>> female announcer: This is a

production of WKNO, Memphis.

Production funding for "Sports

Files" is made possible in part

by..

>> Gaston: My guest today on

"Sports Files" is the Head

Baseball Coach of the University

of Memphis Tigers, Daron

Schoenrock.

[instrumental music]

♪♪♪

>> Gaston: We normally don't

think about America's pastime in

early February, but believe it

or not, the baseball season is

upon us.

At least it is for the

collegiates.

The Memphis Tigers will open the

2013 campaign, their final one

in Conference USA, a week from

today at FedExPark.

And when they do, skipper Daron

Schoenrock will be manning the

Memphis Dugout in his 9th season

opener as Tigers Head Coach.

"Coach Rock", as he's

affectionately known, has been a

pillar of stability for

University of Memphis baseball.

And while his 250 losses

outnumber his 207 career wins at

Memphis, "Rock" has picked up

his share of big wins.

In fact in 2007, in just his 3rd

season on the job, the Tigers

won 36 games and ended a 13 year

post season drought as they made

the NCAA Tournament field.

Last season the Tigers won 31

games and narrowly missed

winning the Conference USA

tournament championship, falling

in the title game to UAB.

And while criticism of the

competition in the Conference

can be made, and often is, about

certain sports, it never is made

about CUSA Baseball where the

competition is always at a high

level with several established

national powers.

In other words, Memphis has held

it's own and Daron Schoenrock

has been a major reason why.

Today we'll not only look ahead

to the 2013 Memphis Tigers

Baseball season, but discuss the

importance, with it not only

being the swan song season

before the Tigers head to the

Big East, but also the

celebration of 100 years of

Memphis Baseball.

We'll "rock" around the clock

with the Top Cat of Tigers

Baseball, Daron Schoenrock, next

on "Sports Files."

[instrumental music]

♪♪♪

>> Gaston: Rock, thank you so

much for joining us.

We appreciate it.

>> Schoenrock: Thank you so

much, Greg.

Great to be here.

>> Gaston: It's only February

but we're already talking

baseball.

It's always good to talk

baseball.

>> Schoenrock: Well, anytime the

sun comes out in February, I

know it gets on a lot of

people's minds.

But we're going full speed now.

>> Gaston: Yeah, it's been

crazy.

We had a 77 degree day.

Then, you practiced then.

Then, it was down to 32.

So it changes real quick.

>> Schoenrock: We told them we

were getting ready for the

conference tournament and for

the opening season the same week

is what we're doing, so..

>> Gaston: Hey, big day

tomorrow.

South Campus at the Murphy

Complex in the turf room, you

guys are going to have a

celebration, a banquet where

you're celebrating 100 years of

Memphis Tigers baseball, the

centennial year.

You're going to have some former

players.

It's going to be a nice little

shindig.

Tell everybody about what's

going on tomorrow.

>> Schoenrock: Well, you know we

thought with the 100 year

celebration lasting all year,

this is a good time to try to

corral all the former players

that we can get a hold of and

get them back for one evening to

renew old ties and tell stories

and just celebrate.

And we've had different types of

events and banquets each year

with speakers coming in.

And we're going to have some

former players speak.

And then along with Tom Bowen,

our AD, is going to speak at the

end.

So, mostly just to celebrate

what they've done to build

Memphis and then mainly to let

our current team look and see

what a proud tradition this

program has.

>> Gaston: Give us a few names

of the former players who are

showing up.

>> Schoenrock: Well, I know Mark

Little, who's been down in the

big leagues, we'll actually give

him the mic for a little bit and

talk.

And the Mike Paxtons of the

world, several of the big league

guys.

You know I've got Brent Dlugach

on my staff as a student

assistant now, former major

leaguer.

We've chosen a guy from

different eras to come.

Jeff Hopkins is going to speak a

little bit.

Allie Prescott's going to speak

a little bit.

Ben Grisham, who is my team

captain on the '07 team, nephew

of John Grisham, will speak a

little bit.

So, we'll get a variety of

stories and things that the

Tiger program did for them to

put them where they are today.

>> Gaston: It's a nice

fundraiser, a nice fundraising

event.

