Hi all. Remember me? It's Carrot Top. When I talked with you last, I was living in Utah and my son had just been recruited to a junior college in California. Now I live in Washington State, and my son just completed his sophomore year in college (academically), BUT as a baseball player, he just completed his freshman year at a junior college in WA (due to being redshirted in CA last year). He is just beginning the process of being recruited via transfer to four year schools, so I'm back. This baseball roller coaster just keeps on rolling....just when I thought my son was settled....well, some of you might know how it goes.....lots of curveballs and making adjustments, right? That's been us for two years.
I'm reappearing tonight to ask for your input/advice about Newman University in Wichita, KS. Any help would be much appreciated!
It's good to be back!
Posts: 4 | Location: Washington | Registered: July 20, 2004
Can't help you on Newman but I do want to say. . . Welcome back! I often wondered what happened to Carrot Top! We miss the great post you so eloquently contributed in the past. Fungo
Posts: 4939 | Location: Spring Creek (Jackson),Tennessee | Registered: December 26, 2002
Carrot Top, I don't know much about the school itself, but the baseball program has been consistently at the top in the conference. My son plays for another school in the same conference and Newman is tough. If your son ends up going there please let me know and I'll look for you.
Posts: 13 | Location: Little Rock, Arkansas | Registered: January 09, 2003
Thank you for your warm wishes, my old friends Fungo, TR, and BeenThere. It is good to be back! I have so much to catch up on and new friends to meet.
I appreciate your input, jammer. It helps, especially when the "competition" is evaluating the strength or weakness of a program.
I still have a many questions, though. I have done some research, and I have been told that the NAIA programs in the Midwest are every bit as competitive, with top caliber talent, as many D-I schools. I've also been told there is much "trickle down" of D-I players who opt to go to strong NAIA programs by transferring from their D-I schools. (Question: Why would these players choose to transfer from a D-I to an NAIA?---maybe you can anwer this one, my old friends.) Does anyone who is familiar with this area of the country have any comment about this, either "yeah or nay" and why?
I know that Newman U is ranked #23 in the Nation of NAIA baseball programs. Another question is who votes for the rankings in this poll? Is it other coaches, or people within the NAIA organization? And secondly, how many votes determine these polls?
If there is anyone else on this site wondering about Newman U, I'll tell you what I know. It is a small, private school with a Catholic affiliation. Academic majors include the traditional liberal arts degrees, but also Business and Accounting degrees, Nursing, pre-med, and education. It has about 2000 students. My son is playing summer ball back in Kansas, so he went on the tour and he says it is a beautiful campus, and the dorms are great. Said the food smelled better than "regular dorm food", and his guide said the food was really fantastic. Classes are small, no more than 30 people for the biggest class, but most classes are about 17-20 people. My son was told by the guide and some of the kids on his summer league that Newman is very challenging academically, but that the professors have the reputation of being very clear and helpful in their subject matter.
I emailed Brian Rupe with Midwest Prospects Showcase to ask him what he knew about Newman. He also had walked the campus before and confirms my son's impressions. Baseball-wise, he told me that he knows that Newman competes against the nationally reognized NAIA programs throughout Oklahoma. (Another source told me the top-ranked Nebraska NAIA's , like Bellvue, are their competition, also.) According to Brian, the NAIA programs are so strong throughout the Midwest that they are better than the D-II programs in that region. Unfortunately, Brian didn't know much about Newman's particulars or its coaches, etc.
Maybe you, jammer, would have a perspective on a little of this....you can tell a lot about a program from across the field while "in the heat of battle"!! The opposition usually has a wonderful insight as to how good the players are, but also how the coaches handle themselves and their players, how they deal with the umpires during the game, how the team handles tough situations during games, how fast the pitchers throw, the strength of their offense and defense. So jammer, what I'm asking you is whether or not you would have been proud of having your son play for Newman if he had not chosen his current school?
And I'm asking for other Midwesterners who know something of Newman and NAIA programs in general to please post their opinions. I would surely appreciate it! In exchange, if anyone needs to know about Utah schools, the CA junior college Orange Empire, or the WA state JUCOs, I will be glad to help.
Thanks all!
Posts: 4 | Location: Washington | Registered: July 20, 2004
The rankings in the NAIA are determined by coaches. Each NAIA conference has one coach designated as its rater. The conference raters form a regional rating, then on to a national rating.
Some NAIA programs are very strong for several reasons.....some programs have more scholarships available than DI schools.....some DI players transfer to NAIA schools for the same reasons they transfer to other DI schools.....not a good fit, promise of more playing time, shot a national tournament, etc.
Posts: 1062 | Location: Michigan | Registered: December 27, 2002
If your son liked Newman it may also be worth his while to investigate Creighton University in Omaha. They play in the Missouri Valley Conferance. Creighton made it to the CWS in 1992, I think, and they are the CWS hosts. It is an excellent school academically and their head baseball coach, Ed Servias, is top notch and as good as it gets in the college game.
Check out across the street, Friends University. www.friends.edu they play their games in the Kansas City Royals AA facility (Beltran and Damon played there) They finished ahead of them in the 2004 regional and its an upcoming program. Check it out!
Posts: 3 | Location: West, AZ | Registered: January 21, 2005
There is one other reason players transfer from a D1 to a NAIA school, no need for a release from the former coach to play right away. Some coaches will not give releases on any transfer. The student then would need to sit out a year if transfering to another D1 school.
Posts: 345 | Location: Virginia | Registered: January 05, 2003
The opposition usually has a wonderful insight as to how good the players are, but also how the coaches handle themselves and their players, how they deal with the umpires during the game, how the team handles tough situations during games, how fast the pitchers throw, the strength of their offense and defense. So jammer, what I'm asking you is whether or not you would have been proud of having your son play for Newman if he had not chosen his current school?
