BB: OAC: Ohio Athletic Conference

Pops33 · April 01, 2019, 09:35:39 AM

Wow. You are absolutely correct. I like aggressive baserunning, but you have to know the situation. A split with Heidelberg was good, but you have to let your best and most experienced hitter hit. I am sure that Brewer did not hesitate to point that out. Splitting with both Heidelberg and BW keeps Marietta in the thick of things for the conference. Overall, a good weekend for the Pioneers considering that most people probably expected Heidelberg to sweep.

Dr. Acula · April 01, 2019, 10:24:43 PM

Quote from: Pops33 on April 01, 2019, 09:35:39 AM
Wow. You are absolutely correct. I like aggressive baserunning, but you have to know the situation. A split with Heidelberg was good, but you have to let your best and most experienced hitter hit. I am sure that Brewer did not hesitate to point that out. Splitting with both Heidelberg and BW keeps Marietta in the thick of things for the conference. Overall, a good weekend for the Pioneers considering that most people probably expected Heidelberg to sweep.

Etta has navigated two of the best teams already with splits. I'd have to think Brewer isn't upset with where he's at right now. I posted it before that the formula is to sweep the bottom 2 teams and go 7-7 against the rest. Etta is right where they need to be.

Cap's split in Ada has ONU in a hole now at 1-3 with a (currently) bad split. And Cap very easily could have swept the Bears. Cap blew a 9-5 lead in the 7th and eventually fell 11-10 in 10 innings. Murkensturm threw a CG in game 2 which Cap won 5-1. First day of April and he threw 138 pitches.

Dr. Acula · April 02, 2019, 03:37:18 PM

Poor Phil Mary. Another very good start squandered. Leaves up 2-1. BW ties the game in the 8th without putting a good swing on a ball (HBP and 3 straight infield singles) then takes the lead on a can of corn. Frustrating stuff.

Dr. Acula · April 06, 2019, 05:28:40 PM

Mount salvaged the split with BW on Tuesday. That's all they needed there and they got the job done. With weather pushing that DH back to Tuesday though it would have meant Mary and Davis would pitch today on 3 days rest. They both already have done it this year (in FL), but Hesse opted to go with his 3/4 at ONU today.

Dr. Acula · April 06, 2019, 10:42:55 PM

Not sure what to make of the OAC now that we're 1/3 of the way through other than JCU is just beating the ball around the yard. Beyond that who knows. No one else looks remotely bulletproof. Etta split with Cap today. They're 3-3. Ott split with Musky last week. BW needed 12 innings to eek out a win over Wilm today.

Teams that are a half step ahead: JCU. But not by as much as the 6-0 record would appear. They've played Cap, Musky and Wilm. An OAC tourney team is navigating those 3 at 5-1 or 6-0 nearly every year. You have to.
Teams where they need to be: BW and Berg. Neither one has a painful loss yet. Berg is probably ahead by a nose as sweeping ONU is above sweeping Wilm.
Teams a half step behind: Etta and Mount. Etta's loss to Cap today puts them we'll say a half step behind. They've already split with BW and Berg which is good news. Easy places to trip up and get swept. Mount's sweep by Ott is not a huge blow, but it did trim their margin for error right out of the gate. Holding serve against BW and ONU with splits steadied the ship. With Mount's 1/2 going against Etta's 3/4 on Tuesday the Raiders need at least a split down south.

D3baseballparent · April 08, 2019, 11:50:46 AM

No idea who Etta throws tomorrow, maybe same two that threw Saturday on 3 days rest. Split against Capital not ideal. After Mount Union have two against Wilmington and two against Muskegon which they now have to sweep. It Mount sweeps them, Etta probably won't make the conference tourney for like the second time in 50 years.

Dr. Acula · April 08, 2019, 05:20:05 PM

I would be shocked if Etta threw Wiggins and Sabatine tomorrow. That's only 2 days rest. That should be a good DH. Both squads need at least a split so it's critical for everyone's OAC tourney hopes. Looks like 70 and sunny there tomorrow. Great day for a DH.

The Berg/JCU DH is the headliner tomorrow. Berg gets the first shot to bring JCU back to the pack and create bedlam in the standings.

D3baseballparent · April 08, 2019, 07:22:17 PM

Berg /JCU very interesting. JCU a soft 6-0 in OAC , Berg had the best pre league results. JCU sweeps and they will be tough to catch, Berg sweeps puts them back in favorite role and JCU has questions.

Dr. Acula · April 08, 2019, 11:27:27 PM

I think it ends up being classic anti-climatic OAC and Berg and JCU split. Mount and Etta probably split too. That's just life in the OAC. Not a lot separates a lot of the teams.

Dr. Acula · April 09, 2019, 03:29:12 PM

Not a good start for bringing JCU back to the pack. They're up 10-0 in the 8th. The little bit I watched I saw them hit 2 triples over the OF heads. The DH is at Kent for some reason.

14-0 final.

Just heard Brewer mention that Wiggins and Sabatine are not pitching today, but Wiggins wouldn't be pitching even on normal rest today due to a sore elbow.

Ralph Turner · April 10, 2019, 10:04:34 AM

Quote from: Dr. Acula on April 09, 2019, 03:29:12 PM
Not a good start for bringing JCU back to the pack. They're up 10-0 in the 8th. The little bit I watched I saw them hit 2 triples over the OF heads. The DH is at Kent for some reason.

14-0 final.

Just heard Brewer mention that Wiggins and Sabatine are not pitching today, but Wiggins wouldn't be pitching even on normal rest today due to a sore elbow.

Thanks for the comment.

Looking at JCU's schedule, I would expect them to be no worse than 7-1 to this point.

The meat of the schedule is in the back half of the regular season. They play BWC the last weekend of the regular season.

Dr. Acula · April 11, 2019, 10:49:19 AM

Good win for BW yesterday at Wooster 7-5. The Jackets have quietly ended up 17-8, 6-2 so far without their best player. As always, Harrison has his guys ascending as the season rolls on. He does such a good job.

And JCU should not be allowed to face anyone but the opponent's #1 and 2. Anyone else it seems like they just beat them around the yard. They hung 21 on Westminster yesterday. Keohane went 5-7 with 5 R, 6 RBI from the leadoff spot.

D3baseballparent · April 11, 2019, 11:29:26 AM

Any idea when Taw is supposed to come back from the broken hand?

Dr. Acula · April 12, 2019, 12:46:02 AM

No idea, but anything hand or wrist is not good news for a hitter from what I understand. But I was a pitcher so what the heck do I know?

Dr. Acula · April 13, 2019, 04:40:49 PM

And things just got interesting...

ONU beats JCU in the opener. With BW and Ott winning there's currently three teams at 7-2.

How competitive is the conference right now? Ott needed 10 innings to beat Cap. Etta needed to score 6 straight runs over the final 3 innings to escape 8-7 over Wilm. Let that sentence sink in for a minute. Mount had the tying run on second in the bottom of the 9th with 1 out but Berg hung on 3-2.