BB: WIAC: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[badgerwarhawk]

Good god that was ugly.  We're going to have to play a whole lot better if we want to be any kind of factor in this year's league play.

[Dagger]

reasons for shinetime ripping point to shreds on a daily basis aside...can we at least draw some realistic comments from the games.  I mean point isn't the most solid team ever put together, but their lineup is as strong offensively as any other team in the conference, besides UWO who as we thought pre-season appear to be in their own little world at this point.  Point however, with it's "lack of power" is among the leaders in all the power numbers in the conference, and will only get better as the season goes on. 

As was mentioned, a loss to stout is a devastating thing and shouldn't necessarily happen, but remember that they have some guys that can play and baseball is baseball.  Stout is that team that is no good, but seems to sneak up on one of the big dogs every year and take some games from them.  Losing to them will most likely take away chances of winning the league title, but certainly does not take you out of the runnings for postseason.  I mean this is the WIAC, one of the best conferences in the country in D3 ball, a loss to anyone in this conference isn't the most horrible thing out there. 

My question for shinetime is if UWSP looks shaky to you and their numbers aren't good enough to support a top three finish this year, how do you justify leaving UWW as a top 2 team?  They have the worst numbers in the league right now!  Just curious.  I'm open to differing views on things, I love it actually...but can we at least make an intelligent comment every now and then instead of just bashing teams?

[Brewers20]

I agree with dagger, we have to start being realistic on here, or it just turns into a big joke.  Taking Point out of the top four is rediculous.  THEY HAVE THE BEST RECORD IN THE LEAGUE RIGHT NOW!! It doesn't matter who they've played, winning is winning.  If you're going to move anyone down on the rankings or out of the top 4 it should be WW, even though that would even be far fetched.  Good teams have set backs, but if they're truly a good team, they bounce back and find ways to win, just like Point did yesterday.  Lets get serious on here and bring some logic to what you're writing. 

[ShineTime]

I've been a Pointer fan probably longer than 90% of guys on this board and am not trying to be negative or bash Point.  I would love nothing more than to see them go to the World Series and win the WIAC.  I'm actually trying to be realistic and point out that Point has some OBVIOUS holes especially at catcher and they will struggle with any pitcher with a good curveball.  Let's not forget Point has not beaten anyone worth mentioning this year except maybe St. Olaf.  Nix has looked shaky his past few outings which is a definite concern.  I'm certainly not saying Point sucks because they do have the foundation to be a great team with Arch and Richter in the middle.  We will see this weekend what Whitewater has but I'm a little nervous for Point especially after the beat down Whitewater took Wed.  I'm setting my expectations as a split over the weekend.  I know Dott got lit up Wed but I can't see him losing back to back games.  Hopefully the weather will be warm and the wind blowing out.  Let's just hope Zalnis keeps struggling until after he's done at the softball field this weekend.

[cubs]

I've been a Pointer fan probably longer than 90% of guys on this board and am not trying to be negative or bash Point.   I would love nothing more than to see them go to the World Series and win the WIAC.  I'm actually trying to be realistic and point out that Point has some OBVIOUS holes especially at catcher and they will struggle with any pitcher with a good curveball.  Let's not forget Point has not beaten anyone worth mentioning this year except maybe St. Olaf.  Nix has looked shaky his past few outings which is a definite concern.  I'm certainly not saying Point sucks because they do have the foundation to be a great team with Arch and Richter in the middle.  We will see this weekend what Whitewater has but I'm a little nervous for Point especially after the beat down Whitewater took Wed.  I'm setting my expectations as a split over the weekend.  I know Dott got lit up Wed but I can't see him losing back to back games.  Hopefully the weather will be warm and the wind blowing out.  Let's just hope Zalnis keeps struggling until after he's done at the softball field this weekend.

You may "have been a bigger fan" than some of the guys on the board, but there are a couple of posters on here who actually donned the Pointer uniform, (one of which who actually wore both the Warhawk and Pointer purple) and played with some of the very guys that are starting for Point this season.  I am sure they have seen what they can do on a more consistent basis in practice, instead of just the handful of games you are able to watch. 

I'm not trying to "knock" your opinion, but at least give some reasoning behind some of your rants....

[poly god]

Dagger is right. I think it's a luxury for Bloom to play all those guys and still win. It's not been the prettiest baseball all the time but it will certainly help down the road. At some point there going to get all those bats going at once (this weekend)? I still think there pitching is very solid! When it happens, look out!! Zielke looked great in relief yesterday.

[Brewers20]

Thats the thing with Point, there bats will come around.  The pitching will hopefully keep up the good work, Zielke should be 1st team All-WIAC this year, he is a very good pitcher out of the pen.  This weekend will put the bats to a big test when they face Aaron Dott, he's a tough pitcher and will be out to prove something this weekend after getting roughed up by UWO.

