BB: OAC: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Spence]

The NCAC is definitely deeper than it was. Kenyon isn't rotten anymore, Oberlin is improved, Earlham has been gotten rid of, DePauw has been added...though they did add Hiram which is not a help. Wooster has 17 seniors this year, so if they can't return to dominance this year, I don't know when they can.

The OAC? Eh, I dunno. Depends on when you're talking about. Otterbein won the OAC in 2006 when Marietta won the national title. Before they and Heidelberg got it together, there was a pretty long stretch of dominance for Marietta, and before that, the OAC was really good with Schaly, Fishbaugh, Strayer and Fisher all in the league. In i think it was 83, OTT and MAR played in the national championship game and Marietta didn't even play in the conference tournament championship game!

[EttaFan1]

First off I was a little surprised in hearing of Coach Palm's decision to relinquish his duties as head coach after this season.  He made the OAC better, period. He took a program which was downright awful, and didn't just make it competitive, he made 'berg a contender year in and year out.  No other team has even been close to being a consistent contender for the top spot in the league year in and year out.  Thibeault and Hesse have been at JCU and Mount Union for quite some time, and while those teams have made the OAC tournament, neither sniffed a regional until last year when Mount Union got there by winning the OAC tournament.  George Powell at Otterbein had some success a few years ago, but hasn't been been able to maintain it.  Prior to 2013 and During Palm's tenure,  I think (not 100% certain) the only OAC schools to make it to a regional were Marietta, 'Berg and Otterbein.  And the only two to make it to the D3 Series were Marietta and Heidelberg.  Those were also the only other schools to win the regular season championship and host the OAC tourney.   

I've said this before, Palm and Brewer seemed to have different goals in mind when the season started than the rest of the league.  The rest of the league seemed to strive for one of the four spots in the OAC tournament.  Palm and  Brewer seemed to start the season with their eyes on the top spot, a birth in the regional, and a trip to Appleton. 

His success created a good and intense rivalry with the Pioneers.  He had his eye on taking down the best, and he was successful a few times in doing so.  One thing was certain when Marietta and Heidelberg got together on the diamond, it was intense.  The on-field blow up between Palm and Brewer during the regional championship game in 2011 showed just how intense it had become! 

I wish the best to Coach Palm, but it is sad news for OAC baseball to hear of him stepping down following the season.

Secondly, it makes me wonder, if Wooster has 17 seniors this year, will this be Coach Pettorini's last year at the helm?  He isn't a "spring chicken" and Wooster has struggled in post season play in the past few years.  If he has that many kids graduating after the season, you kind of wonder if he might make his curtain call.
 


 

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Edit: Spence beat me to most of this but here is my take anyway.

I agree the OAC is better and has been for a long time. Wooster has slipped back, but part of that was they were playing a lot of young guys. If any year has a chance to be their year, it is now. They have 17 seniors in this class. They should have some depth. The one problem you have with comparing data points between the two schools is the format the teams use for conference play. With the NCAC playing 2 double headers on Saturday and Sunday, the number one starter is often not available for mid week games. Speaking form recent events, when OWU has played Marietta or Heidelberg in the last few years, they were facing at best OWU's fourth starter.

I am not claiming that the out come would have been different if OWU had started their one or two guy, but there is a possibility. Of coarse this does not take the spring break games into consideration, because OWU had every chance to line up their number one guy against Marietta but did not.

Again I think the OAC is better. In the NCAC we will see if Oberlin can continue to improve or fall back. Hiram is Hiram. I am hopeful for OWU but I will have to wait to make any predictions.

[EttaFan1]

Depending on when an OAC school plays a NCAC school you may or may not see the OAC schools #1/2 guys either.  If there is a weekend OAC double header or a mid week game coming up, and you are seeing Marietta, for example, you'll likely get either a guy down the rotation or Johnny Wholestaff getting 2 maybe three innings each.   

For example,  Last season, Marietta played WOoster in between a double header with JCU on the 21st of April, and prior to a DH with BW on the 27th.  Marietta started Herstine, who was probably the #5 or 6 guy in the rotation.  Yes Brockmeier and Mulvey got a couple of innings each.

One of the interesting things about the midweek non conference series for any school is you get to see some younger, less experienced pitching.  I'm not sure how many of those work out to be 2-1 pitcher's duels!

