BB: NCAC: North Coast Athletic Conference

[ScotsFan]

Today's 1st game between MSJ and OWU has the potential of being a dandy.  Both of these teams were playing some good baseball coming into the tournament and now, one of them will be the 1st to exit the regional.

I thought that both MSJ and OWU played very well yesterday against the top 2 seeds as well.  MSJ, behind the pitching of Waite took #1 Wooster to the brink.  I would imagine if you would've told them before the game that they would hold Wooster to 2 runs, I think they would've liked their chances.  The problem for them is that they faced arguably one of the best pitchers in the country and he was on top of his game!

As for the Bishops, they went toe to toe with #2 Ott  and their ace Remo for 7 1/2 innings before OWU's Jones just seemed to hit a wall.

I don't know who I like in this game.  MSJ seems to have the edge in pitching.  I'm basing this on their performance in the HCAC Tournament as they only allowed 7 runs in 3 games and they held Wooster to just 2 runs.  I would give the Bishops the offensive edge though as they have 3 guys batting over .400 and the NCAC POY Kyle Sherman has almost as many HR's (10) as MSJ's entire team total (14).  Should be a fun one to follow.

And then there's Ott vs. Marietta in the nightcap tonight.  They've already met 3 times this season with Ott taking 2 of 3.  Marietta got the better of Ott last year in the Mideast Regional, so the Cards will be out for a little revenge.  Marietta looked good over Hope last night, and they always seem to play well in post season play as last year's run to the National Championship is a testament to.  Not to mention the fact that these 2 are conference rivals and that just adds to the intrigue of this game!

And lastly there's Wooster vs. Hope.  Wooster was definately fortunate to escape their opener with MSJ with a win.  Samson came out and pitched like the NCAC Pitcher of the Year and likely All-American that he is.  It was nice to see that Wooster brought their gloves yesterday too after their debacle in the field in the NCAC Championships.  Only one error yesterday and that was an errant throw by the catcher on a steal attempt, which, fortunately for Wooster, could have cost the Scots a run, but didn't. 

The question in this game is, how will Trapuzzano respond after his first rough outing and loss of the season?  I'm confident that he'll bounce back today against Hope.  As for Hope, their best pitcher got roughed up pretty good against, what I would consider, not one of Marietta's best hitting teams in recent memory.  That can't be a good sign for the Dutchmen.  A loss to Wooster and they are done.  A pretty tall order is in line for Hope to stay alive today IMO.

[Spence]

Part of the problem is that what some of you think are opinions, aren't.

What??

No, I just think the problem is, most of us in here just flat out don't like you.  And it has pretty much everything to do with your opinions, whether they are or aren't your opinions (whatever that's supposed to mean)?!

I was just trying to point out that I don't ever recall seeing a football score on the 1st day of the NCAA Tournament as that is the day when most teams are firing their aces!  My point wasn't to be 'detrimental' as a certain poster interpreted it?!  It was even brought up in the Blog page for Christ's sake!  Why didn't you go rip him a new one for making such 'detrimantal' comments?!

CAN WE PLEASE JUST TALK BASEBALL ALREADY?!?!

You didn't just bring up the game. You implied that because Methodist gave up a bunch of runs, even though they still won the game, that they needed to do something different, better to have any hope of advancing.

Methodist, similar to Marietta, doesn't really have a true ace. Kelly started most of the first games of their conference weekends but has a 2-7 record. Toth leads them in innings pitched and is 8-4, but with a similar ERA and mostly against #2s and 3s. Bisplinghoff at 7-1 with the lowest ERA has maybe the most impressive numbers and is their top midweek guy. I think all three are pretty comparable, really.

You want to talk baseball? Start with knowing the facts. I know for me, I'd take 21-14 wins every game of the regional.

Oh, and what I meant was that a lot of times when someone disagrees with someone, they say "oh that's just your opinion" when it's not an opinion being expressed at all. That's happened several times on this board.

[ScotsFan]

You want to talk baseball? Start with knowing the facts. I know for me, I'd take 21-14 wins every game of the regional.

Funny that because it is my opinion that, if I were a fan or coach of Methodist, I would be a little concerned that my #1 got shelled in the 1st game of the regional, albeit in a winning effort, and it differs with your opinion of loving to win games that resemble football scores rather than baseball scores, somehow that equates to me not knowing the facts? 

Sorry I didn't take the time to look up all the #'s on all of Methodist's starters befored I offered my opinion?!  Some of us have lives that require us to focus on more important things!  What's wrong with what I said anyways?!  If their staff continues to get pounded like they did, they won't be around long because eventually, they're going to run into some good pitching that won't allow them to put up 21 per!  Do you honestly think the coaches and players were happy about the fact that they gave up 14 runs?  Sorry, but I doubt that it's their gameplan to go out and outslug every opponent the face, and if it is, they're in for a short time in the tournament, and that's my opinion.

Besides, I think I can speak from experience, seeing some offensive juggernauts at Wooster be stymied by good pitching once tournament time rolled around.  If you don't think Methodist has any worries, than that's your opinion.  But to come out and say I don't know the facts because I didn't, nor have no care to, look up all the stats for the Methodist pitching staff and because that opinion differs with yours is exactly why my distaste for you is so strong!

