BB: NCAC: North Coast Athletic Conference

[ScotsFan]

Wooster extends their winning streak to 3 games with a 20-4 drubbing of Western CT St. 

The Scots will be in action today vs. Colby and then wrap up their Florida swing with a DH tomorrow against Plymouth St. before returning home.  Hopefully Wooster can end their spring trip on a high note!   

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Now that conference ply is getting ready to start anybody have predictions on how teams will finish up. Here is mine:

East ( not too familiar with what the teams have coming back so some is on rep only)
Wooster
Kenyon
Alleghenny
Oberlin
Hiram

West
Depauw
OWU
Wabash
Dennison
Witt (may be higher, they are just starting to play against some better teams.)

The west could Finish in almost any order this year. I believe all the teams are very close.

Thoughts anyone?

[Dr. Acula]

I certainly don't know enough to offer predictions, but I think we can safely say whoever finishes last in the West might be the best last place team we see in a while!  Not one of those teams is bad by any stretch.   

[ScotsFan]

I'd say your predictions for the East look pretty good.  As for the West though?  I have no idea who I see coming out on top out West.  The only thing I will say is that I would argue that any of the 5 teams from the West would compete with Wooster to win the East.  The balance of power has definitely shifted to the West and it's not even close...

[DUBBALL15]

What would happen in the West if all teams split 8-8?

Also, OAC people how do you guys match up with DH's with the 7 and 9 game do you throw you number 2 for game 2 or do you save your number 1 for game 2 since its a 9 inning game.  Same goes for 3 and 4. 

Reading online another heartbreaker for Denison on Tues and it looks as the pitching and D didn't show up against Cap.  Hope they turn it around before they go into conference next weekend.  Should be a good test this weekend against Mount and John Carroll. 

[Dr. Acula]

What would happen in the West if all teams split 8-8?

Also, OAC people how do you guys match up with DH's with the 7 and 9 game do you throw you number 2 for game 2 or do you save your number 1 for game 2 since its a 9 inning game.  Same goes for 3 and 4.

Reading online another heartbreaker for Denison on Tues and it looks as the pitching and D didn't show up against Cap.  Hope they turn it around before they go into conference next weekend.  Should be a good test this weekend against Mount and John Carroll.

Everyone that I know of throws their #1 in the 7 inning game.  The reasoning being (I'm assuming) you have the best chance of winning that game because your ace will go the distance.  Etta is the exception because they have 2 aces so Brewer may pick them based on who has a bigger gas tank so he maximizes what he gets out of those 2 kids in the DH.  One of the Etta guys can answer that though.

[Bishopleftiesdad]

What would happen in the West if all teams split 8-8?

Also, OAC people how do you guys match up with DH's with the 7 and 9 game do you throw you number 2 for game 2 or do you save your number 1 for game 2 since its a 9 inning game.  Same goes for 3 and 4. 

Reading online another heartbreaker for Denison on Tues and it looks as the pitching and D didn't show up against Cap.  Hope they turn it around before they go into conference next weekend.  Should be a good test this weekend against Mount and John Carroll.

I am wondering if it is overall win percentage. Looking at the standings currently listed on the NCAC web site it is currently Win Percentage, because no one has played a conference game yet.

http://www2.northcoast.org/baseball/standings/2012

[countyroad]

Wooster won their 4th in a row yesterday beating Colby 14-2 (3-5). Wooster finishes their Florida trip with a doubleheader against Plymouth St. (6-4) today starting @ 11. It sure would be nice to wrap up the trip with a 6 game winning streak. I don't care who the competition is. Schedule to play @ Muskingum on Tuesday. Best wishes for a safe trip home.

[DUBBALL15]

That would be sad if overall winning percentage took over, since some teams have played "tougher schedules".  I wonder if they would do something like record against OAC schools or something crazy like that...

Oh well everyone good luck this weekend, Denison has that bye and plays Mt. Union and John Carroll I'm hoping they can turn it around this weekend and get back on track.

[EttaFan1]

Everyone that I know of throws their #1 in the 7 inning game.  The reasoning being (I'm assuming) you have the best chance of winning that game because your ace will go the distance.  Etta is the exception because they have 2 aces so Brewer may pick them based on who has a bigger gas tank so he maximizes what he gets out of those 2 kids in the DH.  One of the Etta guys can answer that though.
[/quote]

Last year in the double headers it was Gasser in the 7 and Blaski in the 9.  It seems like Blaski has the ablity to go deeper into games than Brian does.  However, if there is a true #1 and #2, Coach Brewer will normally throw the #1 guy in the 7 inning affair. 

[wabashsid]

In regards to the NCAC tiebreaker process if everyone in the West finished 8-8: There is a step-by-step tiebreaker developed by the league and the coaches using only NCAC Divisional games to determine the top two teams that would advance to the conference tournament. Because of the sweep by DePauw and the three victories by Wabash over Ohio Wesleyan, the possibility of all five teams finishing 8-8 is slim at best. DePauw and Wabash would also own the first tiebreaker (head-to-head divisional play) over Witt and OWU, respectively. No other games outside of divisional play are considered.

[Bishopleftiesdad]

That's good to know. Thanks WabashID

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Bishops lose 3 of four over the weekend to Wabash.

In the first 3 games the bishops could not string enough hits together to get any wins. They out hit or equaled Wabash hits in each game but they were spread out and did not hit well with runners in scoring position, that with a few base running errors cost them the games.

OWU          R   H   E   Wabash   R   H   E
Game 1   0   6   0             4   8   1
Game 2   1   7   3             4   7   0
Game 3   5   12   1             6   5   0
Game 4   11   15   0             0   2   3
           17   40   4           14   22   4

But it is the final score that counts. Wittenberg and OWU are in bad spots if they want to make it to the conference tourney becuase Wabash owns any tie breaker over OWU and Depauw owns any tie breaker over Witt.

OWU doesn't see conference play again till it faces Depauw. They need to get there sticks going before then or they are in real trouble.

They play Marietta on Tuesday. Muskingum on Thursday, then a DH against Allegheny on Saturday, followed by a single game at Wilmington on 04/01.

Most of these are winnable games. Looking forward to Marietta to see how we match up.

Congrats to Tim K. on his Grand Slam in the 4th and final game.

[ScotsFan]

Wooster scores 3 runs in the top of the 9th to erase a 6-5 deficit and then held on as Musky scored one in the bottom half of the 9th to win 8-7.     Wooster improves to 9-4 with the win and now gets ready for their home opener against a good B-W team tomorrow afternoon...

[EttaFan1]

I'm iterested to see how this matchup between the Scots and the Jackets go.  I haven't looked at BW's quality of schedule yet,  So I don't know "How good" they are (not that anyone really knows yet).

but this will be a good early season test for both Wooster and BW.