USC Fires Frank Cruz

For those of you keeping score, here's a list of the USC coaches that have packed their bags in the past six weeks:

-- Monte Kiffin

-- Kevin O'Neill

-- Marvin Sanders

--Scottie Hazelton

-- Kennedy Polamalu

-- Frank Cruz

USC finished up their self-investigation into their baseball head coach, and the result is immediate termination of Cruz for knowingly violating NCAA restrictions on practice hours. From Neon Tommy:

“Adhering to all NCAA rules is paramount for each one of our coaches, student-athletes and staff members,” said athletic director Pat Haden in a statement. “Those who knowingly break NCAA rules are subject to termination.”

The CARA rules prohibit players to spend more than 20 hours per week on mandatory, organized team activity. Players can lift weights and practice for an unlimited amount of time on their own.

In light of the violation, USC reduced the amount of practice session hours for the team for the next two seasons.

Associate head coach and former USC All-American pitcher Dan Hubbs will take over as head coach for the 2013 season, which is set to begin on Friday with a road game against Cal St. Fullerton. USC has reported these findings to the NCAA and Pac-12.

USC Baseball is projected to finish between eighth and tenth in the Pac-12 this season. Baseball America has them only winning EIGHT conference games this year, which would mean that the postseason drought that has existed since 2005 would continue. It's safe to say that the scrutiny surrounding Pat Haden is about to hit a critical mass. There's been a recent upswell of demand among alumni for a return to prominence on the diamond, and now Haden needs to clean up the mess he holds some responsibility for making, since he was the one that made the Cruz hire.

Discuss Cruz, Hubbs, Haden, and the upcoming collegiate baseball season below.