BB: NCAC: North Coast Athletic Conference

wally_wabash · April 01, 2015, 10:15:02 AM

Quote from: Bishopleftiesdad on March 31, 2015, 10:42:05 PM
Softball plays round robin. But there is not much choice because of 9 teams, instead of 10.. They also just play each team twice in a dh.

Softball is a little different in that 1) those games are always 7 innings, even in the championship rounds and 2) softball doesn't require the same supply of available pitchers to get through 28 innings. Two pitchers have thrown 85% of DePauw's innings this year. Two pitchers have thrown 95% of Kenyon's innings. I'm not going to go through the whole league, but I'm sure the numbers are similar all the way down there.

Bishopleftiesdad · April 01, 2015, 10:51:16 AM

Yeah, form what I know of Softball that is usually the case. At all levels not just D3.
I know Corey Stevens from Wabash was the driving force originally for baseball round robin. If they would ever go round robin in the future, they either should go to one DH like the OAC or 3, 9 inning games. They would have to start conference play earlier. I think when they did round robin they played a DH on Saturday against one team and a DH on Sunday against another. So you may play Wooster on Saturday and then Allegheny on Sunday. Its been a while so I could be incorrect. But Round robin against 9 other teams would take 9 weeks,if they only did one a week, which means they would have to start conference play in he middle of March or even early March. That would conflict with spring trips for most teams. Most teams go to Florida so some conference games may be able to be completed down there. But Oberlin Goes to Arizona, and Depauw went to Georgia this year. The only other option would be to do some mid-week DH's (again like the OAC), but again Kenyon and Oberlin generally do not play midweek games once they come back from their spring trip.

Dr. Acula · April 01, 2015, 11:02:21 AM

Man, that bus ride from Wabash to Allegheny would be BRUTAL. Do they spend the night for basketball?

Bishopleftiesdad · April 01, 2015, 11:37:43 AM

I think DePauw to Allegheny would be worse.

Looking back at the schedules for 2011, it looks like Earlham had already departed for the HCAC and did not compete in the NCAC. I was right they started conference play near the end of March and they Played a single DH games were 7 innings apiece. Saturday at one opponents and Sunday at another. Wabash played Allegheny and Hiram on the same weekend. The biggest problem I see with this is trying to do make ups. I wish they would have tried to tweak it a bit instead of just abandoning it.

I do not think that Oberlin and Kenyon would ever agree to play conference games during the week.

As a side note I really miss Buckeye State Baseball. Dr. you always did a nice job of covering D3 baseball in Ohio. Looking through the archives I found Links announcing that 25 players form the NCAC had been selected for the DIII All Buckeye state baseball team.

http://www2.northcoast.org/baseball/All-BuckeyeStateBaseballTeam/2011

wally_wabash · April 01, 2015, 11:59:35 AM

Quote from: Dr. Acula on April 01, 2015, 11:02:21 AM
Man, that bus ride from Wabash to Allegheny would be BRUTAL. Do they spend the night for basketball?

The basketball thing has worked a couple of different ways in the past. For a long time, Wabash/Earlham played Hiram/Allegheny on back to back days (generally a Friday night backed up with a Saturday matinee), with the westerly teams traveling to the easterly teams during alternating years- so those teams only played each other once per season. And those games have always been played right after the first of the year before classes kick back in from the winter break. Then we had a goofy year where Earlham was gone, we only had nine teams, and we played a full double round robin. Now with DePauw in play the basketball folks have kept the double round robin, so the western teams and the eastern teams each get to make the trip to each other and we still play those sets of games on back-to-back days, just that we're doing it twice per year now (once at home, once on the road) instead of just once. Clearly, the full double round robin is preferable...there gets to be some goofy things going on with the way that all of the teams that aren't on the geographic extremes of the conference were deciding who plays who just once. The double round robin is just cleaner and I'm glad we're doing it.

As for baseball, ultimately no matter what kind of schedule arrangement we would try to create is going to be at the mercy of the Midwestern late winter/early spring. It's never going to go as planned. And whereas the spring sports season is already short, trying to play games outside in Indiana/Ohio in February and early March is really, really hard to do. I think Wabash's first 8 games this year were postponed or cancelled. That's 20% of your season. Gone.

