The University of Mississippi Athletics
ASK OLE MISS: Dickerson Answers Your Questions
2/5/2009 | Softball
Q: What are your goals for the team this year? Is getting to the SEC tournament enough or is success this year measured by an invitation to the NCAA bracket?
The goals for the team this year are the goals that the players set for themselves and their goal is to make an NCAA regional. There are a couple more goals that they have set for themselves, but the key for this year is to get this team to a regional. Just making the SEC tournament won't be enough for them. We've done it three years in a row and we feel in order for this year to be successful we need to make it to the NCAA tournament.
Q: You have a much more experienced team this year with many more players with a couple of years under their belt. Do you expect these returning players to make the difference this and push your team over into the post season?
Yes. Our juniors and senior have quite a bit of experience under their belt. You always want your experienced players to lead the team and I expect them to set the standard for the rest of the team to follow. It always has to start at the top.
Q: What are your expectations for the underclassmen? You have had a record of underclassmen stepping in from day one and contributing. Do you expect that to continue this year?
Yes. Absolutely. I expect all the freshmen to see playing time. A couple of them bring a dimension of speed that we haven't had in the past. I expect them to step up and add to our already strong offense.
Q: Has your success in the past three years paid dividends in your recruiting efforts? Are players looking more favorably at Ole Miss now that a tradition of winning is developing?
I think that started two years ago when recruits saw that we were willing to play freshmen and it's only grown because of the success our younger players have had. Because of that there are several areas that we are being able to tap more efficiently and one of those areas is the west. We've been very successful recruiting in our backyard and the surrounding areas. With the success of our program and recruits I think that people within the south and across the country are starting to understand that Ole Miss is establishing a tradition. They are becoming more familiar our program and are seeing that Ole Miss has changed the perception of the program.
Q: Have you made any position changes among the returnees to improve on last year's success?
Yes. You'll have to wait and see.
Q: What is your take on the general perception of the growing strength of the SEC from traditional powerhouse softball schools in the PAC-10?
The PAC-10 will always remain a powerhouse, but the SEC is neck and neck with them. To pass them we need to knock them off on a consistent basis because they have been dominant for so long. The SEC has made tremendous strides in softball and it's only going to get stronger. I think the conference is going to have to win the national championship game, and probably more than once, before we can say the SEC is the best conference. The showing the SEC has made over the last several years at the College World Series and the fact that Florida and Alabama knocked out two PAC-10 teams last year is huge. The perception of the SEC is very strong all across the country.
Q: What do you look for in a recruit?
There are several things we look at when recruiting a player. Their athletic ability, academics, character, personality and how they fit in with the rest of their teammates. It is also important to establish a relationship with the parents and see what kind of relationship they have with their families. I want a well-rounded person.
Q: When another program on campus experiences success, like the football team winning the Cotton Bowl, does it help with your recruiting efforts?
Absolutely, because it gives you name recognition. Everyone sees the bowl games on TV that day and stand up and take note. They recognize success. They say, Hey Ole Miss is recruiting me or Ole Miss is looking at us and wow they are in a bowl.' Plus there are a lot of kids out there excited by big time college football programs and big time college basketball programs. It is part of the college experience. It creates excitement, so it definitely helps with the recruiting process.
