BB: NESCAC: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Rick Vaughn]

They may have 15 pitchers, but they may get beat up a little bit on Saturday by a pretty good MIT team if they save their pitching for Sunday.  Do you start Horowitz and Burgdorf Saturday, or do you save them for the pen on Sunday?  I feel like I'm making it more of a deal than it actually is, but I don't know how arms recover.

[frank uible]

Since Bill Barrale always takes my advice, it is recommended that he risk getting beat up to any extent by any and all others except for Amherst.

[Rick Vaughn]

Agreed.  Frank do you sit in the dugout or is it merely pregame suggestions?  Was Barnard as receptive of you advice? 

[frank uible]

Both Barrale and Barnard have used my advice in about the same way - which is rendered from my luxury box.

[dgilblair]

Good story.........http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/baseball/2009-04-30-amherst-williams_N.htm

[JustAFan]

Hamilton beats Amherst, 9-3, this afternoon on the strength of 4 home runs off Amherst starter Ryan Healy, who pitched 7 innings, followed by Teddy Blank. Foster did not pitch for Hamilton.

Despite today's loss, Amherst can still host the tournament by beating Williams tomorrow.  The open question, which will be decided later today, is whether tomorrow's game is a do or die game for Amherst.  That will depend on the result of today's Wesleyan game at Middlebury, which begins at 3:00. If Middlebury beats Wesleyan then Amherst clinches a tournament spot and tomorrow's game is "only" for the right to host the tournament (and also to avoid a opening round tournament game vs. Trinity).  If Wesleyan beats Middlebury later today then Amherst must win tomorrow to make the tournament.

[frank uible]

If tomorrow's Amherst-Williams game should be canceled (not postponed) for weather,  flu or other reasons, then Amherst goes, but Williams hosts, irrespective of Wesleyan's outcome vs. Middlebury.

[JustAFan]

Wesleyan rallies with 4 runs in the 8th to beat Middlebury 9-6.  Senior co-captain Dusty Mones (5.1 IP, 11 hits, 5 ER) and freshman Brett Yanusi (3.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 run) pitched the Cardinals to victory, with Yarusi getting the win to even his record at 3-3.  Eight of the 9 Wesleyan starters had at least 2 hits.

Let's hope the weather cooperates tomorrow and Williams and Amherst can get the game in so that tournament berths are earned on the field rather than by application of tie-breaker rules.

[Rick Vaughn]

Williams clinches the top spot and pushes Amherst out of the NESCAC tourney with an 8-5 win today.  Sad to see a legend like Thurston have it end like that. 

The Williams freshman class was very impressive.  Grossman was great out of the pen throwing 5.1 only allowing one run on a Powers' bomb.  Marino followed him and showed good stuff, but did give up a homer.  At the plate, 3B Susk and CF Maier hit the ball hard all day.  Allemand was hitting 9th, but still displayed the potential that made him FOY two years ago with a HR and a 3B.  Williams will be a tough team next year even without Benz and Horwitz.

Final note: The game was played at a newly renovated Wahconah Park.  The place used to be falling apart and the field surface was awful, but they replaced the whole field and it looks great.  They also fixed up the bathrooms and adjusted the park fences.  The facility looks fantastic and I could see it being used as a possible NE Regional Site down the road.  The only issue is it plays small with metal bats, but the field is in great shape.  All around good day of baseball for the Williams-Amherst rivalry, especially for an Eph fan. 

[frank uible]

Only three home runs were hit today at Wahconah. If that is too many, then take down the new drawn-in outfield fences, and return to the prior deeper ones.

[Rick Vaughn]

Didn't say it was too many...I just thought that the porches were a little short down the line.  The high fence makes up for center field being just 380.  I was nitpicking either way the yard looked great.

[darkhorse]

Rick,
Now that the regular season has wrapped up how about your thoughts on the 1st and 2nd team all NESCAC's, POY, ROY and Pitcher of year? 

Also anyone else who has an opinion on this I would love to hear it....

[Rick Vaughn]

These awards are hard to predict because the coaches don't name someone from each position on both teams.  This is my take on where they may end up.

POY  Killeen (Tr)                     Runners Up - Dominguez, Graham
PitchOY - Bayer (Tr)                Runner Up - Nobody is even close
COY - Thurston (Amh) - For sentimental reasons, but the winner should be Decker or Woodworth
FOY - Heller (Amh)                 Runners Up - Maier, Choate, Ramsey

1st Team
C - Killeen (Tr), 1B - Graham (Tr), 2B - Piancentini (Tr), SS - Dominguez (Wes), 3B - McKillop (Midd), OF - Enns(Midd), Mathews (Will), Heller (Amh), P - Bayer (Tr), Foster (Ham), Pace (Bowd), Stefaniak (Tufts)

2nd Team
C - Brown (Will), 1B - Shimrock (Midd), 2B - Zikaras (Bowd), SS - Leresche (Tufts), 3B - Sonnenfeld (Wes), OF - Choate (Ham), Burke (Bat), Lamborn (Wes), DH - Mikell (Will), UTL - Augustyn (Ham), P - Janiga (Tr), Yarusi (Wes), Ramsey (Tr), DeGoti (Tufts)

[darkhorse]

Rick,

Why no mention of Mayberry from Hamilton for rookie of the year?  He is listed as a So. but this is his first year playing in college.  He has better #'s than Choate and more hits than Heller?  Plus the kid can flat out play SS....Just wondering what your thoughts were?

[Rick Vaughn]

I didn't know that Mayberry was a rookie. 

I didn't give him 2nd team SS because Leresche was Tufts most important player all year and Ham already had a few other guys receiving recognition.