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Despite an impressive resume, Dallas Baptist was on the outside looking in when Regional invites were handed out last season. Look for Austin Knight and the Patriots to remove any doubt this year and play late into the spring. You can follow Austin and his teammates' quest throughout the season by checking out his blog here.






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PING!BASEBALL SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW
Joe Godri
Villanova Wildcats

Before Villanova head coach Joe Godri took over the Wildcat program for the 2001-02 season, the team was only able to manufacture a single thirty-win season the previous ten years. In this first three years Godri eclipsed that mark with a pair of thirty-wnners and has had the Wildcats on the cusp of thirty victories every season with a single exception. Last year the Wildcats finished sixith in the up and coming BIG EAST conference which placed three teams in the NCAA tournament including CWS participant Louisville. As 'Nova enters 2008 (its 142nd year of varsity baseball) the Wildcats and Gordi have their sights set on bigger and brighter goals in 2008, knowing they are only are a few wins away from making their first NCAA tournament appearace since 1991.

As Coach Godri was finishing up early recruiting this winter, he answered a few questions from Ping! about his upcoming Wildcat program and what to expect in 2008.

PING!: Last year preseason predictions had the Wildcats forecasted to finish at the bottom of the BIG EAST rankings. Yet ‘Nova was able to finish in the top of half of the league and consequently make the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. Was the slight a motivator for the team as they hit the diamond?

Godri: First of all, I think the preseason prediction was justified. I firmly believe we underachieved in 2006, and that may have contributed to a carry over in some of the forecasters minds. We had some key players, including an eventual second round pick (Kevin Mulvy/New York Mets), and for multiple reasons, we just didn’t get it done.

Although I understood why we were picked near the bottom of the Big East last season, I didn’t think it would prove to be accurate. So, yes, there may have been some motivation there, especially since we were picked below two teams (Seton Hall, Cincinnati) that we had won a series against in 2006. Organizationally, we continued to gain confidence throughout the year, especially when it became apparent we would comfortably beat the prediction and make the Big East Playoffs.

I thought our team was really motivated by the article in May when Ping Baseball marked the Rutgers vs. Villanova three game series as College Baseball featured series of the week. Both teams’ seasons were on the line in regards to the Big East Playoffs and NCAA Regional. Although it was obvious to many that Rutgers was playing as well as anyone in the Country, we were also playing some solid ball. The Rutgers series brings out great passion among our players at Villanova. The two schools are close in proximity and we have many players on our roster from the state of New Jersey.

PING!: Every player who appeared in fifty games last year had at minimum seven stolen bases. Furthermore, the ‘Cats had nearly 20% more sacrifices than their opponents. Obviously swiping bases and playing small ball is part of your coaching philosophy. What is your inspiration for the "one base at time” viewpoint?

Godri: Our game plan really goes back to what I like to think of as the West Coast-style of offense. I had a chance to watch ‘small ball’ style used to its full potential when I was an assistant coach at New Mexico State University. We would watch teams like Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State throw quality arms, play solid defense and then drive us ‘nuts’ with their offensive game plan.

I believe in the analogy of ‘styles make fights’. This blue print always gives you a chance to make a fight of it each day. Some of the variables we face at Villanova include limited scholarship monies and lofty academic admission standards; we play in a high profile baseball conference and in a ballpark that does not give up a lot of home runs. Your just not always going to win on talent alone sometimes we need to scheme to find opportunities.

In my six seasons as Head Coach at Villanova, 30% of our games have been played within 2 runs or less and close to 60% of our games have been decided by 5 runs or less. I tell our guys all the time we play the game in the box. Most days, regardless of opponent, we seem to find our way into tight, low-scoring games. I feel a base philosophy of getting on base and forcing opponent’s infield defense to make plays best suits our chances to navigate through ball games and allows Villanova to be a successful program.

PING!: Senior infielder Derek Shunk will return to the diamond after an impressive ’07 season where he finished in the conference top ten in batting average and on base percentage, earned All-BIG EAST Third Team honors and even turned an unassisted triple-play. What are his plans for an encore in ’08?

Godri: Derek has been a very steady player throughout his career and I expect that he will do nothing but continue his success through his senior year. He projects to set the all-time hits record at Villanova and looks like he will be at or near the top of 4-5 statistical categories in a program that has been around since 1866. Derek is one of the top hitters in the BIG EAST Conference and all-around he has proven to be an excellent college baseball player.

