Former players laid ORU's foundation (TW)

[praetorfenix86]

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

6/6/2006

Catcher Andy Bouchie and pitcher Erik Crichton were at the bottom of the ceremonial dogpile Sunday night in Fayetteville, Ark., signifying ORU's rise out of the Fayetteville Regional and ascension to the program's first super regional.

But underneath Bouchie and Crichton, even deeper down under the pile, were Dennis Bigley's powerful arm, Grant Plumley's golden glove, Matt VanDerBosch's fleet feet and Ricky Rivera's magic bat.

Those were some of the key players on ORU's 2004 team, the club that went 50-11 and led the nation with an .820 winning percentage, the club that scared the Bevo out of Texas in Austin, the club that Rob Walton skippered in his first year as the Golden Eagles' head coach.

"That team that won 50 was special," Walton said after ORU's 9-2 victory over top-seeded Oklahoma State in the regional championship. "But I think the result of that team is what you've got here."

Walton looked to his left at three junior college transfers -- regional MVP Chad Rothford, the unheralded Crichton and senior shortstop Tim Torres -- who came to Tulsa in large part because of what Walton's first team accomplished that season.

"I didn't come to Oral Roberts to TulsaWorldStuff Vehicles

just go to a regional and lose," said Rothford.

So, with games against OSU hanging in the balance, the switch-hitting Rothford pounded ball after ball, knocking home runs from both sides of the plate, driving in five runs in the semifinal and mashing a three-run opposite field blast in the title game.

Now ORU is 41-14 and on its way to the Clemson Super Regional. ORU made the regional championship games in 2002 (losing to Arkansas in Wichita, Kan.), in 2004 (losing to Texas in Austin) and 2005 (losing to Clemson at Clemson, S.C.). This year's success is bolted into the groundwork those teams painfully laid.

Torres was all-tournament. So were third baseman Carter McQuigg and untouchable closer Sean Jarrett. Eight Golden Eagles were named first-team All-Mid-Continent Conference, including newcomer of the year Bouchie and out-of-nowhere pitcher of the year Chris Ashman. Second baseman Jake Kahaulelio, right fielder Brendan Duffy and pitchers Nick Jones and Chance Chapman were first-teamers, too. All are transfers.

"To recruit these three young men up here right now and tell 'em about ORU baseball, what it can be about and our tradition, and now it coming to pass," Walton said, "it gives me an opportunity to thank the Dennis Bigleys and the guys who really got us going, like David Castillo, Rene Recio, Jon Tackett -- players, when I first got to ORU eight years ago, that helped get us going.

"They got us to this point and allowed us to recruit a Tim Torres, a Chad Rothford, an Erik Crichton. They were premier players in the state of California when we got 'em, but I think we don't land 'em if it isn't for the Dennis Bigleys and the players who got us going in this direction. So I want to thank them, too."

Things are different at ORU for three reasons:

• * Depth: The same level of player who comes to Oklahoma State or Oklahoma or Arkansas or Wichita State also looks at ORU. But those upper-level players take a one-quarter or one-third scholarship to go elsewhere. At ORU, they often demand a bigger cut -- one-half or two-thirds. With only 11.7 scholarships in the pie, that's fewer players getting a slice.
  
  When a player inevitably doesn't pan out at another school, he's replaced by another one-quarter or one-third guy. At ORU, though, he either stays and struggles through it, or he's replaced by a virtual walk-on. That puts greater premium on coaching and developing unheralded players, at which Walton and his staff excel (take Ashman and his 10-1 record this season, or Justin Ramsey and his 13 saves in 2004).
  
  * School: Ex-coach Sunny Golloway once said ORU's old dress code was often the deciding factor for some talented transfers looking for a Division I home. Instead of wearing a tie and slacks to school every day, some California jucos would simply stay close to home and wear shorts and sandals to class.
  
  After thousands of dollars prospecting that one recruit, coaches hit a dead end. The dress code has since been relaxed, ties have been removed. But a strict code of conduct still exists -- including daily chapel -- that holds ORU student-athletes to a higher standard and continues to steer some away.
  
  * Conference: Instead of getting better, the Mid-Continent Conference has grown steadily worse. Now that two schools have bolted this spring (only six played anyway), the league is trying to dig up additional members, possibly from the NCAA's lower divisions. Less than six members means ORU loses its automatic NCAA berth.
  
  Most top prospects would rather compete in the Big 12, Pac-10, ACC or SEC than a sprawling, shape-shifting underachiever like the Mid-Con. So Walton beefed up the non-conference schedule (Baylor might come to Tulsa next year) to entice recruits and impress the NCAA selection committee. Both have worked extremely well.
  
  "I like the way he schedules that thing," said OSU's Frank Anderson. "He knows he's going to have to win the tournament, so he goes out and he puts his guys in tough situations.
  
  "And it really shows, because when they get in tournament play and play good teams, he's thrown those guys out in the fire and they're not scared."

Although one observer watching Sunday's postgame revelry said getting to a super regional was the final step to nationwide respectability for ORU, Walton and his players later sat at the dais once more defending their program's reputation.

"I think people look at us as a small school that has 4,000 students," Walton said, "but I think our baseball program has won on a national level and we've won enough games, especially over the last three or four years, to earn that respect."

Said Rothford, "People think we can win the Mid-Con every year but we can't hang with the power teams. But coach brought us here to prove everybody wrong. I think our team this year can do it."

[ORUTerry]

That is a great story..... we are so blessed to have a coach like Rob Walton.

[vcboy2000]

Great article. One question though. When did chapel change to everyday of the week?

[ORUTerry]

Just for baseball players.....

[vcboy2000]

Seriously, this was a really good read. I encourage folks that liked it to call the Tulsa World Sports section, and let them know how much you appreciate John's article.

His contact info is (918) 581-8384. or john.hoover@tulsaworld.com

[ORUalum]

But a strict code of conduct still exists -- including daily chapel -- that holds ORU student-athletes to a higher standard and continues to steer some away.

quote]

...has ORU gone to daily chapels or is this a mistake? i remember chapel being on Wed and Fri when i went to ORU in the early to mid ninties.

[richieoru]

But a strict code of conduct still exists -- including daily chapel -- that holds ORU student-athletes to a higher standard and continues to steer some away.

...has ORU gone to daily chapels or is this a mistake? i remember chapel being on Wed and Fri when i went to ORU in the early to mid ninties.

No, no, its still 2 times a week. They did experiment a little when I was there by having it Monday and Wednesday (giving us Friday off which was nice), but they went back to Wednesday and Friday the next year. Course I was wearing shirt and tie and dress shoes, but its still just twice a week.