Baseball

[MrStrange62]

i stand corrected... he is slated to be the next coach for the TCL team in euless.

[GrandGreen]

im with colorado on this one. after seeing the softball stadium they built... id rather wait til we have the funds to erect something that would make other sun belt schools jealous. i know we probably couldnt get something to rival TCUs field, but lets build something to be proud of, not just get the job done. as far as rusty greer... there is NO WAY he would come and coach here. last i heard he was wanting a manager spot in the rangers system. just shows that he is probably not interested in the college ranks and UNT at that.

Actually I am sure he would like to coach here, he was on the Ticket talking about his involvement in the college summer league and he really auditioned for a college baseball job. He stated he was very interested in getting a college hc position.

However, I still don't think NT should start a baseball team at this time. There are already too many unfinished projects and underfunded sports. The new softball and soccer fields for example need a lot of work. They basically look like what they were a small high school baseball stadium and a small high school football field. I had rather have our current sports advance than further dilute funding by adding another sport.

[MrStrange62]

However, I still don't think NT should start a baseball team at this time. There are already too many unfinished projects and underfunded sports. The new softball and soccer fields for example need a lot of work. They basically look like what they were a small high school baseball stadium and a small high school football field. I had rather have our current sports advance than further dilute funding by adding another sport.

well said... as much id like to see baseball here. i too would rather have the current facilities and teams see some more upgrades. and then we could have a better commitment to a baseball program.

[ADLER]

The area being cleared next to the football practice field over by Victory is the site of the new baseball field. GO GREEN*GO WHITE

As far as I'm aware, the location for the baseball stadium has not changed.

[AnotherEagleFan]

I'd rather they wait to start baseball until we can get a nice stadium built for it. I hate the idea of people wanting to add a sport in an inferior facility just so we can have the sport. Do it right or wait until we can. None of this $1 million stadium bullshit.

I disagree. We have to have the program just to be considered for other conferences. So lets get started and use someone elses field for now.

[ColoradoEagle]

Having a college baseball team that plays at Denton Ryan HS isn't really going to help our case for getting into a better conference.

[MrStrange62]

I disagree. We have to have the program just to be considered for other conferences. So lets get started and use someone elses field for now.

did you really just say that??? that is probably the worst idea i have ever heard. there is no urgency.. its not like better conference have us waiting on the other line till we get our baseball program.... its going to take a lot more than just having baseball to get us to a better conference. we have awhile still. lets wait it out, get a stadium to be proud of.

[AnotherEagleFan]

did you really just say that??? that is probably the worst idea i have ever heard. there is no urgency.. its not like better conference have us waiting on the other line till we get our baseball program.... its going to take a lot more than just having baseball to get us to a better conference. we have awhile still. lets wait it out, get a stadium to be proud of.

I have been to my fair share of college baseball stadiums. You can easily start building a baseball program with a shared field. IT happens all of the time. Most Universities only have a few hunderd fans at the games. I think that I read that only 10 baseball teams last year self funded their program. Or just build a field. TCU just recently got a new stadium. The only thing they had when I went to a game about 3 years ago was a field (a bad one at that) and a few metal bleachers.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

If I remember correctly, RV has $550K that's designated for baseball only. I realize that it's hard to start another sport when we need a football stadium so badly. But, honestly, there could be a few who would give to the baseball program that might not give otherwise. That amount could make us operational for a couple of years and hopefully, by that time a core of baseball supporters can sustain it.

We wouldn't have to build the Taj Mahal before we even have a baseball team. We haven't done that for any sport that I'm aware of. The service center landscaping crew probably has the knowhow to build a decent field. The land has already been purchased. Some semi-decent bleachers would get us by until a true stadium could be built.

Not having a baseball team could be a deal breaker, especially if the closest other pick does. There may not be a great urgency to do this right away but I'd like to see it started in the next year or so.

[recman]

ok after reading all of yalls comments it seems that some of you think that we should have a program but spend millions of dollars to build a new stadium for them, some are saying start playing but in someone elses stadium, and then there are some that think we just need to wait.

UNT is spending several million dollars on a supposed new football stadium that has not been playing well, and has sunk a crap load of money on a new practice facility that doesnt even have lights. do you really think that that athletic department is going to give money to a team that hasnt proved them selves

Edited January 23, 2007 by recman

[recman]

ok after reading all of yalls comments it seems that some of you think that we should have a program but spend millions of dollars to build a new stadium for them, some are saying start playing but in someone elses stadium, and then there are some that think we just need to wait.

UNT is spending several million dollars on a supposed new football stadium that has not been playing well, and has sunk a crap load of money on a new practice facility that doesnt even have lights. do you really think that that athletic department is going to give money to a sport that they h

[MrStrange62]

ok smart guy... obviously baseball is something that our program is lacking. whats do YOU think we should do???

[recman]

ok yes i would like to see unt have a baseball team i love to watch it. something that would help is to get the baseball alumni to donate money only into a fund for the reinstatement of baseball. that would be a start. another would be to get a petition started letting the university and the athletic department know how much the students and alumni want to see varsity baseball team again.

another thing is to look at the money that each gender sport receives in scholarships and possibly title 9 the university for the team. thats how the team was lost in the first place.

[MeanGreengdub]

How about we have a Football/Baseball stadium like Oakland or Miami?

I'm pretty sure we'd be the only College in the nation with the combo. It might be pretty cool. I'm sure it would save us some money. Just an idea, don't tear me apart for this one!

[recman]

How about we have a Football/Baseball stadium like Oakland or Miami?

