Michael Barash goes in-depth on eligibility waiver impact on JUCO baseball

Key notes from Michael Barash interview

• It's been great being at Angelina. We're trying to take advantage of this time for our guys and let them know that we're there for them. Our season got canceled before spring break. We've been off for about a month, but we haven't been off. These guys are off, out of Lufkin, and out of their routines. We don't know what their home lives are like. We're taking this time to focus on academics, making sure they're on top of that so they can be eligible next year and so there are no problems for recruitments coming up.
   
• We started off our year extremely slow. I'm not used to starting slow. I like winning and don't like losing. I have a standard our players have to meet, and they just weren't. We got crushed at Temple. That was a wake up for us. We started hitting our stride. We were 5-1 in the conference, and then the shutdown hit. Some of the guys are coming back can look back on what this felt like to help us next year. We were getting ready to play Paris and Navarro and Panola, the big dogs in our conference. It was upsetting when it hit.
   
• Right now, we have four guys signed. I'm unbelievably proud of them. They went through this treacherous thing called junior college, and they succeed. It's great. The guys that are coming back, they are in a different situation. At Angelina College, we don't have upper-level classes. For instance, we have one of our top-level pitchers planning on coming back. We are trying to figure out his course load so that he's not ineligible to enroll in the Division I school of his dreams here really soon.
   
• I'm excited about the recruiting class we have coming in. We have some guys that are going to be some big-name guys. Some guys could potentially play in a Power 5 conference after a year. They just need some seasoning.
   
• We don't have roster limits. We have 59 guys on our roster for next year. That's going to push some guys to their limits and get them in a better position just for the team. This is going to see some trickle-down effect for a while, not just this year. This is going to affect a lot of junior colleges. There is a lot that can happen here.
   
• We're loyal to the guys that we have. I love that about our head coach. We usually don't take D1 transfers. But at the same time, I'm trying to win baseball games. We are going to bring in the guys that we think are going to help us win. There are going to be a lot of outstanding players looking for homes this year. They might even just be a rental where they come from A&M or wherever for a year, and then go back to that same school. Kaylor Chafin did that. A lot of kids understand that they have to do what's best for them as a baseball player and a student.
   
• We see a lot of big schools recruit JUCO now because there are a ton of outstanding players with some college experience.
   
• Our AD coached The Undertaker in basketball. I got to shake his hand once when he was on campus. He was very low-key. I was a huge WWE fan when I was a kid, so The Undertaker is my most significant recruiting point when we talk to kids.
   
• We got a class coming in that is going to be good. The sophomores that we assumed were leaving are going to be coming back. This is probably going to be the best junior college season of all-time. There is a misconception about junior college baseball. It is very good. Some guys will throw 97-98 with a hard slider. That's what you see in the SEC. There is outstanding baseball out here. There is conversation that this year is going to be the most talented and most challenging season ever.
   
• Being around Asa last year, even in that short amount of time, you can see his growth. It's a testament to a few things. One, his work ethic. He works as hard as anyone. Next, coach Childress' knowledge with arms. He's incredible. Asa is a freak, but he blossomed. His repertoire has improved. He's a great kid who deserves everything that's coming for him. I can't wait to see what his career turns up like.
   
• I have no regrets hanging it up. I think this is what God told me to do. A lot of guys will bring up videos and my stats and ask why I stopped. I stopped because of you! I want to help you get out of places like Angelina and get to big-time college baseball. I love being around the game, and it keeps me young - even though I'm only 25. I'm very passionate about coaching. I miss being around the guys, but I love being around MY guys.