TUCSON, Ariz. — LSU Pitching Coach Alan Dunn has been named the 2015 Pitching Coach of The Year by Collegiate Baseball newspaper.

Sponsored by EDGE charting software and web stats, the award is in its 13th year.

Dunn will receive this award at the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in early January at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville.

Consider these accomplishments in his first four years at LSU:

• LSU has had the SEC Pitcher of the Year three years (Kevin Gausman in 2012, Aaron Nola in 2013, and Aaron Nola again in 2014).
• LSU has had a consensus first team All-American pitcher each of his four years (Kevin Gausman in 2012, Aaron Nola in 2013, Aaron Nola in 2014 and Alex Lange in 2015).
• LSU has had the National Pitcher of the Year (Aaron Nola in 2014).
• LSU has had the National Freshman Pitcher of the year (Alex Lange in 2015).
• LSU has had nine pitchers taken in the major league draft in the last four years (including two first round draft choices and one second round draft choice).
• In his first year at LSU in 2012, the staff ERA dropped almost a full run from 4.13 to 3.25.
• LSU has been a national seed in all four years he has been pitching coach at LSU.
• In 2013, LSU went to the College World Series with a veteran pitching staff leading the way. LSU lost 7 of its’ top 9 pitchers after the season. Even with this turnover and losing six pitchers from the 2014 staff to season ending injuries and other factors, consider what the 2014 pitching staff accomplished:
• LSU was No. 1 in the nation with a school-record 17 shutouts
• The LSU staff was No. 5 in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (6.99)
• The Tigers were No. 6 in the nation and No. 1 in the SEC in WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched – 1.09)
• LSU’s team ERA of 2.60 was No. 2 in the SEC and No. 12 in the nation
• LSU was No. 1 in the SEC in fewest runs allowed (180).

The former minor league pitching coordinator for the Baltimore Orioles, was hired in June 2011 as pitching coach for the LSU baseball program. Dunn, who has 22 years of experience as a pitching coach on the professional level, has coached over 25 pitchers that have advanced to Major League Baseball.

Dunn in 2013 directed an LSU pitching staff that posted a 2.40 ERA, which ranked second in the SEC and No. 3 in the nation. The Tigers were also No. 2 in the league in opponent batting average (.218) and No. 3 in the conference in strikeouts (506). Four members of the 2013 LSU staff were selected in the first 14 rounds of the MLB Draft.

Previous Collegiate Baseball Pitching Coaches of The Year include:

• 2014: Karl Kuhn, Virginia
• 2013: Nate Yeskie, Oregon St.
• 2012: Shaun Cole, Arizona
• 2011: Phil Cundari, Seton Hall
• 2010: Mark Calvi, South Carolina
• 2009: Jerry Weinstein, Colorado Rockies
• 2008: Scott Forbes, North Carolina
• 2007: Dan Spencer, Oregon St.
• 2006: Gordie Alderink, Grand Valley St.
• 2005: Tom Holliday, Texas
• 2004: Derek Johnson, Vanderbilt
• 2003: Mark McQueen, Virginia Commonwealth

By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR.
Editor/Collegiate Baseball

LAKE CHARLES, La. — The next time someone tells you that raising money for a college or high school baseball program is next to impossible, think again.

Glenn Cecchini, head coach at Barbe High School (Lake Charles, La.), raises $150,000 a year which has allowed his program to build a stunning high school stadium along with other amenities.

The stadium features a finely manicured field, indoor training facility with four batting cages and two pitching mounds, plus a beautiful 2,700 square foot locker room.

While many college and high school baseball programs utilize golf tournaments, special dinners with a well known speaker or simply ask players to raise a certain amount of money, Barbe utilizes four key areas which pump revenue into the program:

• Dinner/Auction: $45,000
• Billboard Sales: $30,000
• Season Ticket Sales: $40,000
• Other Stadium Signage: $35,000

He has other revenue streams as well such as a golf tournament during the summer and parents paying for their sons to be bat boys during the season.

“I learned about fund raising through trial and error over the last 29 seasons,” said Cecchini.

“When you are going to be a coach, there should be a class taught on fund raising. It would help many coaches across the nation.”

The head coach of the Bucs, who just finished his 29^th season at Barbe H.S., has led his teams to eight Louisiana 5A state championships while seeing his teams nationally ranked 22 of the last 23 years. He said raising $150,000 a year has been a work in progress.

“We are a 5A school in Louisiana, and there are approximately 2,000 students who come to Barbe. There are other high schools in Lake Charles. We have a private school and a Catholic school. The reason I bring this up is that we aren’t a one school community. If we were in that situation, it would be even easier raising money.

“The challenge is that we have approximately 100,000 people in Lake Charles. Thankfully, the economy is pretty good.”

Cecchini said before the baseball season starts, his baseball program stages a highly popular auction.

To read more of this in-depth story on fundraising, purchase the Oct. 2, 2015 edition of Collegiate Baseball by CLICKING HERE.

By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR.
Editor/Collegiate Baseball

INDIANAPOLIS — The 2015 NCAA Women’s Softball College World Series’ 3-game Championship Series drew 35.4 percent more viewers than the Men’s College World Series Championship Series involving Virginia and Vanderbilt.

The Women’s Championship Series averaged 1,912,000 viewers compared to 1,412,000 for the Men’s Championship Series — an average of 500,000 more viewers each game, according to statistics supplied by ESPN.

Length of games is becoming a factor. The final three games in the Championship Series of the Men’s College World Series lasted 3:31, 3:42 and 3:37.

By comparison, the final three games in the Championship Series of the Women’s College World Series lasted 2:05, 1:33 and 2:23.

Compounding the time problem is a situation that developed during the 2015 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship as a small number of teams purposely changed the tempo of games when opponents got runners on base.

