Baseball's run comes to an end

Very few (with me at the front of the line) would have predicted that BC Baseball would come within one game of the College World Series. While being firmly on the bubble, they spent the past four weeks winning more than expected, got into the ACC Tourney, the NCAA Tournament and then won their bracket. It came to an end Sunday in Miami. After chipping away at Miami's lead, the game got away on a Canes grand slam. The final score was 9-4.

Both benches emptied after the grand slam, as our guys took exception to the bat flips and taunting from the Hurricanes. Based on social media, many BC fans were angered by Miami's display and proud of the boys for standing up. I am more of the opinion that if you don't want someone showboating or taunting, don't let them score. The whole thing was unfortunate, because it was a great series.

Let's hope BC rides this momentum. This should only help recruiting, fundraising and fan support. If we get the new stadium in a reasonable time, BC Baseball could be a real force. I also hope Gambino has officially turned the corner. There were many times over the past few years where the results on the field raised numerous questions. This year was a breakthrough. Now, let's not fall back.

Congrats to the whole team and organization on a great season. They ended a rough year for BC Sports on a high note. 

Baseball off to great start

It is early, but maybe it is time to get excited about BC Baseball. They remain undefeated after beating Villanova Sunday. This is the team's first 7-0 start. They next play the Red Sox in their annual exhibition.

Wouldn't be something for BC Baseball to play really well when Football and Basketball are falling apart? There are a few caution signs though. BC didn't start the season with elite ACC-level teams. Many of these games have been close. But for now there is hope. Maybe the supposed upgrade in talent will finally reach its potential.

San Francisco Giants take Shaw

The World Series Champion Giants drafted Chris Shaw with the 31st pick overall. Shaw has to decide between now and mid-July if he will sign or return for his final season at BC. Despite injuries, Shaw had a very good season and made the ACC's Second Team All Conference. 

Most expect Shaw to sign. As much as BC will miss his power, success in the Draft should help recruiting efforts.

Congrats to Chris and best of luck at the next level. 

Why the "Drop Baseball" debate can't be settled by one series or one season

Baseball is playing well and that's great. Over at BCI Dan Rubin led off his recap of the weekend with a reminder how vocal the "drop baseball" crowd was a year ago and how it might have been shortsighted. I never advocated dropping baseball, but the current success doesn't validate anything and doesn't stop Brad Bates from asking the tough questions about which sports BC should support. Those who questioned BC's baseball future weren't trying to kill a program just to kill it or to make room for lacrosse. They were also looking at the big picture and where BC baseball fits.

The challenges with baseball
Some of BC baseball issues are fixable. Some are not.

The lack of depth among local recruits is probably overstated. You can deliver a consistent winner with players from the northeast.

Any coaching issue is fixable. I am not sold on Gambino being the long-term solution. But the uncertainty over BC's baseball future indirectly led to him getting more time. Hats off if he uses the time to prove he's an ACC-caliber coach. But BC is not a deadend job (see Aoki, see Hughes). If Gambino cannot sustain success, other qualified coaches will gladly take the job if there is a program.

You cannot change the New England weather. It will always make early season games a huge scheduling challenge. It will also make recruiting players from warmer regions a challenge. But BC can address this challenge with a permanent baseball facility that minimizes the impact of many of the weather issues (snow removal, drainage, synthetic fields, etc.).

Playing in a deep baseball conference is a challenge that BC cannot change. But the silver lining of ACC Baseball is that if BC competes in this conference, we can compete with any team in the country.

Funding
While many of the obstacles related to the baseball field are due to local objections, BC's support for the program is still critical. Not only are funds needed for the permanent field, but paying the players remains a looming budget issue. Football and Basketball are the sports most associated with paying athletes, but baseball will be part of the second wave (if it is not part of the first).

Lacrosse vs Baseball
Despite the ongoing debate over which is more viable at BC, the more likely outcome is neither as a varsity sport. If BC ever kills baseball over competitive and or financial reasons, I don't see them making Men's Lacrosse a funded, varsity sport.

