BB: NCAC: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Nonbiased Observer]

To me, the railing against the Wooster schedule is a simple thing to fix: Do what you did last year and beat them when it counts.

People can claim all they want that you can recruit to what your seed always is. While that's true, if you can routinely beat them as Spence claims, then you have the ultimate trump card.

And by the way, Kent's regulars played.

[mideastfan]

Wooster got the bats going on a beautiful day in Hiram (oxymoron alert) and downed the Pups 14-1 and 24-3.  Imagine the lacing they'd have put on an OAC team such as Marietta; they'd probably have put 60 or 70 runs on the board and sent them home crying.

It's obvious that you don't get along with Spence on this board, but is a comment like this really necessary considering there are other OAC and Marietta fans around?  Just wondering.  I've read  a lot of your comments over the last few years and it's obvious that you know what you're talking about and are very faithful to your team, which is a good thing. 
Being a Marietta grad though, I'm pretty sure if you spent any time whatsoever around the late Coach Schaly, or the outstanding program he built, you wouldn't take all of your frustrations against Spence out on Marietta itself.

[Spence]

Eh it's not like anyone that follows the OAC would or should believe that dreck. Heck Hiram left our league for one in which they could be more competitive, the NCAC. We came out ahead, picking up Wilmington, who is better in practically every sport, and has better weather

The funny thing is that the comment couldn't be any further from the truth. The OAC's last place team -- Muskingum is 18-12 overall with a split of Denison who may be in the NCAC championship series. They beat Hiram 21-1, 18-2, so maybe Wooster's no better than the worst team in the OAC? (No I don't really believe that; just demonstrating absurdity by being just as absurd). The fish are 1-9 against the OAC, 5-2 against the NCAC.

There are three teams in the NCAC with winning records: Wooster, Wittenberg and Ohio Wesleyan. That's it. Wittenberg is 1-4 against the OAC, FYI.

To argue that the depth of the OAC is less than the NCAC is ridiculous, and I don't think he was seriously doing so.

I think he was just trolling.

Too bad Boydsworld doesn't do season updates of the ISRs for D-III. They've done season end ones the last 3 years. I'm working my way through them right now to do conference rankings.

[woosterbooster]

Mideastfan -

Of course I don't believe what I wrote when I compared Hiram to an OAC team.  Why would you even take such a comment seriously?  I make one obviously absurd yet sarcastic remark about your league and you jump on me.  We Wooster fans have had to listen to Spence for two years.  Wonder how you'd like that if he was as anti-Marietta as he is anti-Wooster?

[Spence]

I'm not anti-anyone...ok maybe a little in that the two programs are rivals and opposites outside of that. But I don't say anything about Wooster or the NCAC that isn't true as far as I believe and I certainly don't say anything absurd for the sole purpose of being inflammatory.

My honest opinion on Wooster is that there's no way to know how good they are right now, and based on that it's pretty tough to say they're the best in the nation, or even the region. Unfortunately, it's pretty much what we're stuck with, since even a #1 vs. #3 matchup with Otterbein or #2 vs. #5 against Denison isn't really going to tell us that much.

[woosterbooster]

As for why I dislike Wooster, how long a list would you like? Really doesn't matter, as there's no way I'm putting it out on here. I'd probably get banned. Let's just say Wooster and Marietta are opposites in about every way they can be opposites.

Not anti-Wooster?  You dislike Wooster as much as I dislike Bush Republicans.  Believe me, my reasons are considerably more legitimate and I'm not afraid to list them.

[Spence]

Be that as it may, I don't make up things that are just demonstrably wrong for the purpose of getting people riled up.

[countyroad]

Spence-
  So why do you spend so much time on the NCAC board again? 

[Spence]

I post to a lot of boards.

[mideastfan]

Wooster is once again ranked #1 in the updated poll.  As much as I'd like to see Marietta in the top spot, I DO ENJOY seeing another Ohio team at the top; whether it be Wooster, Otterbein, or Ohio Wesleyan in year past.

It shows the rest of the D3 baseball population that the mideast region (and Ohio in particular) is truly the most talented region out there.

[Jim Dixon]

My honest opinion on Wooster is that there's no way to know how good they are right now,

I think what Spence is implying is that since they are winning all these games, they have not really shown just how good they can be.   

[Spence]

My honest opinion on Wooster is that there's no way to know how good they are right now,

I think what Spence is implying is that since they are winning all these games, they have not really shown just how good they can be.   

Well kind of. If they were 33-1 in the OAC or another power conference, then we'd know because that's really hard to do throwing all your top pitchers in the conference games, some of which are midweek, and just doing what you can to put pitchers out there in the non-conference.

The NCAC was an upper second tier conference but took a big step down last year with Allegheny's collapse and Denison's step back. I wouldn't be surprised if they're down even from that this year when the post-season ISRs come out.

Last year Wooster went 38-9 but was only ranked #26 at the end of the year in the ISRs. New Jersey was 38-8 and ranked #1. That's the difference in schedules.

Right now what they've done seems like an Alvernia or Johns Hopkins. It's just tough to tell if they're better than that or not, and it's really going to be pretty tough for them to prove otherwise until regionals.

[Jim Dixon]

Wooster have had monster players for a few years and sometimes, the team relaxes and expects them to carry the team.  Wooster might be finding their success lies with their team play.

[old scot]

Wooster drops a 5-3 decision in 12 to Otterbein on 4/24. Woo web site has a DH vs Marietta on Sunday posted.
Jim, you may be right but, big time players need to elevate their game at crunch time.

[woosterbooster]

A good ballgame at Wooster yesterday afternoon, Otterbein prevailing 5-3 in twelve innings.  The Scots had lots of chances early, in that they hit lots of hard balls right at people plus left tons of baserunners on.  Once, however, Otterbein reliever Trevor Horn came on Wooster could do nothing with him.  He's a mountain who throws hard and pitched 5.1 very strong innings.

The saga of Wooster's upcoming schedule continues to unfold.  Tonight's game at Denison has been pushed back to tomorrow night due to the weather.  This weekend now has the Scots hosting Marietta on Sunday for a doubleheader starting at noon.  Hopefully this will pan out, but Marietta has league DHs scheduled for tomorrow at Muskingum and at Marietta Saturday against Heidelberg.  If either of those run into weather problems, the embattled Wooster-Marietta contests will probably die on the vine.

Baseball caps are a personal item.  Most players bend the bill in a gentle curve.  Some put a single sharp crease right in the middle, as former Wooster player Trevor Uban did.  Years ago, I used to put two firm creases in my bill, creating a flat surface in the middle with both sides angling slightly down.

Then there's Wooster's freshman reliever Mark Miller.  The bill on his cap resembles the Bonneville salt flats; wide, flat, untouched and pristine.  You could race cars on it.  One can picture Miller walking by the box of new hats last winter, snagging one, and without a glance at it sticking it on his head.  It probably hasn't come off.  Some guys are into style, others just want the ball.  Miller is definitely in the latter camp, much more interested in the movement on his fastball then the shape of the bill on his cap.  Gimme a staff of guys like Mark Miller and I'll go to war with anybody.