BB: NESCAC: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[ECSUalum]

My prediction for the 8 teams playing in the NCAA NE Regional @ Mansfield CT:

ECSU wins LEC Tourney
Bowdoin wins NESCAC Tourney
WNEC wins CCC
Wheaton wins NEWMAC
Castleton wins NAC
Worcester St wins MASCAC
Trinity College gets pool C
WPI gets pool C

[RSSmith]

My prediction for the 8 teams playing in the NCAA NE Regional @ Mansfield CT:

ECSU wins LEC Tourney
Bowdoin wins NESCAC Tourney
WNEC wins CCC
Wheaton wins NEWMAC
Castleton wins NAC
Worcester St wins MASCAC
Trinity College gets pool C
WPI gets pool C

I think GNAC gets an AQ and the New England Region gets 1 Pool C.

[ECSUalum]

My prediction for the 8 teams playing in the NCAA NE Regional @ Mansfield CT:

ECSU wins LEC Tourney
Bowdoin wins NESCAC Tourney
WNEC wins CCC
Wheaton wins NEWMAC
Castleton wins NAC
Worcester St wins MASCAC
Trinity College gets pool C
WPI gets pool C

I think GNAC gets an AQ and the New England Region gets 1 Pool C.

Thanks RSSmith,

Yes, Correct, I overlooked GNAC, Sorry GNACers.  In that case St Joseph ME and WPI out

[Hobbesy]

Good sweep today for Tufts and a tough two losses for both Trinity and Bowdoin...


Here are two in between game interviews with Coach Casey and Coach Decker.

http://ned3baseball.wordpress.com/

[Rick Vaughn]

Tufts is now in the drivers seat in the NESCAC...Bowdoin and Trinity's at large chances take a major hit this weekend.  Bowdoin will likely have to win two of three from Tufts to even get in the tourney, but they still hold they tie breaker over the Bantams.  Wesleyan was out of conference this weekend, but now have an excellent chance for an at large with those other teams struggling.  If they take two of three from Williams next weekend and do not go two and out in the NESCAC tourney, I see them in the tournament as well.

In the West - Wes and Williams sit at 7-2...Amherst is 5-4.  The only way Amherst gets in is if they sweep Midd and Wes or Williams sweeps the other next weekend.  I see Wes beating Williams two of three next weekend to take the #1 seed.

In the East - Tufts has locked up a playoff spot at 7-1 with one Trin game and the Bowdoin series left.    The best Trinity can finish is 7-5, so if Bowdoin can go 4-2 over the next two conference weekends they are in (they hold the tie breaker over Trinity).  If Tufts can win one of the next four they should be set to host the NESCAC tourney.

[JustAFan]

Tufts clinches first place in the East division and the right to host the NESCAC championship with its split today at Bowdoin while Williams clinches first place in the West division with its sweep of Wesleyan today.  After that, things are as clear as mud. Here's how I think it shapes up (but I could easily have some/all of this wrong):

Second place in the East division will depend in large part on the make-up of the rained out third game of last weekend's Tufts/Trinity series, now scheduled for Thursday afternoon at Tufts. If Trinity wins that game, it will finish 7-5 and will finish in second place unless either Bates sweeps Bowdoin next weekend or Bowdoin sweeps Bates.  If Bates sweeps Bowdoin next weekend it will finish 8-4 but if it only wins 2 of 3 and finishes 7-5 Trinity will advance since it owns the tie-breaker with Bates by virtue of winning their regular season series.  If instead Bowdoin sweeps Bates and ends up with the same 7-5 record as Trinity Bowdoin will advance since it won its regular season series with Trinity. 

If Trinity loses this week's game with Tufts, it will finish 6-6 and be eliminated from the league championship series and whoever wins the Bowdoin/Bates series next weekend will claim second place.  Neither team will need to sweep the series to advance under this scenario; two wins will be enough.  If Bates wins 2 of 3 under this scenario it ends up 7-5 vs. Trinity at 6-6 while if Bowdoin wins 2 of 3 under this scenario it ends up 6-6 and Trinity and Bates also end up 6-6 but Bowdoin would advance because it would have won both its league series vs. Bates and Trinity.

