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Raleigh taking stock of Vols
Late swoon not the full picture
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Todd Raleigh spent Sunday afternoon watching his 11-year-old son Cal play three baseball games.
It was a chance to unwind. It was a chance to reflect on his first season as University of Tennessee baseball coach.
By Monday morning, he was feeling better about everything.
"I think we accomplished a lot of things," Raleigh said. "I knew it was going to be an uphill battle. We won 13 games in the league last year and 12 this year, minus three first-round draft picks (J.P. Arencibia, Julio Borbon, James Adkins), plus some other guys like Tony Delmonico, Lance McClain and Craig Cobb.
"To be honest with you, I think we did a good job."
That doesn't mean Raleigh was at all satisfied with the Vols 27-29 record or 12-18 finish in the SEC.
He still gets irritated when he thinks about a late-season SEC swoon that included two home sweeps at the hands of Vanderbilt and Kentucky.
He still gets annoyed by the mid-week losses suffered to the likes of James Madison, Lipscomb, Belmont, Tennessee Tech and his alma mater, Western Carolina.
"We had a really bad two-and-a-half week stretch and I think that's the thing that sticks in everybody's mind," Raleigh said. "I'm disappointed in that bad stretch and our middle-of-the-week performance. Those are the two things when I look back that bother me more than anything else."
Then he looks at the stats put up by a team predicted by league coaches to finish last in the SEC.
"When I look back, who of our players really had a bad year?" Raleigh said. "Cody Brown doubled his home runs and went from a .250 to a .300 hitter. Jeff Lockwood doubled his home runs. Shawn Griffin doubled his home runs.
"Our three true freshman (Kentrail Davis, Josh Liles, P.J. Polk) played almost every game in the outfield and hit about 25 home runs between the three of them. Everybody got better."
He also takes comfort in the knowledge that help is on the way. Pitching depth was the primary culprit Raleigh points at for most of the Tennessee woes.
"It's definitely the No. 1 priority, no doubt about it," he said. "Pitching is the name of the game. It has been for the last 100 years and it will be for the next 100 years.
"This year we just weren't consistent enough and deep enough."
The help on the way - barring losses to the major league draft - could come from UT newcomers Hunter Daniel (Bearden), Matt Ramsey (Farragut), Adam Adkins (Goodpasture), Clayton Gant (University School of Jackson), Steven Gruver (Canfield, Ohio), Stephen McCray (Young-Harris Junior College), Josh Allman (Swain County, N.C.) and Casey Kelly (Sarasota, Fla).
Kelly, also a star UT quarterback recruit, is a longshot since he's likely to be a first-round draft pick.
But throw in Dylan Hochevar, younger brother of former Vol Luke Hochevar and a redshirt this season, and pitching depth shouldn't be an issue in 2009.
Something that will always be an issue with Raleigh is Tennessee's horrid track record in the NCAA's APR (Academic Progress Rate).
He inherited one of the worst APR rankings in the nation and it is costing the Vols the maximum 10 percent scholarship penalty down to 10.53 available scholarships next season.
"I told the players the pillars of this program are going to be academics, attitude and work ethic," Raleigh said. "This APR thing isn't going away. You can't sweep it under the rug. We have to deal with it and we've got to get better.
"But we did extremely well in the classroom this semester. We've kind of restored some law and order."
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Posted by BigOrangeJeff on May 19, 2008 at 10:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Can't believe the haters are already calling for Raleigh's head.
Posted by ncvol on May 19, 2008 at 10:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Things will improve. I feel next year will be a great year and they need to give Raleigh several years to square everything up.Go Vols!
Posted by budd on May 19, 2008 at 10:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
He gets his time but it is pretty clear that this year's team quit. That says something. The proof will be next year and the third year to see if it happens again. College sports are 50% coaching. We need a coach. Best of luck Coach Raleigh. I am pulling for you
Posted by bamacheats on May 20, 2008 at 12:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I actually feel for the guy. MLB is ruined until they bust up that stupid player's union, and college baseball is severely crippled by title IX and now that rediculous APR garbage. I think the APR has a place, but not in college baseball.
Posted by GreerVol22 on May 20, 2008 at 8:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We won 13 games in the league last year and 12 this year, minus three first-round draft picks (J.P. Arencibia, Julio Borbon, James Adkins),
Raleigh is just stating the obvious. With a bullpen he can win 10-12 more games next season with ease. Touchdown, he can't throw it for them!
Posted by GreerVol22 on May 20, 2008 at 8:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
...now if he scooted his rear on the dugout floor like your cat, he may end up at Lakeshore in Bearden.
Posted by pdhuff on May 20, 2008 at 8:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My big ol' barn cat scoots across broom-finished concrete just to show how tough he is.
Truly a bad boy.
Posted by CubanBornVol on May 20, 2008 at 8:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Workin' It looks like Touchdown beat you to the punch in condeming Fulmer in an article that has nothing to do with him. Thanks for getting the poison started this morning we all need a shot of it to make our day.
Posted by sdye16 on May 20, 2008 at 9:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OK, why does one feel that the APR should not apply to college baseball? These kids are STUDENT-athletes, so academics are the most important part. I feel sorry for those that hate Raleigh. If I was still playing, he would be the type of coach that I would want to play under. Hopefully all these new players will listen to him and abide by his rules which will in turn make them successful in all parts of their lives.
Posted by volboy81 on May 20, 2008 at 10:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Touchdown Tennessee is not worthy of that screen name.
Posted by alfrizzle097 on May 20, 2008 at 11:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
APR is a flawed system. It doesn't take into account many mitigating circumstances (like transferring schools in order to be closer to home). That doesn't mean that there doesn't need to be some form of academic accountability. The APR, while flawed, is a step in the right direction.
Posted by gainesville_vol on May 20, 2008 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The problem I have with APR is that it expects more out of the student athletes that the regular student body. What is the graduation rate for an incoming freshman at a school? The athletes should not be expected to do any better. I have a bigger issue with allowing "student"-athletes that do not qualify to the same academic standards as a non-athlete.
Posted by SFOrange on May 20, 2008 at 1:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
academics = to athletics? at a university? wow, what a concept. UT should focus on providing a top-flight academic experience for our student-athletes. In return, we should recruit players that can compete on the field and in the classroom. Its a REQUIREMENT of the University to take this position. Allowing anything less undermines that overall academic standards UT strives to improve.
Posted by dadavids on May 20, 2008 at 2:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it would be wise to give this guy some time. As evidenced by the APR mess, Delmonico left things in pretty bad shape.
Posted by rabidvolfan on May 20, 2008 at 3:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How ridiculous to fire a coach that get's you to a world series every 5 years. Sure some of his teams underachieved but what was TN baseball before Delmonico got there? It never was anything! So we deserve anything that can happen to us in baseball, on the field.
Posted by lovavol on May 21, 2008 at 4:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
talk about taking a few steps backward,,,,getting beat by Belmont,,,,,this guy replaced a coach who built the program, hope the AD is happy. guess we can't always get a BP in every sport.
Posted by bigfan502 on May 21, 2008 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Cool it guys, wasn't it Casey Stengel who said to the fans of his struggling N.Y. Mets., "You can't win em all."
Posted by smitbo7 on May 27, 2008 at 5:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Midweek losses are not a new concept to Volunteer Baseball. Coach Delmonico's teams were Tuesday/Wednesday losers too. Pitching depth is the killer.
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