Hill hoping experience prevails for Griffons in third go around

NEVADA, Mo. -- John Hill III just said no.

Hoping to return the Nevada Griffons to glory in his third season, the head coach took a new approach when putting together the 2007 roster. He stopped taking players with little collegiate experience. He quit allowing schools to send redshirt players, which in the past has saddled the Griffons with kids who hadn't played since they were in high school. In many instances over the past few years, Nevada was forced to take the field with players who hadn't seen live action in more than a year.

The inexperience was glaring at times during the 2006 campaign. The Griffons struggled to their first losing record in team history (26-30).

That's something Hill wanted to change.

"Last year I hardly ever said 'no,'" Hill said. "This year I've said no a lot more to kids who haven't played much."

While Hill is readying for his third year at the helm of the wooden-bat summer team, this will be the second time he has had input on the players on the roster. His first season in 2005, Hill was named coach too late to make a difference in the make up of the team.

"Last year was my first time trying to put the team together for the Jayhawk League," Hill conceded. "I feel a lot better prepared."

Hill said he's taking experience over big-name school appeal this season.

"This team's a little bit older," he said. "Most of the guys are everyday players at their schools and have had at least one season of wooden-bat, summer baseball.

"If I had to choose from a player from a big school who doesn't have any experience and a guy from a smaller school who played a lot then I went with the experience."

The Griffons have two players slated to return this summer from last year's squad. Pitcher Lucas Allen, a right-hander from Murray State who pitched two years at Fort Scott Community College, and catcher Daniel Dellasega from Kansas State.

Dellasega was a prime example of the kind of player on the Griffons' roster last season. A redshirt freshman who sat out all the previous spring with an injury, Dellasega struggled to start the summer, but started showing signs as the season progressed.

Dellasega turned last summer's experience into a large role with the Wildcats this spring, where he was the No. 2 catcher and started 11 games.

Now he's an experienced Big 12 player, and that is what Hill is looking for.

While Hill is back in charge, the rest of the coaching staff has changed. Gone is pitching coach Brad Stroud.

Going with two assistants this summer, the Griffons have added former Texas Rangers farmhand Craig Frydendall to handle the pitchers, and former player Mickey Nichol to help with the outfielders.

Frydendall played two years at Cowley County in Arkansas City, Kan., before signing with the University of Arkansas in 2002. That year he was also drafted by the Rangers in the 19th round, and he eventually signed and spent three years with the organization.

The past two summers Frydendall has pitched for teams in the independent Golden Baseball League. The left-hander worked with former big-leaguer Charlie Hough at his last stop in Fullerton, Calif., with the Flyers of the Golden League.

Nichol played four years for the Griffons, the most recent in 2005. The outfielder played with Frydendall at Cowley, and was at Pittsburg State in 2004 and 2005.

Hill said the staff and the experienced team he has coming in have helped set the goals high this season.

"We'd like to finish first or second in the Jayhawk League and get that automatic berth (to the NBC World Series). We'd also like to get the automatic berth from the tournament here (the NBC qualifier held at Champion Diamonds)."

The Griffons are scheduled to be in town this week, and will begin play Friday in Springfield. The team will play their first home game of the season Saturday against the Newton County Rebels.

Meanwhile, the Griffons are still looking for host families for the players. Anyone interested can call Erica Skouby at (417) 667-7100.