After setbacks in MLB Draft, Bakich looks to move forward

 Erik Bakich's daunting task of rebuilding Terrapin baseball isn't getting any easier.

A program that has long lacked top-flight talent will have to make do next season without several expected cornerstones of the program's still-forming foundation.

Four signees from Bakich's first recruiting class, as well as rising senior pitcher Adam Kolarek, signed professional contracts with major league teams after being selected in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in early June.

"You never want to lose any recruits, but it's a risk you have to take when you want to recruit at the highest level and compete for the elite talent," Bakich said.

Widely considered the crown jewel of Bakich's recruiting haul, high school shortstop Chris "Cito" Culver went to the New York Yankees with the last pick of the first round. The Irondequoit, N.Y., native and Under Armour All-American later signed a contract with his hometown team.

Pitcher Tyler Vail, a fifth-round selection by the Oakland Athletics, also signed a contract, as did infielder JaDamion Williams (Minnesota Twins) and catcher Patrick Leyland (Detroit Tigers), the son of Tigers manager Jim Leyland.

Kolarek inked with the Mets, and graduated senior pitcher Dan Gentzler was not drafted, but later signed with the Tigers.

"They were obviously good players, and we want to have everyone we recruit make it to school. But it's no different than losing a big game," Bakich said. "It's not something that we want to have happen, but when it does, we need to move on, we need to try and replace them with players who are just as good, if not better. Every year, there are stories about kids who fly under the radar who sign really late in the process. And sometimes those kids end up being the best players on the team. We were fortunate that the four players we did sign signed relatively early so we could look elsewhere right away."

As a former assistant at powerhouse Vanderbilt, Bakich knows that recruiting the best can possibly mean losing the best before they even set foot on a college campus. But it's the only way to ensure a return to relevance for a program that has suffered through recent history as a conference cellar-dweller.

"We compare our recruiting to the guys that we have to be," Bakich said. "When you look at the best players in the country, the ones going in the first 10 rounds of the draft, those players are littered with ACC, Pac-10, SEC and other big-time conference commitments, so it's not unusual. In fact, I'd argue its quite normal. All we are doing is trying to redefine normal."

While 26 players listed on last season's roster have another year of eligibility with the program, space will be tight and competition will be fierce with the arrival of a sizable and talented recruiting class — even if it is missing several of its key cogs.

"We are going to play the best nine guys in the field and our best pitchers are going to pitch," Bakich said. "These kids couldn't ask for a better opportunity because the slate has been wiped clean. It doesn't matter what they did last year, because there is going to be competition at every position, and I think that is what helps players develop. They know if they slow down for even one second, there is someone right on their heels waiting to take that spot. ... We can't focus on the kids we lost. We need to focus on the kids who will be a part of our team next season."

lemaire@umdbk.com