Dan Guttenplan interviews Central Connecticut State coach Charlie Hickey, the longest-tenured Division 1 coach in New England, about how college baseball has changed with the transfer portal, NIL, and accelerated recruiting. Hickey discusses CCSU’s late February start, training indoors during winter, and the challenges of recruiting in the Northeast. He shares what he looks for in players, balancing freshman development with experienced transfers, and replacing key pitching innings. They cover fall practice benefits, conference title expectations, and the difficulty mid-majors face in NCAA regionals vs. SEC/ACC depth. Hickey also critiques showcase velocity culture and injury risk. “Three Up, Three Down” explores fandom, clutch hitters and baseball’s golden age.
Topics
01:00 30-Plus Years in College Baseball: What’s Changed (Portal, NIL, Longevity)
02:28 Opening Day Prep in New England: Snow, Travel and Gym Workouts
04:16 Recruiting in the Northeast: Finding the Right Fit
05:33 Showcases vs. Real Baseball: Traits Coaches Still Value
07:54 Transfer Portal Strategy: Balancing Older Transfers and Freshmen
09:59 Where to Evaluate Players: High School Coaches, Visits and Practices
11:35 Recruiting Timeline and Identifying Undervalued Prospects
13:30 What a D-1 Year Really Looks Like: Fall Ball, Winter Build-Up, Early Starts
17:43 Sustained Success at CCSU: Conference Titles, Scheduling and Replacing Stars
20:15 Can Mid-Majors Compete in Regionals in the NIL Era?
22:24 Velocity Obsession and Arm Injuries: Mixed Messages in Modern Pitching
25:53 Three Up, Three Down: Why We Root for Teams
29:20 Game 7 Pinch-Hit Draft: Who Gets the Clutch Base Hit?
31:15 The Golden Age of Baseball (and Can We Get It Back?)
35:16 Wrap-Up, Thanks, and Where to Subscribe