PING!: The ‘Cats lost All-BIG EAST Second Team pitcher Mike Loree to graduation and the draft, however the returning arsenal of arms appears to be a strong point for next season. Developing young arms like Brian Streilein and experienced hurler Jordan Ellis should keep Villanova in contention all year. What other pitchers do you expect to step up next season?

Godri: Like many programs our pitching staff needs to be the core of our team each year. We aren’t going to replace a guy like Mike Loree and the intangibles he brought to the mound. We have been very fortunate at Villanova to be in a fantastic run of pitchers coming through our program the past six seasons. I believe we had close to 14 pitchers have opportunities to play past Villanova with MLB, International, or independent leagues.

Yes, having two high-end prospects in Jordan Ellis and a developing Brian Streilein are comforting assets to have. But by no means will we have any drop off past those two. We have some quality veteran arms in Josh Eidell, Bill Hoffman and Gus Guida who form the core of what could be a very good pitching staff. The staff also gets a boost from the return of redshirt freshman Chris Pack, who has great potential.”

PING!: What other players do you anticipate big things from next season?

Godri: Well, we only lost 4 total players from the 2007 season. When you return as many starters as we are going to return this year, no individual player needs to be burdened with all the pressure to succeed. Our players have a firm understanding of how we want to play. The bottom line is if we take care of the baseball, get on base, and throw it over the plate we will have a chance everyday.

We have 13 members in the 2008 senior class this season and although the seniors have made significant contributions throughout their entire careers, we will need to have guys post close to career seasons to get back into the Big East playoffs. Of that group, Dan Terpak is our top offensive threat with speed and power. Infielder Ryan Arcadia (2B) and outfielder James Dolbier (RF), both four year starters, should give us very solid efforts. We have some experienced juniors in Joe Cotter, Joe Rosiati and Matt McFolling who will need to contribute as well.

PING!: Louisville made it to the College World Series last season; the second BIG EAST team to reach Omaha in the past five years. Does national success by fellow conference members rub off onto other teams in the league?

Godri: I definitely think there is a residual effect among other conference teams when a team like Louisville gets to the College World Series. I think the biggest thing is that Louisville didn’t win our league, coming in third place in the regular season and did not play in the conference championship game. One of the things that says is that we can play in the BIG EAST! The Big East was not only capable of getting three teams into the tournament field but saw the third place team in the league compete in the College World Series. That success speaks volumes about where the BIG EAST has come in a short time; having three teams get into the NCAA Tournament has not been a given in the past.

PING!: Is there any significance for you having the jersey number 5?

Godri: I really tried to think of something juicy to come up with to answer this question, but the truth is that when I came to Villanova in my first stint as an assistant in 1991 that’s the number I was issued. I kept it ever since. It’s as boring as that.

PING!: When I think of Philadelphia I think of the Liberty Bell, sports, Rocky and famous cheesesteaks. When you make it into the city, where do you head for the best Philly cheese steak?

Godri: A lot of people go to the well-known places like Geno’s and Pat’s, and for the record I am a Pat’s guy! But for the best cheese steak there is a place on Snyder Avenue in the city that I go to with my brother Mike. It is called John’s Roast Pork and they make the best steak sandwiches you’ll get anywhere.

PREVIOUS PLAYER SPOTLIGHTS

2010
A.J. Kirby-Jones Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
Akeem Hood North Carolina Central Eagles
Alex Pracher Stanford Cardinal
Christopher Manno Duke Blue Devils
Collin Cargill Southern Miss Golden Eagles
George Springer Connecticut Huskies

Will Gowdy *

OBU Tigers
Coach Dave Schmotzer * Coker Cobras
Blake Forsythe Tennessee Volunteers
Matt Purke TCU Horned Frogs

* - DII
2009
Matt den Dekker Florida Gators
Geoff Parker Florida State Seminoles
Chris Dominguez Louisville Cardinals
Nick McCully Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Matt Carpenter TCU Horned Frogs
Mike Roberts Columbia Lions
Bradley Logan Georiga State Panthers
Christian Bergman UC Irvine Anteaters
Matt Otteman UT Arlington Mavericks
Matt and Rich Gedman Massachusetts Minutemen
Jace Brinkerhoff and Billy Burgess Utah Valley University Wolverines
Kyle Roller East Carolina Pirates
Joey Bergman and Jesse Simpson College of Charleston Cougars

