FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[smedindy]

Aw, man, don't harsh his buzz BB16 - Junior is fine, especially if he is a Junior!

[formerd3db]

kreds, lancer and bashbacker:

All good comments regarding the recruiting past and present and the baseball discussion as well.  I agree also about the the difficulty in attempting to play two sports. I'll share my example:  my brother, who was 10x the athlete I ever was, played both baseball and football in college (I had all I could handle in college just playing one sport - so my hat's off to him and those athletes who can do that!).  His first love was baseball, but he wanted to play both.  He was starting to be recruited by two DI schools (one in the Big Ten, one in the MAC) for football but they only wanted him to play that sport.  Thus, he ended up going to a DIII school so he could play both (all schools had excellent academic programs for the career he wanted, so that was not an issue).  During that time, his DIII team was very good in baseball - the best in the school's long history (almost beat Marietta to get into the DIII World Series his senior year).  They also split double headers with two DI baseball teams, Georgia Tech and Iowa State on their spring trip (and regularly played other DI teams for non-conf games during the reg season).  So I agree with your assesment about baseball (still holds true today I believe as back then).

As far as DIII football recruiting (and DII as well), it occurs both ways i.e. prospective student-athletes initially contacting a school and/or the college coaches contacting them.  Yet I also agree that the "fit has to be mutual" and if after a visit it is not, the staff usually will not actively continue the recruiting process for that individual.  Anyway, interesting discussion guys.

[kcreds]

former3db: I enjoyed reading your post as well. My son thought initially he was taking a step down to play at a DIII school but now he has gained great respect for the DIII programs and their athletes. I definitely think he made the right choice and hey he is the reason I found this board, that could be good or bad for some of you. I'm enjoying the ride and will be going to Florida in March to watch OWU play. As luck would have it, the Reds are playing nearby and I might just watch them too.

[oldguy]

Lancer,

I agree that the gap between D1 and D3 in baseball is smaller than football and other sports, however, it should be noted that when Wooster beat Ohio State, the Bucks didn't play most of their starters and they pitched their #5 or #6 pitcher.  Given, the guys were still scholarship players and should have won, but it wasn't OSU's best team.

[BashBacker#16]

I have heard D3 parents make the comment, if a kid is not going to go D1 - D3 is the way to go!  I think there is a lot to be said about that comment.

...sorry one more hoops reference...funny how the Bash/Witt game turned out, I sensed an "electric atmosphere" and hoped the upset would happen.  It seems, any Wabash team really raises their level of play when its Wittenberg!  Bash/Witt has turned in to a great rivalry!

[WallyFS4]

BB16,

The atmosphere was electric.  Wabash had several recruits there for the game.  If that game can't sell them on Wabash, nothing can.  I hope last nights victory will have the same results for the basketball team, as the 2002 victory did for Wabash football.  As always.

WABASH ALWAYS FIGHTS![/font][/size]

[formerd3db]

bashbrother:

Thanks for your personal message.  I sent you one in reply last evening - not sure if it went through.  Let me know!

[lancer98]

oldguy,

Good point.  But as you said, given the fact those players were on scholership you would think they should still be better than the Wooster players.  And event though it was their 5 and 6 starters those kids should have been able to get the Wooster linuep out.

Had OSU played their top lineup it would have been tough for Wooster to win.  But then again even though OSU is not a top D1 team I would not consider them low-tier.

[seinfeld]

I was fortunate enough to have been at the 2002 Ohio State-Wooster game, so I think I can give a more precise assessment of what happened. It is true that OSU started a freshman, I believe, who hadn't pitched that much that year, but Wooster only started its No. 4 starter. In fact, Wooster did not bring its top two pitchers in until the final three innings. By late in the game OSU had a couple of its top relievers in the game. And while OSU did not have its best player in the lineup (Nick Swisher, now with the A's), they still had a number of offensive starters in the game. So I guess what I'm saying is that while Wooster did not face OSU's best unit, they didn't play a bunch of backups, either.

Wooster has played four games against Div. I teams in five years, and is 3-1: Defeated Akron (2001), Ohio State (2002) and Kent St. (2004); Lost to Ohio State (2003)

So getting back to the point, I think that elite baseball Div. III teams like Wooster are at least within "shouting distance" of middle-of-the-pack Div. I programs, which is not the case in any other collegiate sport. You see that every spring when at least a half-dozen Div. III players get drafted. I believe that over 10 Div. III players got drafted last year, and many were within the rounds where teams actually cared who they were drafting.

[seinfeld]

... getting back to football.

There is an interesting story on the Wooster Web site about a former Scot head coach Jack Lengyel, who was hired to coach Marshall right after the plane crash in 1970. Apparently a movie is going to be made about this, with Matthew McConaughey playing Lengyel.

http://www.wooster.edu/news/0506/FilmLengyel.php

[smedindy]

Baseball has such a limited number of scholarships (and they tended to get divided up) it doesn't surprise me that elite D-3 teams can compete the the middle of D-1.

[frank uible]

With very few exceptions, DI baseball in the Midwest does not measure up to DI  in the South, Southwest, Southern California and the PAC-10.

[formerd3db]

frank:

With all due respect, I don't think anyone was insinuating that.  Of course, you are right in your premise because, for one aspect albeit perhaps a minor aspect, the majority of Midwest teams (regardless of what NCAA division) only get outside for the first time when they go south for their spring trip.  I think the point(s) that most people were trying to make (at least I was) is that the "gap" in baseball is obviously less than it is in football and 2) it is great to see these teams (DivIII, II and yes Midwest DI teams) having the opportunity to play those better teams in Div I.  Just my 2 cents worth in clarification.

[ADL70]

http://www.allegheny.edu/cgi-bin/mt/mt-view.cgi/5/entry/5420/news_entry

[DarkSide-D]

Its a sad sad day in the world of NCAC football.  O' what will we ever do without the verbal bashing of the Mud Bowl every year? 

And yet again, Wooster is on the outside looking in on other school's renovations.  Yes, I know they are supposedly planing for 2010, but from my understanding, they have been saying that for years.

BTW, its nice to see some real football discussion on the FOOTBALL page   Of course, it was nice to have something to read.

Thanks for the link cwru70