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NCAA MEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 18, 2010

OMAHA, NEBRASKA

THE MODERATOR: This is the State of Baseball press conference. We're pleased to have with us today Dennis Pope, the NCAA vice president of baseball and football. Tim Weiser, the chair of the Division I baseball committee, and Dave Keilitz, the executive director of the ABCA. We'll ask each of these gentlemen to make opening remarks and then we'll open the floor to questions.
Dennis, welcome.
DENNIS POPE: Thank you, and we'd like to thank all of you for joining us this afternoon. And as Eric said, we're here to talk about the state of college baseball, rather large topic, but at this point in time, we've had this press conference for two or three years, and the topics are wide open. Not necessarily about the College World Series and the issues that we have here, but anything dealing with college baseball. That's why we've asked Dave Keilitz to join us who has his hand on the pulse of college baseball working with the coaches and then of course Tim wiser, the chair of our baseball committee, is very much involved with all of the baseball issues.
I won't get into a lot of details in my opening statements but just tell you we're hoping to talk about APR, bat testing, the championship, the new stadium, the old stadium, anything that comes across your mind, and hopefully we can answer them. If not, we'll find somebody to get you an answer.
Personally this is a rather melancholy, bittersweet time for me, having spent 24 years coming to this stadium. My family has come here. My youngest children were 20 and 24. They're now 25 and 27, bringing their boyfriend and their girlfriend, respectively, with them. And my older children are here. So as is the case for a lot of you, this is a family gathering and a time when we're going to cherish the memories we've had here for the last 24 years.
And so we're going to enjoy it, celebrate Rosenblatt, but we're all looking forward to a new era in the new stadium downtown. Hopefully all of you, if you have not, you'll have an opportunity to tour the stadium and get a preview of the future for the College World Series. We're very excited about it.
I have spent probably the last 18 months traveling to Omaha about once or twice a month to work with the design team and with the city, working through the details of the plan.
I've actually enlisted these two gentlemen here with some other baseball folks. Being an old football player, I always felt I was lacking a little bit on what a baseball diamond might need. So I enlisted Dave and Tim and several other, Jerry Kindall from Arizona and Ron Wellman and Larry Templeton and others who provided a lot of good advice as to how the stadium should be. But I won't talk any more about that unless you have questions about it.
I would like to introduce Tim wiser and we'll open it up for questions after Tim and Dave make a few comments. But Tim, as the chair of the Division I baseball committee, has led the committee through the last couple of years in a most efficient and effective manner. And I'd like to have him maybe comment about the baseball committee itself and some of the issues and we'll go from there.
TIM Weiser: Thank you, Dennis. First of all, let me thank all of you that have covered college baseball throughout the year and given our game such great exposure. We appreciate very much what you've done for college baseball.
I do have a couple of people here in the audience I want to take a second to introduce.
The former athletic director of Mississippi State and former chair of the baseball committee Larry Templeton is with us. I also have John Anderson, the head coach at the University of Minnesota. He's on our committee as well. And I've told both of them they're not allowed to ask any questions here today. So we're happy to have them just sit and observe.
I think most of you know the process that we use as we go through the selection of teams, the selection of regional sites. Obviously the seeding. I think this year's field, as it was last year, and I'm sure the years before that, do have the surprises. Last year, Southern Miss was a surprise, certainly TCU making it this year for the first time ever. I don't know that that would necessarily be a surprise, but I think it's a nice story.
And the fact that we have seven teams that are in this year's field that weren't here last year, I think also speaks to kind of the diversity of college baseball and the growth that we've seen in the game.
I think our committee, starting in April, began to have discussions with their regional advisory committees, and we have ten members on our committee and each one of them have regions of the country that they have responsibility for.
Those regional advisory committees are made up of coaches from the conferences in those regions, and then we collect that information and feed that back via conference calls pretty much throughout the month of April and May, and then of course we go to Indianapolis on Memorial Day Weekend and make our selections.
And as you've heard me say before, that process is certainly much more of an art than it is a science. I think as much information as we collect, and of course Denny and his staff, many of whom are out here in the audience today, do a great job of providing us a lot of the details number-wise and trends and all the information that we can possibly need to make the best decisions we can.
But try as we might, it's hard to get it perfect. And I think that's the challenge that our committee will continue to face. And certainly this summer, as we meet and discuss this process, the RPI, all the things that go into it, we'll continue to try and work hard to make it a perfect process.
I think this year we had probably a little bit more of a predictable process time-wise in terms of having the ability to go back, look at teams, make sure we still felt good that next day. And I'm not sure I can recall many times in the past where we've had the luxury of taking time to come back and look at the field and make sure that our seeds were correct and that our regional site selections were the best they could be. So I think that really helped us out this year.
My hope is that as we learned this year with that timing, that we can continue to duplicate that in future years and give ourselves the ability to even -- as late as, I want to say, Sunday morning, we were still talking about teams, actually Monday morning. And I think that helps us make good decisions.
We had, as I recall -- and Damonte and Randy can confirm this -- but I think we had roughly 15, 16 teams that we were trying to shoehorn into two or three spots. And that's always where the difficulty lies in the initial stages, is making sure you get it right and get the best teams in there.
As I've said before, undoubtedly we leave teams out that could win a game or two in the NCAA, and that's obviously a disappointment to know that there are those teams that get left out. But unless you want to have a field of 300 and some teams, obviously you're going to have that potential. Whether it's 64, 84 or 104, you'll have somebody that feels like they got left out and were deserving of a chance to get in there.
For me personally, I think the hardest part of the process is the seeding and trying to make sure that you get the right eight seeds and the top 16. And going through that process is a very difficult thing, in large part because of the unpredictability of the pitching staff.
I heard a couple of coaches last night, in our pretournament meeting, talking about they would see pitchers that during the year were fresh, throwing well, and then by the time they get into the conference tournament, arms are getting a little bit tired. It's hard to say that you see the same kind of pitching late like that, because of that very factor.
And I think that's in large part what makes our challenge as a baseball committee different than perhaps what the basketball committee does. The pitching staff really affects how teams look mid-season and post-season, and I think trying to identify who it is that's on their way up and has the momentum is the real challenge and the real trick for us.
So I'm going to stop at this point and turn it over to Dave and let him talk a little bit about some of the broader issues that baseball faces. So Dave.
DAVE KEILITZ: Thank you, Tim. It's a pleasure to be here. I've been here now coming over 30 years in the capacity as a baseball coach and an athletic administrator, and now the last 16 years as Executive Director of the American Baseball Coach Association. And it's a thrill every time I come into the town and into Rosenblatt, and it will be a thrill next year when we walk into the new stadium.
And I can say, I believe, without question, in all the years that I've been involved with college baseball, that the state of college baseball has never been greater. There's more good teams, there's more good coaches, there's more good players, there's more teams that have an opportunity to get here than anytime in the history of Division I baseball.
So we're excited about where we're at, and we're excited about where we're going. And there's always issues. I talk to many of you several times a year about those issues. Some of those may be asked today, and we welcome those, that we continually work on.
But our game is in great hands with the coaches we have and the schools that we have, and the future is going to continue to even get greater. With that, I'll leave it open for any questions.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Tim, you talk about the pitching and the way you guys consider that as a committee. Does that extend into the regular season with mid-week games and how much mid-week games matter. Because I know those games matter the same in the RPI. But I know at Baseball America, we were always doing our own rankings. Mid-week games don't matter as much as the weekend series to us. So is something that has started for the committee as well?
TIM WEISER: Well, I'm not sure and I certainly would welcome John's thoughts as a coach and a committee member. I appreciate you bringing this up. We do have on our committee two sitting head coaches: John and Mark Marquess who is also on the committee.
And although I do recall us having some discussion about the mid-week piece of it, I'm not sure that I think down the stretch, that was really something that came into play as we had discussions about teams and whether they should be selected or shouldn't be selected or whether they were an eight seed or a 16, whatever it might be.
So although I do think that is a factor, I can't tell you that I can recall the committee spending a lot of time talking about the issues that mid-week pitching would present for us.

