The Campbell Camels came into this season being very optimistic. Coach Hunter McGlovern had just led them to a Big South Championship (Regular Season & Tournament), and the NCAA Tournament where they beat the #1 seed Vanderbilt but the Commodores fought their way back to get out of the Regional.

The Fighting Camels didn't hang their heads after two heartbreaking losses. It was Hunter McGlovern's first season after all. They went back to try it again. And here they are. A 1-8 trainwreck, last in the Big South. They started off the season on the wrong foot, losing 3 straight to #38 Alaska, the scores being 6-3, 1-0, 2-0 respectively. They won their first game 3-1 against #115 Cal-Bakersfield. They lost the next games in the series 9-5 and 6-3. The bad luck streak has continued as of late, with a strong #31 UL-Monroe team sweeping the Camels, 7-1, 12-4, and 1-0.

Campbell's main problem has been generating offense, scoring 19 runs or 2.1 per game. Meanwhile, their opponents have been scored 45 runs or 5 per game. Campbell hits to have better contact, and the pitchers need to step up. Campbell has just three .300+ hitters, them being RF Rufus Abbott, SS Eduardo Wells, and C Rapheal Abe. However, what Campbell does have a surplus of is .200 and below hitters. Everyone but the players mentioned above have a .200 or below hitters. All 6 of them. Campbell needs to dig themselves out of this hitting slump, or their season will be over soon. Campbell doesn't have much for the starting pitcher position, but their star reliever and closer are their saving grace. Senior Reliever Bradley Blevins has 10 innings under his belt and a 2.70 ERA with 10 strikeouts. Senior Closer Mark Alcantara has been even better, getting 4 innings in with only a 2.25 ERA and 7 strikeouts.

Campbell will continue onto #23 UT-Arlington for yet another tough series. My predictions will be down below. If Campbell does not win this series (or at least get a win), then their season is over. I would like to see a 3-9 Campbell team come out of the series. They've got a tough schedule but I think they can garner some more wins. See you tomorrow, you've heard this from The Daily Hump.

#181 Campbell Fighting Camels (CU) vs #23 Texas-Arlington Mavericks (UTA)
Game 1: CU 3 - UTA 2
Game 2: UTA 10 - CU 2
Game 3: CU 6 - UTA 5 (12IN)

Upcoming Series
Series 5: vs #222 NY Tech
Series 6: vs #349 Southern Illinois
Series 7: vs #257 Farleigh Dickinson

Predicted Season Record
35-27 (23-13)

A blistering start for the Sharks has the community buzzing with joy. The LIU Sharks have started 6-0 this season. After a close come from behind win against Southern Illinois in the first game of the season, LIU has reeled off 6 straight. What is more impressive is the fact that they have done so with a team made up of freshman and hold overs. They are currently 7th in the nation with a .367 Team BA and hold a 2.01 Team ERA. I don't know what Coach Rains has put in the water coolers up here in Post but I can only hope that the players continue to respond to this style of coaching and expectations.

Carbondale - In a fashion that would garner attention from a stray cat, the Sharks battled through first game jitters and an amazing performance by the Souther Illinois starting pitcher to pull out a win, 5-2. In the first game of Season 7, LIU is now 1-0 and making the trip back to Post to finish the series.

Coach Rains had a lot to say in his post game meeting with the press and we will provide a small bit of that information here.

How does it feel to get that first win out of the way?

ER - Honestly, the win is always nice. The process of getting it was not great, however, we kinda understood that we are going to have some growing pains and bumps in the road. I loved our energy and the fight in our guys.

Are there concerns that you have moving forward?

ER - Of course, one of them being our pitching depth. We don't have a ton of depth and when our starters don't carry us into the 5th,6th, or 7th innings it outs a lot of stress on our guys. That is something that we will be monitoring moving forward.

Was there anything that you feel your team can take away from this game and build upon moving forward?

ER - Definitely! I think everything about this first game can be used as a trampoline. Everything from the pitching and hitting difficulties down to the ability to battle back late. Allow me to remind everyone that we have 7 of the 10 starters in todays game were freshman. We will have some growing pains but man it will be fun to watch when they start putting it all together.

