BAILEY'S TAKE
ON PIRATE SPORTS
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From the Anchor Desk
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
By Brian Bailey |
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Godwin busy during
long, slow summer
By
Brian Bailey
©2010 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
|
Billy Godwin |
(Photo ECU SID) |
|
Billy Godwin and his
coaching staff spent
part of the day on
Monday helping assistant
coach Nick Schnabel move
into a new residence in
Greenville.
The group would have
much rather spent the
day putting together a
game plan for an East
Carolina NCAA Regional
championship game.
The Pirates missed the
NCAA party this year. So
Godwin spent last week
recruiting.
“We would have much
rather been playing,”
said Godwin. “But we
promise we didn’t take
the weekend off. We will
keep pushing forward.”
In his 24 years of
coaching, Godwin says
he’s never had a year
like this past one.
“I haven’t made one
excuse,” he said. “There
were certainly things
... that weren’t in my
control that still were
my responsibility. As
things came up, we tried
to deal with them head
on. We tried to deal
with them with the most
integrity because that’s
what we want to build
this program on.”
Rumors began circulating
around midseason that
Godwin had fired
pitching coach Bill
Jarman. Godwin says
those rumors simply were
not true.
“I meet with all of our
players and coaches at
the end of every year,”
Godwin explained. “As we
started the
conversation, he (Jarman)
just told me he wanted
to spend more time with
his son.
"He is a single dad that
has sole custody. He
felt that stepping down
was in the best interest
for his family and I
support that one hundred
percent. So, no, he was
not fired.”
Godwin says his search
for a new pitching coach
may go into the summer.
He says he’s not in any
hurry to hire someone.
He’ll take his time and
get the guy that’s right
for the program.
“This is an important
hire and I want to take
my time,” he said. “I’ll
probably wait to really
get started after the
College World Series.”
Godwin’s next assignment
is to continue to
recruit around the state
and the region.
“I’ve always felt it was
important for me to get
out in recruiting and I
plan to continue to do
so," he said. "We’ve
certainly got a lot on
our plate, but
recruiting is going well
and I feel good about
it. Again, though, I
will take my time on
hiring the new pitching
coach.”
The Major League
Baseball Amateur Players
Draft opened last night.
Several Pirates are
expected to go sometime
today. It’s not an exact
science, but Godwin says
several of his players
should get a call
sometime Tuesday.
“Sometimes the
professional scouts
can’t even tell you
(where a player might
go)”, Godwin explained.
“I would be surprised if
Kyle (Roller) didn’t go
in the top ten rounds. I
think Devin (Harris)
will also go somewhere
around there.
"I’ve seen it before
where I’ve gotten it
right, and I’ve seen it
where is was much better
or worse. But that’s
where I think they’ll go
after talking to scouts
over the last couple of
weeks.”
When the Pirates don’t
make the NCAA regionals,
it makes the summer that
much longer.
Things tend to get quiet
— quickly — in sports in
June and July.
BB
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