What conference does Butler University compete in?
Butler University competes in the NCAA Division I Horizon League. Horizon League baseball opponents include Cleveland State, Milwaukee, UIC, Valparaiso, Wright State and Youngstown State. In non-conference play, Butler competes against top programs from other Division I leagues including the Big Ten, Missouri Valley, Mid-American, Conference USA, Big East and others. Winning baseball championships in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000, Butler has reached the title game of the conference tournament in six of the past 10 years! The winner of the Horizon League tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional. Butler flew to Minneapolis for the 2000 Regional and competed against 6th ranked Nebraska and 15th ranked Wichita State. The 2002 Horizon League tournament was held at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. Butler hosted the 2005 tournament at beautiful Victory Field in Indianapolis.
What kind of trips does the team take?
In January of 2003, the Butler team flew to Brisbane, Australia to compete against international competition! This trip was front page news in the February 7th edition of Collegiate Baseball! Butler will open the 2008 season with a trip to play SEC power University of Kentucky. The Bulldogs will open the 2009 season with flights to Las Vegas and Kansas City to take on UNLV and Kansas State. During Coach Farley's tenure at Butler, his teams have played South Carolina, Alabama, Wake Forest, North Carolina, South Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Central Florida and other top DI schools.
Do baseball players miss a lot of classes because of games or practice?
No. Fall season practices and games are held on the Butler campus. Our conference games are held on weekends. Because of Butler's central location in Indianapolis, we don't have to make long road trips to play non-conference games. Occasionally our players will miss a weekday class if we have to travel off campus, but Butler professors are notified ahead of time so that work can be made up. New freshmen and transfer players are required to attend a mandatory study hall monitored by Coach Farley during the fall semester. Free tutors are readily available. Our team had one of the highest GPA's of any men's athletic program at Butler this past year. We take our baseball seriously, but academics always come first at Butler.
Do Butler players have an off-season strength and conditioning program?
Yes! Our players begin lifting during the fall season that runs from late August until the end of October. We typically lift three times per week as a team in the "off-season" from mid-October until final exams in December. Players also take part in an aerobics and agility program designed to increase cardiovascular conditioning. During the spring season our players lift according to their class schedules. Butler's "state of the art" athletic weight room is filled with high-tech weight training and fitness equipment. The Bulldogs have both a full-time athletic trainer and a full-time strength coach. Our players take pride in the speed, strength and flexibility they gain throughout the year! Butler recently completed a new $52 million fitness center and dorm complex.
Do Butler players have an opportunity to play summer baseball?
Yes! Each summer Butler players compete in the top collegiate wooden bat leagues across the country. Bulldog players have been placed in the Cape Cod, Shenandoah Valley, Central Illinois, Jayhawk, Great Lakes, Coastal Plain, Northeastern, Pacific International, Atlantic Collegiate, New England Collegiate and Northwoods Leagues. To be placed on one of these teams, a player must exhibit a high level of skill during the fall and spring playing seasons and be recommended by both Butler coaches and professional scouts. Butler players have a chance to display their skills to professional scouts during our annual "Scout Day" in the fall and during regular scheduled games during the spring. 24 Butler players have signed professional contracts in the past twelve years.
Who are the Butler coaches and what is their baseball background?
A native of River Falls, Wisconsin, Butler Head Coach Steve Farley has been named Horizon League Coach of the Year four times. Butler has had three conference MVP award winners and four Horizon League Pitcher of the Year award winners during Farley's tenure. Farley was a pitcher on the 1981 University of Minnesota team that competed in the Big Ten tournament and qualified for the NCAA regional in Miami, Florida. His Minnesota teammates included former Minnesota Twin's and Oakland A's catcher Terry Steinbach and former Atlanta Braves All-Star, Greg Olson. As a graduate assistant coach at the University of Arizona in 1982, Farley coached several players who played professional baseball, including Joe Magrane, Kevin Ward, Ed Vosberg and Jack Howell. Prior to taking over at Butler in July of 1991, Farley coached at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and at Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia. He helped turn both of these programs into winners.
Bulldog assistant coach Bob Keeney played at the University of Minnesota as both an infielder and outfielder. A former Burnsville, MN high school all-state pick, Keeney assisted at South Dakota State and Bethel College before being hired at Butler. Assistant coach Jeff Brown was an outstanding player at Butler before signing a pro contract to play in the Frontier League. Jeff was a top prep athlete at Speedway HS. Graduate Assistant coach Danny Gillin was a starting outfielder at Hanover College in Indiana, graduating in 2007. Gillin was a multi-sport athlete at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis.
Why should I play baseball at Butler University?
Finishing as conference championship runner-up in 2006, Butler Baseball has consistently been one of the top programs in the Horizon League. Because we build our program around young players, you will typically have a better opportunity to compete as a first-year player. We don't promise anybody a starting position when we recruit at Butler, but we do think your odds of making an impact in our program are better than at a larger school. Coach Farley has not redshirted a player at Butler since he took over in 1992. Our baseball staff recruits players who want to excel both on the field and in the classroom. The baseball team typically maintains a B average or higher.
We want each player to reach his highest level as a baseball player and to graduate from Butler University with a quality degree. Recent field improvements have included a new scoreboard, irrigation system, upgraded dugouts, VIP seats and laser graded infield. Future plans include the building of an on-campus indoor hitting facility. Butler hosted the 2005 Horizon League Tournament at Victory Field, home of the AAA Pittsburg Pirates franchise. Minnesota Twins pitcher Pat Neshek and Oakland A's first baseman Dan Johnson both played college baseball at Butler!
Butler has a beautiful campus and a friendly atmosphere. Our 12:1 student to teacher ratio guarantees that you will receive individual attention in the classroom. You won't be "just a number" at Butler. Our university offers the best of both worlds: a scenic, small school setting, yet only 10 minutes away from downtown Indianapolis big city opportunities. Come and visit our campus and talk with our student/athletes. We think you will be impressed by what you see and hear!
