BB: SCAC: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[frank_ezelle]

Southwestern has a webcast I believe, but you pay to view.  I choose not to pay and to follow the live stats instead.  Also, I'll agree that the webcast are most important for the folks who are out of town, but I've listened to my fair share of games on the webcast even though I live in Jackson near the campus.  I really appreciate this service provided to Millsaps fans.

Regarding the Trinity broadcast, I always enjoy listening to their games as well as the crew from DePauw.  I only heard the last few innings from the Trinity games yesterday.  I believe that was Evan Bronson who was giving the insight in how to pitch to the batters and what he remembered about batters from previous seasons.  That was good stuff and it really made the broadcast interesting to me.

Regarding the Trinity team and comparing them to the early start by Millsaps, it appears that Trinity will be a team loaded with sluggers and Millsaps will be more of a small ball team.  I think Millsaps had 25 walks, 9 hbp, and 16 SB in their first 3 games to go along with 1 HR.  They still scored 14 runs per game, but in a far different manner than the way Trinity is getting their double-digit scores.  It makes for an interesting contrast.

[Krakatoa]

In  regards to the ATW webcasts......is some kind of wi-fi hotspot needed at the field? How does it work? I'm looking into it for the high school team I coach which happens to be an overseas DoD school. Would love to be able to broadcast to parents who are deployed and to families back in the States.

[BATR441]

OU just layed the wood to Emory, 19 hits posted by the Petrels who almost gave up the game up 6-zip and here came Emory put up  a 6 spot, Ou charged back to go ahead and never looked back.

was good to just get in a game next up for OU Piedmont weather permitting.

[frank_ezelle]

At this point in the season, it certainly looks like Trinity is the team to beat in the SCAC.  Admittedly, it's extremely early with some teams yet to play their first game and with Millsaps off to a solid 3-0 start, but Trinity seems to have everything in sync at the moment.

With a 12-2 win today, Trinity put the finishing touches on a sweep of Austin.  The 'Roos came into the series having allowed 51 runs in 5 games, and allowed double-digit scores to the Tigers in all three games.  The Austin pitching will obviously need to improve in a hurry.  

In other action, it wasn't a great weekend for SCAC baseball.  Southwestern got no-hit in a 10-0 loss to Texas Lutheran and then outhit Texas Lutheran 8-3 in the second game but loss that by a 2-1 score.  Rhodes opened their season today with a 6-3 loss to Huntingdon.  On the plus side, Oglethorpe finally got their game played with Emory and won 13-8.  

As for Millsaps and Hendrix, there's no word on the Millsaps website about those games being rescheduled.  There was talk of playing a DH Monday or Tuesday and then having Hendrix host a 3-game series instead of a 2-game series, but nothing has been made official on that.

[svbbcoach]

I received word from a player that they are planning on leaving Hendrix Monday afternoon for Jackson. Reportedly a DH to start Tuesday around 1pm CT. The 3rd game will probably be played at Hendrix during the March 20 rematch weekend. Nothing official yet. Anyone else hear anything?

[frank_ezelle]

Millsaps athletic newsletter came out during lunch and here's the baseball schedule for this week:

Tuesday:  Hendrix at Millsaps (DH)--1:00 and 4:00 (the series at Hendrix later will become a 3-game series)
Wednesday:  MS College at Millsaps 6:00
Saturday:  Millsaps at Southwestern 1:00
Sunday:  Millsaps at Southwestern 1:00

It's mostly likely that Aaron Williams and Shelby Robertson will get the starts Tuesday and I guess they would have time to come back and start the games against Southwestern.  The game against MS College might become a pitch by committee against a tough team--that would give some idea of the Millsaps pitching depth this season.

[frank_ezelle]

According to the baseball schedule on the Millsaps website, the Tuesday games with Hendrix are going to be webcast at the following link:

http://www.sportsnation360.com/schools/webcast/Millsaps-College

The forecast is for a sunny day, but the high will only reach 49 degrees and a 10-15 mph wind will make for a chilly day at Twenty Field.  It seems like a good day to work on photos of the basketball teams, the cheerleaders, and the dance team while listening to DP's broadcast.

[tigerfan_2001]

watching the webcast right now...Majors up 5-0 in 3rd.

