Forget David Blaine, Lance Burton or David Copperfield, Memphis baseball coach Daron Schoenrock had a better disappearing act than anyone.
The second-year coach has made the team that won only 13 games, along with 42 losses, in 2005 completely vanish - without a trace.
Schoenrock replaced that ugly season with what equates to a snow-white Bengal Tiger in the form of a 32-28 record, good for fourth place in Conference USA. Memphis finished last in 2005 with only five conference victories.
The last time Memphis had a turn around similar to this was between the 2000 and 2001 seasons, when the Tigers went from 15 wins to 34. Dan Uggla was on the team then - he's now the starting second baseman for the Florida Marlins.
What a difference a summer makes. In his first season, Schoenrock's team was made up of only the players he inherited. And he had no time to put his system in place.
However, over one summer Schoenrock revamped, rejuvenated and readied his new team for a season in which it nearly tripled its wins. And it all started on the recruiting trail.
"We had a chance to recruit some junior college and four-year transfers," Schoenrock said.
Transfers Will Peterson, Michael Murray, Ben Grisham, Joey Lieberman, Dusty Davis, Josh Irvin and Lance Scoggins were key components in the Tigers' success. Peterson and Lieberman combined for 23 home runs, 89 RBI and 128 hits. Davis finished the 2006 season with the team's second-best earned run average and finished 4-1. Davis and Lieberman both came from Meridian Community College.
Along with junior college transfers producing with the bat and on the mound, the players coming back also played a huge role in the turnaround.
"(These) Guys are much more comfortable (than last year)," Schoenrock said. "And the chemistry of this team is a huge thing."
One of the returning Tigers, junior Adam Amar, helped anchor a lineup for Schoenrock, which scored 158 more runs than last year's team. Amar lead the team in batting average (.395), RBI (66) and on-base percentage (.472).
Amar, who was with the team during the 13-win season and the last one, is a witness to the impact the coaching staff has had on the team.
"I knew it was possible (to turn it around) with the talent the coaches brought in," he said.
Last season Schoenrock cited plate discipline, errors and lack of depth partially due to injuries as some of the problems contributing to the team's demise.
With lack of depth taken care of by recruiting it was just a matter of coaching to remedy the others.
With help from assistant coaches Mike Federico, Corey Kines and Jerry Zulli, Schoenrock has taught hitters to be more selective (45 more walks than 2005) and players better fielding techniques (13 fewer errors).
With that better plate discipline the Tigers got into opposing team's bullpens much sooner than they would have, which helps the team later in the game and later in the week.
"The quicker you get their best pitchers out the better chances you have," Amar said.
The first-baseman also recognizes the improvements his teammates are making.
"K.K. (Chalmers) in the outfield, definitely Corey (Barton) catching and offensively everyone has improved tremendously," Amar said.
It will be hard to follow the magic act Schoenrock has done thus far but there is no doubt the team is behind him and his teachings.
"Look what they've done in two years," Amar said.
