The time is ripe for change in Philadelphia college baseball: Four of the five area teams have new coaches this year.
And the new blood has already started to yield new ideas.
Earlier this month, the coaches announced the formation of the Diamond Five, a concept modeled after basketball's hugely successful Big 5.
Like the basketball conference, the Diamond Five will consist of La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph's, Temple and Villanova. As they have done in the past, the teams will play each other in round-robin format each year.
The goal of the new organization is to raise the profile of Philadelphia college baseball by strengthening ties between the schools and improving their community outreach efforts.
Villanova's Joe Godri, the Diamond Five's only returning coach, said that the concept was "a totally new idea, based off of some of the things that have gone on in the past.
"I think that we have some young, energetic, professional baseball people in here that really want to maximize our exposure in the Philadelphia area," Godri added.
While the Big 5 basketball games generate a large amount of publicity for their teams, the baseball squads do not garner nearly as much attention from fans.
"One of the things we're trying to do is expand our attendance numbers," Temple coach Rob Valli said.
Valli added that by unifying their efforts the schools can regularly schedule games against each other that will generate more attendance, such as night games.
"It can be difficult for people to get out to" an afternoon game, he explained.
Penn has no home games after 3 p.m. this year, other than doubleheaders.
The schools also hope to further develop the Liberty Bell Classic, which is entering its 15th year. Currently, the Classic is an eight-team, single-elimination event that features the five city schools, Delaware, Lafayette and Lehigh.
The opening rounds of the Classic have been played at on-campus sites, while the final is played at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies.
While the exact details have yet to be finalized, coaches have discussed trying to also play one or both of the opening rounds at the major league park.
Coaches have also discussed other venues, such as Campbell's Field in Camden, N.J., but see them as less desirable.
"[Campbell's Field is] an option, but obviously you'd like to get a site that would draw all the Philadelphia schools," Cole said.
Other potential alternatives would be a "Diamond Five Tournament" at Citizens Bank Park to open the season or a "Diamond Five Night" during the regular season.
The schools also intend to step up their community outreach efforts. In particular, they hope to start a clinic for area high school coaches. According to Valli, while plans are in the works, there is little chance that a new clinic will be started this year.
If the plan succeeds, Penn will add to its existing programs, which include the Penn Summer Classic Baseball Camp for college players and the Pitman Baseball Camp for players ages 6-17.
The coaches have also expressed interest in a game or fundraising event for charity.
"We want to get involved in the charity end of it. We'd especially like to try to do a few things with some Philadelphia-area charities," Cole said. He stressed that such an event would not occur in the immediate future, pointing out that the coaches had not even chosen a charity.
Most of the programs backed by the Diamond Five will not have an immediate impact; however, one change will come into effect this year. Each Tuesday, beginning with March 14, the Diamond Five will announce a player and pitcher of the week. It will also nominate a Diamond Five all-star team at the end of the season.
The first city games will take place on March 15 ,when Temple hosts Penn and La Salle hosts Villanova. The Diamond Five coaches are optimistic that that date will be the start of a long and successful partnership among the schools.
"We're all trying to do the same things here," Valli said.
