BB: WIAC: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[BoBo]

Now I just hope we've got the pitching to get through this weekend's series against LaCrosse.  They seem to be playing very well right now.

They seem to play very well against Superior...as I mentioned the other day, they rarely lose to the Yellowjackets, winning 46 of the last 47.  Hopefully, UWW can start them on a losing streak starting Thursday. 

Whitewater is leading Point in the top of the 9th, 4-3 according to the Point website.

EDIT:  UWW takes the DH by identical 7-5 scores.  Important weekend sweep in Point by the Warhawks!!

Important? I'd say huge, Bobo, huge!!!

I was trying not to get too carried away with a successful weekend in Point...a lot of ball still to be played...it all goes for not if they have a poor outing vs UWL at the end of this week...team BA still very lackluster - .288 for all games (.270 in conference) - although it's on the rise after this weekend - and a fielding percentage not a great deal better. Hopefully as the weather heats up, they will too - I'd like to be cautiously optimistic, however. 

[ShineTime]

I Coach Bloom kept his brother on the roster and told Coe he wasn't good enough to play for Point.  Rennicke is doing great but I'm pretty sure Coe would be our catcher and Point would've taken at least 2 maybe 3 of the games this weekend with Coe.  He killed us bottom line and Point is now definitely out of conference title talk even though it's early.  There's no way Point beats Oshkosh all 4 and probably will only at least split with LaCrosse.  People can rip my posts all they want but there's a lot of truth behind them.  Too many freshman in the lineup and don't have that big homerun threat in the middle like the past few years.  Pitching IMO is also not as great as everyone expected.  Nix is the same old Nix.  Dealin for 5 and than gets rocked or walks everyone.  Berry doesn't get support behind him, Delorit didn't look good at all on Saturday and looks like he regressed from last year and Scott Williams just won't get it done against the quality teams in the WIAC.

[Dagger]

first of all, when robbie coe was at point he wasn't good enough to play as indicated by him not playing!  he looked good this past weekend, but maybe he's matured into a player that he was not when he was at point.  Nobody wanted zimmerman out of highschool and now look at him, people develop into players that they once were not sometimes.  Plus on field talent is not all that goes into putting together a team and keeping some guys, chemistry and off field behavior are big with the pointers and it shows if you've ever spent time around them!  So to simply say coach bloom got rid of coe to keep his brother on the team is foolish.  Garret has a great bat, not to mention it's from the left side of the plate, and as a catcher bloom receives the ball as well if not better than anyone in the conference.  He does not have a strong arm, but that's no secret, I'm just saying in a heads up competition at the time coe was at point bloom consistently outperformed him so say what you want now.  Also rob was hitting next to nothing coming into this series so I'm sure you wouldn't have been saying that two weeks ago.  Trust me, when you play your old team, you seem to muster up a little bit of extra energy to shove up their a$$es!  Now I"m certainly not saying that rob is a bad player, he lit us up this weekend no doubt about it...I'm just saying that he had a fair shot at point and it just didn't work out for him, I wish him luck at WW.

As for the Pointers....

They are in my eyes also out of the title runnings for this year, unless ww and osh find a way to blow some games and point is perfect from here on out they are done.  To hope for a split against a hot uwl team may be a legitimate hope at this point, but we'll see what lax is made of this weekend!  They are going to need to muster up a little magic to see the ncaa tourny this year, but as you all know as long as point in is the conf. tourny they are a favorite to take home the lumber!  I don't think there's any need to worry about point's lineup or their youth, they have been doing just fine and will only get better, and the pitching staff is prone to a bad series every now and then.  They are still in the top tier of staffs in the conf without question.  Delorit is a guy that relies on his natural movement and sometimes it just isn't working for him, on those days he can get hit around a little yes because he's not overpowering, but no worries with him...he'll be back.  Scottie Williams would be a top 2 pitcher on almost any of the other teams in the conference easily, so that's a joke to say that he can't get it done....Let's give them more then one series in freezing cold conditions before we start bashing individuals, not the best conditions for a pitcher and if you have every touched a baseball or played an inning you would know that that was certainly far from a pitchers weekend as far as the weather was concerned. 

I can say this though, point fans have a legitimate reason to be nervous right now!

[Brewers20]

I drove down to game 2 yesterday and it was the same story as what I saw in game 2 on Saturday.  Point came out swinging the bat well and pitching well, but it tapered off which is what kills you in this conference.  You have to consistently put runs up on the board because no team in the WIAC lays down, well the majority of them don't.  The Pointers definitely have the talent; it's just a matter of putting it all together.  I'm sure they will put it together by the time the conference tournament comes around. 

IDK if anyone remembers 2006 at all, but in a series at Oshkosh that was just like this last weekend (two on Saturday, canceled Sunday, and two on Monday) we got swept by the Titans two weeks before the conference tournament.  Nobody expected us to go anywhere.  They thought we were going to go two and out in the tourney and say see ya next year have a great summer.  Well look what we did.  WIAC conference tourney champs, regional champs, fifth at the D-III World Series!!  I know the Pointer fans remember that so I hope they're not giving up on the season after this weekend.

Let's not judge the outcome of the whole season on one weekend of baseball.  Yes, this leaves a bad feeling in my stomach watching the Warhawks take all four at the Pointers home park, but funny things happen in sports that nobody expects.  Let's give it a few more weeks before we take anybody out of contention for a conference title.

[Dagger]

after thinking about what took place this weekend for a little bit today, I have come to these simple conclusions! 

1.  Point is not as bad as some people are thinking right now after getting swept at home!  The only lost one of those four games by more than two runs, and prolly should or at least could have won the other three.  I'm sure you could say that about anyone's losses (that they could have won) but point was in a position to capture some W's in all of the two run games.

