Rounding Third Softball

‪University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has announced the retirement of Head Coach Larry Hennig. Hennig guided UMHB to a 249-149 record in 10 seasons after 12 seasons at Temple College. He finishes his career with a 768-352 record. Assistant Coach Melissa Mojica has been promoted to replace him.

‪The NCAA has approved the process of developing legislation to allow student-athletes to benefit from endorsements and promotions. This legislation will allow student-athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness beginning in the 2021-2022 academic year.

Sources have confirmed to RTS that California has dwindled their finalists for their head coaching position to three. Texas Assistant Coach Chelsea Spencer, Texas Tech Associate Head Coach Sam Marder, and San Diego State Associate Head Coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz will all have second interviews this week. 

Following up on an earlier story; Conference Commissioners from the America Athletic Conference, Mountain West Conference, Mid-America Conference, Sun Belt Conference, and Conference USA petitioning the NCAA to allow institutions to fall below the minimum 16 sports for FBS Football Sponsoring Division I Institutions, won’t be considered as an option per the NCAA. Conferences were seeking relief in the wake of financial fallout from the COVID-19 (coronavirus) Pandemic that would allow them to fall below the minimum number by possibly cutting non-revenue producing sports. 

Ole Miss has named Jamie Trachsel from Minnesota as their new head coach. Trachsel spent three seasons with the Golden Gophers after spending one season at Iowa State. Trachsel amassed a 102-40-1 record in the Twin Cities while notching an appearance in the Women’s College World Series in 2019.

George Mason has announced that longtime Head Coach Joe Verbanic has stepped down from his position. In 16 seasons coaching the Patriots Verbanic compiled a 294-469 record.

The first institutional causality has come as a result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) Pandemic as Urbana University in Ohio has announced it will cease enrollments and operations at the end of the Spring 2020 Semester. This will include the shutdown of its Division II Athletic Department and 19 sports including softball. 

Wisconsin has been the first Power 5 School that won’t be allowing their seniors to recoop their lost year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) Pandemic citing, “A time of unprecedented uncertainty in college athletics.” No Spring Sports Athlete will be welcomed back in 2021 including five from the softball squad. “What we tried to do was encourage our seniors to go ahead and, if you’re going to graduate, graduate and move on with your life,” commented Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez. “We appreciate everything that you’ve done. But move forward. The future is in question, and we can’t promise you anything.

In our continuing series of interviews with Collegiate Head Coaches on the current state of the game and the effect of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic currently gripping our nation and world; We speak with William Peace University Head Coach Charlie Dobbins.

Coach Dobbins is in his 21^st season at WPU and has averaged at least 20 wins in each season. The Pacers had a 5-8 record in 2020 before the cancellation of the season came.

RTS: The COVID-19 Pandemic has obviously been one of the most unique and disturbing times in our country’s history. From the standpoint of Collegiate Athletics it has been unprecedented in the fact of its impact on all sports including softball. Talk a little about how it has affected your program particularly. Where were you and your team when they found out the season had been canceled? How did you break the news that the 2020 season was over to your athletes and the immediate and aftereffect of announcement since?

Dobbins: I actually found out about it one hour before practice on March 12. We were preparing for one of our biggest home weekends of the year, with doubleheaders scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This weekend is always special, because we host two “Cancer” games.  A Cancer for pediatric brain cancer game on Saturday and a Strikeout Cancer game on Sunday to benefit the 1ofUS.org group. We kick off a big motorcycle ride, the Raleigh Pink Ribbon Ride every year. Myself and several of my kids had actually painted the logos on the field Wednesday evening. I met with my assistant coaches, let them know the news and informed the team. I think everyone struggled processing the finality of the announcement. The team immediately surrounded the two seniors, and with lots of tears and hugs supported them. We spent about 45 minutes just talking, then they gave me a Gatorade “bath”.  So we left the field with at least some smiles.

RTS: As a coach what are your opinions on how NCAA has handled the outbreak and the cancellation of the 2020 season?

Dobbins: I don’t think they really had any options. They were processing the information as it came to them, sometimes several times a day. Looking back it was the right call.

RTS: How does the cancellation affect what you will do in the future from an operational and progressive program standpoint since you are losing the season?

