Babb's extraordinary baseball benchmark
Every week, the News-Letter highlights a player who has had an outstanding performance, with the honorary title of Athlete of the Week. However, the winner this week is baseball head coach Robert Babb.
When people think about Johns Hopkins Athletics, they think of our lacrosse program. Every week, students pile into the stadium to watch the Blue Jay lacrosse teams take on various Division-I opponents. This weekend, the men's team tied their longest losing streak ever in front of a record-breaking crowd.
However, a very different record was being set just next door. While not drawing nearly the same amount of fans, the Hopkins baseball team has made a name for themselves in DIII. While Coach Rob Babb doesn't have the fame or the connections that Pietramala has - Patriots Coach Bill Belichick was seen once again strolling the sidelines this weekend - Babb has found himself in extraordinary company.
In the shadow of the lacrosse program, Coach Babb has amassed incredible numbers for himself in his 29 years in the Hopkins dugout. He holds a career record of 801-283-10, a .735 winning percentage - the 29th best in NCAA baseball history.
He is also the eighth-winningest coach among active coaches. Also during those 29 years, he has captured 10 Middle Atlantic Conference Southeast League Titles, eight Centennial Conference championships, seven University Athletic Association titles, and 13 NCAA Division-III Tournament appearances.
This weekend, with his team in the mist of a 10-game winning streak, Babb won the 800th game of his illustrious coaching career in dramatic fashion. He came into Saturday afternoon on 799. He knew it, his team knew it, the large crowd of fans knew it.
However, the important thing for the team to do was stay focused. He tried to think as little as he could about the record and concentrate on the game. Coach Babb didn't want this number to define their performance.
"To me, it's all about the players. Last year we were a pitch or two away from the Division-III World Series," Babb said. "This year, with the talent in every one of these players, we have a real chance to go the distance."
When people think about Johns Hopkins Athletics, they think of our lacrosse program. Every week, students pile into the stadium to watch the Blue Jay lacrosse teams take on various Division-I opponents. This weekend, the men's team tied their longest losing streak ever in front of a record-breaking crowd.
However, a very different record was being set just next door. While not drawing nearly the same amount of fans, the Hopkins baseball team has made a name for themselves in DIII. While Coach Rob Babb doesn't have the fame or the connections that Pietramala has - Patriots Coach Bill Belichick was seen once again strolling the sidelines this weekend - Babb has found himself in extraordinary company.
In the shadow of the lacrosse program, Coach Babb has amassed incredible numbers for himself in his 29 years in the Hopkins dugout. He holds a career record of 801-283-10, a .735 winning percentage - the 29th best in NCAA baseball history.
He is also the eighth-winningest coach among active coaches. Also during those 29 years, he has captured 10 Middle Atlantic Conference Southeast League Titles, eight Centennial Conference championships, seven University Athletic Association titles, and 13 NCAA Division-III Tournament appearances.
This weekend, with his team in the mist of a 10-game winning streak, Babb won the 800th game of his illustrious coaching career in dramatic fashion. He came into Saturday afternoon on 799. He knew it, his team knew it, the large crowd of fans knew it.
However, the important thing for the team to do was stay focused. He tried to think as little as he could about the record and concentrate on the game. Coach Babb didn't want this number to define their performance.
"To me, it's all about the players. Last year we were a pitch or two away from the Division-III World Series," Babb said. "This year, with the talent in every one of these players, we have a real chance to go the distance."
Be the first to comment on this story