Thanks Coach

We are here in Eugene, Oregon with coach Mike DeLuca Jr. Home of the Oregon Ducks baseball program. We join him during a training session, getting some insight on how the programs runs so efficiently.

"What happened in the CWS last season. Are those losses still fresh on your mind?"

MD - "Of course they are. We've watched and re-watched the tape many times over. Losses like those stick around for awhile. We simply got too comfortable in our group after Game 1 vs San Diego St. We expected to come out hard against Missouri in Game 2, but we came out flat. Couldn't get anything going at the plate. We had our worst lost of the season, and that defeat carried into game 3 against a very underrated Arizona squad."

"What would you have done differently?"

MD - "Clearly we can't change the past. We're onto Season 7. What's done is done."

"What are your goals for this season?"

MD - "We have the same goals as everyone else. We take the season game by game but ultimately we want to win the Championship. We have to stay focused all season long, no days off."

"How are you prepping the players this go around?"

MD - "We need to train harder and smarter. I think we have a great club again. We're gonna be tested all season. We've put together one of the toughest non-conference schedules in history. We need to be ready to face the best every day."

"How's the recruiting trail treating you?"

MD - "I think we are still an Elite club and kids still see that and want to be part of this team. We're still gonna hit the trail the best we can like every year. Our roster turnover after this season could be massive, a lot of these kids on my squad have what it takes to play at the next level, and if they have a chance, I will make sure they get there. We've gotta prepare for that if it happens, so my goal is to have a large incoming class. We've already had a few kids sign their letters of intent, so I think we're off to a good start there."

"Thanks coach and good luck tomorrow."

Well Shark fans, we are less than one day away from the opening pitch of Season 7 here in college baseball. Excitement is in plenty this year as we have a new coach in Easton Rains and a team that returned only 9 players from the previous year. That will be the last time you hear of this program prior to Coach Rains coming aboard, as this reporter feels very confident that the product taking the field this season will all but wash away the lackluster record books at LIU.

Coach Rains and the 197-ranked Sharks open the season up on Day 1 with a 3 game series against Southern Illinois followed by a 3 game series against the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M. The lineup for the Sharks will be a mixture of returning players and new faces as Rob Avila, the freshman pitcher, will get his firs taste of the college game as the starting pitcher for game one. Behind him will be a bevy of new faces all looking to make their mark early in this young season.

"The great thing about having such a large class come in is the competitiveness that each brings and the ability to push each other towards a common goal. Our pitching staff is really starting to gel together during practice periods and I think they will all be very exciting to watch. Credit has to go to our pitching coach, Ken Waters. He does a fabulous job preparing them mentally and making sure they are comfortable."

#FinsUp everyone, this program is on the rise and I personally can't wait to see what juice this young team and young coach can bring to the LIU program.

Feb 8 @ #3 Ohio St
Feb 9 vs #3 Ohio St
Feb 10 vs #3 Ohio St

Feb 13 @ #25 Alabama
Feb 14 vs #25 Alabama
Feb 15 vs #25 Alabama

Feb 18 @ Norte Dame
Feb 19 vs Norte Dame
Feb 20 vs Norte Dame

Feb 23 vs Saint Joseph's University
Feb 24 @ Saint Joseph's University
Feb 25 @ Saint Joseph's University

