Lots to discuss from Tuesday as we head into Friday’s first day of NCAA regional action around the country.
Those programs who did not qualify for the postseason are left to evaluate and, when necessary, make changes in leadership. Washington State did so Tuesday, firing coach Donnie Marbut after 11 seasons in Pullman and a career record over .500 (314-304).
In a press release that announced the move, athletic director Bill Moos said, “Though Donnie and his staff have worked hard over the past 11 years it is my feeling that a change in leadership at this time was necessary to get Cougar baseball back to a position of prominence.”
Moos has never been one to shy away from a bold personnel move, but making WSU baseball into a West Coast power might be easier said than done.
Oregon State, Oregon and Washington compete for the top in-state talent coming out of high school, and the Cougars are increasingly left with what players remain.
Pullman, an isolated outpost of college athletics far away from anything resembling a metropolitan area, is a difficult spot to which to recruit in any sport. The Palouse’s harsh weather particularly comes into play in a sport where playing fall ball and starting the regular season in late February is the national norm.
And playing in the Pac-12, which boasts 2015’s top overall national seed in UCLA, as well as traditional warm-weather powers like Arizona State, Arizona, Southern Cal that play, in some cases, at shimmering pro-quality venues, makes succeeding at WSU a very tall task for whoever replaces Marbut.
Marbut led the Cougars to the postseason in 2009 and 2010, coming a win short of advancing to a super-regional in 2010. His 314 wins are the third-most in program history, behind Bobo Brayton and Buck Bailey, the two coaching luminaries for whom WSU’s Bailey-Brayton Field is named.
Twenty-nine Washington State players were selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft in the 11 years that Marbut spent as WSU’s head coach, and seven of those players were chosen in the first 10 rounds.
Pitcher Adam Conley, a second-round pick by the Marlins in 2011 and current member of the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs, was the highest pick of Marbut’s tenure.
SU’s Hammond honored
Seattle University pitcher Ted Hammond (Shorecrest) has been named the Featured Student-Athlete of the Week on GoSeattleU.com, according to a university press release.
Hammond was an important arm for a Redhawks team that came a win away from reaching the NCAA Tournament this season under coach Donny Harrel.
Hammond finished the season 6-4 with a team-best 2.63 earned run average and tied for the team lead with three saves. He is also a Business Management major with a 3.299 grade-point average.
Snell wins award
Blake Snell (Shorewood) was named the Double-A Southern League’s Player of the Week on Tuesday despite doing something on Saturday that he hadn’t done all year — allow a run.
The 22-year-old left-hander rebounded well by setting a career high with 12 strikeouts over six innings, telling MiLB.com that he “didn’t really care” about his 46-inning scoreless streak.
He struck out 18 and walked five in 12 innings pitched this week, allowing five hits and the one earned run.
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