BB: NCAC: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Spence]

Wooster managed to sweep Marietta on Sunday 14-0 and 7-3.  Marietta did not throw the best of their staff.  Baumler did throw 2/3 for MC coming off his injury.  Even though MC didn't throw their top guys I don't think that was the cause for MC's lack of offense. 

Actually it might have been, in the first game. Marietta got behind big early, so they simply had to sit back and swing rather than being able to pressure the opponent into mistakes and scratch across runs. Credit Wooster for jumping on the ball early and not giving MC that chance.

The second game went much better, but Christensen's hit off Baumler changed the game IMO. Hopefully Baumler's gotten a chance to get tuned up this week.

[ScotsFan]

Denison completes the NCAC Tournament picture with a sweep of Witt last night.  It took extras, but the Big Red scratched a run across in the bottom of the 9th in game one to secure the NCAC Tournament bid.  With the suspense over, Dension went on to win the nightcap 4-0 behind a 2 hit, 6 strikeout performance by James Clear.

So now Wooster will host Denison with a best of three series beginning sometime Saturday afternoon while OWU will be hosting Allegheny in the other NCAC semifinal series.  The winners will meet in Denison which is the host site of the best of three NCAC Championship series which is slated to begin May 10th (a week from Thursday).

[Nonbiased Observer]

Spence,

Your coach said the thin staff doesn't excuse the defense and hitting.

When you say what you said, it sounds excuses.

[Spence]

My opinion is not limited to what coach Brewer says.

I'm not even saying anything else. Most people seem to understand what you fail to grasp.

[Nonbiased Observer]

I understand just fine. I know that a thin staff can hinder the motivation. But, thin pitchers didn't make them only get three hits in the first game.

It's called credit where credit is due. As much as fine performances by your conference's players should be credited, so should Adam Samson's in the first game Sunday.

[ScotsFan]

My opinion is not limited to what coach Brewer says.

I'm not even saying anything else. Most people seem to understand what you fail to grasp.

Nice job with going completely vague once again when being called out by someone?!

BTW, Wooster beat an ONU team that is fresh off a DH sweep of OAC co-leaders Otterbein over the weekend.  But I'm sure it was only due to ONU being thin in pitching that contributed to the Polar Bears committing 6 errors in the contest.

[woosterbooster]

Wooster's starting first baseman Sheldon Steiner did not play yesterday.  Justin Thomas started at third base but was removed in the bottom of the second inning.  I have no other information than that, but if these guys are hurt injuries are becoming a real concern for Wooster.  They've had good fortune avoiding them this season and now is not the time for that luck to change.

Starting third baseman Dan Skulina seems to be still out with a knee problem.  Starting right fielder Pat Christenson is able to swing the bat, and well, but cannot play the field.  I'll find out more today up at John Carroll.

To the lead ONU guy that did the webcast of yesterday's game: Describing virtually every batted ball as either "a big-time swing" or "up the middle" doesn't give the listener much to go on when you don't follow it up with some more information.  Your "big-time" shots varied from being routine ground balls to short to balls hit into the gap.  The "up the middle" calls ended up being anything from squibbers to the pitcher to line drive singles to center field.  You have to follow the play through after that initial statement and describe what else happens.  If it wasn't for your partner recapping each play, listerners wouldn't have had a clue as to what was going on.  It would also be nice if you gave the score more than once every three innings.

[mideastfan]

As far as the ONU announcer goes, I'm sure it's someone who isn't all that experienced.  I've listenned to the Wooster guys before and they are very good.  You're probably in the same situation as us Marietta fans; you get so used to hearing good radio guys that when someone else who isn't even close to as good comes along, you can get a little annoyed.  I know exactly how you feel.
Wooster, Marietta and Otterbein all have good radio guys; it's probably not a coincidence that they're the best three teams in the area as well.  Good programs have nice facilities and extras (radio coverage), along with top quality coaches and players.

[ScotsFan]

Since you brought up play by play announcers, there's one thing Tom Hamilton does with the Indians that drives me nuts!  I'm a huge Tom Hamilton fan except for one thing.  Whenever someone for the Tribe hits a deep flyball, Hamilton always starts it off with either, "THERE'S A DRIVE...", or "WAAAAAAY BACK...!"  And after all the build up and excitement, it ends with, "...and it's caught on the warning track."    That's why, whenever I'm listening to the Indians on the radio, I never get too excited until I hear the words GONE come from Hamilton's mouth!

Other than that, I think Hamilton is one of the best play by play radio men out there in baseball!

I will agree with mideastfan in that having good play by play guys in the booth can spoil you when and if you are given no alternative but to listen to someone else.  The local radio station here in Wooster does an excellent job in covering Wooster's big 3 (football, basketball and baseball) and I'm sure many schools across the DIII sports landscape would be envious of the coverage Wooster's big 3 gets by WQKT and WKVX.

[Spence]

I understand just fine. I know that a thin staff can hinder the motivation. But, thin pitchers didn't make them only get three hits in the first game.