And that's big for you.

You've done a great job with

fundraising.

Very important when you're

talking baseball as opposed to

maybe a football or a basketball

program.

Baseball, you got to get out

there.

You got to dig deep.

You got to find those backers

and that's very important to

you.

>> Schoenrock: Very important.

We've got kind of a little goal

each year that we put money that

we raise through any fundraising

efforts back in to some

significant upgrade of the

stadium every year whether it's

a new camera system, a new sound

system, updating a batting cage,

fixing something on the field.

So we put the money back in to

the facility to help the

program.

And again, mainly, and it's

really helped us locate where a

lot of former players are.

We're expecting anywhere from

195 to 240 former players, plus

their spouses.

So we could get up in to the 350

range in total number.

>> Gaston: The season starts a

week from today.

You open up against Illinois

State at home.

I assume you like what you're

putting on the field.

You like this roster.

Tell us a little bit about it.

>> Schoenrock: Very different.

You know, in my tenure here,

we've been a little bit more of

an offensive oriented club.

We've won games offensively.

The pitching is always the

hardest to build.

You're always one guy short.

There's always, you know, one

injury can kind of set you back.

This club is built a little

differently.

We lost the four real key

ingredients to our offensive

club last year in Jacob Wilson,

Eli Hynes, Adam McClain and TJ

Rich.

And replacing those guys are

guys that played a lot last year

as freshmen and sophomores that

have at bats under their belt

that are a little different cut

of players.

The biggest change is the amount

of pitching depth.

This is the deepest we've been

on the mound as far as quality

numbers, you know, one through

twelve that can go out and

function in a Conference USA

game and we can actually build a

true bullpen now.

We've got a potentially building

a maybe an all left-handed weak

end rotation.

We've got some interesting

dynamics with this pitching

staff that, you know, just

looking back at the pro scouts

and what they come out and see

in the fall, there's a lot of

guys getting a lot of attention

now on our pitching staff which

is a really good thing.

>> Gaston: Twenty returning

letter winners.

Seven were started from a season

ago, including a couple of

pitchers.

You got 12 pitchers back.

Eleven newcomers.

This is a team last year that

went to the championship game,

as you know, in Conference USA.

Lost to UAB in the finals.

So, that close to getting back

to the NCAA tournament.

And now you've added, as I've

mentioned, 11 newcomers and have

those quality pitchers back.

So, you got to feel pretty good.

>> Schoenrock: Feel really good.

You know, we've got on a pretty

good role waiting year.

We had our struggles early.

We had about four freshmen that

were sprinkled in the line up

that were getting their feet wet

for the first time.

And the last month of the

season, they started going a

little bit.

And they added to what the

seniors were doing.

And we made a nice little run in

the tournament and fell a game

short.

Those guys are back with a

little different taste in their

mouth now.

They've been there.

I think that's huge.

This offensive team, this line-

up were going to put on the

field, we'll actually have this

line-up together for two years.

So, we won't lose any guy that

will start opening weekend.

They're all sophomores or

freshmen.

But the pitching being elevated

gives us something to kind of

hang out hat on early until this

offense can get going.

>> Gaston: Well, your ace, I

assume, is Sam Moll.

Last year, five an five.

ERA under three and a half to

three four eighty with second

team all conference.

He's a first team, pre season,

all-conference selection.

How pivotal is Sam Moll?

>> Schoenrock: Huge and Sam has

elevated what he can do and who

he is and how he thinks and

everything about his game now.

He's a lot different level.

And Fred Corral, my pitching

coach, has done a tremendous job

just elevating the mentality.

He had a very good summer up in

the Cape and they get valuable

experience there.

They come back different that

they've been around, you know, a

lot of first round pick.

They've been around and seen how

guys operate.

Had a great fall.

Picked right back up this spring

where he left off in the fall.

And he'll be our bell cow.

You know, and then the next

thing is to decide is he your

Friday guy or Saturday guy.

How you use him sometimes could

depend on match ups and some

other guys.

But he's the guy coming back

that the teams going to look to

that has been there and done

that but has also probably

elevated what he can do.

