>> 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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