What are the three keys to a successful 2007 season?
First, it is strong starting pitching. That is No. 1 for us. Second, it is our ability to play strong defense and limit the opportunities we give opponents. I would say the final thing for us is to be a good situational hitting team. We have to make sure we are driving runs in and being competitive at the plate. I have been on teams that hit .289 and hit real well in those situations and other teams that hit .315 and struggled with situational hitting. I’d rather be on a team that may not hit for as high an average, but is competitive at the plate and is good in situations.
What are your thoughts on the Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex and the Hawks Championship Center?
First and foremost, it helps in recruiting. We have Hawks Field at Haymarket Park which is one of the first things we show recruits when they get to campus. Then we take them over to the Hawks Championship Center and the Osborne Athletic Complex, which is an incredible facility.
For our players, the biggest benefit is that our players are in one place and are more attached to the campus. Before this building was completed, we did our fielding in one building and drove across campus to hit. This facility gives us a year-round home, with athletic medicine and our strength room in the same location. It shows our student-athletes the resources we have are in place for them to be successful at the highest levels.
What do you think about pushing back the season start date in 2008?
It is something we have looked at for a while and it will require a lot of changes for programs around the country. For us, the biggest change will be a positive one because it will give our kids more ownership in this program, and that is something we have been preaching for years. It will be a benefit because that is what the players in our program want - responsibility and ownership in the team. We develop this program and our teams are able to take ownership as a group together. For coaches, it will be tough because we were anxious to begin in mid-January and our staff will have to wait another two weeks.
I think the other change is the compression of the schedule. It is something the northern schools have had to deal with because of weather, and it will be interesting to see the depth of other teams since we will all be on a similar footing in regards to scheduling.
Who are your biggest coaching influences?
I have had a number of influences at various levels going all the way back to high school. Over the years, I have tried to take the best traits of each of these coaches, as well as the ones I played for in pro baseball, to create my own style. Learning from Coach (Dave) Van Horn for five years at Nebraska was a very positive experience in many ways. Early on, the two I learned the most from were my high school coach Jim Danley, who was one of the best coaches in terms of relating to players, and Tom Petroff, who was my college coach at Northern Colorado. From him, I learned about baseball philosophy and teaching the game the proper way.
What is your coaching philosophy?
There are a lot of parts that go into a coaching philosophy. In terms of the program, I love the hitting aspect, but understand that pitching and defense wins championships. It is important for our staff to create a great environment for our pitching and defense, while at the same time, continuing to develop the best hitters we can.
Our philosophy is to recruit student-athletes with great academic credentials and talent. We always say that our success is based on not only recruiting great talent, but also developing that talent when players come to Nebraska. We take a lot of pride in the development of our student-athletes. We believe in teaching, both on and off the field, to give them the best chance of being successful in whatever they choose, whether it is professional baseball or in the business world.
What is your staff’s recruiting philosophy and what do you look for in potential student-athletes.
We have a three-tiered approach to recruiting. First, we want to look for players throughout the state ? and that will always be our primary focus ? then we look to the Midwest and then nationally. We feel the talent level in this state is very good, and if you look at the makeup of our roster, we have tried to make recruiting quality players from this state a priority. For kids around the state and the Midwest, there is something special about playing baseball for the University of Nebraska.
As for what we look for in players, we look for players who meet our needs, both talent-wise and academically. It is two fold. You can’t be one or the other. We’ve been successful over the years because we recruited players who not only have talent, but also have the willingness to work hard and develop in our program. There are a lot of kids who feel as though they have reached their potential, but we want our players to come in with the expectation that if they come to NU, they will continue to develop, both as players and as people.
What are your objectives for the Nebraska baseball program?
Our whole objective is to create the best possible environment for developing as student-athletes and putting them in a position to be successful following their time at Nebraska. On the field, our main goal is to annually contend for the Big 12 title, as well as put ourselves in contention for the NCAA Tournament and the College World Series. To have an opportunity to be successful in the postseason, you need to do well in the conference, so that is an emphasis of ours. The Big 12 is annually one of the best, if not the best baseball conference in the country, so if we are in contention for the league title, then we should have an opportunity to be successful in the postseason. We would like to contend for a national title, and that is a goal that every program, no matter what level, strives for. To do that, you need a purpose. Our purpose is to learn to play the game with a passion. We call it the Nebraska Way, which is striving to be better each day and having the ability to take a day-by-day approach. In the conference, it’s not going to take luck ? it takes hard work and going out and giving your complete effort every time we take the field.
When recruiting a potential student-athlete, what are NU’s selling points?
I think Nebraska offers a lot to student-athletes. The first thing we tell players is that if they come to Nebraska, they will have the opportunity to work with the best support staff in the country. From our academic coordinators to our strength staff to medicine and nutrition, all of these aspects are included to help each person reach their potential and give them the best chance for success.
Another major selling point is the Nebraska education, and that is a special thing in this region of the country. Once you graduate from the University of Nebraska, there are doors that open up to you, and that creates a great environment to succeed professionally.
Some of the other things that make Nebraska such a strong sell is the chance to play in an outstanding facility in front of some of the most supportive fans in college baseball and the chance to work with a coaching staff that not only knows about winning, but also cares about each individual. That helps us foster a great team environment. They have an opportunity to play in front of fans who are supportive unlike any other program in the country.
How impressive is Nebraska’s academic support system?
We put a strong emphasis on academics. We believe if you are good in the classroom and in the community, you will put yourself in a position to succeed on the field, and we try to make that a priority for our players. One of the main reasons that we have been so successful is because of the discipline of the players in our program, and that carries over to other parts outside of baseball. With all the time demands that baseball has during the season, we get a lot of support from Dennis Leblanc, Katie Jewell and the rest of the people who work in our academic program.
How important is Nebraska’s home-field advantage of Hawks Field?
The thing we have learned over the past five years is that, while the facility is great, the fans are even better. The fans that fill this place are what make it a special environment, and that is something that carried over from when we played at Buck Beltzer. As coaches, this is a marvelous facility to play in and recruit to because it is one of, if not the finest college baseball stadium in the country. It also gives our fans a great environment to watch baseball because it is such an intimate setting and they are close to the action. Playing here is a win-win for our program and our fans.