BB: OAC: Ohio Athletic Conference

[EttaFan1]

Things start getting interesting in the conference race now....This starts the stretch of games with the midweek series in between.

Game of the weekend:  Cap @ WIlmington.  just kidding.

Really the game of the weekend:  Mount Union (1-3) @ 'Berg (3-1) A split puts Mount in a difficult spot going forward, and would make clinching the top spot in the OAC very difficult...(4 losses with Marietta, BW, and Otterbein still on the slate) Getting swept, puts them in a bind to simply make the field.  A split for Berg is not the end of the world, IMO.   I just don't know what to make of the Raiders this year.  'Berg is tough, they are making some real noise.  I'd like to think that Mount has it in them to beat a really good team.  My prediction:  I think a split is likely.  If it is a sweep, it will be 'berg with the brooms.   Mount has a mid week game against Marietta, 'Berg has a midweek game with Capital.

Suprisingly better matchup than you anticipated at the beginning of the year:  JCU (4-0) at ONU (3-1).  the surprise isn't that JCU is 4-0, it is probably that ONU sits at 3-1.  Of course both teams have sweeps against lowly Wilmington to boost that record.  JCU started the year on a rough patch, while playing a strong schedule.  ONU will give them all they want.  JCU takes 2, though in the end and gets off to a 6-0 league start. 

A difference maker in the tourney race:  Ott (2-2) @ BW (2-2)  BW's pitching is a little eratic.  Other than Waite who was nails last Sunday.  with Collier possibly sidelined, it may make it difficult for Otterbein.  Could be a little offense on display in Berea.  I like BW to take two.

Muskingum (1-3) @ Marieta (3-1):  Marietta takes two. 

The Two free wins with a visit to historical downtown Wilmington:  Capital (1-3) @ Wilmington (0-4).  Wilmington has one win Total.  They hit a scorching .197 as a team.  Cap wins two.   

After this we get some good midweek matchups:  Marietta @ Mount, BW @ JCU, ONU @ OTT, Berg @ CAP, and Wilm @ MUSK. 

Who has a a quality #3 and #4 pitcher? We'll find out a week from Wednesday (weather permitting)!

[ADL70]

I don't think the aggregate means a thing, each team gets 1 W and 1 L.

Guess not since Berg leapfrogged the Spartans in the poll?

[Spence]

Wasn't Case on the road as well?

I have Case the highest ranked team in the region right now despite the loss to Marietta. I think Marietta has the highest ceiling, but right now they've been too inconsistent and you can't rank a team higher based on one game forever...that just doesn't work.

Oh well, Case being out of the regional is already almost impossible to imagine. So it'll all work itself out.

[Spence]

Marietta FR Jim Luyster ties an all-divisions record today against Mount Aloysius.

[Jim Dixon]

Marietta FR Jim Luyster ties an all-divisions record today against Mount Aloysius.

Which one?

[Spence]

Fewest pitches in an inning -- 3

Held by many.

[motorman]

I don't think the aggregate means a thing, each team gets 1 W and 1 L.

Guess not since Berg leapfrogged the Spartans in the poll?

I guess the poll voters took into account that Case used #1 and #2 starters and Berg was using #3 and #4 and still split.

[Spence]

I remember when something like this was brought up on the board earlier this year and a certain someone dismissed it as making excuses.

Never mind that I don't think that was Case's #2, or at least it hadn't been. And that it was a home/road game rather than neutral site in Florida.

I wonder if a team has ever had an easier OAC schedule than Berg this year. Got out of a road trip against one of the better teams in the conference, leaving trips to Cap, Wilmington and Ohio Northern. It's like Palm faxed them the schedule himself.

If Berg doesn't make the OAC tournament again, they've got absolutely no one to blame. Really, if they're any good they should end up hosting it with that kind of schedule.

[Jack Parkman]

Fewest pitches in an inning -- 3

Held by many.

Dang, I was looking at the box score trying to figure it out and started to doubt my baseball knowledge. 

[Spence]

He got the first guy out on one pitch in the next inning too, I think.

Mount Aloysius 4th - Luyster to p for Herstine. Dick grounded out to ss
(0-0). Bortner grounded out to 3b (0-0). Gully grounded out to p, bunt (0-0).
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Not a particularly noteworthy record, but I bet no one's ever thrown fewer! Only way I can think of it being possible is if an ump called enough strikes for batting violations -- like taking too long to get into the box or something -- for a guy to strike out. Or walk and then get picked off, i suppose. Either way, I seriously doubt it's ever happened.