[Dr. Acula]

Every year I hope it changes and it never does...Mount is always soooo conservative about their roster.  They won't post it until the week they leave for FL.  Okay, that may be a stretch, but not by much.  I mean, the kids have been back from Xmas break for weeks now.  Isn't it safe to say who is and isn't on the team by now? 

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Same thing at OWU, we won't see the roster for a few weeks yet probably.

[Spence]

Jason Byers officially back on the Marietta roster. Good job putting in the work, and good on the staff for demanding that.

Young man has a great opportunity at the school, as everyone does. Glad he's working to take advantage.

[Dr. Acula]

And this isn't like when Katzenmoyer took AIDS Awareness and Intro to Golf at Ohio St.  Byers had to take actual college courses.  Good job getting things squared away in the classroom.

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Always good to hear, when a young man, puts the work in and gets the job done.

[EttaFan1]

Jason Byers officially back on the Marietta roster. Good job putting in the work, and good on the staff for demanding that.

Young man has a great opportunity at the school, as everyone does. Glad he's working to take advantage.

This is significant for Marietta College, IMO.  Without him, their chances of winning a strong OAC conference regular season were small.  He threw 1/4 of the innings pitched last year and was outstanding in doing so.  He is an All-OAC caliber player who can anchor the rotation. 

Glad he got it together enough to give himself a chance to compete and continue on to his degree for life after baseball. 

[Spence]

I think Byers could end up being draftable at some point. LHP over 6-feet that figures to throw around 90 as soon as this year.

So I'm really glad that he has preserved the opportunity for that to happen.

[EttaFan1]

A look at the Pioneers for 2014

3 Sr's - 0 Pitchers - 3 Position players
6 Jr's - 1 Pitcher - 5 position players
10 So's- 4 Pitchers  - 6 Position players
16 Fr's - 6 Pitchers - 10 Position Players

Of note: 

The experience of the pitchers returning:
Jason Byers (SO) - 17 app, 14 GS.  2.37 ERA, 98.2 IP, 77K
Mike Finlan (so) - 10 app, 7 GS. 3.75 ERA, 48.0 IP, 19 K
Christain Herstine (SO), 4 app, 2 GS 6.75 ERA, 16.0 IP, 6 K
Mike Fulton (JR), 15 App, 5.95 ERA, 19.2 IP, 14 K

No other pitchers on the roster have game experince at Marietta College.

Offensively/Defensively, Key returners:
Chris Winpiggler (JR)- 1b/DH - .461, 2 HR, .697 SLG
Mitch Geers (JR)- LF/1b/DH - .355, 0 HR, .471 SLG
Josh Ungerbuehler (SR) - C/OF/DH - .306, 3  HR .463 SLG
Christian Demko (JR) - SS - .253
Ryan Hannahan (JR) - SS - .226
Of note, these two shared time at short stop and combined for 27 errors last season
Tyler Packinik (SO)- 2b .236
Zack Buckewicz (SR) -2b .214

Biggest Concerns: 
Shortstop--The two returners who manned that spot most of the year last year struggled a lot on defense and even more so at the plate.  The two combined to commit 27 errors, and neither hit over .250.  It will be interesting to see if a freshman challenges either of the two returners for significant chances at short.
Catcher--I've had more than one person tell me that Winpiggler had a better arm than Alex did (and very few people were able to successfully run against Toth), but I've also heard, there are no plans to put Winpiggler behind the dish.  This is a very young, very inexperinced pitching staff.  Finding a catcher who can step in and handle that staff is going to be singificant. 
Pitching--Talk about youth and inexperience.  Byers and Finlan were starters as freshman.  Herstine looked good a few times, but was roughed up a few times too.  I imagine freshman are going to be counted on heavily for innings. 

Marietta opens their season on March 1,2 with 2 games against Anderson and 2 against Depauw. 

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Is 98- 100 innings usual for a marietta starter or did they just lean a lot on Byers. Or did a lot of those innings come in the post season.

[EttaFan1]

98 was actually second on the team behind Mulvey who had just over 100. They tend to lean heavily on their top two guys. I would expect that number to be similar with the way they have built the schedule. There are only two mid week league series this season. That means #1 and #2 will get a log of work with plenty of rest thigh the week.

Also have to remember that Marietta went Deep into the regional where both Mulvey and Byers had more than one appearance so that also helps tompilemup innings.

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Thanks for the response Etta. I knew the post season added innings. I forgot how far the express went.