Mar 3 @ Louisville
Mar 4 vs Louisville
Mar 5 vs Louisville

Mar 8 @ Northwestern
Mar 9 vs Northwestern
Mar 10 vs Northwestern

Mar 13 @ #11 Texas
Mar 14 vs #11 Texas
Mar 15 vs #11 Texas

Mar 18 @ #13 Kentucky
Mar 19 vs #13 Kentucky
Mar 20 vs #13 Kentucky

Mar 23 vs Dayton
Mar 24 @ Dayton
Mar 25 vs Dayton

Mar 28 vs Bowling Green
Mar 29 @ Bowling Green
Mar 30 @ Bowling Green

Apr 3 vs Creighton
Apr 4 @ Creighton
Apr 5 vs Creighton

Apr 8 @ Villanova
Apr 9 vs Villanova
Apr 10 vs Villanova

Apr 13 vs Providence
Apr 14 @ Providence
Apr 15 vs Providence

Apr 19 @ Marquette
Apr 20 vs Marquette
Apr 21 vs Marquette

Apr 24 vs Depaul
Apr 25 @ Depaul
Apr 26 vs Depaul

Apr 29 @ St. Johns
Apr 30 vs St. Johns
May 1 vs St. Johns

May 7 vs Georgetown
May 8 @ Georgetown
May 9 vs Georgetown

May 12 @ Seton Hall
May 13 vs Seton Hall
May 14 vs Seton Hall

May 17 @ Butler
May 18 vs Butler
May 19 vs Butler

May 22 @ Crieghton
May 23 vs Creighton
May 23 vs Creighton

STOCKTON -- The Season 6 recruiting period is officially over, and the University of the Pacific's final recruiting class stands at a whopping 14 recruits. Interim HC Lucas Sweany signed on to continue as the head coach going forward at Pacific and he made a splash by signing two of the highest ranked recruits ever at UOP, while bringing in the #28 ranked class in the nation. Here is a short summary of every incoming freshman for the Tigers.

2 Star C Duane Crawford, Des Plaines, IL, #858 Ovr: Crawford batted a measly .211 in his senior season with Des Plaines, with only 8 runs batted in. However, Crawford is not known for his offense. Crawford is one of the best defensive catchers in Illinois and is known for his great arm. Crawford will join junior Trea Hamels in a battle for the starting catcher position in Season 7.

2 Star 1B Tyrone Fulmer, Stockton, CA, #862 Ovr: Fulmer was brought in as sort of a project player for the Tigers. The hometown first baseman struggled to a .199 batting average in season 6, but the expectation is for him to blossom into a star 1B for the Tigers. Fulmer is projected as the starting 1B for the Tigers next year.

2 Star 2B Deshawn Adcock, New York City, NY, #721 Ovr: Adcock is expected to fill in as a star for the Tigers right away. They lost basically all of their infielders this season, so Adcock will need to fill big shoes. Adcock slashed .367/.443/.468 with 2 HR in his senior season, but struggled defensively. Adcock was ranked as New York's #2 second baseman and was awarded all conference as a senior.

2 Star 3B Colton Aklinski, Palatine, IL, #692 Ovr: Aklinski is another infielder that struggled at the plate throughout HS. The #3 ranked third baseman in Illinois hit .204 but drove in 20 runs as a senior. Aklinski will be a big defensive help for the Tigers at 3B though as he hopes to develop his bat. Aklinski will likely battle another freshman for the starting spot at the hot corner.

2 Star 3B Mason Davenport, Greer, NC, #711 Ovr: Davenport will be a huge addition to the Tiger lineup. The North Carolina all star slashed .402/.477/.477 as a senior with 8 doubles and 15 RBI. Davenport and fellow freshman Aklinski will likely battle for playing time at the hot corner and we could also see Davenport move to first base.

1 Star SS Ricardo Cunningham, San Diego, CA, #1445 Ovr: Cunningham was the first commit to this recruiting class and signed before current HC Lucas Sweany took over the program. Cunningham seems like a project player as he never once batted over .150 in his high school career.

2 Star SS Cliff Bowman, Bolingbrook, IL, #803 Ovr: It seems as Coach Sweany was all over the state of Illinois looking for infielders this season, as he found Bowman. Bowman won all conference honors for Illinois D-II, as he slashed .271/.358/.331 with 13 RBI. Bowman will look to fill the starting shortstop role right away in his freshman year.

4 Star RF Alonzo Lowery, Piscataway, NJ, #60 Ovr: Lowery was the second big recruiting splash that UOP made this season. The New Jersey D-II all conference slugger slashed .358/.450/.517 in his senior season with 5 HR and 19 RBI. Lowery will provide some much needed juice to a UOP lineup that's HR leader had only 5 home runs last season.

2 Star CF Hollis Copeland, Muncie, IN, #669 Ovr: We're not quite sure over here how Copeland was ranked so low and fell through the cracks as he had a breakout senior season. Copeland slashed .430/.500/.694 with 7 home runs and 21 runs driven in, but racked up a surprising zero postseason awards. Copeland seems to have had zero recognition in his HS career and Coach Sweany is hoping that provides him some motivation here at UOP.