Q. I've been coming to this series since the late '50s. A question, I guess, for Tim and maybe for Dave. And maybe Denny, too. Would there be a consideration for play-in games, expanding the tournament a little bit? I know the term bubble teams is now starting to get into the vernacular of baseball as it has been in basketball. Any thoughts on that?
TIM WEISER: Well, I'll give you my own personal opinion. I certainly don't want to speak for the committee on this. I don't know that I see play-in games coming anytime soon. If it's out there, I'm certainly not hearing that.
Frankly, I think if you were to ask our committee what are some of the big issues right now facing college baseball, I think the majority of our committee members would talk more about scholarship limitations and trying to find ways to increase the commitment that we make to baseball from a scholarship standpoint.
I realize that we'll continue to have debate about weather issues and length of season and rosters and all those. But I still think one of the things that baseball needs to address, long term, is what we do from a scholarship standpoint.
DENNIS POPE: I would agree. I don't think that, given frankly the state of the economy and all the hubbub about 96 basketball teams, we ended up with a smaller expansion. I just don't foresee baseball taking that route either.
And one of the problems in that Tim alluded to, there's always that 65th team. And if you look at what I call the pyramid effect, it's easier to pick the top eight, top 12, top whatever. You get down to the 65th, everybody has the same record, everybody has the same RPI. Probably very few common opponents.
And a little bit back to what John's question was, it takes a committee -- and I've been very impressed with the committee and I think the two coaches -- unlike a lot of sports committees, we have coaches on our committee. They bring to the table that, hey, wait a minute, a lot of games may have been won mid-week. Just for example, I'm not saying it's a criteria, but they look at the total package when they look at the importance of those games. And sometimes it comes down to a finite point of why you pick one team over another team, and it could be the number of road wins versus home wins. You know, it's much more difficult to win on the road and those types of things. And some of it is -- and I've use the term very often -- it gets down to the point of who don't you want to play, and you pick that team.
I would say the committee takes that seriously, because what you're doing, you're denying kids an opportunity to go to the championship. Could impact a coach's career. A lot of things. So it's -- as I tell people, it's not rocket science but it ain't easy.