Bishopleftiesdad · April 01, 2015, 12:07:17 PM

I agree Wally. The only way round robin would ever work is for Week day DH's. Eastern and western teams would have to play each other on the weekends of coarse. but I do not ever see this happening. In reality the cross over is probably the best solution.
I am not sure why they just do not make it part of the tournament.

countyroad · April 01, 2015, 07:05:27 PM

Wooster wins over Etta 19-8. Sophomore Lackner had another 3 homer game.

Correction: Lackner "only" hit 2 homers yesterday.

Bishopleftiesdad · April 01, 2015, 09:59:39 PM

Ohio Wesleyan, tops 6th ranked Heidelberg 22-7 today, in non conference action at happy Valley.
Junior Aaron Caputo broke a school record with 6 hits in the game. Sophmore Trey Gluth, slugged a grand slam. Ohio Wesleyan is now 12-4 on the season.
In conference play this weekend I am most interested in seeing the outcome between Denison and Depauw.
Good luck to all NCAC teams as they continue OOC play.

countyroad · April 02, 2015, 07:36:11 AM

Nice win there for OWU. I checked Wooster's schedule a while back hoping they had a game at OWU so I could make the short drive up 23 to watch. Unfortunately that's currently not an option.

Bishopleftiesdad · April 02, 2015, 08:35:33 AM

Nice win for Wooster over Marietta as well. Hopefully it will help move them up in the polls.
No, OWU and Wooster have not scheduled each other as OOC opponents since the spring of 2011.

Bishopleftiesdad · April 03, 2015, 10:51:19 AM

Denison Depauw series moved from Friday, Saturday to Saturday, Sunday.
Hiram, Oberlin ~~are still on for Today, as of now~~. Fridays games postponed, no make up rescheduled.
Wabash, Witt on Saturday, Sunday.
Wooster, Kenyon on Saturday, Sunday.

Predictions
Denison, Depauw Split
Hiram, Oberlin, Oberlin 3 of 4.
Wabash, Witt, Wabash sweeps.
Wooster, Kenyon, Wooster takes 3 of 4.

Gators and the Bishops have OOC contests this weekend.

Dr. Acula · April 04, 2015, 08:30:11 PM

Did Witt graduate a lot last spring? They're really struggling. Yikes.

Bishopleftiesdad · April 04, 2015, 08:47:47 PM

They weren't good last year either, but they did lose 6 Sr's lead by Tyler Hutchison from Moeller, who seemed to be there forever, David Moore and Tyler Grau. Thats 3 of their top 5 hitters.

Bishopleftiesdad · April 04, 2015, 09:06:28 PM

NCAC today:
Wooster and Kenyon Split.
Denison and Depauw split.
Wabash sweeps Witt.
Hiram sweeps Oberlin.
Allegheny loses 2 to Case.
Ohio Wesleyan takes two from Ohio Christian

Bishopleftiesdad · April 05, 2015, 08:20:01 PM

Quote from: Bishopleftiesdad on April 03, 2015, 10:51:19 AM
Denison Depauw series moved from Friday, Saturday to Saturday, Sunday.
Hiram, Oberlin ~~are still on for Today, as of now~~. Fridays games postponed, no make up rescheduled.
Wabash, Witt on Saturday, Sunday.
Wooster, Kenyon on Saturday, Sunday.

Predictions
Denison, Depauw Split
Hiram, Oberlin, Oberlin 3 of 4.
Wabash, Witt, Wabash sweeps.
Wooster, Kenyon, Wooster takes 3 of 4.

Gators and the Bishops have OOC contests this weekend.

Results:
Denison and Depauw split.
Wooster takes 3 of 4 from Kenyon.
Wabash takes three of four from Witt.
Hiram take two from Oberlin and Fridays games need to be rescheduled.
In out of conference play,
Ohio Wesleyan sweeps a DH with Ohio Christian.
Allegheny loses 2 to Case Western.

Ohio Wesleyan's game against Capital was canceled due to Capital having to make up an OAC contest. In their stead ONU comes to Littick. This should help Ohio Wesleyans SOS.