cumberland baseball

[theone]

great baseball...great coach...great tradition...why is it no high school kids want to go there? its just as good as most DIV I schools...and certainly better than any in the state of TN besides UT...

[REDSMAN]

HAVING BEEN A PART OF THE CUMBERLAND PROGRAM FOR ABOUT 26 YEARS NOW, I CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. IT IS NOT THAT HS KIDS WOULD NOT WANT TO GO THERE. THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS. 1- MANY HS PLAYERS DONT REALLY KNOW ABOUT CU BECAUSE CUMBERLAND RECRUITS 90 PERCENT JUCOS. IN ORDER TO STAY COMPETITIVE AT A HIGH LEVEL EVERY YEAR, MY DAD HAS ALWAYS FELT JUCO WAS THE WAY TO GO. THE HIGH SCHOOLERS HE NEEDS TO STAY AT A HIGH LEVEL WILL END UP GETTING DRAFTED OR CHOOSE DIVISION 1 SCHOOLS ANYWAY. AND EBEN THOUGH CUMBERLAND IS A GOOD PROGRAM, IT IS A NO BRAINER FOR A KID IF HE HAD TO CHOOSE CUMBERLAND OR A GEORGIA TECH. 2- CUMBERLAND'S FINANCIAL SITUATION DICTATES THAT THEY RECRUIT JUCO'S. THEY LITTLE MONEY TO WORK WITH, SO DAD TAKES THE MONEY AND GETS A HANDFUL OF TALENTED JUCOS AND D-1 TRANSFERS, INSTEAD OF RIDING THE ROLLER COASTER OF DEVELOPING "AVERAGE" OR "POTENTIAL-LABELED" HIGH SCHOOLERS. IT IS SIMPLY A MATTER OF WANTING TO STAY COMPETITIVE AT A NATIONAL LEVEL. DAD WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE HS AND LOCAL TALENT, BUT THE TOP PLAYERS HE CANNOT GET.

[theone]

dawgs swept culver stockton today 7-2 and 1-0 in freezing cold weather, they seem to have a solid offensive attack, with adequete defense, pitching will be key as always , but should be very competetive for a world series run if they stay healthy and on track. you hit the nail on the head with the hihg level of competetion and standards that require juco recruiting, however i think that alot of high school players are just uneducated as to the high level of success cumberland has had. name me a better college program in the state of tennessee. 14 straight conference championships, nuff said. i personally owe a lot to coach woody hunt and cumberland baseball. noting but the utmost respect and love here. Go dawgs

[jclariday]

ENE was right on the money. I was apart of the Bulldog program for eight years. I helped Coach Hunt recruit. We did try to get some local talent and was able to get a few here and there but for the most part the highly rated prospects got drafted or signed D-1. However, he did manage to get top caliber JUCOs and D-1 transfers and during my time at CU we beat Auburn, UT, Kentucky, and Ole Miss. We had a winning record in the all-time series against MTSU while I was there. A lot of years we could've won the OVC. I owe a lot to Coach Hunt and I can't express it enough in what being apart of the CU Baseball Program means to me. It has made me the person and coach that I am today. Nobady can argue with 14 straight conference titles, no matter what level it is in. Five or six World Series appearances with a third place finish in 1993 and the runner-up trophy in 1995.

[Eddie]

There have been a few notable local high school kids who went on to be key contributors at CU including -- 2b Mark Purvis of Mt. Juliet; OF-DH John White from Lebanon; 3b Jon Franklin from Lebanon (White & Franklin were started on the CU WOrld Series team in '88) P-DH Jody Atwood from Lebanon; P Anthony Ford from Lebanon; C Jason Hand from Nashville; OF Bobby Joe Gibbs from Lebanon; OF Taylor Dillehay from Hartsville; OF Craig Moreland from Hartsville (by way of JC); P Coe Foutch from Friendship; P Clint Perry from MJ -- I know I'm leaving some out. A few locals who went D-1 sometimes come back. Scott Fowler from Friendship signed with Samford, stayed a year, then came to CU. He threw a complete game the other day. Cumberland plays in the toughest NAIA region in the nation. They MUST rely on these JC's and D-1 dropdowns to play that schedule. GOOD local kids can make the squad -- if they'll stay hitched -- they will contribute before they leave. Woody has found a formula that works year after year after year.

[jclariday]

Mark Purvis, Mt. Juliet, started on the '93 World Series team at 2B. The starting SS on the '93 team was Randy Jennings from DeKalb Co. Ryan Kirby, Macon Co., pitched on the '95 team. McGavock sent two players to CU that I know of. Tim Hall played at CU in the late 80's & early '90s and was an All-American. Kevin Hite was also an All-American and was the Most Oustanding Pitcher in the '95 series. Hite set the series record for most consecutive scoreless innings. Both Hall and Hite were drafted by the Padres. CU baseball has produced many coaches in the high school and college coaching ranks. Mark Purvis (Mt. Juliet), Anthony Ford and Jody Atwood at (Wilson Central), Scott Hunt (Cookeville), Mark Mills (White House), Steve Wilson (White Co.), Tracy Slone (Lincoln Co.), Juan Clariday (Grundy Co.), Jeff Luttrell and Randy Jennings (Watertown), Gary McClure (Austin Peay), Jeff Smith (Vol State), Jackie Holt (SC-Aiken), Rodney Martin (ex Lebanon Head Coach) is now the head coach at Lexington Catholic (KY) H.S. and has won two KY state titles. Hey, Scott H., have I left anybody off?

[theone]

add ben bowers to that list juan, assistant lebanon high. outstanding coach, .....other local players to play at CU include: Matt Johnson , pitcher mount juliet, Jeremy Trapp, Pitcher dekalb co. Spence Chitwood pitcher, friendship christian. and Ryan Hunt second base lebanon high

[Guest HB1995]

bowers didnt play baseball at cumberland he was a manager. he played football and baseball at lebanon.

[theone]

bowers had 3 official JV at bats at cumberland....look it up

[LeatherBalls]

Gary McClure, Head Coach at Austin Peay played at CU. Davy Cothron, Head Coach at Trousdale Co. was at CU. The head coach at Whit County (Sparta) played at Cumberland. What happened to former All-Americans Brian Foster and Moises Mandlebaum? What about Kyle Shedron, Bobby Joe Gibbs, and Mike Dutton? Also, Chris Slaughter was the freshman coach at Murf. Oakland last year. :confused:

[theone]

foster has dissapeared, mandlebaum lives in miami selling insurance, gibbs is married and works for beacon technologies, mike dutton is married and is a navy fighter pilot

[theone]

dawgs split with a good uah team saturday 10-2 and 8-4