Q. Two questions for any of you guys. First of all, just talking about the process, the field selection process. Has there been any discussion at all about seeding 1 through 16, like I think they do in softball, so you don't have, for instance, maybe de facto No. 9 team playing a Super Regional against the No. 1 team? And secondly, if you could talk about the bat testing and the effects that's had, whether you're pleased with the results of the moratorium and the composite barrel.
DENNIS POPE: I'll kick it off. First of all, I think we've looked at about every possible format change there might be, and indeed we've even looked at seeding 32, 64, 16, whatever.
I will not say that it's out of the realm of possibility. I think obviously the purists would like to have a seeding process in place. One of the things -- and to be a little more practical, maybe, one of the things I think that has allowed this tournament to grow -- and I'll give you a little historical perspective.
In 1998, when we had 48 teams, the tournament incurred a deficit of about $227,000. We expanded, which doesn't make sense, to 64 teams. And we immediately started turning a profit and we started becoming a revenue generator. Now, that, in itself, doesn't mean this is a successful tournament. Most important thing, we gave 16 more teams a chance and we created more regionalization, which allowed fans to go to the games. They didn't have to travel to LA to get to a six-team regional. They could go down the road to Auburn or Colony Station, wherever that regional was.
So if I philosophize a little bit, I think that in itself allowed the tournament to gain some momentum at the ground level. The fans got to see the games. They got to be involved with the championship, and therefore, it was an effort, I think, that helped grow the championship.
One of the benefits of not seeding 16 is you're not sending the number one team from the West Coast to the 16th place team on the -- or the 16th place on the East Coast to the number one team on the West Coast. You allow those fans to get to those games.
Now, I'm speaking as an administrator and as a fan. As a coach, I can appreciate the fact I don't want to play that perceived number nine team if I'm a No. 1 seed.
So it may be given time and history, the tournament has grown to a point that it may be something that we look at. And it's the committee's call. It's one of those things that has been discussed and probably will be discussed as we go forward. We've been close to it, I would say, I think, in going to 16 teams, but there's this hesitation about taking away what allows this tournament to be a little more personal and allowing the fans to get there and so forth.
TIM WEISER: I think I would add to that by telling you that from the feedback that I've gotten from some of our coaches, I think the flip side of keeping the fans in places where they can go to games is, from a coach's perspective, a bit of a detriment in that, boy, we're seeing the same teams in the same area. And, of course, that's part of our challenge as a committee is to find some geographic sense about how we see teams and in that area so that we don't put people on planes and have four-hour flights and the costs associated with it.
But I also know that schools on the West Coast, for example, are frustrated with seeing the same teams in the same regionals and Super Regionals. I suppose if you were to say what would be the one thing you would like to see us change, I would probably be more likely to say, let's see if we can move away from that geographic process and do more of that seeding and not be as concerned about trying to keep things localized so we don't have the travel costs.
That's easy for me to say because I'm not paying the bill, and that's obviously something the NCAA is very concerned about, and I appreciate that.
The other question you asked about bat testing. And I'm sure Dave will have much more to add to that. We are testing bats again this year. And although I think the moratorium has had, at least from what I can tell, a desired effect on what we saw this year, I think it continues to be something that our committee feels strongly about, especially here in Omaha, making sure that the bats meet the specifications as the baseball rules provide for them.
And so my hope is that we'll continue to make that a priority as we come into Omaha every year.
DAVE KEILITZ: On the bat, there's a new testing standard which goes into effect next year, which the scientists that did the research on this claim that it will make the bat even more wood-like in nature than what it is now, with the BB core, which is the change in that and how it is tested. So I think you'll see a little bit of effect -- how much, I don't know yet -- next year with the bat itself.
And I think our coaches, at least in Division I, are pleased with the performance that we have now and hopefully again next year, but then of course, when you put a moratorium on the graphite barrel bat, many feel that made a difference for this year also.

