CHARLESTON, W.Va. - After putting together the second best season in University of Charleston baseball history head coach Lee Bradley has been tabbed to lead the squad for the future.
Bradley, who stepped in for the late Tom Nozica, took the controls of the Golden Eagle program in the fall of 2011 and at that point it was announced a search would be conducted upon the conclusion of the spring season. The search was not needed as Bradley delivered a season that nows sends the message that UC baseball is going to be a West Virginia Conference and Atlantic Region contender for years to come.
"Lee has been around the program for some time and he was able to turn a tough situation into one of the more exciting seasons we've had at UC. I look forward to watching Lee grow within his role and think he has the team on the right track to compete for championships." stated Athletic Director Dr. Bren Stevens.
Charleston ran out to a quick 11-3 start in their spring campaign and finished with a 28-23 overall mark with the No. 2 seed from the WVIAC Southern Division in the conference tournament. The WVIAC Tournament appearance was the first for the University of Charleston since the 2004 season.
The 2011-12 school year didn't start as well as it finished for the Golden Eagles with the passing of 43 year coaching veteran Tom Nozica suddenly on October 6, 2011. Nozica had been a mainstay in the Charleston dugout since 1969 as he stood at the time as the longest tenured active coach in NCAA Division II.
"We teach our athletes instead of putting their hands out to ask for everything, we want them to roll up their sleeves and get dirty." was one of Nozica's favorite quotes and that is exactly what was needed for Bradley and the team to succeed.
UC was picked to finish out of playoff contention in fifth place in the WVIAC Southern Division by the conference coaches in the conference preseason poll. The middle of the pack finish had been par for the course over the past eight years for the University of Charleston and nobody would blame them after the hardships they had faced as a team leading into the spring season.
Coach Bradley took control at the top of the program filling big shoes and trying to motivate his team to overcome. "For us (coaches) we tried to take what Tom taught and tried to instill in us, personally. I just tried to continue to teach and put my own twist on it in order to get the same point across. The biggest difference I tried to bring to the table was to raise the mentality and expectations of the program. Basically, let the guys know what we needed to do to get to our goals and let them decide if they were on board or not."
The team was indeed on board as they grabbed a victory over No. 1 regionally ranked California (Pa.) during the opening weekend of the season, which vaulted the squad into league play. UC took six-straight games against conference competition before heading to Winter Haven, Fla. for spring break.
After returning from spring break the team faced its ups and downs, yet never surrendered as they came down the wire sealing a conference tournament bid by winning six of their final seven games. The season ended with a 6-1 defeat at the hands of No. 6 ranked Seton Hill in the WVIAC Tournament, but not before hashing a mark against eventual WVIAC Champion Shepherd.
"Taking into consideration of what happened leading into the season I was very pleased with how the team handled their selves. The kids responded and were very resilient because when it was time to lace up the spikes they got to work showing up more times than not with their play on the field." said Bradley.
Bradley now looks back at his first season at the helm of the Golden Eagles and is happy with the results, yet sees the great potential his team offers for the future.
"Obviously, we want to put ourselves in a position to compete for a conference championship every year and be in that conversation to compete at the NCAA Tournament level. We as a team have acknowledged that we know what its going to take and we have the dedication to get there." Bradley said as he reflected on what he believes the University of Charleston team can become. The one concern he expressed and is addressing with recruiting for next season is in the bullpen. "We need to bolster the pitching staff, especially from the stand point of adding more depth. As a team we want the mentality with our pitchers that they each will have a specific role to fill and when they are called upon to do the job they can deliver."
With the extension of his contract Bradley now has his opportunity to make his mark on the University of Charleston program and create the program he knows they can become. He has stared adversity in the face and won, now he faces the challenge of looking up the ladder of success and seeing how far he and his team can climb.
"I couldn't have asked for anything more from the administration, the players and their families. Overall it was a great year and in the long-run there were probably only a handful of people who expected us to have the type of season we did with everything that happened. I'm very pleased that we were able to put in the work and get the program headed in the right direction so quick. I look forward to next season and thank the university for the opportunity they have given me."
