BB: SCAC: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Gus Sinski]

Spence;

Around here, it's not unusual for a team to play one or two conference games a week. In these parts, you don't want to put too much strain on the kids because, geez, they've got to be at their best for spring football.   

I've been pretty familiar with the prep baseball scene here, and incidents of kids being pitched like Kerry Wood are few and farther between. I'd imagine in other, larger states, it's different. But I wouldn't know for sure.

As for the mid-week debate, I'll reference the 80's hair-metal ballad that included the lyric "You don't know what you've got until it's gone." In this conference, having that one guy you can give the ball to and know that you'll be competitive is often the difference between playing in the post-season and going to Friday classes.

I'll bring up Rhodes, and note that their real push toward becoming a top-teir conference team coincided with the arrival of Robert Flanigan.

Obviously, that's not all there is to it. But unless you can fashion together a Millsaps-style murderer's row of hitters, you need a bona fide No. 1. That makes the odds a little bit more favorable for winning at least one conference game, and makes taking one out of the remaining three a less daunting proposition.

Looking at the way the standings played out this season, a team that pieces together 2-4 and even a few 1-3 weekends is going to be playing some post-season baseball.

Perhaps I'm a bit high-strung, but in no way would I want to take any chances with that No. 1 pitcher unless absolutely necessary. Now, are the chances of injury significantly higher in a game setting vs. a controlled setting? No. And just as many things can go wrong in practice. But the variables are greater in a game.

That may sound like small taters to some, but not others. Let's say you're one of those lower end programs that has a significant drop-off from their "ace" to their No. 4 guy. Your top guy may very well be the thread that's holding your conference tournament hopes together.

Again, I use the D-1 example. Often, programs will not take a chance with a marquee pitcher. Too many things can happen, and there are too many innings to be pitched in the post-season.

[Spence]

Flanagan getting lit up as we speak, but so is Bignall. 7-3 Rhodes in the 3rd.

I think the turnaround has coincided more closely with the arrival of the current coach.

[consultant]

Nice wins by Rhodes and Austin thus far today.  Both games were 7 inning contests per the conference tourney run rule.  Very interesting.  I did not expect either of those games to conclude after 7.  That's why baseball is great!  You just never know!

 

[Spence]

Rhodes hammered around Trinity; Flanagan got hammered around early but settled down and ended up with a pretty respectable outing (4R, 2BB, 9K).

Kind of a break for Trinity that it ended in 7.

[etg]

(El Tea Gray---re: SCAC Cross-Divisional Tournament and Double-Elimination Round)

Spence,
You are correct, but remember Trinity in this stretch of the season is playing their best baseball. After allowing 5 runs in the first inning the Tigers tried hard but could not recover on this day; Pandora's Box then just flew open. Ending in seven innings this afternoon will allow the Tigers to forget about this game early, and move on with winning the last two games just like they did in the Arizona Tournament earlier this season.

If (better when) they qualify, Trinity will win the Double-Elimination Round next weekend. 

[Doc Nelson]

etg,

I love your optimism, but . . . you're kidding, right?  Trinity lost to Rhodes 15-4 in seven and that's reason to think Trinity will go on to win the next two?

That reminds me of the story that Ronald Reagan used to tell about the birthday boy who stood beaming next to a large pile of manure.  When a man happened by and asked him why he was so happy,  the boy said, "Because there's got to be a pony around here somewhere!"

On to Flanagan.  After being felled today in an early inning by a lined shot that hit him slightly south of the equator, Flanagan stood back up and pitched one-hit, no-walk, shutout ball the rest of the way.  Needless to say, his teammates drew all sorts of conclusions about how to him and other motivate pitchers in the future.

[Doc Nelson]

Oops--"how to motivate him and other pitchers" is how the last line of that psot was supposed to read.

[Spence]

Oops--"how to motivate him and other pitchers" is how the last line of that psot was supposed to read.

Still hilarious both times.

[frank_ezelle]

After the struggles of the Trinity pitching staff this afternoon, I wonder if they will regret that mid-week win and having to use 9 innings of pitching?  I know it doesn't sound like much but injuries and transfers have left the pitching staff awfully thin and it sounds like it is going to be hard to come up with enough pitching to win 2 straight against Rhodes.

And just in case they are checking the board, you guys on the Trinity webcast are doing a great job.  I heard the first two games but had to miss the SW-DePauw webcast. 

One tidbit about the game tonight is that Jason Hadley of Millsaps is one hit short of tieing the Millsaps record for most hits in a career.  So two hits this weekend will give him the Millsaps record at 229 hits, quite an accomplishment considering the number of hitting stars that Millsaps has had over the years.  He has already demolished the school record for most runs in a career.

[Spence]

Millsaps College 1st - Nick Crawfor grounded out to ss. Jason Hadley doubled to left center. Justin Carte reached on an error by 3b, advanced to second on an error by lf, advanced to third on a throwing error by lf; Jason Hadley advanced to third on an error by 3b, scored on an error by lf, unearned. Hunter Owen tripled to center field; Justin Carte scored, unearned. Hunter Abram doubled down the lf line, RBI; Hunter Owen scored, unearned. John Pacillo struck out. Luke Morrow walked. Derrik Bolan flied out to cf. 3 runs, 3 hits, 3 errors, 2 LOB.

Unless the error was on a play to get Hadley out, this is wrong. Out, 2B, out, 3B, 2B. Should be 2 earned.

[consultant]

Millsaps gets a solid 12-1, 10-run-rule win over Oglethorpe tonight.  The only run-rule of the day that I was expecting was the nightcap between Millsaps and Oglethorpe. 

Anybody think that the cross divisional will be over tomorrow?  If today is any indication, tomorrow may be all she wrote.

[Spence]

A DePauw win wouldn't surprise me. The others i think may be over.

[BigJim]

I do not think Trinity has any regets about the use of thier pitching staff on Tuesday for the BIG win over TLU.  Some Trinity players think the TLU games are a couple of the biggest games they play all year.  With that being said, tomorrow brings about a whole new world to all of the players from Trinity.  The seniors on this team have always been a part of a team which is accustomed to winning.  I believe they will come out tomorrow and show the leadership they can bring to this team.  If and when they take game two, I have to agree with ETG that they will have a great shot at game three with the momentum.

[historymajor]

I'm with you BigJim,,, never say die!  ETG got it right!

[Doc Nelson]

ETG and historymajor may turn out to be right--we'll know soon enough.  But as I read their arguments I'm reminded of a note that Huey Long reportedly scribbled in the margin of one of his speeches: "Weak point.  Holler louder!"