I won't get into the long version of this story, however, our son, Ryan Hewitt verbally committed to play at U-Mass Lowell for Coach Ken Harring. Briefly, as someone who has been around baseball all their lives, Coach Harring is an impressive of a coach that I have ever met. Sometimes being from the south you start believing that baseball sun rises and sets down here. Not true. Their facilities there are as nice as most schools here & after attending a few games up in MA the depth may not be there, the talent is.
Players, just one tip. . . . don't rush to sign somewhere just because it's a D1 school, or because solely because of the reputation of the team, or it's in a particular location, look at everything CLEARLY before jumping into signing.
Posts: 455 | Location: West Palm Beach | Registered: February 13, 2003
CanesFan has it together---great coach at Lowell--great program--Coach Harring does the right thing--The UMASSLOWELL program wins every year---what more is there to say
TRhit
THE KIDS TODAY DO NOT THROW ENOUGH !!!!!
Posts: 21255 | Location: Manchester, CT USA | Registered: December 26, 2002
As a guy who has lived in both places, let me tell you 2 of the best teachers of the game that I have ever witnessed are Coach Harring from U Mass-Lowell and Coach Thurston from Amherst. They will do a lot with the talent they have, which is by the way, not too shabby.
Sometimes I sits and I thinks, sometimes I just sits. Coachric
Posts: 1134 | Location: Orlando | Registered: December 22, 2005
Thank you for the welcome to the NE, but my old rearend will be staying in sunny South Florida only making limited appearances in Massachusetts. I be able to see a few games when they travel to Florida at the beginning of each year and spend a week or so playing in the warmer climate while the fields in the NE begin to thaw out.
Coach Harring, his staff and the facilities sold my son from the moment he visited the school. Coaches from various teams and the athletic director came up to Ryan and introduced themselves to him. Just little things that he wasn't used to. He felt comfortable, wanted and special. He said that he felt like he knew coach Harring for years and could talk to him about anything. Coach Harring is a former player and the players can really relate to that.
Campus-wise Lowell isn't the prettiest and is split between the north and south campus. Then again, Ryan certainly won't be one of the students pictured in the catalog lying in the grass studying in front of the adminstration office. Ryan's response was that he'd rather have an infield with no bad hops then a nicely landscaped, freshly painted library.
In all honesty, he wants to play ball and get a degree. So, the academic standing of the school wasn't high on his list of priorities, just as long as they offered his major and he graduates.
TR, funny you mentioned the winning part. That was the biggest thing that sold Ryan. Sure he could have gone to another D1 school, but he wanted to play for a school that had a chance to "win something." OK, fine you say you're going to a D1 school. What are the chances of most of the D1 schools actually winning a regional to go to the CWS? UML offered this. They have an awesome coach and staff, great facility, they win and they play in a good conference.
Posts: 455 | Location: West Palm Beach | Registered: February 13, 2003
CanesFan.....my family goes back 3 generations in Lowell.....I remember when UMass Lowell was the Lowell Technological Institute...and State Teachers College.....the proximity to the mountains and beaches can't be beat.....congratulations and best wishes to your son.....he definitely picked a very good program to join.....
"A house stays in one place. A home is where the heart leads........"
Posts: 1571 | Location: NorthCarolina | Registered: June 16, 2004
Players, just one tip. . . . don't rush to sign somewhere just because it's a D1 school, or because solely because of the reputation of the team, or it's in a particular location, look at everything CLEARLY before jumping into signing.
Congratulations to your son! Living in Florida there are some smaller D1 programs your son could have played in here, but playing for a championship D2 team will be awesome. You are right, sun doesn't always rise and set in the south! And good advice, think long and hard before signing!
Forget the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey instead...anonymous
Posts: 12769 | Location: South Florida | Registered: July 28, 2003
