BB: ODAC: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[h-sc bball]

Ash...I just feel it has to do with lot of teams lost upperclassmen....Hampden-Sydney lost 12 players...4 postional, 2 good bench players and 3 good pitchers to graduation....Guilford lost their top 3 or 4 pitchers...one transfered to Wesleyan. And they lost their top three hitters...that is a lot to lose and expect to win. Look at the scores.....obviously pitching is not there and a lot of teams are throwing freshmen or sophmore that did not get a lot of innings the year before. Bridgewater didn't lose a lot of players but some key positional players and two good pitchers. Last years top pitchers are just not performing as well becuase of a young outfield or infield that the teams have out there. Look at H-SC, L Green and BW Ricky Read...they are having a tough time right now...but I couldn't tell you how many balls that were hit off of Larry this year that just went off a glove and then a BIG innning follows. Last years upperclassmen caught those same hits last yr....Lynchburgs young players have stepped up so far but I'm not sure you are not going to see the same results as you see with others once they play 3 or 4 games a week and teams get into their pitching depth or lack of maybe. I think you will see a turn around from some schools as the season grows. Also look at the schedule some of these teams are playing...H-SC is 6-8 but I'm not sure the H-SC 05 World Series team would be much better with this years schedule....They improved in 05 as the season went on.

Go Tigers.

[A.G.]

Those are great points, h-sc...
...there is a lot of youth in the league, from what I've seen.  I don't know much about EMC or W & L, and will see BC up close tomorrow.  It'll be nice to see how the teams match up with one another this first full weekend of ODAC games.

As far as LC's young players, it will be very interesting to see how they hold up with the longer season, as word gets out how to pitch them.  The important thing for LC is that they are learning to battle every game and get wins, which is one thing many young teams struggle with.

[ash]

Ash...I just feel it has to do with lot of teams lost upperclassmen....Hampden-Sydney lost 12 players...4 postional, 2 good bench players and 3 good pitchers to graduation....Guilford lost their top 3 or 4 pitchers...one transfered to Wesleyan. And they lost their top three hitters...that is a lot to lose and expect to win. Look at the scores.....obviously pitching is not there and a lot of teams are throwing freshmen or sophmore that did not get a lot of innings the year before. Bridgewater didn't lose a lot of players but some key positional players and two good pitchers. Last years top pitchers are just not performing as well becuase of a young outfield or infield that the teams have out there. Look at H-SC, L Green and BW Ricky Read...they are having a tough time right now...but I couldn't tell you how many balls that were hit off of Larry this year that just went off a glove and then a BIG innning follows. Last years upperclassmen caught those same hits last yr....Lynchburgs young players have stepped up so far but I'm not sure you are not going to see the same results as you see with others once they play 3 or 4 games a week and teams get into their pitching depth or lack of maybe. I think you will see a turn around from some schools as the season grows. Also look at the schedule some of these teams are playing...H-SC is 6-8 but I'm not sure the H-SC 05 World Series team would be much better with this years schedule....They improved in 05 as the season went on.

Go Tigers.

I too think your post hit some good points.  I will be watching the guilford vs rmc games tomorrow so I will see first hand experience how those two teams are this year.

[A.G.]

LC Rallies to Earn Split with Bridgewater

Great article by the BC SID. BC wins game one, 3-1, while LC takes the 2nd game in 10, 6-5...

http://www.bridgewater.edu/index.php?id=879

[h-sc bball]

Hampden-Stydney took two games from Roanoke 1-0 & 10-8. 1st game Larry Green pitched a 4 hit gem. 1st game all year that Larry had command of all pitches and hit location as well. H-S scored the only run in the contest when John Apperson drew a bases loaded walk. John also pulled the defensive play of the game when the centerfielder made a two out sprawling catch of a liner headed to the right centerfield gap with the tying run a 3rd base. Starting Roanoke pitcher Jonathon Wills threw a two hitter in the loss.

In the 2nd constest once again the young Tigers showed some poise in coming back from a fifth inning 5-2 and 8-3 deficit heading into the 8th. Josh Michaels start things off for Sydney in the 8th with a two run homer, David Toney followed that with a two out solo shot to cut the lead to 8-6....two batters later John Apperson tied things up with a double. In the 9th as he did in the 8th inning Will Zackowski  started the inning off with a walk...he scored from 2nd base when Josh Michael drilled a hit to left center and Josh scored to make the final margin 10-8 after a two out double by David Toney. Fr righty John Hobart pick up his 3rd save of the year. Crafty lefty Chase Davidson pitched well for RC. He left after 6 innings with a 5-2 lead thanks in part to two defensive gems by 1st baseman Nathan Unroe. Josh Micahels, David Toney and John Apperson each had 3 hits apiece for the Tigers.

The Tigers head for Georgia to play ball games against Piedmont, Huntingdon, and LaGrange.

[ash]

Anyone have any details on VWC splitting with Emory and Henry?

[h-sc bball]

No box scores have been posted yet but the Va Pilot had this line.

E&M  000 100 1 - 2 5 0
VWC 100 000 0 - 1 6 0
WP Hall 1-2
LP Whigham 1-2

E&H   010 010 000 - 2 6 2
VWC  010 200 00x - 3 5 1
WP Rivera 3-0
LP Daniel 1-2
S Nguyen 5


It looks like they didn't hit ahainst E&H....but I suspect they were looking ahead to Sundays DH contest with D1 Niagara...they lost both of those games...11-9 & 14-5...as I expected with most teams when you play 6 games in a week you expose your pitching depth. Nguyen started the 2nd game against Niagara? I guess he needed some innings. They went 2-4 this past week.

