Thursday, September 6, 1990
Guilliams replaces Bari as baseball coach
Guilliams brings minor league playing
experience, discipline to young team
by Susan Cepicka
Collegian Staff Writers
If new coach Greg Guilliams
has his way, Behrend Baseball
players will look like they should
be on the cover of GQ as much
as on Sports Illustrated.
This year’s team, with required
haircuts and daily shaves, will
hopefully take on a new attitude
along with a new look.
Ex-Atlanta Brave catcher
Guilliams came to Behrend late
this summer and has experience
coaching and playing the national
pastime.
Guilliams played baseball in
college, batting just under .450 at
Ohio Dominican, a small school
in Ohio.
At Ohio Dominican, he was
recruited for baseball and played
first base and outfield.
While at Ohio Dominican,
Guilliams had extremely
successful seasons including one
which went 42-15. That team
also produced four players who
signed professional contracts.
His graduate work was done at
Eastern Kentucky University
where he received a Master's
degree in Physical Education. He
then returned to Eastern, where he
ended up as an assistant coach in
1985.
He also played two seasons
for the Atlanta Braves and one
year for the Baseball City
Royals, an independent team.
So how did he end up in Erie?
Well, the Behrend job opened up
late in the summer, and because
of the academic standards here at
Penn State and the fact that it is a
Soccer team prepares
by Brad Kane
Collegian Staff Writer
Youth is almost always
synonomous with excitement,
and this season's version of the
Behrend soccer team should
provide plenty of it
Under the guidance of Head
Coach Herb Lauffer, now
beginning his 23id campaign of
coaching at the collegiate level,
the Lions will have a mix of
youth and experience.
"Right now, I see one of our
strengths is that we can return 10
players who at one time or
another played in a starting role,"
said Lauffer.
Of those 10, none are seniors,
a fact that does not dampen
Lauffer's enthusiasm.
Do this: New
Baseball Coach Greg
Guilliams instructs
his players
small school convinced him to
come up north and become the
coach for Behrend.
Guilliams stated that he likes
Behrend a lot due to the size.
Because he went to school at
which there were only around
1000 students, he feels very
comfortable here.
Guilliams said that his first
priority is to get a first rate staff
to help him. "Having good
people around you helps you to
organize and therefore helps you
to give everyone individual
attention."
His staff includes pitching
coach Doug Duplin and
batting/fielding coach Jay
Wollburg. Wollburg is a long
time friend and past teammate of
Guilliams.
"I'm excited," says Lauffer
about the upcoming season.
"There's a great deal of
anticipation among the players.
They've worked hard in practice.
They're anxious to do more. I feel
that they can be successful this
season."
Their success could lie in the
fortunes of the midfielding core,
which will be lead by ECAC All-
Conference junior Eric Filoon.
Joining him on the inside will
be sophomore Jeff Hockenberger,
with junior Sam Condeluci and
freshman Mike Dalzall manning
the outside spots.
Other top returnees include
strikers Vince Fedraza and Yasser
Daudi, both juniors, and
sophomore Ron Peterman.
Midfielder Anthony Perdue also
The Collegian
These two vital pieces of the
baseball puzzle will contribute to
the overall design of the program
this year. Guilliams has plans for
the coming season to enforce
academics and aggression with
confidence on the field. The goal
this year is, "To get the guys to
play with confidence."
The primary confidence
builder will be stealing bases,
with an emphasis put on physical
enhancement to make it easier.
"Confidence comes trom
success," says Guilliams.
Developing the speed and
timing that is necessary to
successfully run will develop the
confidence that Guilliams
believes to be the deciding factor
in last season's disappointing
record of 4-28.
Principles will also be a
major policy in this year's
program.
"I would consider myself a
disciplinarian," says Guilliams.
In addition to monitored
haircuts and required shavings,
athletes will also be required to
attend all classes.
Guilliams says," I believe all
players should go to all their
classes, simply because school is
what comes first"
Classes, exercises, attitudes,
and confidence builders are part of
a new program designed by
Guilliams to change the entire
mental aspect of the team,
combined with talented returning
players and recruits this year.
young players for tough season
returns, as do backs Kevin Hess,
a junior, and Tony Viola, a
sophomore. Sophomore Tom
Bajus also returns to take over
the goalkeeping duties this
season.