2.  WW may not be all that great, and no doubt sweeping point at point is a fantastic feat, but the fact remains that they still have NO offensive numbers and that will not hold out all season.  Granted they find ways to win and as long as that happens I guess who cares what your batting average is, but the run production and all other offensive outputs are embarrassing for them right now...especially being the perennial offensive machine that they've been in the past.  You could say don't fix it if it's not broken, but if you're a warhawk follower you would sure think you'd like to see some better numbers coming in the near future.  lax, platt, and superior are not pushovers and if they can't score runs then they will lose games to them....Same goes for any other team out there, and especially Point.

but looking at numbers, and I'm talking just looking at numbers alone here...It appears that Point is fine, and WW may need some help!  Point is hitting nearly 40 pts higher as a team, has almost double the runs scored and rbi's and has a higher team fielding%.  All other offensive numbers favor point as well.  And I"m obviously biased in my post here, and I'm not trying to hide that fact, just looking for some comfort in the numbers...and it appears to be there!  What are all your thoughts?   

[Dagger]

point get's beat by ripon in game one today AT POINT by a score of 12-14!  Yikes....I'm becoming cautiously optimistic here

I know they have it in them, but at some point it needs to come out!

[ShineTime]

They were down 10-1 today and 14-5 in the 9th and scored 7 in the 9th to make it close.  Fritz had 2 HR'S.  They were winning game 2 2-0 in the 2nd.  The funny thing now is Point could win every game the rest of the year and not get an at large berth.  I'll say it again Point will be very good next year if they get a pitcher or two because their entire offense will get a year of experience.  They will be MEDIOCRE this year.  They have the ability to beat a great team on any given day but could also lose to anyone.  I still don't see them finishing top 4 in conference and quite frankly wouldn't want to see them play Oshkosh first game and get mercy ruled.

[BoBo]

Playing their first game of the year at Prucha Field, UWW's bats awaken ever-so-slightly and take game 1 today from Carroll University 16-6 in 7 innings; game 2 scoreless.  This is the 4th time in the last 5 games Carroll has lost via the mercy rule.

Game 1 box and recap

[badgerwarhawk]

The WARHAWKS swept Carroll U taking the second game 9-3.  Riley Tincher goes 5 innings surrendering 2 hits and 2 runs striking out 8 for his second win.  Wessels goes 2x3 with 2 RBI including a triple.  Rechlitz goes 2x4. 

http://www.uwwsports.com/sports/baseball/2009/carroll2.htm

Zalnis goes  2x3 with 5 RBI in game one.   Doug Hansen goes six innings gives up 5 hits and 2 runs for the win.

Carroll uses 11 pitchers in the twin bill.

[OshDude]

but looking at numbers, and I'm talking just looking at numbers alone here...It appears that Point is fine, and WW may need some help!  Point is hitting nearly 40 pts higher as a team, has almost double the runs scored and rbi's and has a higher team fielding%.  All other offensive numbers favor point as well.  And I"m obviously biased in my post here, and I'm not trying to hide that fact, just looking for some comfort in the numbers...and it appears to be there!  What are all your thoughts?   

I know you're looking at raw numbers, but I think UWW's schedule to date has been much tougher. Before the Carroll DH, UWW played Washington, Carthage (Perez/Ruffie), St. Thomas (Schuld/Stone), Wooster, Oshkosh (Rubens/Kannenberg), Point and Otterbein. Considering Otterbein was probably the weakest opponent, that's pretty badass.

[Dagger]

yeah, that's for sure a rough start and no doubt a reason for the lower then normal stats...but we played similar schedules in the past and still had good numbers coming home.  I really had nothing to go on there, just trying to make myself feel better!  haha...it's way to early to get nervous, but after a couple more games if things don't start to look up for the pointers I'm going to be really nervous.  I still think they make the tourny easily, although it may be the 4 seed this year.

[badgerwarhawk]

A portion of the renovation of Prucha Field has begun and is nearly completed.  Specifically the renovation of the WARHAWK player's locker room.  The area that previously served as the concession stand had been converted into a bathroom and showers.  Also the area immediately inside the door from the dugout will be used as a, for lack of a better term, mud room.  It has open lockers in which the players will be able to store their bags, spikes, etc. so the dirt won't be tracked into the carpeted dressing room.   It all looks really sharp.  

Still to come is the conversion of the infield from grass to sports turf, an irrigation system for the outfield, lights and restrooms for the fans.  This portion of the project is still on time to begin after this season is completed and finished by the end of the summer.  

Some really neat things happening at Prucha Field.

[Dagger]

those will be awesome updates to an already beautiful complex there.  That will not only help bring guys to WW but will also help out the WIAC as a whole also!  They are going to have one of the nicest facilities in the midwest, all divisions included!

[Titan20]

yeah, that's for sure a rough start and no doubt a reason for the lower then normal stats...but we played similar schedules in the past and still had good numbers coming home.  I really had nothing to go on there, just trying to make myself feel better!  haha...it's way to early to get nervous, but after a couple more games if things don't start to look up for the pointers I'm going to be really nervous.  I still think they make the tourny easily, although it may be the 4 seed this year.

Who do u think will be the top three then if point finishes 4th?  LaCross is starting off on the right foot.

Talking about nice locker rooms and fields...any one who hasnt seen UWO's locker room...tile floor with wood lockers, showers, bathroom, huge tv, pool table, music speakers with the whole deck set up.  Very nice thanks to many donations of course.  Once lights get up at that field...will be a prime time place to play

[Brewers20]

I have seen pictures of the locker room at UWO, it's definitely a grade A facility.  I didn't know there was a pool table though.  What else does it have? A cooler full of ice cold beer, for after a long weekend? That would be prime.