>> Gaston: Looking at the

schedule for this season, once

again, you'll play Ole Miss and

Mississippi State at Autozone

Park.

Everything else, the home games

are at FedEx park, including a

series with Missouri.

It's the first SEC team that you

will host for a series since

Tennessee back in '81.

Now, you play teams for a single

game but this is a full series

with a newcomer to the SEC,

Missouri.

You got to feel pretty good

about being able to host this

team at FedEx park.

>> Schoenrock: There's some very

strategic things put on our

schedule to help RPI.

This is one of them.

We went up to Missouri last year

and played them a three game

series there.

So, it's a return trip and it's

huge.

We scheduled the series,

actually, before they became an

SEC member.

And then talking to Coach

Jamieson when they did join the

SEC, he wanted to keep the

series intact.

So, I'm thankful for that.

There's a lot of RPI elevation

type things on that schedule.

Kent State coming to town for a

series.

You know, and Omaha participant

last year.

Of course, they're our normal

conference.

So, we have opportunities.

And we talk to our guys about

this year.

I think the focal point-We've

held our own on the weekends,

the Conference USA slate.

Where we've come up short

possibly is taking care of

business in what they call mid-

week games in baseball.

And that's a lot of the regional

type opponents.

And that usually involves

pitching depth.

And we have an opportunity now

to treat everyday unique and say

today is the game.

You know, Josh Pastner talks

about it a lot in basketball is

whatever lies ahead, this is the

game that's important.

Having the chance to do that in

baseball, a lot of teams make or

break themselves in what they do

on Tuesday and Wednesday.

We've got the weekend rotation

intact.

Now, we've got to use this

pitching staff to build a tact,

Ole Miss, Mississippi State, all

the mid week opponents in a

different matter.

>> Gaston: Unlike, you mentioned

Josh Pastner and basketball

hurt.

I'll go out and say it.

So, don't get mad Conference USA

supporters.

But they're hurt by playing

Conference USA opponents.

Certainly for all these years,

it enhanced your schedule

because of the powers in

Conference USA led by Tulane.

You're picked to finish sixth

this season.

Same bell cows picked to win

this thing?

>> Schoenrock: Well, you still

have Rice and Central Florida

and East Carolina and Southern

Miss and Tulane.

You know, those are schools that

three of those have been to

Omaha.

Three of those have been through

our equivalent of the final four

in my tenure here.

So, you're in some talk.

Usually, it evolves or revolves

around pitching depth.

And I think the league this year

will be very strong on the

mound.

Obviously, Rice is always the

program in our league that kind

of gets the first attention.

How's Rice going to be?

They're going to be a typical

Rice.

They're going to be dominant on

the mound.

You've got to play perfect to

beat them.

You know, we had a big win

against them in a conference

tournament last year that

propelled us to the championship

game.

We have actually played very

well against them.

Tulane has really made

resurgence, you know, since

Katrina.

Their depth has been hurt a

little bit.

Their numbers, their enrollment-

They weren't getting the quality

depth walk on.

They've built that back up now.

>> Gaston: Well, let me ask you

this.

We know they're a quality

program.

We know there are some in the

Big East.

But it's going to be different.

Can you give us a thought about

moving in to the Big East?

>> Schoenrock: Okay, we're

leaving a league that's

typically a four or five bid

league in good years.

Bad years, it's a three bid

league at worst.

The Big East on their good years

have been a three bid league.

So that means that they're just

not the depth in the league.

Now, the top to win the league,

you've still got to go through

some very good programs.

You know, Louisville's been to

the College World Series.

Saint Johns has been in Super

Regionals.

UConn has been in Super

Regionals.

So, there's programs at the top

that have been very good.

But top to bottom, it's not as

closely matched as the league

we're in now.

It will be an interesting

culture.

You know, from what they say,

there's big arms.

Their position player teams

aren't quite as athletic.

There's some differences.

But, you know, I'm looking

forward to what it does for our

athletic department, one.

And two, a change.

A change is good.

Different is good.

Taking our guys to New York to

play Saint Johns will be good.

Going to Connecticut, you know,

there will be some cultural

things that are really good for

development of the whole person.

Half my locker room's never been

to New York City.