4 Star LF Toby Wood, Dover, DE, #21 Ovr: Wood was the biggest splash of the recruiting period here in Stockton. The Delaware all-star slashed .416/.502/.659 in his senior season with 10 home runs and 25 runs batted in. Wood will fill in right away in the starting lineup alongside the other freshman outfielders in hopes of landing WCC all freshman honors.

2 Star CL Luigi Phelps, Fort Mill, NC, #590 Ovr: Phelps had 8 appearances in his senior season, converting all 8 save opportunities. Phelps ended up with a K:BB ratio of 8:3, and allowed zero runners to score all season. Phelps will most likely fill in somewhere in the UOP bullpen in Season 7.

2 Star RP Rufus Adrianza, Thousand Oaks, CA, #380 Ovr: Adrianza appeared in 14 games in his senior season tallying 39.2 IP with 41 K and 15 BB en route to a 0.92 ERA. Adrianza has electric stuff and tremendous feel on the mound which will hopefully lead to a great career as a reliever for the Tigers.

2 Star RP Norbert Ingram, Muskogee, OK, #588 Ovr: Ingram was a workhorse out of the bullpen for Muskogee in Season 6. Ingram pitched in 18 games and ended up racking up 70.2 innings of work. Ingram ended up 3-1 with a 1.15 ERA and 72 K/27 BB. Ingram obviously has good stuff that will play in the WCC.

2 Star SP Armand Acker, Kinston, NC, #519 Ovr: Acker won North Carolina D-VI all conference honors after his dominating season for Kinston HS. Acker started 10 games and went 6-3 with a 1.21 ERA in 81.2 IP, with 87 K and 32 BB. Acker has the ability to work deep into games and we expect to see a few starts at least from him this year with the Tigers.

Final Thoughts: The Tigers addressed their team needs very well with this recruiting class. The pitching staff excelled in Season 6, so they brought in some freshmen that will continue to help it be successful as they lose their stars in the coming seasons. UOP also drastically improved their outfield from last season which alone could be enough to make up the difference between them and LMU at the top of the conference. The only thing that would have made this class a little better for the Tigers is if they could have added another dominant bat in the infield, but they will probably look to do so next year.

The Binghamton Bearcats, a mid-major program in Vestal, New York, have undergone a lot of turnover in the program over the past year, replacing the manager who led them to their first AEC championship game Asher Mazara with longtime MLB manager Terry Collins. They also had to deal with injuries to several starters over the season and will only be returning 3 of their top 10 at bat leaders in the upcoming season and only one of their starting pitchers.

Fortunately, the Bearcats will have a little help after they landed the two highest recruits in school history in Deon Dixon and Gerard Coleman who are both among the top 62 recruits in the nation. Dixon is rated as the 16th overall recruit and 12th overall starting pitcher, as well as the 3rd overall recruit hailing from New York. Attending New York City HS, Dixon dominated his senior season hurling a 0.55 ERA and a 0.74 WHIP along with a .128 batting average against and 4.88 K/BB ratio. He easily earned a season 6 NY 1 All-Conference selection. "I decided to commit to Binghamton due to their family atmosphere and their great coaching," said Dixon in a phone interview. "On my official visit I really felt welcomed and prioritized, Terry felt like a great leader and someone I wanted to play for for my next 4 years." Dixon sports a 95 mile per hour fastball and is also talented enough with the bat to be a two way player.

Coleman from Elmira, New York is ranked the 62nd overall recruit and the 4th overall in the state of New York. He has been a major contributor for Elmira HS since his freshmen year when he received an offer from LIU and earned NY VI Freshmen Pitcher of the Year for his 1.46 ERA and 0.99. After missing most of his sophomore year due to injury, Coleman bounced back and put himself among the elite pitching recruits in the country pitching to a 0.62 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and an insane 6.2 K/BB ratio. Coleman's career accolades include 2 time NY VI All Conference, New York All-Star and NY VI Pitcher of the Year. Gerard also cited the outstanding coaching and culture in his decision to come to Binghamton. He demonstrates elite location and control and should be a key factor, along with Dixon, in replacing departing rotation members Daisuke Bowman, Clinton Doolittle and Cortez Bart.