Lauffer points to these
returnees as forming a "strong
nucleus of experience," a nucleus
that will occasionally sport a
newcomer.
One such new arrival is
Dalzell, but Lauffer points to two
other players, junior Chris
Filoon and freshman Mike
Whiteman as possibly cracking
the starting lineup at back and
midfield or striker, respectively.
Depth for the Lions could be a
problem. Currently, the team
roster boasts 22 members, only
10 of whom are experienced.
Bari heads south to coach
women's basketball
by John Musser
Collegian Sports Editor
After four years as Behrend's
baseball coach, Michael Bari has
moved on.
Not only has he changed jobs,
he has also changed sports.
Bari will coach the women's
basketball program at Alderson-
Broaddus College in Philippi,
West Virginia.
While it was difficult for Bari
to leave, the decision was best for
his career.
"As far as my career, I wanted
to pursue basketball," says the
former Behrend baseball skipper.
"I love baseball and I love
basketball, but I think basketball
is a little more exciting."
Love of the sport was not the
only factor in Bari's decision.
"I am familiar with the area,
plus it's a scholarship program.
It's something that I wanted to
do."
Job security was also a factor
in his leaving. Bari had a
temporary contract, so he had to
sign a new one each year.
"The position wasn’t funded
full-time. After four years, I felt
that it was time for them to make
a committment.
"I didn't think they were
making a strong enough
committment to athletics. There's
nothing wrong with that, but I
was left wondering whether it
was going to be a full- or part
time position.
"Someone needs to step up
and say. We have to pump some
money into this program.'
Athletics is a good p.r. for a
school."
While this lack of support
made it frustrating, leaving was
not easy.
"The school and the people are
great, and Erie's my hometown.
You don't want to leave, you hate
to do it, but sometimes you have
to leave."
It was also tough to leave
behind his baseball players.
"Other than leaving my mom,
While the starting lineup may be
solid, the reserves are young and
inexperienced. This could lead to
trouble if a starter goes down.
If nothing else, a
committment toward
improvement is present on the
Behrend squad.
Lauffer points to three areas
that can help the Lions to
overcome these problems:
"One: We've emphasized
conditioning. Two: We've
become more intelligent,
meaning in making judgements
and decisions as well as
exercising patience both on
offense and defense.
"And three: We've made sure
to make a committment. There
has to be a lot of self-motivation
on the team. Each person has tn
Page 15
that was probably the toughest. It
took me four years to get a good
freshman class, both on and off
the field in the classroom. I'm
going to miss those kids."
A reason Bari will miss his
team is because of some of the
sacrifices they make to play
baseball.
"I think they are the most
used and abused athletes there.
They miss a lot of classes in
March and April. And some of
the faculty penalizes them for
that.
"I appreciated everything they
(the players) did. They go
through a lot, and they learn a
lot"
As for his 20-105 coaching
record in four years, Bari believes
that his program shouldn't be
measured on that alone.
"Most people look at wins
and losses, but when I took over,
we started going to Florida
(during spring break), we started
the fundraisers, and we got the
schedule up to a competitive 40
games.
"We did the best we could. I
have no regrets."
Bari is excited about his
opportunities at Alderson-
Broaddus, an NAIA school.
His team has some talent, and
he has better recruiting
opportunities there.
"We'll probably be in the top
three or four (out of 12 teams) in
our conference in the preseason
polls. We may have a shot at the
NAIA nationals," said Bari.
As for recruiting, Bari has
athletic and academic financial
help for his athletes, something
Behrend cannot provide.
As for his successor, Greg
Gwilliams, Bari leaves this
advice: "Have a lot of patience,
because things administrative
wise will get better, things
recruiting-wise will get better,
things on field-wise will get
better. If you don't have patience
and you don't love it, you'll
struggle.
help a little bit. The coaches can
only help so much. The attitude
(of the team) must always be
up."
The schedule this year will
provide rocky waters for the
"I know our competition can
be tough," says Lauffer. "We
were 3-11-4 last year. But,
personally, I don't see any weak
spots in our schedule. We'll be
challenged by all 16 teams."
On attitude alone, this year
could be a good one for Behrend
soccer.
"We could predict the
numbers, but what we really
want to do is to be prepared,"
says Lauffer. "We need to display
a determined attitude. I think we
can do that."