BB: WIAC: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[OshDude]

1. UWW
2. Point
3. UWO
4. LaCrosse

But the top 3 are considered co-champions

Gotta go by tie-breakers to figure it out

"Congrats, you won the WIAC regular season. Now go play at 10 a.m. in an elimination game." LOL.

Bystander had it right all along – the Platteville and Superior losses put Oshkosh in a very tough spot.

First year with the new format and it just had to be one of those fluky years when the WIAC is forced to buy three championship knicknacks. How fortunate for the Titans ...

If you're a bubble NCAA team you gotta like being either the #3 or #4 in this format. One loss or a Pool A is a better deal than two losses or a Pool A. Again, that's only if you're a possible NCAA team.

[BoBo]

Bystander had it right all along – the Platteville and Superior losses put Oshkosh in a very tough spot.

Hmmm, dude, IMO you're over-dramatizing Oshkosh as the hard luck loser this year.  Each of the top 4 had their moments of brilliance and what appeared to be moments of mediocrity that contributed to the logjam at the top.  Was it simply great balance throughout the conference or mind-blowing inconsistency that marked the season as a whole? Hard to know, but maybe we'll learn more about the quality of the WIAC this year (or lack thereof) once the regionals begin.  Either way, the preseason poll pretty much nailed the tournament seeds:

2009 Preseason Predictions (Voted on by WIAC Sports Information Directors)
                                                     
1. UW-Whitewater               
2. UW-Oshkosh                 
3. UW-Stevens Point               
4. UW-La Crosse                   
         

[cubs]

Let me first apologize for putting up the wrong tie-breaking scenarios during the past week....   I was under the impression that in the event of a three-way tie, the head-to-head records of all three were used to break all ties, and not just the first one.  My apologies!!!

Wouldn't you know that the first year of a new set-up and it would be the year where a three-way tie occurs....  Makes a TOUGH road for the #3 (and #4) seed when you have to go 4-0, compared to just 2-1.  Oh well, I guess it's better than not having a chance at all though!!

[badgerwarhawk]

cubs,

So the head to head of all three were used to separate WHITEWATER and then the head to head of the Oshkosh and Point series was used to seed them? 

[cubs]

cubs,
So the head to head of all three were used to separate WHITEWATER and then the head to head of the Oshkosh and Point series was used to seed them? 

That is how it was explained to me.....  I understand the reasoning behind it, but at the same time, if you are going to use the three-way tie to break the first, why not break all three that way?  

Someone is going to be disgruntled no matter how it is broken, so it's pointless to question it I guess. 

Regardless, if I'm Whitewater I am happy with this though, as they get to play a team they beat four times the first game, instead of the one that mercy-ruled them three times.

[BigPoppa]

The WIAC is a mess this year. It is either really, really good as teams pound each other or really, really average and teams cannot play consistent. Anybody have thoughts on which of the two it is? I am doing trying to figure out this conference for 2009.

[badgerwarhawk]

I would venture a guess and say that the latter of the two is the more likely senario. 

Thanks, cubs.  I really thought that we would end up the three seed and be playing in Oshkosh. 

[cubs]

Here's my take on this year's WIAC....

There are combines, showcases, try-outs, etc.. just about everywhere you look these days.  With that said, kids that used to be going to D3 schools, are now getting partial scholarships and playing at some D1 and D2 schools.  Back when I played, those opportunities just weren't there and kids were going to the D3 schools by default.  Now that there are more guys going D1/D2, it waekens the D3 baseball for the most part.  You don't even have that one team with a dominant pitching staff or a team that can just mash the ball.  Look at the team averages this year!  You have only ONE team that batted over .300 this season, and that is against what A LOT of people have called a "down" pitching year. 

At this point, I honestly expect this is finally the year that St. Scholastica makes a trip to Appleton for the World Series.  They have two legit aces, and a decent offensive line-up.  It could even be an all-Minnesota Regional Final, as St. Thomas may be the next best team.

[Dagger]

I'm not sure I buy the bigger schools stealing talent argument, although i agree with it to a certain extent.  Other than brady endl who originally went to minnesota to play, none of the other stud players from the conference in the past were even given looks at the bigger schools!  Nobody wanted reinhard, zimmerman, tomasiewicz, callahan, wiczek, coe, jones, or any other big time player from wiac seasons past.  Mostly because most of them developed while in school.  zimmermann was nothing special when he arrived at point, he just blossomed while there.  Plus besides parkside (d2) only UW-Milwaukee has a baseball team in a higher division in Wisconsin.  Plus the success of the WIAC compared to the other D3 conferences in WI, and the facilities (for the most part) are so far superior to those of the smaller d3 private schools that can offer some "academic" money that a real player wouldn't choose to go there anyway. 

I do feel that the talent level has dropped off significantly this year, but I'm not sure it's anything more than a down year for the wiac.  Look at the rosters this year, there was a huge amount of turnover on many of the rosters, and especially on point and WW.  Young guys, no matter how talented they are, typically are not going to step in and light the world on fire.  They need to ease into the college game, and I believe that next year we will see much better numbers as a whole across the league.  Just for a little comparison...and to vent ....just last season I finished .357 with 101 total bases, 12 doubles, 9 homeruns, 50 RBIS, and was honorable mention in the conference!  compared to this year that would be in consideration for player of the year!  So numbers are down no doubt, but I think the youth and inexperience of most of the teams was a huge contributor to that fact.   ...and yes I feel better with that off my chest now! 