Q. Dave, you answered a little bit of this -- I'm sorry, Denny, you answered a little bit of this. Dave, maybe you could a little bit. Just how big of a difference, when you went from 64 to 84, I remember seeing you at the ABCA that year, Dave, when you were talking to the coaches about how it was approved and what a big deal you thought it would be. Did you think it would be as successful? And, Denny, did you foresee that it would be successful not just in turning a deficit into a profit but making the sport get to the point where you have to build a new ballpark to house the crown jewels of the sport?
DENNIS POPE: I'd like to say, yeah, I knew back 20 years ago this is where we'd end up. But to be honest with you, I've been pleasantly surprised by the success. I will tell you that there were some detractors within the NCAA about going to 64 teams. When you take a deficit championship and you're going to expand it, what are you doing? It's that kind of questioning.
But as I said, to use the term once, it's not rocket science. You just reduce your travel and you reduce your expenses and you create more opportunities, it's win-win. And that's what we did. We created more bus trips and a lot more kids get to play, and everybody benefits. And it was a simple process.
But I'll be honest with you, John, I don't think in those days -- and Dave I think may have been on the committee. He's been on the committee longer than I have, I think, or been associated with this group.
I don't know if we knew that it would take off at the local level, because if you think since the mid-'90s until now, look at the number of facilities that have been built on campuses, the improvements on college baseball being played around the country. Is that a result of this?
But I think there's a goal, and this is where I think the College World Series has been so helpful to college baseball. This has developed into an iconic sporting type event that everybody wants to play in. And realistic, where else do you get eight days of TV exposure for your institution? In some way or another, you're being mentioned eight days around here. And the type of experience they get here and the reputation or the tradition that this event has created, I think, gave a goal for a lot of institutions that they wanted to be there and a lot of baseball teams wanted to be here.
The expansion gave more opportunities. It gave more local-level interest. I think it just all kind of had -- I would tell you ESPN's continued coverage, they do an excellent job of providing up close and personal behind-the-scenes stories that they develop. You start following a personality during the series, whether it be a coach or player. I think we developed a following there.
If I will say anything, I think the good thing that those who have been involved with the College World Series since the beginning, whatever it is that makes the College World Series is still here. Whatever that is. Whether it's the look or feel or more importantly I would say it's the community that really made this event maybe a little different than a lot of other sporting events.
DAVE KEILITZ: When this expansion took place, I was extremely thrilled and excited about it. I thought it was one of the best things that's ever happened for Division I baseball. Not only we added 16 more teams to the field, I think what it really did is gave an awful lot of more teams hope that they could do it as opposed to what -- back in '40, I'm not saying it was a closed shop, but if you took every year and looked at those 48 clubs, the number of repeaters every year was huge.
Now, with the addition of 16 other schools, other parts of the country felt we've got a chance to be part of those additional 16. And as Dennis mentioned, just look around the country what's been done facility-wise, what's been done with operating budgets, what's been done in coaching salaries. The fan base at the local level as well, as the regional and Super Regionals and here, have all expanded immensely.
This year we've got a team that's never been here before, Texas Christian. We had other two, Vanderbilt and Coastal Carolina that have never been here but were close to getting here. I don't think we saw those things 15 years ago.
And you've got a field this year -- there's only one repeater from the last year. And I don't know -- I'm not sure how far back we'd have to go where you had a field of eight where there's only one repeat from the year before.
It's just opened it up for so many more programs in the hope that it can happen for schools that have not been here is huge, and their programs have upgraded because of it. It's a big factor.
DENNIS POPE: One of the things I'd like to highlight that often goes unseen or forgotten on the expansion. We went from eight six-team regionals to 16 four-team regionals. That provided a little more parity across the country because you don't need as many pitchers to get through a four-team regional as you do a six-team regional. So I think for those of you who have been around baseball it makes sense, but I think sometimes people forget that that really leveled the playing field for teams that could get one or two good arms, but they can't get that third or fourth or fifth pitcher. So I think it allowed some programs that might not be from what you could say the traditional power to get a chance now. I think the coaches understood that. Not to prolong the discussion, but I think that's an important part of that that we sometimes forget.