And they'll get to experience it

next year.

>> Gaston: Culture shock-two

words for ya.

I've be remised if I didn't ask

you about Eric, your son.

What's it like to coach this

young pitcher who's done a

phenomenal job?

>> Schoenrock: Well, you know,

he came in.

He had a lot of options out of

high school.

It was a unique thing.

I got out of the way and let my

assistants recruit him.

And he made a lot of visits and

decided on his own to attend

Memphis and, you know, play a

very small role as a freshman,

as a lot of freshman do.

Had a good summer after his

freshman year.

Came back last year, sophomore

year, much different pitcher.

Had a pretty serious back injury

that sidelined him for about

half the season.

So, didn't really come like we

thought it would it would last

year.

Went to the Cape Cod league this

summer and really improved and

elevated and had a tremendous

fall.

Now, he's found himself

somewhere in the midst of being

our starting weekend rotation.

So, he's gone from relative

obscurity to probably on a lot

of draft lists, as Sam has, as

Jonathan Van Eaton.

Our closer's on some draft

lists.

We have two or three junior

college guys.

It's neat to see the transition.

I have not been involved in the

daily individual grind and

bullpens and the plan.

I leave that to my assistant

coaches.

And Coach Corral and Eric have

bonded very well.

And he's got strike out

capabilities.

So, could be a unique rotation.

Could be an all left-handed

rotation.

We've got a junior college

pitcher named Alex Gunn that

will factor in as possibly a

Sunday starter.

That can kind of throw an

opposing coach in to a

whirlwind.

>> Gaston: Sure can.

(laughter)

Keeps them on their toes, if

anything.

Make sure you go to gotigersgo-

dot-com to check out the

schedule.

But again, a week from today

against Illinois State is when

it all starts.

Memphis plays a very rugged

schedule, non conference and of

course in conference.

Rock, we like to do this with

all our guests.

We end our interview with five

for the road.

I give you five questions.

Quick answers, first thing that

comes to mind.

Ready?

>> Schoenrock: Ready.

>> Gaston: Your favorite

professional team of all time in

any sport.

>> Schoenrock: Of all time and

any sport, I would probably have

to say the Atlanta Braves and

I'll say a series of teams when

they were going with Maddux,

Galvine, Smoltz and Avery.

That pitching staff-Being a

former pitching coach, that was

a lot of fun to watch.

>> Gaston: Imagine you were a

big fan of Bobby Cox.

Professional athlete-your

favorite professional athlete of

all time.

>> Schoenrock: You know, I had

the opportunity, Greg, as a

volunteer coach in the Chicago

White Sox organization in '94 to

work with the Birmingham Barons

when Michael Jordan played.

And wasn't a huge Michael Jordan

fan one way or the other before

that.

I got to see it up close and

personal.

And I say this about it.

Spending everyday with Michael,

throwing batting practice to

him, the hardest working athlete

that I've ever been around.

>> Gaston: Playing chess, he

would be competitive.

Real quick, final three.

Favorite music.

What do you like to listen to?

You got a group, a band?

>> Schoenrock: Eagles.

I am old Eagles guy, retro.

>> Gaston: Favorite movie of all

time?

>> Schoenrock: Gotta say I'm a

big fan of Hoosiers and the

impact that that guy, that coach

has on the team dynamic.

>> Gaston: Surprised you went

with basketball instead of a

baseball movie.

>> Schoenrock: Well, I spent

sometime coaching at Kentucky,

too, so I got a little

basketball in me.

>> Gaston: Absolutely, and

finally, favorite television

show.

What do you like to watch when

you're unwinding from baseball?

>> Schoenrock: Tough-"Sports

Files with Greg Gaston."

How about that?

>> Gaston: How about that?

Our producer, David George, says

bingo!

That's two weeks in a row that

our guest ahs said that.

>> Schoenrock: And I didn't even

see last week's show.

So, there!

>> Schoenrock: Right on cue.

Hey, Rock, thank you so much.

Always a pleasure.

Best of luck to you.

Enjoy the celebration tomorrow

of 100 years and we'll be

celebrating it all year long

with the Tigers, their 100th

year of playing baseball.