Dobbins: Honestly, we just have to move on. I am treating it like a season ending injury. Take a few moments to reflect on what it could have been but don’t let it define you going forward. We will work hard and be ready for the next season. 

RTS: NCAA has now granted a year of eligibility back to the student-athletes that lost the 2020 season; How is this affecting your recruiting and roster management moving forward? 

Dobbins: This is going to be a bit of an unknown challenge especially for a Division III program. Our student athletes are not traditionally on 5 year plans. They are graduate on time and move into careers or further education. Obviously they would want to “finish” their senior seasons, but financially that would be expensive for them. This is more of a challenge for the Division I and II programs regarding rosters and scholarship dollars. My biggest concern is the impact this will have on the 2020 incoming class. The impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic has affected employment nationwide; Impacted families will have to make hard decisions.    

In our continuing series of interviews with Collegiate Head Coaches on the current state of the game and the effect of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic currently gripping our nation and world; We speak with Long Island University Head Coach Roy Kortmann.

Coach Kortmann is in his 26th season at LIU that includes 10 Northeast Conference Championships and NCAA Postseason Appearances. The Sharks had a 14-12 record in 2020 before the cancellation of the season came.

RTS: The COVID-19 Pandemic has obviously been one of the most unique and disturbing times in our countries history. From the standpoint of Collegiate Athletics, it has been unprecedented in the fact of its impact on all sports including softball. Talk a little about how it has affected your program particularly. Where were you and your team when they found out the season had been canceled? How did you break the news that the 2020 season was over to your athletes and the immediate and aftereffect of announcement since?

Kortmann: We were in Longmont, Florida playing a DH when I was informed the NCAA was canceling the spring championships. Our conference did not decide till the next morning to cancel, but we knew it was inevitable. We were coming off our 7th win in a row and the team was in a great frame of mind, unfortunately I had to share the sobering reality with them all. Obviously they were all in shock, particularly our seniors. Tears flowed and hugs were abundant. When I got back to the dugout I turned around to the field and noticed our underclassmen were helping our seniors go through part of our senior day ceremony. Each senior had gone to their respective positions and taken off their cleats to leave on the field, symbolic of their footprints left on our program. The underclass athletes were then carrying each of them off the field, just as the seniors have carried them for the past years. It was spontaneous and heartwarming. A moment I will never forget.

RTS: As a coach what are your opinions on how NCAA has handled the outbreak and the cancellation of the 2020 season?

Kortmann: There is no blueprint for any of this. There were so many variables and pieces of information that needed to be incorporated into a decision that needed to be made asap. The bottom line is for the health and safety of our players, staff, umpires, fans, etc. As much as we love our sport, this is much bigger than the game. Teams across the nation were experiencing the same emotions at basically the same time which really made it all surreal. I trust that the NCAA did what they thought was in the best interest of all of us. 

RTS: How does the cancellation affect what you will do in the future from an operational and progressive program standpoint since you are losing the season?

Kortmann: We are working through all of that currently. As a staff, we are formulating a variety of plans dependent on the timing of when we all get back close to “normal”. Obviously it is very fluid. We are working remotely like our student-athletes. We will remain busy even without practices and games monitoring players academically, communicating with high school and travel coaches, preparing developmental plans for our current S/A’s, analyzing video from our games, updating scouting reports, preparing for 2021, etc. 

RTS: With the NCAA granting a year of eligibility back to the student-athletes that lost the 2020 season; How is this affecting your roster, recruiting, and scholarship management over the next year?  

Kortmann: I think it is great that the seniors at least have the opportunity, if they want, to play another year. It will have ripple effects on recruiting, possibly for 3-4 years if all current athletes are given another year. Roster sizes could get larger and some schools may need to bring in fewer new S/A’s if senior athletes decide to stay. For those that want to play an additional year, if the current school cannot help financially or academically, the transfer portal may light up. It remains to be seen what remedies, if any, the NCAA gives schools to help us and what the financial commitments may be from institutions for an additional year. I have spoken with our seniors and they are aware of my desire to help them in any way that I can. My hope is that we get a chance to again coach all of the seniors in our program.