Coach Ed Flaherty has become a regional legend and an NACB Hall of Famer in his 22 years as Head Coach of Southern Maine.  With a career record of 689 and 301 (.695 winning percentage), Coach Flaherty figures to cross into rarefied air with the potential to win his 700th game for the Huskies in 2009.  The Huskies will also be going for their third national DIII title in 2009 after falling short in the Northeast Regional against the Trinity (CT) juggernaut this past spring.  Coach Flaherty graduated from Maine, where he played baseball.  He was inducted into the University of Maine Hall of Fame in 1992, the State of Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the National Association of Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2005.

Last week we talked Southern Maine with Coach Flaherty. (Part 1 available here.)  He’s been kind enough to sit down with us for some more questions.
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Coach Ed Flaherty has become a regional legend and an NACB Hall of Famer in his 22 years as Head Coach of Southern Maine.  With a career record of 689 and 301 (.695 winning percentage), Coach Flaherty figures to cross into rarefied air with the potential to win his 700th game for the Huskies in 2009.  The Huskies will also be going for their third national DIII title in 2009 after falling short in the Northeast Regional against the Trinity (CT) juggernaut this past spring.  Coach Flaherty graduated from Maine, where he played baseball.  He was inducted into the University of Maine Hall of Fame in 1992, the State of Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the National Association of Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2005.

We at TCBB would like to thank Coach Flaherty for taking the time to talk with us and wish him the best of luck in the upcoming season.
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As a part of the US$2.5 Billion, 15-year all-sports television package announced today, ESPN and the Southeastern Conference announced that college baseball will become a regular feature on the world’s largest and most influential sports network.  The official press release gave some pause, as only the SEC tournament appears to be guaranteed air time.  Additionally, at least 3 softball or baseball games will air on the main channels (ESPN and ESPN2); however, Kendall Rogers of Rivals.com has revealed that it is intended that ESPNU will air several regular season games.  All SEC tournament games will appear on the network. Read the rest of this entry »

Recruiting coordinator Eric Bakich of Vanderbilt has kicked off recruiting season with a bang.  Today, it was reported that stellar defensive shortstop Anthony Gomez of top ranked Don Bosco high school of New Jersey committed to the Commodores.  Gomez, a sure handed, line-drive hitting shortstop standing 6′ 180, is the third ‘09-’10 recruit known to have committed to Vanderbilt and Tim Corbin.  He received a Perfect 10 rating from Perfect Game. 

Last week, TCBB scribe Don Boyles tipped off that Connor Harrell, a physical specimen and top outfielder had committed to the Commodores.  PG rates Harrell the #65 prospect in the class and awarded him a Perfect 10 rating as well.  The Kinkaid School product is a strapping 6′3″ 190lb speed demon, clocking a 6.66 time in the 60 yard run at PG’s National Showcase.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Dallas Morning News takes a look at equivalency sport scholarships with an interesting read:

The Scholarship Game: An examination of how universities divvy up scholarship money and the impact on student athletes.

After years of playing baseball with the elite Dallas Mustangs youth travel team, Tyler Sibley is weighing scholarship offers to play shortstop at a Division I school next fall.

The financial aid Sibley receives in college won’t come close to covering the money his father, Tim, has spent getting him to this point.

The same can be said for countless other athletes across North Texas whose parents often spend well in excess of $25,000 so their kids can compete at the highest levels in youth sports such as baseball, swimming, soccer, tennis and golf. Read the rest of this entry »

Newport starter Chase Reid dominated in his first start of the season, striking out 19 batters in a 6-1 victory over Torrington in New England Collegiate Baseball League Southern Division action Friday night.

The 19 strikeouts – one shy of the Major League Baseball single-game mark – are an NECBL league record.  After allowing a home run to Corey Shimada to lead off the game, Reid allowed just four hits the rest of the way.  He struck out the side four times, and had at least two strikeouts in six different innings.  He struck out every Torrington starter at least once, and fittingly, Reid ended the game by striking out Josh Chasse. Read the rest of this entry »

Other than College Baseball’s top eight teams in Omaha, most of America has turned their full attention to the ever turbulent summer. This means summer leagues, coaching movement and draft watching. Things are no different at Vanderbilt, which for the third straight year failed to escape the Regionals. But that doesn’t mean the summer has not been active already.

On the Cape

Vanderbilt features six roster members on teams in the prestigious Cape Cod League. Friend of the College Baseball Blog Jarred Amato (publisher of SportsVU, a Vanderbilt Sports Blog) traveled to Wareham to spend some time with Vanderbilt sophomore leftfielder Steven Liddle as he started his season with the Gatemen. The article, found here, is a great glimpse into the magic of the league and what it means to the players and the community proper. I have a feeling our publisher, Brian Foley, will enjoy it as a top-notch fan of the league. Read the rest of this entry »

KEENE, N.H. — Aaron Senne (Missouri; Rochester, Minn.), Ryan Ortiz (Oregon State; San Diego, Calif.) and Kentrail Davis (Tennessee; Theodore, Ala.) all homered in a five-run third inning as the 2008 USA Baseball National Trials Team defeated the Keene Swamp Bats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League 11-0 Thursday night at Alumni Field. This was the first competition during the trials.

With the U.S. team leading 4-0, Senne ripped a one-out solo home run to right. On the very next pitch, Ortiz laced a solo shot to right-center. An error and a walk set the stage for Davis’ homer, a three-run blast to right-center. It was the first of two home runs on the night for Davis, who followed a Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton; Corona, Calif.) sixth-inning leadoff home run with a solo round-tripper to right-center.
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Although High Schoolers Tim Beckham, Eric Hosmer and Kyle Skipworth were chosen 1st (Tampa), 3rd (Royals) and 6th (Marlins), College platers dominated the top of the draft on Thursday.  Leading the way were a crop of powerful position players, including an inordinate number of 1st basemen and a distinct lack of pitchers. 

Of the first 27 players taken in the draft, 20 were from the college ranks.  Interestingly enough, 15 of the first 18 players selected were position players, a rare split in a first year player draft.  But this was a crop of talented bats, with 11 catchers, firstbasemen and third sackers of those first 18 picks. Read the rest of this entry »

In the past 6 season, Vanderbilt University has become one of the thorns in the sides of those trying to recruit high school players committed to Coach Tim Corbin and recruiting coordinator Eric Bakich.  A recent NYTimes profile of Pedro Alvarez disclosed at least one of the secret strategies used by Coaches Corbin and Bakich (a tax planner and a thick three ring binder).  Commodore recruits are told to weigh the value of a Vanderbilt diploma against any potential signing bonus, which a tax planner brings down to earth with an analysis of taxes against the bonus, living expenses during the life of potential contracts and certain luxury purchases.  Read the rest of this entry »