Itâs only going to get better from here. This yearâs starting lineup consisted of one senior, four juniors, three sophomores and a freshman. We lose one starting pitcher (assuming Mills doesnât get drafted). At most times this year the offense was automatic so we should be able to score plenty of runs. The bullpen was not good, but if they can shore that up weâll be fine. I hear we have a good recruiting class coming in.
[QUOTE=Brick Tamland, Weather;175132]
Itâs very easy to say âschedule ACC, SEC, etc.â but thatâs not the reality. Otherwise, Bobby could do the same thing in hoops. We all know thatâs not how it works. No ACC or SEC school is going to schedule a 3-game road trip to play AT Charlotte. If you want home games early in the year, you get Northern teams to come South. Sometimes, itâs about who will take your money, or the money youâre offering relative to other schools. [/QUOTE]
The difference is this. When we schedule cupcakes at home for basketball, we make money. Even though it does not help our RPI, we make money. This is the money that helps to fund ALL of the athletic programs at Charlotte. Therefore, we need the home games for basketball. For baseball, if we make any money at all off of the early season non-conference games, it isnât much. The average attendance for the five non-conference series this year was 262. At $5 a head, thatâs $1310 per game. Probably half of that goes to pay the umps. So, if weâre not going to make any real money or help our RPI, why not take a road trip to play some real competition to possibly help our chances at an at-large berth. I know traveling is expensive, thatâs why I previously said go somewhere within driving distance. I know the SEC or ACC schools arenât coming to Charlotte to play a 3-game series, so letâs go to their house. Unlike basketball, we donât have anything to lose. Even when the new stadium is constructed, our crowds for non-conference games prior to mid-March arenât going to be large. The weather is still mild at best in Charlotte, and most fans arenât going to freeze their @$$es off watching a baseball game even if the stadium was made of gold.
[QUOTE=metro;175255]I think âgood seasonâ by everyone in this thread needs re-defined, and you all are comparing apples and oranges. 49erWhit played on the 98â team that won 42 games (which was the best season in UNCC history) and I think he has the bar raised a little high here. I played on the 95â team and we won 35 games (at the time the most ever in UNCC history), which this yearâs team equalled. Is 35 wins great for Clemson? Of course not, but it is good here, regardless of conference winning 2/3 is good.
I will also offer this: it is impossible to just become overnight a great program. I feel like my team in 95â trained freshman like Bo Robinson to want more and expect to win like they did in 98â, and I think this yearâs team has done the same to set a bar for the next couple years to take it further (especially with the stadium coming).
This yearâs team had a GOOD season, but not GREAT or spectacular year like 1998.[/QUOTE]
thanks metro.
that explanation helps put everything into perspective. we had a good season but not the great season we needed to take us further.