Things are only a little less confusing in the west.  Williams clinched first place with today's sweep of Wesleyan. If Wesleyan wins the final game of the series vs. Williams at home tomorrow it will finish 8-4 and clinch second place even if Amherst sweeps Middlebury next weekend to also finish 8-4 since Wesleyan owns the tie-breaker with Amherst by virtue of winning their regular season series.  If Wesleyan loses tomorrow's game vs. Williams and finishes 7-5 , it opens the door for Amherst to claim second place but in order to do so Amherst will have to sweep next weekend's series vs. Middlebury; if Amherst only wins 2 of the 3 games in that series and finishes tied with Wesleyan at 7-5 Wesleyan will advance because it won its regular season series against Amherst. If Wesleyan loses tomorrow and Middlebury sweeps Amherst next weekend to finish 7-5 Wesleyan also advances since it won its series with Middlebury.

[Rick Vaughn]

Thanks for the breakdown Fan...It is clear now that I got way ahead of myself when thinking the NESCAC could possibly receive three bids.  Right now the league will only receive one unless Tufts is upset in the conference tourney.  I believe the Jumbos are a lock for an at large. 

I am rooting for Bates in the race for second in the East...Like to see someone outside of Tufts, Bowdoin, and Trin make it for a change.  It's been at least since 2002 that someone besides those three have qualified for the conference tourney (I'm gonna guess much further back than that).  Either way Edwin Thompson is a lock for Coach of the Year.

[JustAFan]

Bowdoin fights off a 4 run rally by Bates in the bottom of the 9th for an 8-4 win this afternoon.

Tufts breaks open a 7-6 game with 7 two-out runs in the bottom of the 8th to take a 14-6 lead vs. Trinity, then survives 3 Trinity home runs in the top of the ninth to win 14-9.

If Bowdoin wins one of its 2 games tomorrow vs. Bates I think it will claim second place in the East division and advance to next week's playoffs.

Middlebury is leading Amherst 17-7 in the 8th.  If that result holds, I think it allows Wesleyan to clinch 2d place in the West division even if Wesleyan loses tomorrow's game vs. Williams since Wesleyan owns the tie-breaker vs. Amherst.

[Rick Vaughn]

Things are set...Bowdoin wins the tie-breaker in the East with a 4-2 record against Trin and Bates.  Bates came a long way this year, it's too bad they won't have a chance to play in the tourney.  Hope they can carry it over to next year - it's great to see some new faces at the top of the conference.

A quick preview for next weekend.  E1 Tufts vs. W2 Wesleyan & W1 Williams vs. E1 Bowdoin.  No prediction yet, but my rankings for top offenses and pitching staffs.

Pitching:  Tufts, Bowdoin, Williams, Wesleyan
Offense: Williams, Bowdoin, Wesleyan, Tufts

[KSCfan]

I am watching the nescac tourny this year with great interest. I am rooting for tufts to take it as it would help the LEC and my beloved owls of Keene state. I'd tufts gets upset than they will take the pool c bid foe sure but if tufts wins then that pool c is looking like Williams or the lec runner up if it's Keene or eastern. Keene Williams tied earlier in the year so I don't know how that will factor. Is the nescac tourny single or double elimination? And is there any lice stats or video for me to keep track of it with? Go jumbos

[Rick Vaughn]

KSCfan...I like the sound of that.  Not sure that Williams is in the running for a Pool C, but losing in the title game would likely leave them at 24-12-1.  Very good not great.

As far as coverage, Tufts usually has the best through Jumbo Cast...just search it online.

[wordsmith]

Here is a link to the Amherst College website seeking a Head Baseball Coach -interesting timing, but I guess we knew after Coach Thurston retired last spring and an interim was named this was in the offing.

https://jobs.amherst.edu/view/opportunity/id/222

Word

[Rick Vaughn]

Very surprised to see this job opening back up...Hamm has a great resume and had a successful year one in Amherst.

KSCfan - Here is the link to JumboCast (http://www.jumbocast.com/index.php).  It says they will cover every game played on campus.  That means the Williams v. Bowdoin game and the first loser's bracket game will be the only games not covered.  Hope the weather holds around Boston.

[Rick Vaughn]

Tufts 5 Wesleyan 4 Final
Williams 15 Bowdoin 5 Final

Tufts vs. Williams & Wes vs. Bowdoin tomorrow at 10 am.

[Rick Vaughn]

Both NESCAC tourney games today halted with the West teams in command...

Tufts leads Williams 8-2 Bottom 5
Bowdoin leads Wesleyan 7-2 Top 4

This delay is big time in favor of Tufts - unless they blow this lead.