Mississippi State head baseball coach Ron Polk is not letting the pressure of the approaching season get to him.After all, after 34 years as a head baseball coach in college baseball, Polk has seen his share of ups and downs.
“This is my 39th year coaching,” Polk said. “I’ve had good seasons, and I’ve had bad seasons. But I have a lot of confidence in this year’s team.”
The Bulldogs opened the 2006 season in record fashion, winning their first 18 games. This streak marked the longest winning streak in program history and also vaulted them to No. 1 in the Baseball America rankings.
However, things went downhill in April. The Bulldogs played 13 games on the road and won just nine of their 22 games. This included five losses against SEC rivals Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Arkansas and South Carolina.
“The team battled to come back from it all,” Polk said. “We just had some injuries that hurt us, but the team did the best they could. What else can you do?”
While the season ended with a trip to the NCAA Clemson Regional in South Carolina, it did not go the way Polk and the Bulldogs had planned.
They ended up a disappointing 9th in the Southeastern Conference and 5th in the SEC West division.
“We have a solid team this year and a good mix of veterans and new players,” Polk said. “If we can stay healthy, we should have a team that can compete favorably in the Southeastern Conference.”
Perhaps no other figure in college baseball is more widely recognized and respected as Polk, the winningest coach in SEC history.
He has now led MSU to SEC championships five times, 15 NCAA regionals and five NCAA College World Series appearances.
Polk is not just a head coach, though.
Some would say Polk is the defender of college baseball and men’s athletics thoughout the nation.
“Never once have I got a call from the NCAA asking, ‘How can I help you?'” Polk said. “The decisions made by the NCAA affect college baseball more than any other sport.”
Polk also sees the difficulties he faces at Mississippi State due to the fact that Mississippi is a non-lottery state.
“The health of the players is the whole issue in schools in non-lottery states,” Polk said. “In these schools, injuries can pretty much ruin your whole season.”
Polk’s Bulldogs have had mixed reviews in this year’s preseason rankings.
They were ranked sixth place in the SEC Western Division by the 2007 SEC Preseason Coaches Poll and tabbed 35th by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association.
“Who really cares about these rankings?” Polk said. “It’s just all about the balance of the league. I think I ranked our boys 3rd or 4th without really thinking much about it. I don’t think it affects our players. I think we still have a really good season coming up.