These were just the headliners of a whopping 9 man recruiting class, giving Binghamton their first top 100 class coming in at number 60. The others include state champion shortstop Marquis Aarons (Riverdale), local catcher Herbert Herring (Vestal), New York All-Star and .380 hitting catcher Yimi Barnett (Hamilton), first baseman Gary French (Uniontown,PA), shortstop Drake Ackerman (Hamilton), leftfielder Kenny Chen (Brighton) and rightfielder Junior Moore (Mount Airy,MD). "I'm excited to see what this team can do next year, we have a lot of young guys coming on," said senior pitcher Neil Loaisiga, "Coach Collins has built an efficient and fun atmosphere around this clubhouse." The Bearcats will have a lot of new faces in the starting lineup and rotation next year but look for it to produce results after topping the AEC in recruiting.

That is it folks. The recruiting period for Season 6 is finally over and you can definitely feel many emotions from the LIU alumni and community. Coach Rains, sitting in a small office with a small desk lamp on, computer open, and cell phone leaned against a pen holder, shows the signs of an individual who had been non-stop for nearly 7 days as a flurry of moves were made following his hire. A team, finishing with only 16 wins and losing 21 players, was in dire need of a new direction and a new hope.

Well, Coach Rains definitely brought a new direction with him and now has provided the new hope. College Baseball Analyst Mike Rooney was quoted saying - "The hire was a little unconventional, making the jump from high school to college - D1 college at that. For many coaching is coaching but what separates great programs and great coaches from everyone else - The ability to recruit and fill a roster with guys that are capable of competing at the highest level. I don't think this guy Rains will be able to do that at LIU."

This quote came 1 day after the splash hire was announced by AD Tooth. So, what does a young, inexperienced coach do after a quote like that? He goes out and signs the #1 class in all of baseball. Yes, LIU has compiled a group of HS Seniors who, combined, hold the #1 spot on the final class rankings. Rains is extremely excited about what the projection this class brings to his program. "We have some kids that we feel will come in and not only bring a high talent level but bring a high level of morale being. Talent wise, we went out and worked our tails off to find guys that were either overlooked or were not highly recruited. We pitched them the opportunity to come in and be the spark that ignites this thing and be the change that LIU has been wanting."

Statistically, Rains had this to say about his incoming freshman class- "Yeah, we have some guys that can really swing it and can get down the line pretty good. We got some high spin guys on the bump and some guys we feel will sure up the pen. Anytime you are able to add some key parts on a team, obviously you reach out and go for it. Thats what we did and we pulled in a combined .432 AVG and .520 OBP. Looking at what we had last year with a team .201 AVG and .264 OBP, we had to address that immediately. Pitching wise, we set out to find guys that are anchors, that could really create a sense of comfort for us and we think we did fairly well there, bringing in guys that combined for a 0.65 ERA and 677 SO. WE are really happy with our results and are very excited to get them on campus and in the weight room and conditioning their bodies for the grind of college baseball."

Shark fans, I don't know about you, but I think this guy could be the guy to turn LIU around for good. He already has put in the ground work. It is still yet to be seen how he adjust to the college game, but if this recruiting class is any indication, this will be a wild ride! #FINSUP

Nestled behind the soccer field at LIU sits the modest resemblance of a baseball stadium. A press box sits atop a small concession stand flanked by a set of metal bleachers on each side looking out onto a fresh cut layer of green surrounded by a two-toned teal and orange windscreen some 320" away. This is the setting of LIU Sharks baseball.

Coach Rains understands the undertaking he has set himself upon when he agreed to become the head coach. A program that has only one season above .500 in the past six. But, somehow, Coach Rains has nothing but positivity exuding in the community and amongst his peers. Signing six incoming freshman with, what Coach Rains has described as tremendous surprises, more to come in his first "off-season" has many buying into the #finsup montage.

Coach Rains may be young and inexperienced in the college baseball world, but he has all the makings, to make LIU proud.