer did from a resources standpoint, they'd be a top program year in and year out. Baseball has no facility to call their own. They are a second banana tenant at Dozer Park. They don't have any dedicated space anywhere. About 10+ years ago they were practicing in the parking lot of Sterling School.
 
a lot of college kids would die to be able to play in a professional ballpark like Dozer Field...
and how does it matter what the practice field looks like - the can practice both indoors at the Louisville Slugger facility and outdoors there & a number of places

ISU's field looks like a Little League field- https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/...s680-w680-h510

SIU's home field looks more like a girls softball field - https://siusalukis.com/images/2016/1...=360&mode=crop

Valpo's field is roughly on par with what most junior high schools have- https://takeoutyourscorecards.files....alpouturf7.jpg

and even worse- check Loyola and Belmont- ICC's facilities are better
https://loyolaramblers.com/images/20...ball_field.jpg
https://belmontbruins.com/galleries/...-park/89/19211

The biggest hurdle is that DI baseball only gets 11.7 scholarships and coaches have to divvy that up to recruit a roster of 25-30 kids, meaning most kids get a 0.2 or a 0.4 scholarship or walk on - then the rest has to be paid by the athlete and costs run way higher than state schools - so huge disadvantage.
Remember, the two candidates Ken Kavanagh had lined up for interviews when Glasser went behind his back & hired Elvis, and both wanted the job -- were two guys who ended up being tremendous, winning coaches, both who won Coach of the Year in the MVC elsewhere. Kingston won MVC COY TWICE. Both are now very successful at HIGH MAJORS, and we missed badly, hiring a coach that went 31-95 in the MVC over the next 6 seasons.
 
yoda said:
a lot of college kids would die to be able to play in a professional ballpark like Dozer Field...
and how does it matter what the practice field looks like - the can practice both indoors at the Louisville Slugger facility and outdoors there & a number of places

ISU's field looks like a Little League field- https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/...s680-w680-h510

SIU's home field looks more like a girls softball field - https://siusalukis.com/images/2016/1...=360&mode=crop

Valpo's field is roughly on par with what most junior high schools have- https://takeoutyourscorecards.files....alpouturf7.jpg

and even worse- check Loyola and Belmont- ICC's facilities are better
https://loyolaramblers.com/images/20...ball_field.jpg
https://belmontbruins.com/galleries/...-park/89/19211
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The facilities issue has to less to do with where you play and more to do with access to an indoor hitting and throwing facility.

And regarding conference stadiums, ISU and SIU both have nice on campus facilities. Each school spent between $3 million - $4.5 million on their stadiums 10-15 years ago. Indiana State also has a very nice stadium. (Maybe the nicest that isn't a minor league park.) Belmont's stadium is a public/private partnership. Although the facility is quaint, it is extremely clean and nice. I've had the opportunity to watch high school and college games at all of these facilities. Capacity ranges from 750 to 2,000, which is more that sufficient for midwest college baseball. These are just my opinions and observations.
 
Old Coach said:
The facilities issue has to less to do with where you play and more to do with access to an indoor hitting and throwing facility.

And regarding conference stadiums, ISU and SIU both have nice on campus facilities. Each school spent between $3 million - $4.5 million on their stadiums 10-15 years ago. Indiana State also has a very nice stadium. (Maybe the nicest that isn't a minor league park.) Belmont's stadium is a public/private partnership. Although the facility is quaint, it is extremely clean and nice. I've had the opportunity to watch high school and college games at all of these facilities. Capacity ranges from 750 to 2,000, which is more that sufficient for midwest college baseball. These are just my opinions and observations.
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Yep. Slugger is a great facility and Rick makes a lot of things work in Bradley's favor. However they still have a (successful) business to run there so there can't be unfettered access as if it were Shea Stadium - the only facility that any Bradley athletic program has unrestricted access to. Slugger also doesn't have a full sized baseball field on the property. It has full softball but only goes up to, I believe, 12U baseball size. Bradley also uses The Yard and they are great with scheduling, but that is another location 20 minutes from campus and without a full sized baseball diamond.
 
I agree- the other MVC fields are nice fields, but they are to baseball, what Ren-Col is to basketball, and if the Bradley basketball team was playing at Ren-Col as their home arena, I think we'd all agree that it is a recruiting hindrance.

My 2 cents-
Bradley has had decent talent, kids that got drafted, played Milb & MLB, yet the results speak for themselves about what the current coach has done with that talent.
As we sit today, Bradley just completed another badly disappointing MVC season (7-20), deep in last place again and eliminated from the MVC Tournament even before it started.

Even when he was hired here, he came in with a career record that was well below .500, having never finished higher than 4th in a weaker conference than the MVC. He has shown in his 22 year career a remarkable consistency of mediocrity and failure in his coaching seasons.
I am sure he is a good guy and well liked, but he's in his 60's now and it's time to make a change.
BTW- just thinking....the guy who works at FGCU under Ken Kavanagh just finished a great 39-17 season, a top seed in their tourney and already advanced with a 7-0 win. He's a FIVE TIME Coach of the Year, 7 conference championships, developed 47 players who have been drafted or signed as FA's,
and even produced a NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR. He's won 25 or more games every year since he was hired in 2003, and 16 of those years he won 30 or more. (Elvis has won 30 only 3 times)
We are paying our head coach twice as much and getting nothing compared to what FGCU is getting, just sayin'.
 
yoda said:
BTW- just thinking....the guy who works at FGCU under Ken Kavanagh just finished a great 39-17 season, a top seed in their tourney and already advanced with a 7-0 win. He's a FIVE TIME Coach of the Year, 7 conference championships, developed 47 players who have been drafted or signed as FA's,
and even produced a NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR. He's won 25 or more games every year since he was hired in 2003, and 16 of those years he won 30 or more. (Elvis has won 30 only 3 times)
We are paying our head coach twice as much and getting nothing compared to what FGCU is getting, just sayin'.
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Think how lucky that guy is that he didn't get the Bradley job. :cool:
 
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