[ShineTime]

Here's a question for Pointer fans.  How much patience do you have with Nix this year seeing he's a senior?  I know Zielke is a perfect closer and all WIAC but do you consider at some point having him be a starter and perhaps trying Nix as a closer?  I know Zielke pitched this past summer as a starter and did very well and has the arm to do it.  I realize when Nix is on he's lights out but if he struggles early I think Bloom should consider it.  I just hate seeing pitchers give up walks and making things easy and with Nix sometimes it gets ugly with his control. 

[szlongball]

The ability to interchange so many new players for Point is a positive. They haven't been this deep in a while. The pitching staff has the lowest ERA in the league, and the hitting will come around. While Whitewater played well in Florida, to have a team batting average just above the Mendoza line is not a good sign. I think Point will do better than a split this weekend. I would give a victory to Dott, but after yesterday, not so sure. The weather will be crappy again, and I think that affects all players. As far as Nix goes, maybe drop him from #1 for a few starts and see what happens. Zielke deserves to start and should have been for the last 3 years.
But with only needing 6 saves to break career record for saves, he also deserves to stay as the closer. No need to pull a Lechnir and use him like Ruebens. By the way it is Alumni/Senior Weekend this weekend, so I'm guessing the team will be really pumped to play their best.
The pitcher in the second game against Stout yesterday was their ace, and is very good. His ERA is below 2.00(I believe).

[RSSmith]

Here's a question for Pointer fans.  How much patience do you have with Nix this year seeing he's a senior?  I know Zielke is a perfect closer and all WIAC but do you consider at some point having him be a starter and perhaps trying Nix as a closer?  I know Zielke pitched this past summer as a starter and did very well and has the arm to do it.  I realize when Nix is on he's lights out but if he struggles early I think Bloom should consider it.  I just hate seeing pitchers give up walks and making things easy and with Nix sometimes it gets ugly with his control. 

I'm not a Pointer fan, but I tend to agree with posters to a strand a couple of years ago on one of these boards to the effect that, in a DIII program, no coach has the luxury of having a stud closer.  The consensus then was that the four best pitchers should be starting games.  Unless you have a Kurt Yacko who can contribute at a position between saves, I haven't seen anything to make me change my mind.

[cubs]

No need to pull a Lechnir and use him like Ruebens.

Yeah because who would want a guy to come in and shut down the other team in a tight situation with the game on the line and then be able to start the following day and give you a complete game.   

Rubens started four games last season, and threw CG's each of the four times.  That leads me to believe that that a guy that has won over 600 games as a Head Coach knows what he is doing just a bit!!!

[Jack Parkman]

Check out the section for "Rookies to Watch"

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9406890/Helton-showing-signs-of-being-an-elite-hitter-again

[Dagger]

I will agree that nix is a question mark everytime he goes out there!  He is very erratic at times, however he is also lights out at times.  to put him as the closer would be a potential disaster every time he went out there because of his control issues and the inability to work quickly and keep runners off the bases.  There's no more cruel treatment to your defense then messing around with batters and walking them, or taking at least 5 pitches an at bat to finish them off.  It puts your defense to sleep, and baserunners and a sleeping defense is not a good ninth inning strategy when you're trying to close the door on a team. 

I like the idea of moving him down in the rotation, maybe throw him on the midweek games instead of the bigger weekend series so that you still have a good arm throwing on wed. and can keep the other big guns fresh for the weekend.  I think zielke should be starting as well, he's clearly one of the best pitchers on the team and has been for years...but to keep him as a closer just to break the career saves record is a bit selfish don't you think?  The team would be better off with him starting, but it is what it is.  If zielke were to start the normal nix start on weekends, and nix started wed games I would then move lorenz into the closer role.  He's a power arm (for the wiac) and has pretty good off speed stuff.  he's been kind of hampered with injuries in the past, but he's got the stuff to step into that role effectively in my eyes. 

[cubs]

A couple of guys have brought up the save record when talking about how to use Zielke.  Something to keep in mind is that even if Zielke does break the save record this season, it COULD be broken just a year later by UWO's Jeremy Rubens, unless Rubens would become a full-time starter.  Rubens is six saves behind Zielke right now, but has another year of eligibility remianing, whereas Zielke is a senior this year.  If Rubens continues to be used the way he has been in the past, I'm guessing he will be right around Zielke's total through three years.

[Dagger]

I don't think that zielke breaking the save record is that important of an issue outside of his supporters!  I mean the last thing on any coaches mind, let alone bloom's is to keep zielke as the closer so he can break the record...which as cubs stated is probably going to be broken next year anyway.  It's about doing what's best for the team not an individual player's ego.  I'm sure it's a big deal to zielke to be able to have that record, as it should be (he deserves recognition for a great career that has received little attention)...but knowing him, as much as he cares about that he could care less if he gets to that mark or not as long as point wins and he has a successful year on the mound.  Personal records are great, but players would rather be on a successful team then rack up a bunch of honors on a bad team!  at least I would...and sometimes that means that you have to give a little to get a little.