[countyroad]

Props to Wooster's IT department today.  It's been a privilege to have updates on today's regional games.  At not cost none-the-less.

[mideastfan]

Good win by OWU today over MSJ.  The MSJ team lost both of their games to the NCAC schools, but were very competitive both times.  This regional is shaping up to be a very good one!!

[Spence]

The question in this game is, how will Trapuzzano respond after his first rough outing and loss of the season?  I'm confident that he'll bounce back today against Hope.  As for Hope, their best pitcher got roughed up pretty good against, what I would consider, not one of Marietta's best hitting teams in recent memory.  That can't be a good sign for the Dutchmen.  A loss to Wooster and they are done.  A pretty tall order is in line for Hope to stay alive today IMO.

Final: Hope 5, Wooster 3. Guess it wasn't too tall, but then the Dutch are usually pretty tall folks.

Winner of Marietta/Otterbein tonight is the sole remaining undefeated in the regional.

[mideastfan]

With Wooster losing and 5 teams still alive, it looks like the winner of this regional will have to be swigning some HOT BATS.

[countyroad]

Unfortunately that's not Wooster right now.

[OWUBaseballRocks]

The oddest thing for me in this whole tournament right now is the fact that all of the teams but Marietta are facing elimination tomorrow....whereas if you would have asked me after the OAC tournament if I thought Marietta would get an at-large bid I would tell you all that you were crazy....Congrats to them.  I like Otterbein...but I'm hoping that Wooster wins tomorrow because OWU has a better chance against Wooster than Otterbein, although after their first regional game...who knows.  This entire tournament is entirely too tight for guessing and no predictions are worthwhile.  If Wooster has a bad game with errors again and no bats, they're out....but if Otterbein is out of pitching...they're gone.  If OWU doesn't hit, they leave and if Hope gives an inch to the OWU team, OWU will lay 50 bunts.  Marietta is the only safe team to bet on....and really after tomorrows games....do they have enough pitching to last?  Has this been a hot streak?  Or are they just a tournament team....as evident obviously last year?  Insanity abounds!

[old scot]

Woosters 4,5,6 hitters leave 8 men on base. The defense was shoddy with 3 errors on the day, one leading to an unearned run. They certainly are not playing like the top ranked team. Pettorini better light a fire under some butts or they will be on the bus tomorrow.

[ScotsFan]

Woosters 4,5,6 hitters leave 8 men on base. The defense was shoddy with 3 errors on the day, one leading to an unearned run. They certainly are not playing like the top ranked team. Pettorini better light a fire under some butts or they will be on the bus tomorrow.

I totally agree!  I don't know what it is about Petorinni coached teams that always seem to underachieve come postseason play (with the exception of '97 and '05).  I don't know if he puts too much pressure on his players or he doesn't know how to keep them loose or what?  I mean, he has one of the best hitting teams (average wise) in the regional, and one of the best pitching teams (ERA wise) in the country, and yet, once again, we are seeing the Scots underperform and play what seems to be very uninspired baseball?!  I thought last weekends losses to OWU would have been enough to light a spark in this team, and it seemed to, at least in the field on day one.  But, Wooster reverted right back to the team that can't hit in clutch situations and can't field yesterday against Hope and now they are once again left in a position where they have basically a mountain to climb if they want to keep their season going.  I just don't see it happening.  With how tight this team is playing when their backs weren't yet against the wall, I can't imagine it improving now that they are squarely against the wall!

[ScotsFan]

And for as much as Wooster seems to underacieve during the postseason, Marietta seems to be at the opposite end of the spectrum of late.  They methodically rolled through the Regional and the CWS last year to win a National Championship and now look at them again this year.  They have methodically won their 1st 2 games and are now the only team left in the regional without a loss and are really sitting pretty to claim their 2nd straight Mideast Regional and go for their 2nd straight National Championship. 

[mideastfan]

Coach Brewer has been around the Marietta program long enough as a player and Coach to know how to win the Marietta way in the post-season.  Solid pitching and defense, and manufacture runs.  It's simple, it really is, but it's the way things have been done for years and that's what gets you 18 trips to the World Series. 
Petorini is a very good coach, but I'm not sure why his teams seems to fall short in the regionals year after year, when they have the most talent; unless the kids just don't feel an obligation to the "program", the coach, the tradition, and each other to WIN. 
That may be the difference between the two schools.

Who knows, this regional is still a long way from over!!

[ScotsFan]

...when they have the most talent; unless the kids just don't feel an obligation to the "program", the coach, the tradition, and each other to WIN. 
That may be the difference between the two schools.

Who knows, this regional is still a long way from over!!

It might have something to do with that, but I think it has a lot also to do with lack of focusing on fundamentals.  As you said, Marietta wins because they focus on the fundamentals (pitching, defense and manufacturing runs).  As you also noted, Wooster's teams are loaded with talent and maybe having all that talent leads to a mentality of possibly not focusing on the fundamentals as much as they should be?  I don't know.  All I see is a team that makes far too many errors in the field year after year and a team that seems to forget how to hit the ball once postseason play starts.  It just gets frustrating as a fan to see these same problems not going away year after year and year after year Wooster's high expectations heading into the tournament are very very short lived.

[Pat Coleman]

It might be false confidence based on the current state of the NCAC ...