It's interesting to look at when the downward slide began, but based on that chart earlier in this thread, I'd say 2010. If you go back and look at that year, it makes sense. That was a stacked team that should've been in the CWS no doubt (Mark Pope, Deck, Dietrich, Buck Farmer to name a few). At one point it was 40-9! Can you even imagine a record like that these days? We were hosting the regional and won the first 2 games. Then Alabama beat us, but we still had future high draft pick Jed Bradley rested and ready for the final game. Bama (by no means a traditional SEC baseball giant) came back and won again with their Game 1 starter pitching in relief and shut us down for the last 6 innings. Since that game, we've hosted one regional and not won any of them. I remember feeling sick over that regional loss and had no idea how it was going to all fall apart from that point.
Honestly, that 2010 team should have AT WORST made it to Omaha if not win the whole thing. Look at these players:
Pitchers-
Friday starter-Deck McGuire (1st rd pick and MLB time)
Saturday starter-Brandon Cumpton (MLB time)
Sunday starter-Jed Bradley (MLB time)
Closer-Mark Pope (MILB time)
Midweek starter-Buck Farmer (MLB time)
Main reliever-Andrew Robinson (might still be in MILB)
Offense:
C-Cole Leonida (may still be in MILB)
1B-Tony Plagman (MILB time)
2B-Jacob Esch (MLB time...albeit as a pitcher)
SS-Derek Dietrich (with Marlins)
3B-Matt Skole (made MLB debut today with White Sox)
LF-Brandon Thomas (MILB time)
CF-Jeff Rowland (MILB time)
RF-Chase Burnette (MILB time)
DH-Thomas Nichols (MILB time)
I went to a lot of games that year bc of how good they were. What a huge disappointment to end their season in the regional. 10 players were drafted in the 2010 draft (had to look that up).