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Athlete update

Seminole grad making coaching mark at Ole Miss

By NANCY MORGAN
Published April 23, 2006

A stellar baseball playing career at LSU has transitioned into an equally successful coaching career for Mike Bianco Seminole/Indian River CC/LSU.

Now in his sixth season as head coach at Ole Miss, 38-year-old Bianco has launched the Rebels into Southeastern Conference and national prominence.

Over five seasons, Bianco has directed his Rebel teams to a .642 winning percentage, the best-ever for any coach in his first five years at the helm.

Bianco credits the coaches he's learned under for his success, from his dad, Ron, to Seminole High's Bill Brinker, Indian River Community College's Mike Easom and LSU's legendary Skip Bertman.

"I was mentored by a lot of great coaches and have developed a coaching style that is a culmination of each of theirs," Bianco said.

Bianco played baseball for Easom at Indian River CC two years before enrolling at powerhouse LSU for his 1988-1989 seasons. In 1989, Bianco was starting catcher and captain for the Rebels, who finished third in the College World Series.

"Growing up, I played baseball and football," Bianco said. "In high school, I played football and baseball the first two years. After that, I realized there probably wasn't much demand for a 5-foot-8 linebacker, so I concentrated on baseball.

"As a youngster, the catching gear was intriguing and I was fortunate that my dad was a catcher at the University of Delaware, so at a young age I got a good education in catching."

After graduation. a two-year stint as a graduate assistant and coach at Northwestern State was followed by five years at his alma mater under the tutelage of Bertman, a six-time national coach of the year.

From 1993-1997, Bianco was part of the coaching staff that led the Rebels to three national titles, three SEC crowns and two SEC tournament championships.

"Mike was a leader as our catcher and I could easily forecast that he would be a good coach when he was finished being a player," said Bertman, LSU's athletic director since 2001.

"He's highly organized and learned lessons well in picking up the system here. Mike is especially good at placing players in a high percentage position to succeed."

In 1997, Bianco was named to his first head coaching position at McNeese State. There, he collected three 30-win seasons and the first conference title since 1988. Bianco was named conference coach of the year in 2000.

"I've been at this for a while and a lot of good things have happened," Bianco said. "When I was offered the head position at Ole Miss, I felt the program was ready to make the jump and become a prominent force in the conference and be recognized nationally.

"We enjoyed some early success, but it's not easy because the SEC is one of the toughest conferences in the country. We had a proven system and the staff came in to implement it."

Bianco has led his squad to five consecutive seasons of at least 35 wins. Last year, the Rebels recorded their first SEC Western Division championship in 23 years. Success on the field was followed by an outpouring of fans with over 170,000 spectators attending home games in 2005.

"I am certainly proud of our success on the field, but I am also pleased with the graduation rate of our players, our booster club efforts and the attendance at our games," Bianco said.

COLLEGE BASEBALL: Marc Sawyer (Canterbury) connected for two hits, collected three RBIs and scored three runs for Yale in a 10-8 come-from-behind win over Harvard. The junior first baseman leads the Bulldogs in hitting (.383) with 51 hits and 23 RBI.

n Connecticut's Erik Turgeon (Dunedin) recorded a hit and a run in breaking No. 29 West Virginia's s 20-game winning streak. The freshman infielder, who sometimes is a relief pitcher, is averaging .323 at the plate.

n Freshman Dale Brannon (St. Petersburg) posted a hit and an RBI for Connecticut in its three-game sweep of WVU. The 2005 Times Player of the Year is averaging .207 in 30 games.

n Freshman infielder Scott Beckwith (Osceola) has played in 11 games for Connecticut.

n Logan James (Clearwater Central Catholic), junior second baseman for Jacksonville, launched a "Hits for Hospice" program to raise money for Community Hospice in Northeast Florida to honor his grandfather, who died in October after a two-year battle with cancer.

For each James hit, a donor will contribute to the organization. Before an injury sidelined James this month, he had recorded 27 hits for a .235 average.

n Sophomore catcher David Golliner (Northside Christian) collected two hits, an RBI and scored twice as Stetson beat Jacksonville.

PRO BASEBALL: Nick Massett (Pinellas Park) has recorded 12 strikeouts and earned a 0.73 ERA for the Texas Rangers' AA Frisco Rough Riders. This spring, the eighth-round 2000 draft choice was on the Rangers 40-man roster.

SOFTBALL: Shannon Tyson (Seminole) leads Francis Marion in hitting with a .385 average. The infielder is averaging .482 among Peach Belt opponents.

n Righthander Shauna Hawthorne (Seminole/Daytona Beach CC) has collected a 4.85 ERA and a 1-6 record for Fairleigh-Dickinson. Playing first base or designated hitter, the junior is averaging .179 in 27 games.

News for this column may be faxed to Nancy Morgan, 796-5559; e-mailed to namorgan46@msn.com or sent to 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. Please include phone number.

[Last modified April 23, 2006, 11:03:53]