BB: ASC: American Southwest Conference

CUAfan · May 02, 2009, 12:13:31 PM

Well, considering the league as a whole had a fielding percentage of .952, with UTT leading at .966 and HPU at the back with .939, the general sense that I get is that by and large most players are about even in their ability to avoid mistakes when they get to the ball (though of course there are outliers in both directions).

The biggest thing that jumps out to me, personally, is just how bipolar (tripolar?) CTX was this year. They had one of the best pitching staffs in the conference, but they couldn't hit and they couldn't field...and those pitchers can't strike everybody out.

You find the same 3-4 teams in the top 5-6 in pretty much any meaningful statistical ranking in the conference, I think. The best teams will, of course, put up the best numbers for the most part. This is why, based on their run differential, I think MC is a little overrated compared to TLU and UTT.

What I'd really like to do is figure out an efficient way of calculating park factors for all the home parks in the conference. Going box score by box score really doesn't strike me as an efficient way of doing it, but it might be the only option available if/when I ever get around to doing it (probably not until next off-season when CTX actually has a home field again).

tloc14 · May 02, 2009, 05:02:28 PM

Well I was completely wrong again. I thought TLU would come out and bully UTD after what MC did to the Comets, but it did not turn out that way. UTD won 10-7 in 10innings.

This eliminates TLU and guarantees an ASC champion from the East side for the first time in a long time.

UTD does not have the arms to win out from the losers bracket, but their lineup is dangerous. If their bats get hot and stay hot, they very well could slug their way to the championship.

TexasBB · May 02, 2009, 05:15:17 PM

UTD was able to save their pitchers as they went8.1 with Dinwiddie and Thompson went 1.2 in relief and got the win. I was somewhat surprised that UTD got to Macklin who had been lights out going into the tournament. He went 7 innings but gave up 5 earned runs on 11 hits and walked 4. UTD can hit but were shut out the night before by MC on a 3 hitter. This tournament has surprised me a bit so far. MC is playing real good and have the edge over their two east division opponents having beaten them both over the last two weekends. But you still have to play the games so we shall see. The two injuries to UTT will take some punch out of their lineup but they still have a potent offense. The key will be pitching and defense again against MC.

Ralph Turner · May 02, 2009, 07:28:54 PM

Miss College 12, UTT 4, bottom of the UTT 7th.

MC 15-4 over UTT, run-ruled after 8.

UTT to face UTD in loser's bracket game #5

That had to be fun for Miss College.

tloc14 · May 02, 2009, 08:24:17 PM

Pretty bad loss there for the Patriots.....I doubt many pool C teams get run ruled.

Ralph Turner · May 02, 2009, 08:31:59 PM

Quote from: tloc14 on May 02, 2009, 08:24:17 PM
Pretty bad loss there for the Patriots.....I doubt many pool C teams get run ruled.

The Choctaws got to Booher early.

The critical stat that I see concerning UTT and Pool C is the fact that UTT will have gone either 1-2, 2-2 and 3-2 in the ASC tourney. Those losses bring down the In-region won-loss record.

Ralph Turner · May 02, 2009, 09:01:44 PM

Top of the UTT 1st, Fox is HBP and then gets doubled off by UTD catcher Hudec at 1B. 0 runs 0 hits 0 LOB no score.

d3baseballnut · May 02, 2009, 09:06:25 PM

Quote from: Ralph Turner on May 02, 2009, 08:31:59 PM
Quote from: tloc14 on May 02, 2009, 08:24:17 PM
Pretty bad loss there for the Patriots.....I doubt many pool C teams get run ruled.
The Choctaws got to Booher early.

The critical stat that I see concerning UTT and Pool C is the fact that UTT will have gone either 1-2, 2-2 and 3-2 in the ASC tourney. Those losses bring down the In-region won-loss record.

It does so with any Pool C team because almost every pool C team loses their conference tournament with 2 losses....i dont see how this hurts UTT more than any other Pool C team unless we are being unfairly tough on them...

TexasBB · May 02, 2009, 09:44:07 PM

Quote from: d3baseballnut on May 02, 2009, 09:06:25 PM
Quote from: Ralph Turner on May 02, 2009, 08:31:59 PM
Quote from: tloc14 on May 02, 2009, 08:24:17 PM
Pretty bad loss there for the Patriots.....I doubt many pool C teams get run ruled.
The Choctaws got to Booher early.

The critical stat that I see concerning UTT and Pool C is the fact that UTT will have gone either 1-2, 2-2 and 3-2 in the ASC tourney. Those losses bring down the In-region won-loss record.

It does so with any Pool C team because almost every pool C team loses their conference tournament with 2 losses....i dont see how this hurts UTT more than any other Pool C team unless we are being unfairly tough on them...

True. However, its not just that they lost, its how they lost and how they have played thus far in the tournament.

Ralph Turner · May 02, 2009, 11:15:13 PM

UTT 4, UTD 3; UTD batting in the bottom of the 8th.

Final UTT 4, UTD 3. UTD is eliminated. Ziegler gets the win n 2.2 innings of relef for Lex Wolfe. Chelakis gets the loss for the Comets.

Jared Hood has 2 HRs and 3 RBI's for UTT.

d3baseballnut · May 02, 2009, 11:25:39 PM

whatever.....UTT should be in.....the committee will do whatever it wants though.....you cant tell me UTT's division was weak this year bc both teams in the championship are in their division......go ahead and put the entire NJAC in with 20-16 records.....we are all getting used to it....

TexasBB · May 02, 2009, 11:41:56 PM

UTT wins 4-3 as Zielger struck out the last 2. But he went 3 and is likely burned for tomorrow.

I had said earlier if UTT could make it to the finals they shoud get at Pool C bid. I don't give them much of a chance tomorrow against MC as their best pitchers are all used up and they have a banged up team. But the battled from behind twice in this tournament and showed come back ability last week against McM. They have a deserving team for a pool C bid IMO.

tloc14 · May 03, 2009, 12:10:44 AM

Good win tonight for UTT. Showed some guts coming back and winning.

@d3baseballnut - Im not ripping on UTT in any way. In fact, I am a UTT alum. I am trying to be as honest about the situation as I can be. They have not been playing their best recently, and have had some key losses. The point I was trying to make earlier was that I think they gave up vs MC earlier today. Championship teams do not give up. Now, they came back and showed heart against UTD, so thats great. They will likely get in the Regional Tourney now that they reached the final day.....the only thing that will keep them out IMO is if they come out and lay down again.

TexasBB · May 03, 2009, 01:11:21 PM

Mississippi is getting the weather we had yesterday in Dallas. The forecast is for heavy rain all day. So it would appear that the Championship game/games will be postponed until Monday - assuming things are dry enough by then. If the rain is real heavy the field conditions might not be playable until Tuesday which would give the pitching staffs an extra day of rest.

frank_ezelle · May 03, 2009, 01:44:47 PM

If today's games get rained out (it appears likely) and the MC field is too wet for play tomorrow, I wonder if they would move the championship game to Smith-Wills stadium in Jackson, MS? A former minor league park for the Mets and Astros, the field is now a totally artificial turf surface and was the site of the recent SCAC Tournament. If available, it seems like that would be a better alternative than waiting until Tuesday to play.