It's called credit where credit is due. As much as fine performances by your conference's players should be credited, so should Adam Samson's in the first game Sunday.

It's more than that. It's a complete change in the mindset of what the team is looking to do offensively when you get behind versus when you're ahead or in a close game. I remember thinking in the second game that if we kept it close, we'd pull it out. But we couldn't keep it together on the mound long enough to do that.

I distinctly remember giving Wooster credit for jumping on top and putting the pressure on Marietta, not allowing them to play their game and put pressure on the pitcher and defense.

I'm being about as fair about this as I think I can be considering the result is really indicative of nothing except what happens when Marietta plays Wooster using their JV pitching staff. Most people on this board seemed to understand that and take it for what it was.

[woosterbooster]

Yes, a team's mindset is changed when they fall behind by a few runs early.  Yes, it does limit and alter what you might want to do.  But you're still trying to produce baserunners in any manner and to knock them in if you can.  Against Samson, Marietta didn't and couldn't, not on that day.

[Spence]

All true. They did get two straight hits to start the game, but a bad baserunning mistake (by a senior no less) wiped out that threat, then Wooster put up a 3 spot and sort of changed everything.

It may also be worth noting that Marietta started a lot of inexperienced players that game, and perhaps they didn't react quite as well mentally as more veteran players might to the situation.

Very pleased with how they performed in their first game back out on the field after it though! Hopefully it carries through into a potentially very big game for regional ranking at Washington & Jefferson.

[pufin]

So now that you seem accept that it wasn't completely about your JV pitchers giving up runs you decide to blame it on the position players?

I thought Marietta was THE program in Ohio baseball? If that is the case, second- and third-string position players should be good enough to put some runs up against Wooster. Or maybe the Scots aren't that bad a ball club themselves?

I have stayed out of the back and forth with Spence all season, but it is getting tiring. All you do, Spence, is make excuses. Excuses for Marietta losses, excuses for other teams' losses to Wooster, excuses for Ohio weather, and whatever else.

Marietta didn't have to play Wooster. Neither did ONU, or any other OAC team. Wooster is trying to play the best teams that they can given that the NCAC competition, for the most part, is generally pretty weak. Do you think Wooster doesn't want more challenge from Allegheny, Hiram, and Kenyon?

Whatever your problem is with Wooster, just let it simmer inside, and try to give a more level-headed analysis of the game. I know that you are capable of it because I see it on other boards.

[BASH6-4-3]

Nice discussion on radio broadcasts of the upper tier DIII programs.  Student run broadcasts like at Wabash are very difficult to listen to.  Sooooooo much dead air! And very little descriptive play-by play that I'm sure my take on the game only partially reflects the real game.
It makes a few things clear: 1)radio broadcast for baseball is not easy and 2)well done radio baseball broadcast is done by very experienced baseball knowledgeable people.

All-time favorite play by play man for me is Ernie Harwell from the Tigers.  I grew up listening to that sweet voice weave a story every night as a child in the summers.  Close second only because I did not start listening to him until much later in life is Vin Scully with the Dodgers.  He has that same mastery of descriptive language told from the view of a real baseball man.

[mideastfan]

So now that you seem accept that it wasn't completely about your JV pitchers giving up runs you decide to blame it on the position players?

I thought Marietta was THE program in Ohio baseball? If that is the case, second- and third-string position players should be good enough to put some runs up against Wooster. Or maybe the Scots aren't that bad a ball club themselves?

I have stayed out of the back and forth with Spence all season, but it is getting tiring. All you do, Spence, is make excuses. Excuses for Marietta losses, excuses for other teams' losses to Wooster, excuses for Ohio weather, and whatever else.

Marietta didn't have to play Wooster. Neither did ONU, or any other OAC team. Wooster is trying to play the best teams that they can given that the NCAC competition, for the most part, is generally pretty weak. Do you think Wooster doesn't want more challenge from Allegheny, Hiram, and Kenyon?

Whatever your problem is with Wooster, just let it simmer inside, and try to give a more level-headed analysis of the game. I know that you are capable of it because I see it on other boards.

Bottom line is that Wooster has a very solid club this year and Marietta is average compared to their usual standard.   Anyone who has been around the Wooster/Marietta rivalry over the last 15 years would know this.  Marietta's pitching this year is probably the worst it's been in 30 years, so you can imagine what facing their #7 and #8 guys would be like.  They didn't have a chance to win going into the doubleheader.  That being said, maybe they'll get a shot to play Wooster in the regionals when it really counts. 
There were reasons for years and years that Wooster and Marietta didn't play during the regualr season; they just didn't run their programs the same way and neither wnated to travel to play each other, plain and simple.  With the new NCAA selection format for the regionals, it's now almost necessary to play tough regional teams.  Back in the day, a good team could play a weak schedule and rack up 35+ wins and get a bid to the regional tournament...no longer the case with all the automatic and at large bids.