But I don't think even the most diehard BC Baseball fan would argue that a well-funded BC Lacrosse team would be more likely to have national success than BC Baseball.

What does BC want out of Sports
Even with our grandstanding votes against paying athletes, I don't think BC will walk away from college sports. Football and, to a lessor extent basketball, are too valuable as marketing tools. The women's sports are safe as long as Title IX is law. Hockey is safe. So then it comes down to the non-revenue men's sports. Baseball is not untouchable. Bates and Father Leahy will have to decide what is important and what sports best promote and fulfill the school's mission. One hot streak in April is not going to answer that question.

What should expectations be for BC Baseball?

Sorry for the misleading headline. I want to use this post to address BC Baseball this season. The long-term future of BC Baseball is a different and more complicated topic. However, after winning three straight in the Snowbird Classic, Baseball improved to 5-6. They play their exhibition against the Red Sox Tuesday and then start ACC play against Florida State this weekend. Putting aside the predictable sweep by LSU, this season is off to a promising start. But a season is not built on a few out of conference wins. The team needs to compete in ACC play. Which brings me back to the question: what should expectations be for BC Baseball this season?

At this point in Gambino's tenure, I think the team has to finish close to .500 in ACC play and win enough of the remaining out of conference games left on the schedule to finish above .500 overall. This is his 5th season. He's been around long enough to refresh the full roster once. We improved his staff in the offseason. Yes, there is still no new field, but that is an issue out of his control.

Perhaps I am setting the bar too high. What are you thoughts?

New dorm = new athletic facilities

BC finally got approval for a new dorm on Comm Ave. As most know, it has taken nearly a decade to get this far. While this is big news for students -- and means fewer will live off campus -- it also has huge repercussions for BC Athletics.

Once the dorm is built, BC will then be able to renovate other buildings and create some new athletic fields. The Athletic fields were specifically mentioned in the approval and in the article. However, BC didn't announce the order or priority of the new athletic buildings, but you have to assume the Plex is high on the list. My hope is that any Plex renovation will include some sort of indoor space for Football. I also hope this leads to a true baseball/softball complex.

Bates was scheduled to reveal the Master Plan this summer. He didn't. I assumed it was related to the dorm approval. Now that BC can go forward on that front, I expect some clear plan from Bates to follow.

Q&A with Brian Foley from College Baseball Daily

While I've expressed my disappointment in this season's BC baseball team, my perspective is more emotional and uninformed. To get a better feel for what happened and what expectations should have been, I asked Brian Foley from College Baseball Daily about the team and its future. Because he focuses on college baseball and is a BC grad, I think Brian holds a unique perspective on our team. My questions and his answers are below.

1. BC just completed another losing season. Although expectations weren't high, did you expect the team to be more competitive? Losing to some mediocre northern schools surprised me as did the inconsistency in ACC play.

Brian Foley: I expected Boston College to win eight ACC games this year and finish last in the conference based on the talent level in the lineup and on the mound. The losing to the "Northern" programs is due to the fact that the pitching was still not up to ACC caliber on the weekends which pushed guys that are "midweek" guys into pitching in conference matchups. They need to get stronger on the bump.

2. Seven players graduate. Who will be the biggest hole to fill?

Brian Foley: Melchionda is the biggest hole to fill in the lineup. He played a solid shortstop defensively but was extremely limited in his range so they will get better on defense with whoever takes over at short.

3. How do you feel about Gambino's recruiting so far?

Brian Foley: Gambino is known for being a diehard recruiter and next season's incoming freshman class is loaded with impact bats including Lexington MA third baseman/RHP Christopher Shaw and Fullerton, CA catcher Stephen Sauter to name a few.

4. What should our expectations be for next season? When will BC have a winning season again?

Brian Foley: The expectations for next season are to compete for an NCAA Regional spot if they freshman come in and make an impact. BC will have a winning season next year and be a bubble team. I put my word on it. This will be Gambino's first season with HIS recruits.