Q. This question is addressed particular to Dave but also to Tim and Dennis for your thoughts. Dave, based on the feedback you've gotten from coaches, what are the thoughts on whether the 25 percent scholarship rule is working, and also what sort of feedback have you gotten from the coaches regarding the new emphasis on the APR?
DAVE KEILITZ: I didn't hear the last part of that.

Q. The new emphasis on the APR, the feedback you're getting from coaches.
DAVE KEILITZ: First of all, it's not a new emphasis. It's been in effect for six years.
But when the committee -- the special committee for baseball, for the APR was formed, which the three of us sat on that. Larry Templeton was on that. Damonte Leach. I remember the first meeting that we had, probably 60 of us in the room, 40 people on the committee and then the NCAA staff and so forth, thinking this is never going to -- we'll never get this done. And we hammered it out and I thought we did a great job with it, the committee.
There was certainly a lot of apprehension, concerns by many people, what's this going to do to my program, how am I going to have to change? Since it's been into effect -- in fact, I will say this: In the past 12 months I've not heard from a coach that has issued a concern.
They now -- they realize it. They've adopted to it. They know that it has worked. We've gone up significantly, I believe 31 points in our APR up to 954. More significant than any other sport.
It's just worked well for us. I think it's best for our programs, our student-athletes. And we kind of had a threat over our heads from the board of directors, is that one thing that is really important to our coaches is the number of games, the 56 games. That's a top priority with many of our -- majority of our coaches. And it was, we've got to come up with a system that we do a better job of graduating our players or we're going to have a reduction in games and a reduction in practice time, which we felt would really hurt our sport.
Well, we've proven that we can do that with the improvement in the APR. The 25 percent scholarship thing, at first, many programs had some concerns with it. But I'll be very frank with you, there were a ton of programs that were bringing in kids on, say, books only.
Those kids were gone in a short period of time. Statistics bear that out. Now many of those kids have gone on to other programs. It's improved the programs, I think, across the country, not in terms of APR, but in terms of performance, because of the quality of player they're able to get.
The system has worked. And you just don't hear any more about it anymore.

