BB: ASC: American Southwest Conference

[Ralph Turner]

Bottom of the 11th, HPU's Garcia is still on the mound.

McM --

Derrick -- a Texas Leaguer to left.
Jackson -- a single to right, Derrick to second.
Morris -- a perfect bunt, Derrick to thrid, Jackson to second.
Bennett -- intentionally walked to load the bases.
Love -- single up the middle against a pulled-in infield. Derrick scores.

Final McM 4, HPU 3 (11)

McMurry moves into a tie for first with UMHB.

Wood gets the win in relief.  Garcia takes a tough complete game loss.

Coach Driggers said that this was the best game that we have had pitched against McMurry since the Chapman series.  He was complimentary of HPU starting pitcher Adam Garcia who is 4-3 on the season.

[Ralph Turner]

McMurry did that with Yurchick out with a deep bruise.  Franco has the infected foot, and did not play tonight.  Voorhees hurt his shoulder tonight when he fell trying to catch a foul ball.

Edited -- per hsusid.  Thanks on the details.

[Ralph Turner]

1.     UMHB               11-5     25-8
2.    McMurry            11-5    21-13
3.    Concordia            9-7    21-13
   Hardin-Simmons        9-7    20-14        (HSU 7, SRSU 6)
   Texas Lutheran        8-8    18-17
   Howard Payne         8-8     14-20
7.    Schreiner            7-9    10-23                  (SU 12,  TLU 8 )
8.    Sul Ross State      1-15    4-26

[Just_Some_Guy]

7.    Schreiner            7-9    10-23                  (SU 12,  TLU 8 )

Why is a starting pitcher still in the game after giving up 11 ER, and 13 hits to a Mountaineer team that has 3 guys hitting .260+ ? I don't understand why Wesson would go back out for the 5th, and I know it's Schreiner and every game is a do or die at this point, but TLU put themselves in that situation. Do you really throw Conley the last 3.1 down 11-3 ?

In any event with CTX standing up to UMHB, and HSU likely sweeping Sul Ross, TLU is on the verge of digging their hole too deep.

JSG

[golden_dome]

Mississippi College and #14 Ozarks split today. Ozarks won the opener 9-5 and MC won the second 11-8. I'm pretty sure tomorrow's pitchers will be MC's Jonathan Russell  (6-1, 3.40) vs Bruce Cameron (5-0, 1.82).

[Ralph Turner]

McM sweeps HPU 6-3 and 16-5 today. Stats

McMurry is now ahead of UMHB by 1+ games in the standings, because CTX swept the UMHB series in Belton, 8-2. 11-3, and 13-7!    UMHB web site  CTX knocks UMHB into the fourth seed at this time.  HSU sweeps the SRSU series by 7-6, 4-1, 4-3.

If McMurry wins 1 of three versus SRSU in Alpine next week, they clinch West Region co-champs and a home series in the first weekend of play.

If McMurry wins 2 of 3 vs SRSU next weekend, they are seeded to host the conference tourney, providing they win the first round conference series versus an opponent to be named later.

As it stands, there is a three-way tie for second by CTX, HSU and UMHB.  IN the three way head-to-head, CTX is 4-2, HSU is 3-3 and UMHB is 2-4.  They are seeded #2, #3 and #4 respectively.

Next week McMurry goes to Alpine, CTX hosts Schreiner,  HSU goes to TLU, UMHB goes to HPU.

[Ralph Turner]

Schreiner takes 2 of 3 from TLU.

12-8 last night, 5-4 today, before losing the third 8-13.


1.    McMurry                 13-5    23-13  (Goes to SRSU; clinches #1 seed with 2 wins.)
2.*      Concordia           11-7    23-13  (Hosts Schreiner, needs to win one game.)
2.**    Hardin-Simmons   11-7    22-14  (Goes to TLU; needs to win one game.)
2.***     UMHB              11-7    25-10  (Goes to HPU; needs to win one game.)

