Head baseball coach A. Rod White will be in his first full season at the helm of the Dillard University baseball program. At the halfway point of the 2024 season, White was named the interim head coach on March 29, 2024. Before his hire, the program was 6-21. Under White, the team went 14-6 to close out the 2024 season with a 20-27 overall record. The Dillard athletic department officially removed the interim tag and named White the head coach. Coach White shared his program’s fall ball update…
To be honest, the fall for me was 50/50. 50% good and 50% not so good. While there were many positive aspects, there were also some unfavorable ones. For the most part, pitchers threw fairly well, and hitters hit fairly well as well. However, disappointment lies in the offseason work. You could tell who put in the work during the offseason versus those that didn’t. So, in exit interviews, the focus was on the culture and the steps that need to be taken to build the “high achieving culture” that we expect both on and off the field.
As coaches, teachers, leaders, we have to understand that it’s human nature for people or individuals to become complacent or comfortable. We also have to understand that it’s our job as coaches to push them beyond said comfortability to seek greatness, and to seek greatness, you have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable meaning you can’t do what everyone else does and expect greatness to just happen. It’s calculated and meticulous. We remind them everyday that “Good enough isn’t good enough if it can be better and better isn’t good enough if it can be best.” A quote that is profound and lasting to me by Dr. Rick Rigsby. We found that a lot of guys were outcome driven and not process driven. So the emphasis became focusing on the process and the minute details as we believe that’s where Excellence/God dwells; in the details and if we focused on perfecting the details, the desired results we wanted were seen with consistency.
Season Outlook:
With the new alignment of culture, we have high expectations going into the spring. With this coaching staff, our strength & conditioning and athletic training team, we’ve definitely worked to position these guys to compete at a high level and do so while staying healthy.
This year, we have a tough schedule. We open the season with the HBCU Battle of Division Invitational which this year is more of an NAIA vs NCAA Division II, eight- team tournament where we get to face the SIAC champion Edward Waters. We’ve also scheduled midweek games against NCAA Division I programs McNeese State, Southeastern, Southern University, and the NAIA’s Louisiana Christian, as well as NAIA home and home series against NAIA World Series contender William & Carey, and NAIA top 20 ranked Loyola University New Orleans. We feel these games will prepare us and keep us prepared throughout the season for conference and postseason play.
Offensive/Defensive Outlook:
Offensively/defensively speaking, we’re expecting some great things out of some key returners coming back and them putting up the same or even better numbers than they put up after this new staff came in; as well as some key D1, NAIA, and JUCO transfers that add both depth and power. You will definitely see more power in this line up with the ability to drive the breaking ball gap to gap.
Pitching Outlook:
Pitching wise, we expect to compete at a very high level. Again, with a good number of returners, a standout freshman and some D1, NAIA, and JUCO transfers, you can expect to see an array of starter caliber arms whether as starters or coming out the pen. The range of righty to lefties, over the top to sub arm slots, plus closer arms on the backend gives this staff depth that we feel will compete in and out of conference.
We look forward to great season.