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Bailey's
Take on Pirate Sports
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From the Anchor Desk
Wednesday, May 4, 2005
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By Brian Bailey |
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Cook's exit might not be
team's last
©2005 Bonesville.net
One
of the first things I told new East Carolina coach Ricky Stokes at his
introductory news conference was just how hard of a job he was taking.
It
certainly wasn’t meant as a negative, just as an observation. I’ve seen
basketball coaches come and go for more then twenty years now.
Stokes smiled. Perhaps in researching the job, he already knew what I was
telling him.
His
job became that much more difficult in year one with
Monday’s news of the
departure of leading scorer Mike Cook.
Cook
certainly had his faults. Word inside the team was the Cook constantly had
attitude issues.
However, Cook was the one player on this team who could
create his own shot. Those players at East Carolina have been hard to come
by over the years.
Stokes reaction to the media was as follows:
"We certainly support Mike's
decision to do what he feels is in his best interest. He wants
to be in a situation where he is close to family and friends. We wish him
nothing but the best."
The
Pirate’s depth at the guard position appears to be taking a real hit. One
other player at that position will be lost because of academics. That
official announcement should come in the next couple of weeks.
Cook
averaged 15 points per game last season. Now, someone has to step up and put
some points on the board.
It
won’t be easy, but Stokes knew that going in.
Extra-inning loss riled
Mazey
ECU
Baseball Coach Randy Mazey had to be scratching his head on Saturday night
after the Pirate’s 3-2 loss to Cincinnati in ten innings.
In a
2-2 game, the Pirates got the lead-off hitter on in the 8th, 9th
and 10th innings.
Each
time, the Pirates lost an out in trying to move the runner into scoring
position.
Pure
baseball strategy suggests that a bunt is in order, moving the runner to
second base with just one out. That gives you two shots for that base hit to
score the run.
Mazey
was especially upset in talking with the media after the loss.
"That's not a game we should ever lose at any
time," said Mazey. "We've got guys on base and we can't
drive them in. We get them on and we can't move them over. It was a complete
lack of execution, something I can't explain."
When the NCAA tournament field is announced
later this year, it might come down to the games the Pirates lost,
and not so much the ones they won.
Cincinnati and Charlotte are just two
examples of games that somehow got away.
Still, with all of the injuries that this team
has endured, the squad still has a shot at an at-large bid. It may turn out
to be Mazey’s best coaching job to date.
Kee is
"key" to success
The best team on campus this year has been the
East Carolina softball team.
Tracey Kee has her best squad. Sunday, she said
goodbye to four key seniors that have helped to take her squad to the next
level.
One of those seniors, Mandi Nichols, played her
career for Kee in her home town of Greenville.
Nichols also helped to lure
another former Rose star, Kelli Harrell, to East Carolina. Harrell is one of
the top pitchers in C-USA.
Last year, Kee recruited D.H. Conley star Paige
Baggett. These three girls are all local products who have mixed well with
Kee’s national recruiting philosophy.
The “key” now for Terry Holland may be in
keeping Coach Kee, who’s stock is rising in the coaching profession.
Congrats to the young ladies on the smaller
diamond who have had an incredible season to date. Here’s hoping the
softball squad makes a nice run in the NCAA tournament.
 Send an e-mail message to
Brian Bailey.
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02/23/2007 01:31:49 AM |