DII

Matt Cotellese West Chester Golden Rams
Mike Adams Franklin Pierce Ravens
J.D. Martinez &
Michael Fiers
Nova Southeastern Sharks
Kevin Pillar &
Phil Van Doren
Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros
Jordan Schmitt Abilene Christian University Wildcats
Tim Freshour Shippensburg Red Raiders
Ryan Kirkman UNC Pembroke Braves

 

Previous Years

2008
Tommy Medica Santa Clara Broncos
Jeremy Hamilton Wright State Raiders
Kyle Bellows San Jose State Spartans
Mike Ford and
Mario Hollands
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
Alex Buchholz Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
Will Delawter UMBC Retrievers
Brad McElroy Charlotte 49ers
Ross Humes Washington State Cougars
Gary Novakowski
and Tom Koehler
Stony Brook Seawolves
Asher Wojciechowski The Citadel Bulldogs
Mitch Harris Navy Midshipmen
Conor Gillaspie Wichita State
Xavier Scruggs UNLV
Christian Friedrich Eastern Kentucky
Adam Zornes Rice Owls
Adam Warren North Carolina
Scott Eckard, Kyle Bowley
& Andrew Runion
USC Upstate Trojans
Joe Godri Villanova Wildcats
Kyle Russell Texas Longhorns
Clay Whittemore Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Andrew Means Indiana Hoosiers
Nate Freiman Duke Blue Devils
Jason Buursma Bucknell Bison
Chris Shehan Georgia Southern Eagles
Ed Mathey Northern Illinois Huskies
K.K. Chalmers Memphis Tigers
Trey Sutton Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
Michael Rockett Texas San Antonio Roadrunners
Brett Nommensen Eastern Illinois Panthers
George Brown St. John's Red Storm
Buzzy Haydel LSU Tigers

DII

Scott Savastano Franklin Pierce Ravens
Michael Brzezinski St. Mary's Rattler's
Erik Lovett Mount Olive Trojans
Andy Kampsen Northern State

 

2007
Jordan Pacheo
& Ian Hollick
New Mexico
Scott Simon
& Matt German
Northern Illinois
Matt La Porta Florida
Bryan Rembisz
& Kyle Henry
Vermont
Michael Arensdorff
& Zach Rodeghero
Valparaiso
T.J. Baxter
& Matt McKissick
New Orleans
Craig Brookes
& Steve Gerstenberger
Michigan State
Robbie Rowen
& Marcus Wynn
Long Island
Devin Thomas
& Jeff Deitz
Brown
Ryan Langlais North Dakota State
Kellen Kulbacki James Madison Dukes
Curt Smith Maine BlackBears
Austin Krum Dallas Baptist Patriots
Matt Cusick Southern California Trojans
Pat Venditte Creighton Bluejays
James Simmons UC Riverside Highlanders
Tony Campana Cincinnati Bearcats
Clint Robinson Troy Trojans
David Wood Texas State
Kraig Binick New York Institute of Technology Bears
Brendon Hitchcock Binghamton Bearcats
Brian Rike Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Arik Hempy South Carolina Gamecocks
Tyson Brummett UCLA Bruins
Matt Hauge
& Curt Rindal
Washington Huskies
Robbie Widlansky Florida Atlantic Owls
Parker Dalton Texas A&M Aggies
Greg Sexton William and Mary Tribe
Joe Savery Rice Owls

PREVIOUS COACH SPOTLIGHTS

Scott Norwood Arkansas Little Rock Trojans
Scott Forbes North Carolina Tar Heels
Rob Childress Texas A&M Aggies
Joe Litterio Wagner Seahawks
Lelo Prado South Florida Bulls
Brian O'Connor Virginia Cavaliers

DII

Murphy Su'a Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros
Rudy Garbolosa Lynn Fighting Knights
Todd Wilkinson Barton College Bulldogs
Stan Sanchez Colorado State University - Pueblo

2008
George Horton Oregon Ducks
Nick Restaino Fordham Rams
Dan Callahan Southern Illinois Salukis
Mervyl Melendez Bethune-Cookman Wildcats
Rob Walton Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
Mike McRae Canisius Golden Griffins
Frank Leoni William & Mary Tribe
Brad Hill Kansas State Wildcats
Jim Toman Liberty Flames
Vance Law Brigham Young Cougars
Buddy Bolding Longwood Lancers
Dan Heefner Dallas Baptist Patriots
Mike Gillespie UC Irvine Anteaters
Mike Batesole Fresno State Bulldogs

 

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