BB: WIAC: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[BaseballFan]

Can Whitewater just show up this weekend and not play their best ball?  They already have a regional spot locked up as does Oshkosh.  The only way Point gets in is if they win and everyone who knows baseball knows the WIAC should get 3 in regionals.  Does anyone agree with me that this years Whitewater team is the best team in the WIAC in quite some time?  I have to give them an edge even over Point the past few seasons.  They have such a tough lineup and a lights out #1 in Dott and a pretty solid #2 in Dominick.  Look for them to place in the top 3 in Appleton.

If Oshkosh goes 2 and out, with STP winning the automatic bid, and if St Olaf gets the auto bid too Oshkosh could be staying home. Obviously all 3 of those things would happen but there is a possibility.

Depends on what you say is quite some time. 2005 had perhaps the 2 best teams in the nation. UWW won the national tournament and I thought if Point would of went they would of won it. UWW might have the best team in 3 years in the WIAC but I dont think they are as good as the UWW and STP teams in 2005.

UWW 45-7 Reinhard 12-0 Tomasiewicz 15-1
STP 38-11 Steve Wiczek 18HRs Chuck Brehm 14 HRs Ryan Jones 17HRs and a major leaguer in the making in Zimmerman

I wouldnt be already placing them in the top 3 at appleton already considering they havent even made it there yet. There will be 5 solid teams that will have something to say about that

[Bronko7]

Can Whitewater just show up this weekend and not play their best ball?  They already have a regional spot locked up as does Oshkosh.  The only way Point gets in is if they win and everyone who knows baseball knows the WIAC should get 3 in regionals.  Does anyone agree with me that this years Whitewater team is the best team in the WIAC in quite some time?  I have to give them an edge even over Point the past few seasons.  They have such a tough lineup and a lights out #1 in Dott and a pretty solid #2 in Dominick.  Look for them to place in the top 3 in Appleton.

If Oshkosh goes 2 and out, with STP winning the automatic bid, and if St Olaf gets the auto bid too Oshkosh could be staying home. Obviously all 3 of those things would happen but there is a possibility.

Depends on what you say is quite some time. 2005 had perhaps the 2 best teams in the nation. UWW won the national tournament and I thought if Point would of went they would of won it. UWW might have the best team in 3 years in the WIAC but I dont think they are as good as the UWW and STP teams in 2005.

UWW 45-7 Reinhard 12-0 Tomasiewicz 15-1
STP 38-11 Steve Wiczek 18HRs Chuck Brehm 14 HRs Ryan Jones 17HRs and a major leaguer in the making in Zimmerman

I wouldnt be already placing them in the top 3 at appleton already considering they havent even made it there yet. There will be 5 solid teams that will have something to say about that

It very well could happen, but your logic is wrong. There can be more than 6 teams make the tournament. UWO will not be left out regardless. You would just see someone leave the midwest region for the central. The 500 mile rule would take affect and even CSS is eligible to move to the central according to the NCAA milage calculator, it is 491 miles from Rock Island Ill. (where the central is being held) to Duluth. I would think that the MWC champ and CSS would be the likely choice to move since I can't see the NCAA giving a single conference an oppurtunity to place 2 teams in the world series. Whoever would go would have an easier path to the series because as all of us know the Midwest Regional is the toughest path to the series.

[badgerwarhawk]

Can Whitewater just show up this weekend and not play their best ball? 

That's rhetorical, right?   

No way, no how.  If we don't show up and play our best ball we'll be beaten.   As far as having a NCAA bid locked up I wouldn't be so sure.   We were left out as defending national champions with 30 wins in 2006 so until we either win the automatic bid or have an at large in hand I wouldn't do any chicken counting.   

This is a pretty decent team but I'd have to agree that the 2005 team was probably a better one.   I've been following the baseball program for decades and I'd have to say the 2005 team is best I've seen. 

[OshDude]

Can Whitewater just show up this weekend and not play their best ball? 

That's rhetorical, right?   

No way, no how.  If we don't show up and play our best ball we'll be beaten.  As far as having a NCAA bid locked up I wouldn't be so sure.    We were left out as defending national champions with 30 wins in 2006 so until we either win the automatic bid or have an at large in hand I wouldn't do any chicken counting.   

This is a pretty decent team but I'd have to agree that the 2005 team was probably a better one.   I've been following the baseball program for decades and I'd have to say the 2005 team is best I've seen. 

Agreed. If anyone thinks their team has a bid locked up, I think you're wrong. Whitewater is in the best shape, but 2-and-out even puts WW at risk because there are scenarios where I think WW stays home. Ditto – even more so – for Oshkosh. Although the scenarios seem unlikely, there's a chance. Like BW wrote, Oshkosh and Whitewater have stayed home previous years in similar circumstances.

If La Crosse wins a game or more, especially the first Saturday elimination game (and they're very capable) if LAX is there, the scenarios come into play. Granted, a lot depends on St. Olaf as well.

If Point or La Crosse win this weekend, I think Oshkosh stays home, depending St. Olaf's results. If Whitewater wins it and UWO wins a game, I think Oshkosh is in.