Take a break.

Come back with Overtime right

after this.

[instrumental music]

♪♪♪

>> Gaston: I can't imagine that

starting a company from scratch

is an easy task.

So much goes into the process.

The time, energy, financial

commitment is just the tip of

the iceberg because sustaining a

new product is even tougher than

initially getting it off the

ground.

Nick Harmeier is the President

of V3 fights, an Amateur Mixed

Martial Arts company that began

in Memphis and is now branching

out to Nashville.

In fact V3 will put on a show in

Nashville a week from Tomorrow.

V3 is one of the fastest growing

MMA companies in the nation.

The show's production is

impressive, leading to a deal to

air it's product on regional

network CSS, with hopes to go

National in the near future.

Fighters from all over the

Southeast are catching wind of

the quality of V3 and are

seeking out opportunities to be

a part of a V3 fight card.

I recently had a chance to chat

with Nick about the origin of V3

and plans for the future.

Just a word of caution to you

parents, some of the footage in

this piece may not be suitable

for young children.

>> Gaston: Well, Nick, thanks

for being with us.

How did V3 start?

>> Harmeier: Well, it started

off.

You know I did a little

promoting and stuff when I was

back in college with parties and

everything.

And I'd worked with FedEx Forum

on their initiative with

legalizing MMA in Tennessee to

bring in UFC fights.

And I saw an opportunity for it.

So, I jumped right in to it.

And we started doing V3 fights.

>> Gaston: Are you surprised at

how much it has grown in such a

short time?

>> Harmeier: Not at all.

I mean, out west, it's really

taken off really well.

It's taken off in a ton of

different countries, also.

So, Memphis with it's strong

wrestling background in general,

you know, from Monday night

wrestling with Jerry King.

I knew that this city loves that

action.

And it produces some of the best

fighters really in the country.

So, it works out well.

>> Gaston: yeah, Jerry Lawler,

the King.

Well, did you expect to have

this plethora of talent that you

have assembled?

And not only are you getting

fighters from Tennessee, but

nearby Arkansas, Mississippi,

Alabama, and Missouri.

But did you expect this part of

the country to have this many

young impressive fighters?

>> Harmeier: I didn't expect it

to take off this quickly with

the fighters.

I knew that we were going to

have to build them a little bit

and get good strong fighters and

kind of get everyone kind of up

speed with it.

I mean, you go in Memphis right

now and everyone's, you know, a

ton of great basketball players.

But now you grab some of these

guys and they're great strikers.

They're great brawlers.

And you get a little wrestling

behind them, a little jiu jitsu,

and they're, you know, pretty

well-rounded fighters.

So, Memphis has that attitude.

It's that grit.

Everyone has that grit here in

this city, I think, and really,

just in this area.

And that's what, I think, really

makes a lot of these fighters

stand out from other fighters.

>> Gaston: Nick, not only do you

have great match ups, great

fighters, but the show, the

production.

It's so important to you to put

on for the fans out there as

they're going to be entertained

not just by what happens inside

the cage, but everything that

goes along with the fight.

>> Harmeier: Exactly, you know,

it's fight week.

Once that's going-I mean, going

from the weigh ins to tonight.

I mean, you come to it and it's

not just fights going on here in

the cage.

It's, you know, it's a very

eclectic atmosphere.

I mean, we have people that come

in here that's 85, 90 years old

to watch these fights.

But then we also have people

that come in here and, you know,

six, seven year old kids come in

here and watch it.

So, a lot of that is because of

how we set up the production and

how the shows built.

It's built just like.

You know, we try to build it

just like the Grizzlies or like

the University of Memphis.

You know, our team goes to all

those events.

You know, and so, it was a no

brainer for us to try to say,

"Hey, this is the blue print for

what a sporting event is

supposed to look like when

you're at it."

It's not just basketball when

you go to a Grizzlies game.

There's a ton of stuff going on

there, also.

You know, with different

promotions and stuff.

That's what we bring here, too.

>> Gaston: Not only that, but

you've also built on what MMA

has become.

You watch UFC fights and how

popular that is.

And I guess you put it all

together and you come up with V3

Fights.

