UConn baseball coach Jim Penders about to make history in a job he was born and raised for (Mike Anthony)

[huskymedic]

Mike Anthony: UConn baseball coach Jim Penders about to make history in a job he was born and raised for

 

[uconnbaseball]

He is only 8 wins away from passing Baylock!

 

[dbmill]

An excellent read. It’s hard to imagine where UConn baseball would be without Jim Penders. No question in my mind, “a great UConn coach”, and a terribly interesting one at that.

Also love the mutual admiration society that exists that is outlined in the column between Baylock and Penders.

 

[Guapo]

Fantastic article! Really captures how I feel about my alma mater

 

[hardcorehusky]

After interacting with many of the coaches at UConn, I have said for years Penders is the best emissary for this university. His love for the school, his program and his expectations for his players is awesome.
Hopefully there is a clip somewhere about the 4 pillars he recruits kids toward and holds them accountable to. It is gold.

 

[huskymedic]

Daily Campus story on Jim Penders this week as well: Coaches Week: Jim Penders

Great visual in the article by Matt Barresi:

>>“Coach Penders is a great man,” says Zac Susi, who was a catcher for the Huskies from 2016-2018 and is now playing for the Greensboro Grasshoppers after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 10th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. “I remember my freshman season we would practice blocking the ball and I would look up too early to see the runners. He would always be yelling, ‘You’re exposing your neck! You’re exposing your neck!’”

Penders would know. A former catcher himself, he still currently coordinates the backstop development for UConn on top of his managerial duties.

“I was still a young guy, so I didn’t really listen and kind of kept going with it,” Susi said. “Then we had a preseason practice in the Tolland bubble, and one bounced on the ground and it caught me right in the neck. I was down for like two minutes and I remember looking down the third base line and he was just laughing because he had told me so many times. It bruised my neck and I was talking with a sore throat for the next two weeks. He said to me, ‘I’m going to have to tie a rope from your mask to your shin guards to keep that head down.’ He was always doing stuff like that. Looking out for me before I was looking out for myself. I owe him a lot.” <<

 

[dbmill]

Daily Campus story on Jim Penders this week as well: Coaches Week: Jim Penders

Great visual in the article by Matt Barresi:

>>“Coach Penders is a great man,” says Zac Susi, who was a catcher for the Huskies from 2016-2018 and is now playing for the Greensboro Grasshoppers after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 10th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. “I remember my freshman season we would practice blocking the ball and I would look up too early to see the runners. He would always be yelling, ‘You’re exposing your neck! You’re exposing your neck!’”

Penders would know. A former catcher himself, he still currently coordinates the backstop development for UConn on top of his managerial duties.

“I was still a young guy, so I didn’t really listen and kind of kept going with it,” Susi said. “Then we had a preseason practice in the Tolland bubble, and one bounced on the ground and it caught me right in the neck. I was down for like two minutes and I remember looking down the third base line and he was just laughing because he had told me so many times. It bruised my neck and I was talking with a sore throat for the next two weeks. He said to me, ‘I’m going to have to tie a rope from your mask to your shin guards to keep that head down.’ He was always doing stuff like that. Looking out for me before I was looking out for myself. I owe him a lot.” <<

Another solid Daily Campus baseball article/feature.

 

[dbmill]

Daily Campus in all their stories on UConn coaches also had a feature on pitching coach Josh MacDonald as well:

Coaches Week: Coach Mac brings fire and funniness to UConn baseball