This week On Deck we sit down with the head coach at Hope International University, Dennis Blas. Since taking over the Royals for the 2016 season, Blas has transformed HIU into one of the top programs in NAIA. In 2019 Blas led HIU to their first Golden State Athletic Conference Championship and a 47-11 record. HIU advanced to the opening round of the NAIA National Championship and its best ranking in school history coming in at No. 6. With the historical season, Blas earned GSAC Coach of the Year honors. Blas has a record of 141-73 through his fourth season skippering the Royals. Before landing in Fullerton Blas served 15 years on the coaching staff at Cypress College. During his time with the Chargers the program won four CCCAA State Championships and 13 Orange Empire Conference Championships. He also had a distinguished career as a coach and administrator at Saint Joseph High School. Blas graduated from California Lutheran University in 1989 and earned his master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University in 2002.
Lee Dobbins: Coach Blas you took over a program at Hope International that has seen unprecedented success since you took charge of the program four years ago. What have been the keys in turning the program from your average NAIA program to a Top 10 type national competitor that we see today?
Dennis Blas: When I accepted the position as Head Softball Coach at HIU, I knew that I needed to change the culture of winning. First, I had to hire strong assistant coaches that believed in my vision and leadership. I then had to begin the recruitment process and focus on talent that would help the team move to the next level in the Golden State Athletic Conference. I came from a very successful program at Cypress College and used this experience and my connections in the softball community to get the name of HIU out to the softball community. My recruitment process included freshmen along with top athletes from local community colleges that could bring experience to my team. I was looking for student-athletes that wanted to work hard on the field and in the classroom. The first year was the hardest since I was hired late in the recruitment season and had to hit the ground running to set the schedule and build a team that first year. Another challenge each year at HIU is securing the best competitive schedule since there are not a lot of NAIA schools on the West Coast. This changed for the team when we started winning more games, and other teams across the country wanted to come play us. It has been truly a pleasure to watch this program grow from the beginning to where it is today. Our Athletic Director and the University Leadership are very supportive of the softball program and continue to make investments in our success. My coaching staff and I have put a lot of hard work in the program from building strength and conditioning programs, setting required study times for the student-athletes, and securing a home playing field. This hard work has paid off, and there is a lot of pride in the HIU softball program today.
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 with NCAA Institutes restricting contact/offers to PSAs until September 1 of their junior years in high school. NAIA is not restricted to any of these recruiting rules and really takes on a “Wild Wild West” mentality in the recruitment of student-athletes. What are your thoughts on the differences? Would you like to see more restrictions for NAIA when it comes to PSA recruitment and contact?
Blas: The only difference I see between the two is contacting the players. I have made it a point not to recruit players too early. I think development is not always there when they are younger and young ladies all mature at different times. So many great players get passed up by Division I & II schools because they had such early commits they did not have room for them. I do not think we need to change the restrictions for the NAIA schools. I feel everybody does a good job of not recruiting too early in the process. When you talk with the players they all tell you they want to go Div. I, so most of the time you just need to keep following them and show interest until they make a final decision.
Dobbins: NAIA Teams seem to get a raw deal in how they are perceived nationally compared to NCAA programs; when in fact many NAIA teams are as good if not better than many programs at the NCAA DI and DII levels. What have been the keys to convince recruits in picking an NAIA program like HIU particularly in the softball rich area like Southern California?
Blas: I think that being in the hotbed of the softball world in Southern California, you must show future recruits that you take an interest in them as people. Most players like to stay home so their parents can see them play. By going to an NAIA school you are going to finish many time in four years, and during that time will be able to have teacher/student interaction by having small class sizes you get to have a great softball experience. I tell all of our future athletes that I am going to treat them just like my kids. I think that gives some peace to the parents knowing that their daughter is going to be taken care of when they come to HIU.
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. Although this legislation doesn’t encompass NAIA; How has it affected how you recruit? Has this legislation for NCAA programs been an advantage to those in NAIA?
Blas: I think it has been very good. I am always on the lookout for players that are coming back to Southern California and want to continue their softball career and earn a degree. I think people do not always realize that when they go to these big-time schools, there are huge expectations besides them just attending class. Those programs do so much all travel and put so much time into the program just form an operational aspect. The larger size programs are not for everyone and sometimes coming home and going to a small private school is what fits them best. There is a school out there for everyone, and sometimes it just takes a little time for the student-athletes to find their place in a program. Since we have done well nationally the last couple of years the recruits that are coming home know that if they transfer to HIU, they are going to get an excellent softball experience and a solid education.
Dobbins: The “Point of Emphasis” the last few years from a rules and officiating standpoint have been the obstruction rule (particularly at the catching position) and the enforcement of the players positioning and movements in the batter’s box and leaving the dimensions and confines of it (particularly slappers). What are your thoughts on these two particular points of emphasis the last few years? Are they being enforced accurately and effectively? If not, what needs to change from an enforcement standpoint?
Blas: I feel the most significant problem has been the obstruction rule for the catchers because nobody calls it consistently. The defense is at a complete disadvantage especially if the throw takes them up the line and they have to make a play on the throw. The batters stepping out of the box has been called so much this year that I feel it has put the officials in a tight spot. We are asking them to get better at calling balls and strikes as well as watching the hitters to make sure their toe is not outside the batter’s box especially in the late innings when the lines have been lost. I just feel with these two rules we need to get more consistency. The slappers have been doing it that way forever, and now in 2018 and 2019 we decide to change it. I am not a fan of those two rule changes that have taken place.