[frank_ezelle]

Millsaps wins the DH with Hendrix today, taking the first game 8-4 and the second by a 10-8 margin.  The wins move Millsaps to 5-0 and 2-0 in the SCAC.  The losses drop Hendrix to 3-2 and 0-2 in the SCAC.  The third game of this series will now become a home game for Hendrix later in the season.

Boxscore game 1:  http://www.gomajors.com/custompages/Baseball/10Baseball/stats/mcb10-04.htm
Box score game 2:  http://www.gomajors.com/custompages/Baseball/10Baseball/stats/mcb10-05.htm

Millsaps has gone through a difficult preseason with the first two weeks of January being about the coldest long stretch of weather that I can remember in Jackson.  Then there's been a fair amount of rain, plus a heavy snow.  For Millsaps and their first two opponents (Ozarks and Hendrix), I would expect a lot of improvement once the weather gets better and there's the opportunity for more consistent practice time.  In the meantime, it's good to be 5-0, especially with new starters at 5 of the 8 positions and a lot of newcomers getting time on the mound.

Next up for Millsaps will be a single game tomorrow against MS College.  That will be a tough test and then the weekend brings the first two SCAC road games with a trip to Southwestern.  Those are 3 games that will tell us a lot more about this year's Millsaps team.  

[18wheeler18]

Hello to the regulars. This is the first of what will probably be many posts about Hendrix and the SCAC.

First Congrats to Millsaps.

Second Boooo Hendrix.  This team is much better than they played today and I think the series at Hendrix will be a good one.  I think being jerked around for 4 days, then traveling late presented some hurdles those guys and they will get it together before the next meeting.

On a slightly older topic I don't think I saw anyone mention the issue of tuition when discussing Hendrix's small recruiting class this year.  I believe there was a solid line up some of which was lost when Hendrix announced an increase in tuition.

Does this seem likely?

Hoping for another great Hendrix season!

[ILVBB]

Anyone at the Hendrix/Millsaps game today; how much did the cold impact the game? The box score shows more errors than you would expect from these teams, did the cold play a part in the games?

[18wheeler18]

I wasn't there but talked to some Hendrix players.  They said that the weather wasn't bad when I asked the same question.

[nvnorthpaw]

The weather today didn't look to be the primary issue, but instead the amount of practice time I am assuming both teams have had.  I am more familiar with Conway and Hendrix and can say there is no possible way Hendrix has held more than two practices on a baseball diamond.  I cannot remember any time in recent memory that the weather has been this much of an issue.  I assume that with improved weather conditions, the teams will be able to get more outdoor practice time; there is only so much you can do in a gym/cage. 

Despite the large amount of errors, most of them were not extraordinarily bad.  The shortstop from Millsaps had a handful, although he seems like he is pretty sure-handed and will be much improved later on. 

[frank_ezelle]

Regarding the cold of last night and of 2010, it seems like both were factors in the high number of errors.  With Millsaps opening against Ozarks and Hendrix, that gave them two opponents who have also struggled with weather problems in the preseason.  While I haven't kept up with the weather in Georgetown, TX for the last 6 weeks, my guess is that their team has had better practice conditions and that is something to consider regarding the Saturday and Sunday games.

Millsaps plays MS College tonight at 6:00 in a huge game that will be webcast:
http://www.sportsnation360.com/schools/webcast/Millsaps-College

Maybe it seems a little overstated to call this a "huge" game, but I start out every season knowing that keeping the prospects for an NCAA at-large berth alive is extremely important.  Remember that the 2006 and 2009 teams went to the NCAA on an at-large berth and the very talented 2007 team missed out on an at-large because of one or two losses here and there throughout their regular season.

Personally, I think that 9 NCAA losses are about the most you can have if you are looking for an at-large bid.  Let's say a team goes 15-5 in the SCAC and then picks up two losses in the SCAC Tournament.  That's 7 losses right there.  It doesn't leave much wiggle room for losses in the non-conference games and MS College is a tough team that's on the schedule 3 times.  Millsaps needs to win at least 2 out of 3 with MS College this year and that's why tonight's game is so important.  It should be a good one and I hope you get a chance to tune in for some of the action.

[tigerfan_2001]

Looking at the box score, Trinity rolled again last night.  Everyone had a hit, except Evan Jones, who had 3 RBIs.  Through 20% of the season, the Tigers appear to be clicking on offense.  I hope it lasts....