5.   Texas Lutheran         9-9      19-18  (Earns a playoff bid by sweeping HSU.)
6.*  Howard Payne         8-10    14-22 (Won series 2 of 3 over Schreiner)
6.**    Schreiner            8-10    10-25                 
8.    Sul Ross State         1-17    4-28

Last weekend of the season, and 7 of 8 teams have mathematical chances to make the playoffs!

[Ralph Turner]

UT-Tyler sweeps LaCollege, 7-3, 6-5, 13-0.  (At MissCollege next weekend.)  UT-Tyler is 13-2 in the East.

Miss College is 11-3 in the East Division and plays a single game tomorrow versus UOzarks.

UOzarks is 13-4 in conference play and plays their last East Division game tomorrow.

LaCollege is 7-8 in the East and hosts LeTU next weekend.

Remember season #1 and #2 host (crossover) playoff games in the following weekend.

[TexasBB]

ASC East could get very interesting.  If Ozarks wins today and Mississipi College takes two out of 3 from UTT (at Miss Col) then we could have a 3 way tie for first with no clear winer. In that case UTT would have won the Series against Ozarks; with Ozarks winning the series against Miss; and Miss winnig the Series against UTT.  Ralph what is the next tie breaker for top seed in the East?

If Miss beats Ozarks today and takes 2 of 3 from UTT next week then Miss is the East Champ.
If UTT takes 2 of 3 from Miss next week they are champs no matter what happens today.

[TexasBB]

Correction Miss has 3 losses now Ozarks 4 and UTT 2

If Miss losses it must sweep UTT to win.


A 3 way tie connot occur

[TexasBB]

There still are possibilities in which each of the 3 teams in the ASC east could be champions.

UTT controlls its own destiny if it wins 2 out of 3 from Miss next week.

Miss also contolls its own destiny. If becomes champion by beating Ozarks today and winning 2 out of 3 from UTT next week.

Ozarks wins if it beats Miss today and Miss sweeps UTT next week. If Miss only wins 2-3 UTT wins championship since it beat Ozarks 2-3 earlier in the year.

So next week - the final week of the season will determine the champion and the seeding.

[Ralph Turner]

MissCollege 10, UOz 6; Choctaws batting in the top of the 7th.

[Ralph Turner]

It is the bottom of the ninth.  Mississippi College led by 14-6 after the top of the 7th.  UOz is now batting in the bottom of the 9th, trailing 14-12 with runners in 1st and 2nd and winning run at the plate.

Ground ball to short, fielder's choice 6 unassisted on the put out at second.

Final Mississippi College 14, UOzarks 12.

UOzarks finishes 3rd in the ASC-East at 13-5., unless UT-Tyler sweeps Mississippi College next weekend.

Cameron gets the lost for UOzarks.  Cory Briggs goes 5-6, including a 3-run HR.

Mississippi College's Jonathan Russell gets the win.  MissCollege is 12-3 on the season going into the UT-Tyler series.

[TexasBB]

So now it comes down to UTT and Miss Col.  - The winner of the series will be the East Champion and top seed with the looser the #2 seed in the East.  The West is going down to the last week also. This is great no team this year dominated. Balance and battles in both divisions. This is fun!!

[golden_dome]

Great win for Mississippi College today in a wild game. Heading into the ninth, MC led 14-9 with all nine of Ozarks' runs being unearned. Don't know if I've ever seen that many in one game. Jonathan Russell gutted out six innings allowing six unearned runs on 11 hits. I don't know if everyone remembers him from two years ago, but he was the ASC East Division Pitcher of the Year before missing last season due to Tommy John Surgery. He's had a very good senior season.

The Choctaws have flown under the radar a bit this year thanks to a 6-9 record against non-ASC teams, but they play a tough nonconference schedule with three games vs Belhaven (NAIA #24), three vs Millsaps, and games against Rhodes and Illinois Wesleyan.

Next weekend should be fun with one of the nation's top teams coming to town, anxious to finally get a look at the Patriots after the last two seasons they have put together.