[BigPoppa]

I'm not sure I buy the bigger schools stealing talent argument, although i agree with it to a certain extent.  Other than brady endl who originally went to minnesota to play, none of the other stud players from the conference in the past were even given looks at the bigger schools!  Nobody wanted reinhard, zimmerman, tomasiewicz, callahan, wiczek, coe, jones, or any other big time player from wiac seasons past.  Mostly because most of them developed while in school.  zimmermann was nothing special when he arrived at point, he just blossomed while there.  Plus besides parkside (d2) only UW-Milwaukee has a baseball team in a higher division in Wisconsin.  Plus the success of the WIAC compared to the other D3 conferences in WI, and the facilities (for the most part) are so far superior to those of the smaller d3 private schools that can offer some "academic" money that a real player wouldn't choose to go there anyway. 

WOW! A bold statement. You ARE aware that Carthage is a Wisconsin school, right? It is a very small (2000 students) private school, but they have quality facilities, and for the most part, give the WIAC schools a run for their money every time they square off.

[Dagger]

yes I am aware that carthage is in wisconsin which is why I said the WIAC is better than the other "Conferences" in the state and that the facilities are far superior "for the most part"

[BigPoppa]

yes I am aware that carthage is in wisconsin which is why I said the WIAC is better than the other "Conferences" in the state and that the facilities are far superior "for the most part"

Glad you clarified that, Dagger I already had my shirt off and was mapquesting your address while I prepared for the fight

[Dagger]

haha...I'm not one of the private school bashers, I think carthage is a great program!  But I will never believe and unless something drastic happens, you will never get me to believe, that any conference in wisconsin can match that of the wiac on a yearly basis!  Yes there is bias in there being a wiac alum, but at the same time that is deeply rooted in fact...IMO.  but that's not the point of this thread so we'll just leave it at that for now.  There are other teams around the state that at times have put good teams on the field in years past beside the wiac and carthage...no doubt...but I'm just saying the wiac will outperform those other conferences as a whole year in and year out.  And that conference wide the facilities both practice and game, are better in the WIAC than those of other conferences in the area.

[BigPoppa]

haha...I'm not one of the private school bashers, I think carthage is a great program!  But I will never believe and unless something drastic happens, you will never get me to believe, that any conference in wisconsin can match that of the wiac on a yearly basis!  Yes there is bias in there being a wiac alum, but at the same time that is deeply rooted in fact...IMO.  but that's not the point of this thread so we'll just leave it at that for now.  There are other teams around the state that at times have put good teams on the field in years past beside the wiac and carthage...no doubt...but I'm just saying the wiac will outperform those other conferences as a whole year in and year out.  And that conference wide the facilities both practice and game, are better in the WIAC than those of other conferences in the area.

I agree. The WIAC is ALWAYS three deep on a national level while the CCIW is one or two deep (rarely three) and the NathCon and MWC have a national-level team every few years.

[cubs]

I'm not sure I buy the bigger schools stealing talent argument, although i agree with it to a certain extent.  Other than brady endl who originally went to minnesota to play, none of the other stud players from the conference in the past were even given looks at the bigger schools!  Nobody wanted reinhard, zimmerman, tomasiewicz, callahan, wiczek, coe, jones, or any other big time player from wiac seasons past.  Mostly because most of them developed while in school.  zimmermann was nothing special when he arrived at point, he just blossomed while there.  Plus besides parkside (d2) only UW-Milwaukee has a baseball team in a higher division in Wisconsin.  Plus the success of the WIAC compared to the other D3 conferences in WI, and the facilities (for the most part) are so far superior to those of the smaller d3 private schools that can offer some "academic" money that a real player wouldn't choose to go there anyway. 

I do feel that the talent level has dropped off significantly this year, but I'm not sure it's anything more than a down year for the wiac.  Look at the rosters this year, there was a huge amount of turnover on many of the rosters, and especially on point and WW.  Young guys, no matter how talented they are, typically are not going to step in and light the world on fire.  They need to ease into the college game, and I believe that next year we will see much better numbers as a whole across the league.  Just for a little comparison...and to vent ....just last season I finished .357 with 101 total bases, 12 doubles, 9 homeruns, 50 RBIS, and was honorable mention in the conference!  compared to this year that would be in consideration for player of the year!  So numbers are down no doubt, but I think the youth and inexperience of most of the teams was a huge contributor to that fact.   ...and yes I feel better with that off my chest now! 

I get what you are saying, but just as a point of reference....

I was watching Iowa and Michigan St. on the Big Ten network last week.  In that series alone, there were three kids starting just from the Fox Valley area.  Iowa's starting pitcher was from Kaukauna, their starting SS was from Green Bay Notre Dame, and Michigan State's starting 2B was from Oshkosh West, who just so happened to go 5x6 with.  Now in the past those are the kids that likely went to either Stevens Point or Oshkosh.  Instead they are going D1, which in my opinion doesn't likely happen 10 years ago.