Iowa Baseball Coach's Contract not Renewed

Once they started terribly in the Big Ten, I was hoping they'd lose just enough to get him canned. There is no reason, as the only team in the state, Iowa can't be more competitive than they are. Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State, even Northwestern, have all had superior programs to Iowa in the past decade.
 
I admit that I don't follow college baseball, but when was the last time Iowa had a decent team? Back in the Boddiker era (late '70's)?
 
MisterLucky said:
I admit that I don't follow college baseball, but when was the last time Iowa had a decent team? Back in the Boddiker era (late '70's)?
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Hawks made the Big 10 title game 2 or 3 years ago.

IIRC, they were the last seed in the tourney so that is only a middle of the pack finish in the conference though.
 
I don't follow Iowa baseball,but I know the kid who will be the top rated prospect in Iowa next year and has committed to a top SEC school never even received a letter from the guy.
 
I agree, it is time for a change. There is some good baseball being played at the high school level in this state and with Iowa being the only D1 program they should be more successful. A couple of years ago the baseball program looked on the rise with a strong finish in the BTT so the expectations were higher last year and they laid an egg. This year they landed a solid recruiting class (I have heard top 25 mentions) and was unable to do anything with it.
 
I was told from someone inside the athletic department that BJ Armstrong will be introduced as early as next week as the new baseball coach. It's been in the works for months, from what I was told.
 
Its a joke there are good players in the state of Iowa. There are kids from Sioux City at Stanford, Nebraska, Illinois, Louisville, and Notre Dame. Some of these kids had no offers from Iowa. I know there are more kids from around the state that are good and in the past there have real ball players like Jeff Clement, Matt Macri and the last one from Sioux City Dean Mcardle set the saves record for a freshman in the PAC 12 at Stanford. One other problem might be the act that they play on a little league field.
 
face it boys, big10 baseball is worse than big east football. we're more like low to mid majors as a college b-ball comparison. if you were a high ranked recruit, would you play lower class baseball, or go to a legit program? iowa is not going to get the best iowa players. they aren't. and a huge part of that is the conference we're in and how terrible the baseball is.

last time a big10 team made the college world series...1984 (it was Michigan).

this is a good read about the challenges and problems of playing ball up north
Big Ten baseball coaches frustrated, seek changes to college baseball | TheGazette
 
Maybe it's time to cut bait with the baseball team all together. Nobody cares anyways. Pour the money into basketball and football. Kurt could use another $1 million a year.
 
MisterLucky said:
Just one more Iowa sports program that Barta has let drift to the bottom of the conference.
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How soon does Barta pull the trigger on the Volleyball coach...taking a transfer from Arizona who played 16 total matches and has 16 kills...recruiting the state of Iowa...wow what a joke.
 
MeatMan said:
face it boys, big10 baseball is worse than big east football. we're more like low to mid majors as a college b-ball comparison. if you were a high ranked recruit, would you play lower class baseball, or go to a legit program? iowa is not going to get the best iowa players. they aren't. and a huge part of that is the conference we're in and how terrible the baseball is.

last time a big10 team made the college world series...1984 (it was Michigan).

this is a good read about the challenges and problems of playing ball up north
Big Ten baseball coaches frustrated, seek changes to college baseball | TheGazette
Click to expand...

This! ^

Any northern HS player w/the talent level to play in a warm-weather conference (like the SEC, the Pac-12, the southernmost Big XII schools) would have to have some kinda serious mental deficiency to want to play in the Big Ten.

Schools in sunshine states are going to have better facilities, better coaching, better visibility (i.e. scouts), better competition, and a far better chance of playing meaningful post-season ball.

MeatMan nailed it with his Big East football/low to mid majors college b-ball comparison.

If you don't like it, you either need to:

1) Hope college baseball increases in popularity by several orders of magnitude and Big Ten schools start investing millions in the way of indoor baseball stadiums.
2) Root for "global warming" or "climate change" or whatever you want to call the warming trend this week to really hit the upper midwest hard in the way of shortening the winter months.
 
honestly, maybe it would be better to go the hockey route. lots of amateur league play going on in the state, and most of the conference plays hockey too...

going to summer or fall ball is not an option, unless it's a club sport.
 
528646 said:
This! ^

Any northern HS player w/the talent level to play in a warm-weather conference (like the SEC, the Pac-12, the southernmost Big XII schools) would have to have some kinda serious mental deficiency to want to play in the Big Ten.

Schools in sunshine states are going to have better facilities, better coaching, better visibility (i.e. scouts), better competition, and a far better chance of playing meaningful post-season ball.

MeatMan nailed it with his Big East football/low to mid majors college b-ball comparison.

If you don't like it, you either need to:

1) Hope college baseball increases in popularity by several orders of magnitude and Big Ten schools start investing millions in the way of indoor baseball stadiums.
2) Root for "global warming" or "climate change" or whatever you want to call the warming trend this week to really hit the upper midwest hard in the way of shortening the winter months.
Click to expand...

indoor stadiums could save big 10 baseball, but i doubt many schools would want to make a commitment like that. the article i posted i think said Iowa (and pretty much every other B10 team) plays their first 15-18 or so games away from home (often very far from home), whereas schools like Florida generally don't leave the state till the end of the season. such a ridiculous scenario.
 
Climate doesn't hurt the Big 10 in softball.

Yes, they play a ton of road games early, but there are still really good teams year in and year out.

Why is baseball different? I think climate and the opportunity to go into the minor leagues hurts the northern schools, now there are exceptions. There are also some Southern schools that appear to be factories for a few teams as well. There was a kid in our area who went to MSU and he was FOY in the BIG. What did he do...transferred to ASU and instantly became a pro prospect...not much of one after what he did as a freshman, but was after he had a drop-off season at a power house. The Universities have to want to put the facilities and focus out there as well, kids see it and want the "best" conditions to play. I don't see many outside of Michigan getting facilities that are top flight.
 
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