BB: ASC: American Southwest Conference

[dp643]

UMHB wins game 3,  5-4 to take the series 2 games to 1.

[Dawgsdad]

inconsistency might be a better term than mediocracy.  I have no doubt that the west side is more talented than the east side this year, but it seems like none of the teams in the west can seperate from the pack due to inconsistent play. 

I can certainly agree with the term "inconsistency" as well as the term "mediocracy."  However, perhaps it's a little too early for the latter term. Speaking from what I've seen to date, and given that I am a parent, and new to this conference, but have been around baseball perhaps longer than some on this board have been alive, I'd have to say that inconsistency is more of what we are seeing at the moment than mediocracy.

Speaking of TLU's opportunities, we have played two conference series in which, most of these games were decided by a single run. That's generally good baseball.  However, I can't say that this is the case always. TLU by all accounts should have taken the series against McMurry this past weekend. The second game was clearly an example of this, and in the end "inconsistency" did us in. In close games you can't give your opponent five or six outs in an inning and expect to be victorious. It will generally come back to bit you. and it did in our case over the weekend. 

It seems that teams are still trying to find that number two and three starter and TLU is no exception. Hull just hasn't been his same self this year and I don't know enough to know how to help pin point the problem - probably mental for a large part. The Penn has done a great job this year so far but we need to have a strong performance (at least 5 to 7 innings) from the starters. Staggs, and Orosey have done a great job getting us deep into games and offense have done a resonable job supporting them but there too more is needed and expected from that line-up.  We are still looking at pitches that are too close to be guessing. If your unsure I'd suggest swinging - at least you look better if you do go down 

The next two series (at least for TLU) are going to be huge in terms of conference play and will likely determine whether this is going to be a year of "inconsistency" or "mediocracy" I expect that Burnett, will have his guys set to go again and hope that they are ready to answer the questions above.  Along with this, I'd personally like to see a bit more separation in the score than a one run game. Such a feat, would give voice to the issue of the two terms being batted around.  Here's to more good baseball and in hope of finding the answers to some of the above questions 
 

[tloc14]

UTT was down by 7 going into the bottom of the 8th inning tonight and have scored 8 runs to take the lead 8-7 and are still batting.

Big comeback so far.

[tloc14]

Zeigler struck out the side in the 9th and UTT snuck away with a win vs an inferior opponent.   Every team has down games, it was nice to see UTT rally and turn it on at the end to get the win.

[BaseballFreak]

What an unreal game.  Zeigler was dominant in the 9th.  WOW.

[TexasBB]

The concern has to be with Blake Booher. He did not get out of the first inning and gave up 5 runs. This is the second time in the last 3 starts that he hasn't made it out of the first inning. Last year he was pitcher of the year and a pre-season all-american. I don't know what is wrong but make no mistake something is wrong. Other cracks in the UTT pitching staff is that Wolf and Rozell have not been sharp recently either. Rozell gave up 5 runs in 2 and 2/3rds yesterday. So the UTT staff does not have a proven replacement for Booher if he is hurt or has for some reason lost his command.  On a possitive side they got good relief work out of Alvarado yesterday who stopped the bleading allowing only 1 run in 4.1 innings and got 6.1 good innings out of Matt Sparks tonight allowing 2 runs on 5 hits. If Booher cannot find himself that means that UTT will be forced to use more of their pen since they will be down to only one quality starter and a closer. That might be good enough to win the east but not much else.

[UP AND IN]

HPU completed the sweep today of CTX...

In a second game, Nebraska Weslayan beat the Tornadoes down 13 or 14 to nothing and was shortened by the coach I believe, as it ended after the 5th.

[Ralph Turner]

LeTU 10 McM 9

Dakota Smith gets the loss in relief.

Zach Hewitt had a rough outing after a good series at TLU.

Pitch by Committee at AC tomorrow.

[Jack Parkman]

I finally added the ASC and SCAC schools to the mix.  Pretty interesting as it looks like all of the Texas schools are beating up on each other.


TEAM                                    WINNING %
1.   George Fox                      1.000
2.   Pomona-Pitzer                  .917           
3.   Cal Lutheran                     .867
4.   UT Tyler                             .833
5.   Linfield                              .786
      Redlands                          .786
7.   Claremont                        .667
8.   UT Dallas                          .647
9.   Chapman                         .643
10. UMHB                               .625
 
That is the top 10 as of 3/16/09

I realize there is still a lot of baseball to be played but the SCAC West needs to have a team win their conference tourney to get in.

[dp643]

Good stuff Parkman...

Did anyone notice Tyler Seaman from Mississippi College threw a no-hitter yesterday?

http://ascsports.org/sports/baseball/2009/bb0316b.htm

Congrats to him.

[TexasBB]

East v. West as of 3/16. The West has an advantage in all interdivisional games so far 31-22. Of the east teams 3 have winning records against the West UTT, UTD and ETBU with MC being even. Three have lossing records Ozarks, LA Col., and LeT.
The three teams with loosing records are a combined 3-17 against the West and are thus responsible for the West overall better record. Ozarks is the biggest surprise (in a bad way) so far this year and are 0-6 against the West.

[hsusid]

I think the best way to look at is the two crossover weekends the West went 10-11 on the weekend on the road and 16-5 the next weekend when they were all at home. The West won 10 of the 14 series. That is what baseball is about 2-of-3 series. That is how schools have geared their teams, and that is how the conference is structured.

Honestly, with what I have seen, other than UTT no one has the arms this year for the midweek games. Most everyone has struggled in the mid-week. I know with the team I watch it is totally different on the weekend than it is during the midweek.

That being said, if you win out in the ASC Tournament you only need three quality starters and most teams appear to have that.

BTW, I think the West is going to be crazy all the way to the final weekend again with maybe even more teams in the running this year than a year ago.

[BigPoppa]

While it DOES make for exciting ASC league baseball and division races, it hurts the chances of a second ASC bid. For that second bid to happen, someone has to step up and get hot and make some noise nationally in addition to UTT.

[dp643]

With everyone having a decent number of losses already, the likelihood of anyone getting an at large with the exception of Tyler is non existent. Tyler getting runner up in the conference tourney is the only way the ASC has a chance to get two teams in. Last year I think we had 3 or 4 30 win teams and only the automatic bid got in.

[dp643]

I just saw the boxscore of the Concordia 2nd game last night and noticed they only played 5 innings.

My question is to those in the know is, is this legal? I know these are very weird circumstances, but Im under the impression to have a run rule in effect, for this to be a legal game, that this must have been a 7 inning game. But I am also under the impression that for the NCAA to allow a 7 inning game, that it must be apart of a double header, which is classified as 2 games against the same opponent with no more than a 30 minute break in between. Am I wrong or missing something?

Heres the link to the box score:

http://ascsports.org/sports/baseball/2009/bb0316i.htm