Any Recruits to UT Martin

[thebeeve]

Don't even consider going to UT Martin,your career will be ruined.No coaching,no money,no facilities.No direction from the athletic director.If they call,RUN!

[illpete23]

I ran from there too, directly to Virginia Intermont College in Bristol

 

(Please read further in the thread to see my explanation for this post. Sorry about the misconception idea there).

[Edited by illpete23 on 4-30-03 8:13P]

 

[Wimpy]

Obviously you don't have a clue! You must not know Coach Cates nor do you understand his baseball past? Why would you pretend to be, "The Beave?" Why do you hate the baseball program at UTM?

[bd4vols]

Coach Cates is nothing but a class act and is turning around the UTM Baseball Program. True, they do have limited resources, but things are getting better for them and will continue to do so, as long a winner like Coach Cates is there. You, sir, have no clue about the kind of man Bubba Cates is, or you wouldn't make statements like the one you just did.

[vol24]

I played at UTM from 83-87 and loved every minute I was there. Coach Cates is a class act and is doing a good job with the program. The university made a mistake when they left the Gulf South to join the OVC for basketball only. I don't see how you can say that someone is ruining their career if you are getting your school paid for and getting to play a game as well. We need to respect the job that Coach Cates is doing because he is in a tough situation. We made the NCAA tournament during my years there and were ranked as high as 8th in Division II. I agree that the program has been down but I think Coach Cates will get it better.

[MktgAdMan]

Agree with bd4vols. Coach Cates is beginning to turn the program around and is now getting serious consideration from several of the top players (both 2003 and 2004 classes) in West TN and Memphis. Several reliable sources characterize Coach Cates as a coach that truly cares about his players, always promotes the positives, and is totally honest and fair. His success at building a solid program at Jackson State CC is carrying over to the Skyhawk program. Also, if the Lottery Scholarship bill for TN eventually passes, many ballplayers in the 2004 graduating class will begin to consider the baseball programs at TN colleges and universities. They will be able to use the scholarship $$$ to supplement the 1/2 athletic scholarships given to most baseball players. This can only mean that more top-level HS players will begin to consider Coach Cates and what he is building at UT Martin.

[underpar68]

Okay, I can't resist this one. I am a former student athlete and graduate of UT Martin, so this hits close to home. Why would you ever encourage an athlete to "run" from a potential college scholarship? That is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. UT Martin is a quality school with a quality athletic department. Who cares why UTM went into the OVC? Whether it was for basketball or any other sport doesn't matter. What matters is, it was for growth. When a school reaches a certain point, the only way to go is up. If that school chooses not to go up, guess where they go? DOWN! UT Martin has made great strides toward achieving the goals that the athletic department has set.

 

To all potential college student athletes:

 

Don't ever turn down an invitation to visit a college or speak to a coach, especially not for the reasons given by the person on this thread that feels it is their responsibility to run athletes away from UT Martin.

 

College athletics is the best experience of my college life, and is probably the best experience of most other student athlete's college lives. Not a day goes by that I don't think about or talk about an experience from my life as a student athlete. Don't miss out on that opportunity just because some random person says to.

[Edited by underpar68 on 4-30-03 1:33P]

 

[Guest gorillaball]

I read your comment about UT Martin. My name is Jimmy Carey I played and Graduated from JSCC and UT Martin. God blessed me by allowing me to play for a man like Coach Cates at JSCC. I never dreamed that one man could know so much about the game of baseball. I truly can say that any success that I had playing or coaching was a direct reflection of Coach Cates. The reason UT Martin is not as successful as other programs is because it takes time to build a program. All the things that have happened negative at UT Martin didn't happen over night and they can't be fixed over night either. I tell you my personal opinion is that the school needs to put more money into the baseball program. Build a indoor facility, dressing room, lounge area for the players and coaches down by the field. Put lights on the field so you can attract people in the community to come to games. But what does Martin do they cut the money for an assistant coach leaving Coach Cates with just graduate assistants, while everyone else gets 2 other coaches plus gradute assistants. UT Martin and anyone involved the the program should say a special prayer tonight and hope that Coach Cates stays. If you are a player considering going to school at UTM it is a great school and it only takes a few real good players to turn a program into a champion. So good luck skyhawks!

[thebeave]

Coach Cates is the best thing that has happened to the UT Martin baseball program. This is the first season in which he has his own players at his school, and they are improving every game. For the first time in school history they actually have a chance to play in the OVC tournament. When the great players like Jimmy Carey, Brett Vandermeaden, Brian Bullington, and others were playing, they were out of the hunt midway though the season.

 

Not now.

 

It has been 11 years since UT Martin has made the jump to Division 1 baseball; and for the first time we are competitive.

 

Remember one thing....had it not been for the bus accident after the Skyhawks beat Ole Miss 3 years ago; people like yourself would not even be on here posting stuff like that. That accident was a speed bump on the way to a rebuilding project that is one pitcher away from being complete.

 

Enjoy the game, no matter where you play. Believe me, you will miss it when you can't play anymore.

[illpete23]

I literally "ran" (I run bases now) from UT-Martin to VIC. I like Coach Bubba Cates, and I have nothing against him or the program. That is where I wanted to go and play ball before finding VIC. I did visit the campus, but later decided on not going there.

 

I had myself all ready to be a Skyhawk (the orange and blue matched my high school colors), but alas I am know Black and Gold. I still ask my high school guidance counslar how UTM is doing (she graduated from there). And I also read that after their 8-46 season that they had one of the top 10 turnarounds in NCAA that season.

 

Not that this has anything to do with this thread, but wasn't Coach Cates and some of his players in a crash last year? I think I remember hearing about that, and that it was a serious crash too. I know that something like that happened, but I can't remember when.

 

Anyways, in no way did I mean for my reply to be negative. I was making a joke, but I hope this will clear that up. I'm glad that I went to VIC (because I love it here), but I wouldn't discourage anyone from going to UTM. Maybe the program isn't as good as TheBeeve would have liked it to be, but it sounds like maybe a personal issue. And some places aren't for everyone. As far as the other people I know that go to UTM, I haven't heard anything negative about Coach Cates.

[Edited by illpete23 on 4-30-03 8:35P]

 

[illpete23]

The original poster is "thebeeve", but then a heavy poster named "thebeave" has posted something that seems supportive of UTM baseball (in which they elude to one of the people that have posted on here).

 

I wonder, is it the same person, or a rival?

[thebeave]

No connection whatsoever.

 

We have an imposter among us. Someone who wishes to gain fame by using a popular, knowledgable, and well-mannered user-like post name of one of the more well known posters on these coacht boards.

 

Furthermore, I am stingy with giving and receiving good marks. The last thing I want to do is lose a good mark in order to give a bad one.

 

I am now short one of my hard earned good marks and a negative marked has been bestowed on the imposter.