Go Tigers.

[A.G.]

If EHC is that much improved, to where they can get splits against the top team at their place...then it could make the whole league a dog fight this year.  I doubt LC will be looking ahead this weekend as last years sweep by EHC kept LC out of the ODAC tournament.

[h-sc bball]

If J Wills and C Davidson can pitch like they did agaisn us anybody could very well lose to Roanoke. Wills threw mid 80's with a little extra when he needed it @ times against us and Davidson threw a slow curve and a turn the ball over like scewball that made his fastball look better. Once we got into their pen well thats a different story...it just didn't look very good and look at their era numbers. They can hit also...very dangerous 1 thru 6 and not so bad 7-9...look at the BA. H-S Larry Green finally found his rythem and just pitched a liitle better than Wills and we didn't do much in game two until Davidson left.

Go Tigers

[h-sc bball]

I couldn't make the trip but not much to say here...Hampden-Sydney took one on the nose at Piedmont 11-3...looks like Coach K is going to find out something about his arm depth and throw some freshmen that hadn't seen a lot of innings. Fr leftfielder Ryan Daniels had 3 hits.

My favorite player said their stadium was sick...really sick...One of the best he has seen. I guess that means beautiful...tough one to translate for us old timers.

tomorrow night at Huntingdon...weather looks iffy.

Go Tigers

[redbird5]

It looks like they didn't hit ahainst E&H....but I suspect they were looking ahead to Sundays DH contest with D1 Niagara...they lost both of those games...11-9 & 14-5...as I expected with most teams when you play 6 games in a week you expose your pitching depth. Nguyen started the 2nd game against Niagara? I guess he needed some innings. They went 2-4 this past week.

Go Tigers.

I have lurked for a while but had to comment on VWC.

Expose their pitching depth?  If there is a D3 staff that is deeper than VWC, I would love to see it.  Chris Francis has done a phenominal job of assembling his staff.  From moving Deanes exclusively to the mound to bringing in Whigham and others, he is head a shoulders above any D3 pitching coach I have seen in many years.  As a matter off fact, he is better than many D1 pitching coaches I have seen or know.  FWIW, VWC's arms were better than Niagra's.

Also, if you were to look at VWC's approach to out of conference games, you would see they throw 4-5 pitchers per game.  I read after the first NCWC win that VWC threw their 1 & 2 while NCWC threw JV pitchers.  What a joke!  While VWC did throw 1 & 2 a couple of innings (which NCWC didn't smell), they also threw a Frosh (Delauri) and a Soph with little to no (Horowitz) experience.

As for Nguyen starting against Niagra...yup...he needed work.  Also, in most save situations, he doesn't have/need to throw his secondary pitches to the extent a starter does.  He threw well against Niagra.

[NCWC]

Watch what happens to the VWC staff in the regionals...that will be the true test... my guess is your arms will wear out and get beat around the yard... VWC beat NCWC twice but who did they play the next day or the day before that? Just because the win once doesn't mean they can do it 6 times against constant good comp. JV pitcher.. no it was ben moore that started twice I believe, the kid had off season surgery on a knee.               
I like the style those pitchers throw with, their swagger. He is a real good pitching coach, but dont get to far ahead of yourself...they had the same 1 and 2 last year right?  Unless they made drastic improvements they are average compared to the arms in last years series, VWC has some serious potential, but as far as the best staff/coach I wouldn't go that far, maybe in the ODAC.

[A.G.]

Averett Homers in Ninth to Defeat LC Baseball 7-6

For immediate release – 3/13/2007 - #233

Averett Homers in Ninth to Defeat LC Baseball 7-6

Box score
http://www.lynchburg.edu/documents/Athletics/baseball/2007_Stats/aub0313.htm

DANVILLE, VA – Jake Loye hit a walk-off three-run home run Tuesday afternoon to give the Averett University baseball team a 7-6 non-conference victory over Lynchburg College.

The Cougars led 4-3 entering the ninth frame, but the Hornets plated three runs – one on a double from Jon Crews (Lynchburg, VA/Heritage) - and two more on a single from Jonathan Sewell (Charlottesville, VA/St. Anne's Belfield). After a hits-batman and a single in the bottom of the ninth, Loye hit his game-winning home run to left field with one out to end the game.

Eric O'Brien (Roanoke, VA/Cave Spring) and Jeff Taylor (Lynchburg, VA/Heritage) each went 3-5 for Lynchburg with a double. Crews, David Gaines (Lynchburg, VA/Jefferson Forest) and Kyle Bradley (Brookneal, VA/William Campbell) all had two hits.

Loye finished the game 4-5, and Ahmed Shelton had three hits for Averett (22-5).

Lynchburg (10-5) hosts King College Thursday at 2 p.m. in another non-conference game.

[h-sc bball]

Loye finished the game 4-5, and Ahmed Shelton had three hits for Averett (22-5).

Add LeSurer 2 hits and you have 9 of the 15 hits were by freshmen. I don't think anybody has had as much impact from freshmen as Averett. Loye hit a 2 out 6th inning 3 run homer against H-SC in a 7 inning contest.

Go Tigers

[mybleedinghands]

LC has 4 freshman making an impact: jeff taylor, david gaines, jonathan sewell, and cameron grant!