Once the pitcher received the ball, the catcher looked into the dugout for the pitch to be called, and the pitching coach took an enormous amount of time to call pitches — sometimes up to a minute — as everyone waited and waited — including ESPN.

Many feel it is a deliberate attempt to change the tempo of games as opponents are rallying.

There is a strong likelihood that the 2016 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, including the College World Series, will implement a 20-second pitch clock rule with runners on base to speed the game along.

Several months ago, the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee took the first step to prevent pitching coaches from taking excessive time in calling pitches by proposing an experimental 20-second pitch clock rule with runners on base for the 2016 season.

Any conference in NCAA Divisions I, II and III can apply to the committee if the conference wishes to implement the rule.

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved this experimental rule in late August but referred the proposal back to the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee to find out how many conferences are interested in utilizing this rule during the 2016 season. Panel members then will discuss the proposal later this fall.

To read comments by Damani Leech, NCAA Managing Director of Championships and Alliances and how this rule may impact the championship, purchase the Oct. 2 edition of Collegiate Baseball by CLICKING HERE.

TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Florida landed the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation this fall, according to Collegiate Baseball’s annual evaluation of NCAA Division I baseball classes.

It marks the Gators’ third national recruiting title in the last seven years — all under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan. Florida also captured recruiting championships in 2013 and 2009.

This is the 33rd straight year Collegiate Baseball has evaluated NCAA Division I recruiting classes.

Athletes who initially signed letters of intent with a school, but then signed a pro contract after being drafted, do not count in the overall evaluation. Only athletes who came to school this fall are factored in as points are awarded to drafted players and the round they are chosen, All-Americans, All-State selections and All-Conference picks.

Collegiate Baseball also gives points for Conference Players of The Year, State Players of The Year and National Players of The Year.

Of the 13 players the Gators landed, which features 12 freshmen and one junior college transfer, six players were drafted last June, including RHP Brady Singer who was chosen in the second round by the Blue Jays.

The Major League Baseball recommended signing bonus for the 56th overall selection, which Singer sat at, was $1,091,200.

Other drafted players last June include:

• INF Jonathan India, American Heritage H.S., FL, 26th round pick by Milwaukee.
• OF Daniel Reyes, Mater Academy, FL, 39th round pick by Boston.
• INF Deacon Liput, Oviedo H.S., FL, 39th pick by Yankees.
• LHP Hunter Bowling, American Heritage H.S., FL, 39th round pick by San Francisco.
• RHP Jackson Kowar, Charlotte Christian H.S., NC, 40th round pick by Detroit.

Florida also landed five other players who were All-Americans in 2015, including:

• RHP Troy Bacon, Sickles H.S., FL.
• RHP Michael Byrne, Olympia H.S., FL.
• RHP MacGregor Hines, College Station H.S., TX.
• INF Nelson Maldonado, Jefferson H.S., FL.
• INF Blake Reese, Lincoln H.S., FL.

Florida continued a trend where a school from the Southeastern Conference has won the recruiting title 12 of the last 13 years. SEC schools had six teams in the top 10 including the top three in the nation with Florida, South Carolina and Mississippi St.

No. 2 South Carolina landed eight drafted players among its 19-man recruiting class. It is the largest number since Florida brought in 8 drafted players in 2013.

No. 3 Mississippi St. landed an talented class of 22 new players which features 16 freshmen and six junior college transfers.

Three were drafted last June while 19 players were either high school or junior college All-Americans.

A complete rundown on each of the top 20 recruiting classes is featured in the Oct. 2 issue of Collegiate Baseball.

To order the Oct. 2 edition, CLICK HERE.

2015 NCAA Div. I Recruiting
Results By Collegiate Baseball

Other Top Recruiting Classes: Texas Tech., Notre Dame, Washington St., Michigan, Wichita St., Washington, Houston, Missouri, U.C. Riverside, Tulane, Georgia St., California, Tennessee, Florida International, San Diego, U.C. Irvine, North Florida, Minnesota, San Diego St., East Carolina, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Florida Gulf Coast, Fresno St., Central Florida, New Mexico, Florida Atlantic, Coastal Carolina, Duke, Grand Canyon, Kennesaw St., Georgia, Kent St., Purdue, Bowling Green, Cal. Poly, Arkansas, Long Beach St., South Alabama, Stetson, Texas St., N.C. State, Liberty, Stony Brook, Nevada, McNeese St., Indiana St., Western Michigan, N.C. Charlotte, Seton Hall, Nebraska, Southern Mississippi, Memphis, Northwestern St., Kansas, Kansas St., Ohio St., Pepperdine, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Boston College, West Virginia, Wake Forest, Ball St., Central Michigan, Sacramento St., Indiana St., Eastern Illinois, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Hawaii, Old Dominion, Lipscomb, Creighton, St. John’s.

Source: Collegiate Baseball

Previous NCAA Div. I Recruiting
Champions By Collegiate Baseball

2014: Louisiana St.
2013: Florida
2012: Vanderbilt
2011: South Carolina
2010: Louisiana St.
2009: Florida
2008: Arizona St.
2007: Louisiana St.
2006: South Carolina
2005: South Carolina
2004: Louisiana St.
2003: North Carolina
South Carolina
2002: Georgia Tech.
2001: Southern California
2000: Cal. St. Fullerton
1999: Southern California
1998: Georgia Tech.
1997: UCLA
1996: Texas A&M
1995: Arizona St.
1994: Mississippi St.
1993: Miami (Fla.)
1992: Florida St.
1991: Miami (Fla.)
1990: Arizona
1989: Florida St.
1988: Miami (Fla.)
1987: Stanford
1986: Stanford
1985: Hawaii
1984: Florida St.
1983: Arizona St.

Source: Collegiate Baseball