Valpo on Selection Committee

[Bogus Smith]

I found this article somewhat interesting and puzzling. How does a school that doesn't make a commitment to baseball (i.e., does not play a competitive schedule, is not committed to provide a full complement of scholarships (11.7 FTE schollies), etc.) get a seat on the selection committee for a high-profile athletic program?? Riddle me that, Batman....

Marquess Contacted By Pac-10 About Committee Seat

Posted Dec. 24, 2009 12:23 pm by Aaron Fitt

The Pacific-10 Conference’s seat on the Division I baseball committee opened up when Arizona State coach Pat Murphy was ousted, and some insiders believe Stanford coach Mark Marquess is likely to fill the seat.

Reached for comment Wednesday by Baseball America, Marquess said he hadn’t heard officially who is going to fill the seat.

"I was asked by the Pac-10 if I’d be willing to, and I said, ‘Yes, I would,’ " Marquess said.

It’s worth noting that if Marquess is selected to fill the seat, the West will not have any representatives in the room when the NCAA tournament field is filled out, since Stanford has a home series that weekend against Arizona State, and Cal State Fullerton athletic director Brian Quinn’s term has expired. According to a report by Yahoo! Sports, Quinn has been replaced by Valparaiso athletics director Mark LaBarbera.

That leaves the Pac-10’s seat as the lone West Coast voice on the committee. There is just one other coach currently on the committee—Minnesota’s John Anderson—and insiders believe the conference would like to keep its seat occupied by a coach, making Marquess a logical choice. Expect Murphy’s replacement to be announced soon.

[Dr. Cornelius]

I believe Valpo baseball had their first season over .500 in a decade this past season... tells you how bad the competition is in the Horizion when even Valpo can win.