This week On Deck we sit down with the head coach of Division I’s newest program, Bill Baber. Baber is starting his ninth season as head coach at California Baptist University after serving as an assistant coach with the program before his elevation to the Captains Seat in 2011. Baber has been with California Baptist through their transition from NAIA, though DII, to the current level at DI. He served on the CBU Staff through eight straight Golden State Athletic Conference Championships, with the highlight of that run coming in the form of the 2009 NAIA National Championship. As the head coach he has amassed an overall record of 320-128, five straight NCAA Regional appearances (2014-18), and an NCCAA National Championship in 2012. Before joining the staff at Cal Baptist he served one season as the head coach at Biola University.
Lee Dobbins: Coach Baber you are going into your first season of Division I competition and very much in a big transition at Cal Baptist. You are a coach that has been part of a program as either an assistant and now head coach that has made a meteoric rise from NAIA, to DII, to now DI. Talk a little about that transition and the challenges of doing so. What have you done as a head coach to prepare the program to make their debut in the highest level of softball?
Bill Baber: It has been a pretty quick transition from being in the NAIA and then only being in DII for 7 years. Some of the biggest adjustments have come from the recruiting part. Going from NAIA which doesn’t have a lot of recruiting rules, to NCAA DII that has a lot of rules, and now DI that has even more restrictions on when you can go watch and talk to recruits. Playing in the highest level, we have tried this year to play some tough teams and go to places that would be much different than in DII. Going to Texas A&M to start the season and to play in such a great stadium and play against DI competition was really eye opening to our players. Our hope was to have a tough schedule so we would be ready for conference play.
Dobbins: With Cal Baptist being located in-the-middle of the greatest concentration of talent in all of softball; What is the key in selling the Southern California talent on staying home and not considering larger programs in-and-out-of-state? Are you finding being the newest DI program is an advantage of drawing recruits, or has it been more of a challenge with some of the programs you are competing for recruits?
Baber: I think there is a lot of local players that want to stay home and go to a private small school, even though we aren’t that small anymore. We have a very nice stadium to play in and with the new construction starting in just a couple of years, our facilities will be one that players will want to play in. We also make sure our players graduate in 4 years. Sometimes that is tough when you are at a larger school. When recruits come to campus and look around, they are always amazed about how nice and beautiful our campus is. Now that we are D1, we are getting more recruits in and out of state coming to see what we have to offer. Before D1 many PSAs thought we were too small and wouldn’t come for a visit.
Dobbins: Over the last few years recruiting has been a major topic of conversation particularly when it comes to the average (young) age that Prospective Student Athletes are being recruited and making verbal commitments to programs. Legislation has now been initiated restricting contact/offers to PSAs until the start of their junior years in high school. Talk a bit about that change in the recruiting dynamic since that legislation has been adopted. Has it slowed the process and made balancing recruiting better? Has the legislation been effective in curving earlier recruiting in any way?
Baber: I think the new legislation and with not being able to talk with a recruit until their junior year is good. I have seen so many players verbal at such an early age in the past and so many of them end up transferring. I think trying to get a freshman, sophomore, or even younger PSA to decide what university is best form them, is just crazy. Hopefully recruits will make better and more educated decisions with waiting until they are older. I think with us, it hasn’t slowed down our recruiting. I have always wanted the PSA to make sure that our university is the right fit for them with softball and their education.
Dobbins: I recently heard a phrase directly referenced to collegiate softball; “The era of the free agent has begun.” This seemingly is referencing the latest NCAA Transfer Legislation that eliminates the permission-to-contact process. The transfer rates in the last five years had seemingly already been at an all-time high. Recently however, it seems the flood gates have opened directly connected with this legislation. What are your thoughts on this legislation and its effect on the collegiate game?
Baber: The Transfer legislation has been pretty crazy this first year. I’m not so sure I am a fan of the NCAA “Portal”. I understand that sometimes there are legitimate reasons to transfer, but with it being so easy to transfer everyone is always looking to go somewhere else and thinking the next place will be better. Many actually find out that the grass is not always greener at the next university. I also feel that some don’t look at the educational part of it and are only looking to move because of softball. Like I mentioned before, PSA’s making a decision on where to go to college when they are very young, don’t always look for the best fit, they are only looking at where to play softball and not the degree they will receive.
Dobbins: There has always been talk of the divide between what is considered a “mid-major” type program and those in the “Power 5”. Although a few mid-majors are very much considered as good as some of the Power 5, many head coaches of the smaller programs have lobbied not to compete against the bigger schools feeling that those schools need the smaller ones more than they need them to achieve win plateaus to achieve postseason eligibility. What are your thoughts on competing against these institutions and that theory?
Baber: I think with where we are right now and not being able to go to post season for our first 4 years, we need to play some of the Power 5 schools. It’s a great experience for our players to go to places and face the toughest completion a few times during the season. I know our players really look forward to playing a few power 5 schools. I think it would also be great to have a power 5 school come and play us at our place. I know we would have a sell out that day! When we are eligible to go to post season, I think I will still play power 5 schools because if you do win the conference and go to the regionals, you will be playing at a power 5 stadium and I would want my team to have had some experience before the regional tournament.
Great interview. Bill has done a great at the university and we see a solid future for the Lancers.