>> Harmeier: yes, exactly.

And you know, we're getting

there.

And we still have a lot of work

to do.

We're moving around to a couple

different markets.

We're going to Nashville in

February.

And, you know, that's going to

be a true test for us is check

out how strong we can be in

another market.

>> Gaston: Yeah, we have the

fights coming up in February in

Nashville as you mentioned.

And the expansion, is that a big

part of it?

You feel right now you are ready

to take it to that next level

and go beyond just what you do

here in Memphis?

>> Harmeier: Yes, definitely.

I mean, we can be the biggest

and best in Memphis.

And that's great to be in

Memphis.

But as we just signed with

Comcast Sports South, it makes

sense for us to try to go around

and start hitting some of these

different markets and finding

these great fighters.

But also, we have a great show,

a great production, great event.

So, you know, we pride ourselves

on being from Memphis.

You know, the home on

entertainment, home of Elvis

Presley.

You know, we know good

entertainment.

So, let's take it on the road

and show people what we're

about.

>> Gaston: Right now it's the

best amateur fighters.

They make their mark right

inside this cage, the V3 cage.

And then they move on to the

professional ranks.

Are there any thoughts about

expanding to professional MMA?

>> Harmeier: Yes, ultimately

our goal is we really kind of

want to be the triple-A for UFC.

So, with that being said, we

want good, young, strong

fighters.

And what we have right now is we

have-We're getting a really

good, deep pool of amateurs.

And so as those generations of

amateurs turn pro, it makes

sense for us to turn pro with

them because now, we know that

we built that supply.

And whenever we turn pro, that

demand will be there and we

already have the supply with is

also.

So, it makes sense for us.

But to go pro, there's just not

enough pros out there,

especially just around in this

area.

But I think, I always say

generations.

It's our third generation right

now.

So, this next group of guys that

go pro makes sense for us to go

pro with them because, again,

we'll have a deep pool of

fighters to pull from and

continue to match good, strong

and exciting fights for the

fans.

>> Gaston: Alright, final

question for you.

I'm a genie.

You've already went like this to

my shoulder and poof, I give you

a wish.

I give you one wish.

You can not say unlimited

amounts of money because then

obviously, you can do whatever

you want.

There's one thing that you want

to be able to do.

What would it be if you had that

wish?

>> Harmeier: Ah, there's so

many.

There's so many.

>> Gaston: I mean, to help

expand what you're doing right

now with V3 Fights.

>> Harmeier: I mean, national TV

deals a no-brainer.

I mean, you know, if we really

want to push it strong, if we

can get on NBC or something, you

know, once a week, that'd be

great for us.

Once a month, I mean, I'd be

happy with that.

>> Gaston: And the popularity is

still very much there.

When the MMA hit and boxing took

a step back and people still

wanted that excitement, they got

it with MMA.

And its till continues today in

2013.

>> Harmeier: Well, unless you've

been to a fight-

I mean, its one thing watching

it.

And it's great to watch.

But when you come and when you

experience it, it's a whole

'nother kind of level of

excitement.

>> Gaston: It's an absolute

show.

And folks, it's right here

inside the cage with V3 Fights.

Nick, thank you so much.

>> Harmeier: Thank you.

>> Gaston: Appreciate it.

>> Gaston: So Jason Levien and

the Grizzlies top brass did it.

They dealt Rudy Gay.

They dealt a member of the

team's "Core Four".

Many thought it wouldn't happen

until after the season concluded

because the team's previous

trade with Cleveland got them

under the luxury tax threshold.

Well, if there's one thing we've

learned about the new Ownership

and Management group with the

Grizzlies is to "Expect the

Unexpected".

No, dealing Rudy was not a

shocker, but I just feel

anything is possible.

Of course, as I've stated before

on "Sports Files", Jason Levien

was brought in by his buddy

Robert Pera to shed spending,

but to do so without damaging

the team's ability to compete.

And while the jury is still out

on what will occur in the

future, right now they have

accomplished that goal.

And that will do it for this

week's show.

Remember to see any of our

previous programs, head to our

website at WKNO-dot-org and

click on KNO Tonite.

And we'll see you next time.

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