I'm pretty sure we'd be the only College in the nation with the combo. It might be pretty cool. I'm sure it would save us some money. Just an idea, don't tear me apart for this one!

that would be an interesting idea. but would cost a lot of money each year to change the field from baseball to football.

[MrStrange62]

How about we have a Football/Baseball stadium like Oakland or Miami?

I'm pretty sure we'd be the only College in the nation with the combo. It might be pretty cool. I'm sure it would save us some money. Just an idea, don't tear me apart for this one!

i wont tear you apart too much... but yeah, alot of pro cities had the combo stadiums, key work "HAD." they dont do it anymore, bc for one or both of the sports, it was tough on the fans to see the game. hence, those towns (san fran, pittsburg, ect.) dont have that anymore.... and i think it would kind of ridiculous to have a 50,000 seat college baseball stadium. see, that didnt hurt too bad did it???

[Keith7]

ok after reading all of yalls comments it seems that some of you think that we should have a program but spend millions of dollars to build a new stadium for them, some are saying start playing but in someone elses stadium, and then there are some that think we just need to wait.

UNT is spending several million dollars on a supposed new football stadium that has not been playing well, and has sunk a crap load of money on a new practice facility that doesnt even have lights. do you really think that that athletic department is going to give money to a team that hasnt proved them selves

They havn't even started the new stadium, or even started saving money for one, the new football stadium is simpy speculation.. so how that hamper starting a new baseball team.. How hard can it be to start a baseball team? How much does that really cost? If they play at a high school for the time being, and play near by teams for now to save on travel expenses, then it wouldn't be a multi-million dollar program that we are talking about. In fact it would cost alot less then most would think.. I believe that we should start a baseball team, let it gain support and expand upon it over time. A baseball team can be very valuable to a university and their image, just ask Rice, Baylor, Cal State - Fulerton, shoot even NCTC in gainesville.

[ColoradoEagle]

I don't like the idea of starting a baseball team that doesn't have a permanent home on-campus. Do it right, or wait until we can.

[NT80]

SMUt, Tulsa, and UTEP didn't have baseball to be accepted into CUSA. BTW, UNT does have an excellent club baseball team; beat Texas Tech's club team last November....

http://www.orgs.ttu.edu/ttcb/schedule.htm

[Green Mean]

I dont know any specific numbers or anything but I imagine it would be relatively easy or easier getting a baseball team up and running. If we got the team to the SBC (which I dont think would be a problem in the first place) then other than conference road games...couldnt we just schedule OOC teams within texas and like the states just around it if we need to go out of state? as for the home field...all we need is a nice field itself and some bleachers to fit say a couple of hundred people and wala...you have yourself a baseball program started. As far as getting talent that wouldnt be a problem either as texas is a pool of baseball talent so i wouldnt be surprised if we got our baseball team competing for some trophies within just a few years time. what do you guys think?

[ColoradoEagle]

Yes. We can use a car for first base, a tire for second base, and a really big dead rat for 3rd. I'm not sure what to use for home, but I'm sure we could find something. For bats, all we need is some lead pipes. I think Home Depot might be having a sale.

[Daddy Dumpsalot]

ok smart guy... obviously baseball is something that our program is lacking. whats do YOU think we should do???

Why dont we all send RV emails and phone calls and threats (not really) letting him know that we all want a baseball team and fast. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

I am in total agreement that UNT needs a Baseball team very badly. I think the fans and alum will love it. We could put the proposed stadium right where Fouts is now.

[Daddy Dumpsalot]

That combo would be the dorkiest thing ever. Depending on the set up we would still have a section that was completely out of the game and had to use Binoculars, like we do now.

[Daddy Dumpsalot]

I dont know any specific numbers or anything but I imagine it would be relatively easy or easier getting a baseball team up and running. If we got the team to the SBC (which I dont think would be a problem in the first place) then other than conference road games...couldnt we just schedule OOC teams within texas and like the states just around it if we need to go out of state? as for the home field...all we need is a nice field itself and some bleachers to fit say a couple of hundred people and wala...you have yourself a baseball program started. As far as getting talent that wouldnt be a problem either as texas is a pool of baseball talent so i wouldnt be surprised if we got our baseball team competing for some trophies within just a few years time. what do you guys think?

I think the only problem with having the baseball team, and why we only have a club team, is because we do not have enough women sports yet. I think we ought to add Women's Football. We could probably get more fans to come to those games.

[ColoradoEagle]

The softball team was set up for Title IX so we could have a baseball team. The reason we don't have a baseball team is because the TCL Denton Outlaws backed out of building a stadium on UNT land (thank god, going by the mock-ups), so they don't have anywhere to play. The reason that RV doesn't just start up a team and play at a local HS or something, despite looking incredibly bush league, means that we would have no leverage in recruiting Texas at all. Recruits could go to UT-Austin, A&M, or Baylor with great stadiums, Rice & TCU with nice stadiums, Texas Tech with a ghetto (but still there) stadium, or North Texas which plays at a high school or on a field with peewee league bleachers. A program, that by all accounts, could be cancelled at any time because the school hasn't shown any commitment to the program.

This puts us on bad footing in a sport that's not established yet on the college level the same way football or basketball are. If we can wait two or three years, and build a stadium at least on the level of TCU's, if not Baylor's, then we can start with a clean slate, working towards being a perennial leader in the sport. That way when the BCS effect kicks in, NT is a big baseball school and doesn't have to rely on conference so much.

All you guys who are saying we just need to throw up some bleachers and get the sport going must love watching games at Fouts, because that's the same plan they followed.

Edited January 24, 2007 by ColoradoEagle