Q. Dave, I know Tim kind of touched on the scholarship issue, but I know you're kind of a northern guy, so have you talked to some of the northern coaches? Are some of these northern programs that don't have the scholarships, teams that some don't have but one or two and some may have seven or eight, do you see some of these schools getting positive signs from their administration?
DAVE KEILITZ: I would hope, but I don't know. Concerning the scholarships, as Tim mentioned, if I were team for the day, and I could do one last thing as executive director of the ABCA, I would increase scholarships. It would elevate our game.
We lose a tremendous number of elite athletes to football and basketball because we don't have full rides. And if a young man does not have the money to help support himself in college, and he's a great football player and a great baseball player and you're getting 30 or 40 percent in baseball and a full ride in football, you go play football. So it would greatly elevate the quality of our sport.
Plus, quite frankly, in fairness to the kids that we have, you know, outstanding players, all-American players that are only getting 25 or 30 percent because the coach cannot give them any more to keep within the 27 that he has and 11.7.
So in fairness to our players and for the quality of play, the improvement of our play, I'd like more scholarships. But I'm also very realistic. I'm not sure I will see that day, but I sure hope to. It's something that is always in the forefront.
One of the issues that we have is, with our own programs itself, is that we've got a large number of our 291 Division I schools that aren't at 11.7, and they're sitting there thinking, well, if we go to, say, 14, I'm still going to be at my six; it doesn't help me at all. So that's an individual choice by those institutions.
But there are more schools that were not at 11.7 five years ago that are there now because of the emphasis, greater emphasis being placed on baseball.
I'd like to see that some day. Whether I do or not, I don't know. But we always keep it in the forefront and we keep working at it.

