Collegiate Baseball The Voice Of Amateur Baseball Started In 1958 At The Request Of Our Nation’s Baseball Coaches Vol. 63, No. 6 Friday, March 20, 2020 $4.00 Big Problems May Hit Baseball If proposed transfer baseball games. In addition, there is serious concern rule is adopted in April, free agency for players will erupt by recruiting may turn into unscrupulous coaches who attempt to ‘Wild West’ with retention pilfer key players from other programs. Over recruiting will undoubtedly take becoming huge issue. place as well. These ugly scenarios actually unfolded By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR. in the past when baseball players were Editor/Collegiate Baseball allowed to transfer from one Division I school to another and were immediately NDIANAPOLIS — If the dominoes eligible. continue to fall, NCAA Division Currently the new transfer rule is II baseball players will be able to under consideration by the NCAA’s transfer and compete immediately at Transfer Waiver Working Group which other Division I schools beginning with is receiving membership feedback. the 2020-21 academic year. If the Transfer Waiver Working Serious consequences could result for Group is comfortable making a formal the sport of baseball recommendation to implement this Not only are many more transfers change, it could be approved by the likely to take place as Division I baseball Division I Council during its April 23- players jump from one school to another, 24 meetings. but baseball’s Academic Progress Rate The criteria would change to allow (APR) could tumble in the process which approvals for first-time, 4-year transfers may ultimately cause administrators to look at cutting back the number of See MAJOR PROBLEMS, Page 3 LSU Coach Paul Mainieri sees serious trouble down the road. WHITE Living On The Road With Long Bus Rides EF3 TORNADO HOT! CAUSES MASSIVE DESTRUCTION Louisiana Tech. forced to play all 56 of its regular-season games on the road this season which has presented some unique challenges for players, coaches. By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR. Editor/Collegiate Baseball USTON, La. — On April 25, 2019 at 1:53 a.m., a tornado with peak wind gusts of 145 mph ripped through Ruston, RLa. that caused $15-20 million in damages to Louisiana It really was amazing Tech’s sports facilities which included the baseball stadium J.C. what power this Love Field at Pat Patterson Park. “ A mother and son were killed when a tree fell on their home in tornado had and the Ruston. Neither were affiliated with the Louisiana Tech. baseball program. damage it caused. They New Mexico The EF3 tornado caused extensive damage in this city as trees have estimated $15-20 State’s Nick crashed into houses and roofs were peeled off buildings. million in damage to Gonzales hits The vehicles of 6-7 baseball players were totaled by the tornado, 12 homers in according to Louisiana Tech. Head Coach Lane Burroughs. all of our sports only 13 games. Because of the damage, a complete stadium rebuild has been complexes. See page 7. taking place and caused the baseball team to have no home field for practice or playing baseball games for the 2020 season. — Lane Burroughs Instead, they have been forced to play all 56 regular-season Louisiana Tech. games on the road. See BULLDOGS TURN INTO ROAD, Page 2 Inside Collegiate Baseball Web Site: www.baseballnews.com” Freshman Fires Perfect Game White Line Fever Can Be Deadly Thousands Of Years Don’t Lie College of the Sequoias’ flawless While many players never come Gary Ward vividly shows that kids Ben Pedersen only needs 84 back, Tom Hanson explains how simply haven’t changed, and here pitches over 9 innings/Page 14 you can resurrect career/Page 4 are great teaching tactics/Page 6 Page 2 Collegiate Baseball Friday, March 20, 2020 Collegiate Baseball The Voice Of Amateur Baseball Collegiate Baseball (ISSN 0530-9751) is published twice a month January-May and once in June, July, September and October (14 total issues) by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Inc., 2515 N. Stone Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705. Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Collegiate Baseball P.O. Box 50566 Tucson, AZ 85703 Louisiana Tech’s stadium was hit hard by a tornado that had winds of 145 mph. Overnight Mail: 2515 N. Stone Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705 Past Publishers: Abe Chanin, Lou Pavlovich, Sr. Single 1-Year Subscription Rate: $28 for 14 issues. Single 1-Year First Class U.S. Subscription: $45 Bulldogs Turn Into Road Single 1-Year Foreign Air Mail Subscription: $50 Special Team Subscriptions: 11 papers each issue sent to one address — $110 (save $198 off the single subscription price), and 21 papers each issue sent to one address — $189 (save $399). Warriors For ’20 Season Other Multiple Subscription Offers: Please inquire with sub- Continued From Page 1 “Even today, our university is be in our baseball facility by next scription department at (520) 623-4530. working through state insurance February. Eight games were scheduled agencies and the federal government “We have four straight weekends at Ruston High School’s baseball to receive money for the rebuilding that we have scheduled games next Directory field which gives a reprieve from project.” year before league play. I think we Area Code (520) traveling so often. Practicing At Ruston H.S. have 35 home games slated which “A year ago, we played Arkansas- will be very different than 2020. Publisher: Lou Pavlovich, Jr. (Call 623-4530) Burroughs said due to not having Editor: Lou Pavlovich, Jr. (Call 623-4530 to report stories) Little Rock Tuesday on our home any stadium after the April 2019 “With the new complex, we Advertising Director: Diane Pavlovich (Call 623-4530) field,” said Burroughs. tornado, Louisiana Tech.’s fall will have a new indoor facility and Subscription Department: (Call 623-4530) “In the bottom of the ninth, Hunter practices in 2019 were moved to more chair back seating. It will be Fax Machine: (Call 624-5501) Wells hit a walk-off homer. Ruston High School. really nice. We will have the nicest E-Mail: [email protected] “The next morning, we all got on “I can’t thank the good people facility in our league. It won’t even Web Site: www.baseballnews.com a bus and headed to McNeese St. of Ruston High School enough for be close.” Then we stayed in Lake Charles, allowing us to utilize their facility When it became apparent that La. that night which is a short while we wait for our stadium to be nearly every baseball game would 2020 Publication Schedule drive to Houston where we were rebuilt,” said Burroughs. be out of town for the 2020 season, scheduled to play a series against his budget was modified to include January 3 March 6 May 1 September 4 “We had carte blanche all of last January 24 March 20 May 15 October 2 Rice. fall in using Ruston High School’s more travel…but within reason. February 7 April 3 June 12 “When I went to bed, I put my baseball field as well as locker “We initially had five home February 21 April 17 July 10 cell phone on silent mode and went room and coaches’ offices. conference series scheduled before to sleep. About 3 a.m., my cell “But once we came back from the tornado. Now we have to bus to phone kept lighting up which woke Christmas break, we shared the each one of these schools and stay Moving? me up. I must have had 20 messages in hotels which weren’t originally field with Ruston High School’s Make Sure CB Moves Along With You! and missed calls. I immediately baseball team. planned and feed everyone. called my wife, and she told me “The budget was made during To change your address, please write us 30 days in advance if “The most challenging aspect of you can. Mail to: Collegiate Baseball Newspaper that there had been a tornado that this is we have a window of 9:30 the past summer after our fiscal year touched down in Ruston about an was over. I believe our university Dept. Address Change a.m.-1 p.m. to get our work done P.O. Box 50566 hour earlier, and fortunately she on their field now. We have to get president has helped us out along Tucson, Ariz. 85703 was fine. our practices in during those hours. with a few donors to make ends “One of our managers stayed When you factor in class schedules meet.” 1. Please print OLD address here. back, and he was one of the guys for our players, we have rarely been Burroughs said the two longest NAME who tried to call me. So I called him together as a whole team during trips on the schedule are to Troy, STREET APT. # back, and he was on the field at the Ala. (8 hours away) and Wichita, these spring practices unless it was CITY STATE ZIP time. He said there were probably a weekend practice.” Kan. (9 hours away). 100 people standing on the field, Burroughs said it is nearly “The trip to Wichita is our longest DATE OF and the tornado had destroyed the of the season. But fortunately we impossible to get everything done MOVE: baseball facility. as a coach when you don’t have half are on our quarter break at school. “There is student housing behind of your players for practices. So we won’t miss any school.” 2. Please print NEW address here. our left field. Fortunately none of Louisiana Tech.