Three teams are relatively safe in IMO: St. Thomas, WW and CSS. After the MWC adds one, it comes down to three teams (UWO, StO, UWSP) for two spots. As far as shipping MW teams, I think there are enough worthy Central teams to make that unlikely. And one of the three MW bubble teams will play itself out. It may become obvious which will be left out after this weekend, but one of UWO, StO or UWSP stays home IMO.

Of course we only have to wait a few days to find out, but if there's anyone relaxed over the safety of their team's bid, I wish I were you. In no way do I think Oshkosh has a bid wrapped up. If UWO wins a game, I'll feel safer.

As far as the best WIAC team in recent years, I'll take '05 Whitewater, and not only because the Hawks won the title. That team had everything. There were better '90s Oshkosh teams, but that WW team was awesome. I especially liked Teach, Gnatzig and Klaw. Gamers if there ever were gamers.

[Just Bill]

Everyone is at risk, because you just don't what might happen nation-wide.  If there's a whole slew of upsets from Maine to Oregon, then every Pool C projection can be tossed out the window.

[Bronko7]

New rankings say that USP is still the 5th best team in the region!

[cubs]

As far as the best WIAC team in recent years, I'll take '05 Whitewater, and not only because the Hawks won the title. That team had everything. There were better '90s Oshkosh teams, but that WW team was awesome. I especially liked Teach, Gnatzig and Klaw. Gamers if there ever were gamers.

If I was going to go back to the 90's, I'd have a hard time overlooking the 1999 Oshkosh team (the infamous wood bat year.)  That team had six MLB draft picks, (five in 1999, which is still an NCAA Division III record, but starting 3B Jared Koutnik was drafted two years later) three of which were pitchers. 

They lost in the Regional championship 4-3 to an aluminum bat swinging St. Thomas team, who went on to finish as the National Runner-ups, losing to NC Wesleyan 1-0.  To this day, I still think if that team would have been swinging aluminum during the post-season, Oshkosh MAY have another National Championship in their trophy case. 

However, I guess we will never know.....

[OshDude]

New rankings say that USP is still the 5th best team in the region!

OWP and OOWP must be huge. Wonder if the extra win Olaf got yesterday does anything. Olaf's 20-6 has to be on the cusp.

[ShineTime]

Will Bloom pull his head out and play his best team tomorrow or is he going to gift wrap a win for Oshkosh?  Here is what I would do If I were coaching but I'm not so it means nothing.
1.  Brad Archambeau RF
2.  Justin Bushong SS
3.  Brad Frank 1B
4.  Doug Coe C
5.  Brandon Schiedler CF
6.  Eric Fritz DH
7.  Jared Surman LF
8.  Tim Schlosser 2B
9.  Stewart Larsen 3B
Pitching-  Travis Kempf.  Some may argue Nix but you never know if he'll be in the strike zone.  Odds are Oshkosh will throw Ruebens so you can't walk guys and give up cheap runs.  Rather would see Kempf throw it over the plate and get rocked than lose because of walks and erros.  Thrun has pitched too much against Oshkosh already and would have to pitch against Whitewater if their able to pull off the upset.  You could also argue Hojnacki in left after his performance over the weekend and Surman struggling a bit.

[OshDude]

Will Bloom pull his head out and play his best team tomorrow or is he going to gift wrap a win for Oshkosh?  ...

C'mon, man. I'm running out of counter-jinxes.
Point is the best team I have ever seen.

[BaseballFan]

New rankings say that USP is still the 5th best team in the region!

OWP and OOWP must be huge. Wonder if the extra win Olaf got yesterday does anything. Olaf's 20-6 has to be on the cusp.

Could be that whoever advances the furthest in their tourney gets the last bid...its going to be interesting how this weekend goes and what teams get the phone call late sunday night!

[ShineTime]

Predictions

Game 1  Whitewater 22  La Crosse 3 
Game 2  Oshkosh 13   Stevens Point 3
Game 3  Stevens Point  5  La Crosse 2  La Crosse Eliminated
Game 4  Whitewater 13  Oshkosh 8
Game 5  Oshkosh 9  Stevens Point 7  Point Eliminated
Game 6  Oshkosh 6  Whitewater 5
Championship  Whitewater 14  Oshkosh 11

MVP  Jordan Stine  Whitewater

[OshDude]

Predictions

Game 1  Whitewater 22  La Crosse 3 
Game 2  Oshkosh 13   Stevens Point 3
Game 3  Stevens Point  5  La Crosse 2  La Crosse Eliminated
Game 4  Whitewater 13  Oshkosh 8
Game 5  Oshkosh 9  Stevens Point 7  Point Eliminated
Game 6  Oshkosh 6  Whitewater 5
Championship  Whitewater 14  Oshkosh 11

MVP  Jordan Stine  Whitewater

Killin' me, dude.
Game 2: Point 2,129, Oshkosh -19.

[cubs]

So has anyone thought that La Crosse may start Greg Gibson against Whitewater today?  He held the Warhawks to 4 runs in 8 innings in the Eagle's 9-8 regular season victory.  Why not see if he has their number again?

[Barber Greene]

Whitewater up 4-1 after 1 1/2.