Assisted access <<
-> “It’s very raw, the worst day of the year when you have to say goodbye to your team,” coach Jim Penders said, after team arrived back on campus. “You smile through your tears, make sure everybody knows how you feel about ’em. We’ve had several more talented teams than this one, but I don’t think we’ve ever had a team that fought harder, or better, or with more class than this team did.” <-
-> He has hit upon a way to do it. UConn, which dug out of a 9-15 hole to start this past season, had nine transfers from Division III schools and, some in the game are beginning to theorize, this is the way of the future. High school players looking to play D-I might start out at a lower level.
“I looked at Florida State’s roster and they had a ton of sophomores and freshmen,” Penders said. “They’re doing it the traditional way because they can. What we have to do, we’re going to have fewer and fewer high school kids we’re going to be interested in. I don’t want to recruit anybody I’ll have to cut. It’ll be a lot safer bet if those high school kids go to Division III, Division II or mid-level Division I and then figure out they want to get to the national level of Division I, where we hope to remain.” <-
-> Having seen UConn knock on the door to Omaha so many times, it’s clear what is needed to reach the next level. Isn’t it always? Pitching. The double-elimination regional takes depth of good pitching, one or two first-round caliber aces are needed to win the three-game Super Regional. The Road to Omaha is hard, it’s supposed to be hard. To channel
A League of Their Own’s Jimmy Dugan, “it’s the hard that makes it great.” <-