Q. I have one question for Tim and then one for each of you. If you could just -- the fact that five seeds aren't here, Tim, is that a good thing or a bad thing in your mind? And then if each of you could comment on what you're looking most forward to with the last year at Rosenblatt and what you're looking forward to with the new stadium.
TIM WISER: I guess, I'll go first. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? I suppose the correct answer is, well, it's not a good thing if you're the committee chair and you don't have your seeds play out the way that they are.
But, you know, I would tell you, I'm fine with that. I think in large part because I know the process that we use and how we go through that. And the comfort I take is that the game has to be played. It's going to be decided on the field. And although we can do our best judgment as to which team is going to be in which regional and what seed, the reality of it is the teams will decide that.
The eight best teams are going to show up in Omaha. The eight best at that time. And that's I think the challenge that the committee is always going to face.
So in the end, my answer would be, yeah, I'm comfortable with that. It's not about the committee. It's not about the Chair. It's about the right teams getting to Omaha. And they do get the right teams to Omaha, because they decided on the field.
Favorite memories. And I would tell you that my thoughts, especially this last year as Denny and I were walking down, started thinking about this rainstorm and this foul ball and this particular game, and certainly the older you get the less you like change, but I think the excitement with the new stadium is obviously something that you can feel within the college baseball environment.
But it also dawned on me that in large part the memories that I have of Rosenblatt are because of the kids, the games, the teams, and the crowds.
I mean, the city of Omaha, and the fans that have come out and supported this event, they're going to continue to support this event. It's a great event. It may be in a new home, but we're going to have a continued great atmosphere because we're still going to have great baseball coming here. We're still going to have very excited and supportive fans. This city and the community will continue to open up its arms to these teams.
That's the comfort I take as maybe as I say you get a little older, you don't like change. But I'm sure if you were to talk to people in New York, they probably didn't like the idea of leaving Yankee Stadium to go to the new one. But my guess is they've moved on and embraced that new stadium. It's part of what we all deal with at some level or another.
DAVE KEILITZ: When Templeton and I were chairs, the top seeds always made it here. So I don't know what happened this year.
But I know what the committee goes through. I do not sit in on those selections. But I was on this committee for 12 and a half years, and it was only due to the circumstances of changing of the committee and so forth, and I know what the committee goes through and they do a tremendous job of doing the seeding. You could not ask for more information than what they have and the integrity that goes into it.
But where I think it is good, it's just showing there's more and more great teams out there. You might not be a No. 1 seed, but you're still good enough to make it if you have a good weekend or two.
So I look at it as a good thing when that happens. It means maybe there could be 20 or 25 or 28 teams that qualifies as the No. 1 seed. So the fact that there's more good teams out there, it's better for our game.
Concerning Rosenblatt, say 30 some times I've been here, there are tremendous memories and it has a great tradition. But as Tim said, the tradition lies in the tournament itself. And the new stadium is going to be, if you don't already realize it, absolutely tremendous.
And looking at it again the other day, it is going to be a special, special place. In five, six, seven, 15 years from now, people can still talk about the great memories they had at Rosenblatt, but it's not going to deter from anything else that takes place at the new stadium, because the tradition of the College World Series will still continue into the new stadium.
DENNIS POPE: With regard to the seeding as the staff member, I have the benefit of taking credit when they get them all here. And I say what were they thinking of when they don't get their eight teams here to a degree.
But as Tim said, it's not a science. It's an art to a degree. And no one ever knows how those adolescents are going to perform. You never know how those kids are going to play. And that's why I never became a coach. I didn't want to put my future on the actions of adolescents, I guess. But it's a tough but it's a demanding challenge, and I think overall the committee -- the thing I like about this is those eight teams earned their way here. Nobody had an easy ride. And so that's the beauty of it.
And the other thing that's so beautiful about the College World Series, about 70 percent of those kids out there, maybe not 70 percent, but a lot of them, this is their last game. This is their last major competition, and they're playing like it. So that's the beauty.
Regarding my last year or my next year, on a personal matter, I've already told you that it's a bittersweet experience, because I've spent a good part of my adult life working with the City of Omaha and the baseball committee and on improving Rosenblatt. So it's kind of like a home to me.
So it's tough to leave those memories, and I'll steal a line from my director, Damonte Leach. I don't know if you've seen the documentary, The Long Home Run. It's well done, and for us junkies on College World Series, it has a history and a personal touch with Omaha that I think is really well done.
But Damonte Leach, my director, said: It's not about the bricks and mortar. It's about the experiences and the relationships you build while you're here.
And another guy asked me, what are you going to do when the last pitch is thrown? I said, you know, it's -- usually it's one of my most enjoyable times is during the trophy celebration. And I'm there watching everybody do their jobs, and I just kind of have a chance to sit back and watch it. And that thrill of watching the kids win that national championship and the experience and the thrill and the monkey pile and the dousing with water and putting on the hats and the t-shirts and the goofy-looking hats, sideways upside down or whatever, that's a thrilling time.
And I've always felt like, well, there will be another year. This year there won't be another year here. So that celebration will be in another facility. But I don't see that same exhilaration or that thrill of victory going away. That will just be on a different diamond at a different time.
Given all that, we want to leave Rosenblatt with dignity. We want to remember all these great plays, great experiences, personal as well as professional that we've had here. And in no way will that new stadium duplicate Rosenblatt. It's still bricks and mortar.
But what will be duplicated -- and I have no doubt about it -- will be the support that this Omaha community has given to us. They're very excited about another 25 years, I can tell you. And they're very excited and proud of that new ballpark. And I think they have every right to be when you have a chance to take a look at it. It's unique. It's the only facility ever built for an NCAA championship, specifically.
It has unique issues there that will meet the demands of the College World Series, not only now but the next 25 years and into the future.
So in a way, the most important part about this is the event continues. We're just saying good-bye to this venerable old stadium and going into a new stadium. I'll tell you what, there is going to be something that comes up next year and say, well, we didn't have this at Rosenblatt, this wasn't a problem at Rosenblatt.
Well, I'll tell you, that's going to happen whether the sprinklers go off at the wrong time or a drain stops or somebody trips. You know. I don't know. There will be something, I can tell you.
But it's about the experience. The first walk-off home run, that first great time meet your buddy back there, you develop relationships sitting next to somebody new that you didn't meet down at Rosenblatt and that will carry on. And that's the spirit of this event, and that's why it makes it a special time.
I'm going to go out on a limb here because I just met with my new boss. I got to share this with you. I had a meeting with President Mark Emrick yesterday back in Indianapolis. And it's always encouraging to know that your boss likes the event you're working on.
But he was very complementary towards the College World Series and the experience that he had when he was chancellor at LSU, and I think it was Skip's last championship. And he understands. He gets it and he understood what this whole thing is about. And it was real comforting to know that he understands it. He gets what the College World Series and Omaha is all about. He unfortunately won't be able to be here this year, but we look forward to having him out here in the future.
It's more than you wanted, but it's a time when everybody sits back and thinks about things, and that's good. And let's enjoy it.
THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

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NCAA MEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 18, 2010

Dave Keilitz

Dennis Poppe

Tim Weiser