[motorman]

I remember when something like this was brought up on the board earlier this year and a certain someone dismissed it as making excuses.

Never mind that I don't think that was Case's #2, or at least it hadn't been. And that it was a home/road game rather than neutral site in Florida.

I wonder if a team has ever had an easier OAC schedule than Berg this year. Got out of a road trip against one of the better teams in the conference, leaving trips to Cap, Wilmington and Ohio Northern. It's like Palm faxed them the schedule himself.

If Berg doesn't make the OAC tournament again, they've got absolutely no one to blame. Really, if they're any good they should end up hosting it with that kind of schedule.

Been waiting for this. You have been hinting at it all year. If Berg wins it's because of their schedule. If it isn't the ultimate in making a backhanded excuse for your team by cutting down what someone else is doing. I got news for you buddy, the OAC schedule is made up several years in advance so there wasn't any making up the schedule themselves. This is the whole point of your stupid little chart of + and - for road wins/home losses. With 9 league DHs half the teams are playing 10 road games and the other half are playing 8. I think BW or anybody else would have been doing the right thing by moving the home game to a playable neutral site rather than having the games stack up like last year and have to play 6 games in 4 days. I hope if Heidelberg's field isn't playable this weekend they find somewhere to play the games. Knew you wanted to complain about who Berg was playing in the mid week series when Marietta and Mount play each other and Berg back to back. Looks now like Marietta is catching a break playing Mount with their 3 and 4 pitchers, but of course Byers and Herstine will probably start those too and be on a pitch count so they can pad their win totals.

Since the first regional rankings came out last year on 4/13, guess we are a little more than a week away from seeing the first one this year. Marietta wouldn't even be in my top 5. Really, losing to Mt Aloysius, Laroche and Montclair St? I never said Berg was going to win the league, let alone regionals yet you have been putting down everything they have done. You fell back on the infantile "let's hear you brag when you are holding a trophy" argument. It is the same crap I hear from a Pittsburgh Steeler fan everytime they get beat "so what we have X number of Super Bowl trophies" (X because I don't know or care how many it is!) We are talking about this year, not what was done in the past. Good thing Wilmington is in the league so the anemic Pioneer offense isn't last in the league.

Oh by the way, since the Marietta freshman tied an NCAA all division record, guess he is Marietta's best pitcher.

[Spence]

Hook. Link. Sinker. At 2:30 in the morning, no less. Sometimes I even impress myself.

If you've been waiting for it, then it can only be assumed that you know that it's true that the schedule is a gift. However it was gotten, it's the easiest schedule I've seen in 20 years of following the league. Only 1 of the first 6 league DHs on the road. Wow. You all probably laugh amongst yourselves about it. Btw, the schedule wasn't made years in advance, it was in Oct 2012. But you're still being pretty presumptuous even thinking about winning the league though 4 games into the season when you're not even in first now and playing Mount Union today. Pretty insulting to last year's league champions, wouldn't you say?

I'll be interested to see whether Heidelberg sets up to throw their top 2 against MC or current first-place John Carroll 3 days later. Both at home, of course.

I wish I had as much confidence as you apparently do that Byers and Herstine throwing against a quality opponent for 3 innings means they'll be padding win totals (meaning they both get wins). I think Mount Union is a quality opponent and playing them on the road is going to be a great challenge for our guys.

[motorman]

You are the only one impressed by you. I did not make the excuse about Berg vs. Case. I was trying to explain the apparent reasoning for Berg jumping Case in the poll when they split. Unlike you, I wasn't putting forth the opposite opinion I gave earlier. Berg expected to beat Case with their #3 and #4 pitchers. You first said why didn't Manchester play Berg earlier, their kids are going to miss classes later in the season and then bemoan the fact the Berg went to OWU (1 of 2 non conference home games Berg gave up just to get the games in) only to get rained out and have the kids miss class.

If the schedule was done in Oct 2012 that is more than a year ago, so the snide remarks about how it was made are just childish. I don't think it is presumptuous at all to think about winning the league when Heidelberg is ranked in the top 20 in the country. You are one to talk about being insulting Mr Rec League Team. I'll remind you of my opinion of Mount when the season is over. I've seen many of those kids play since they were 14 years old and they are good kids.

If you are fishing for Berg's rotation plans, it isn't any mystery. Thomas and Huber will probably be there unless they bump Fluharty to #2 and put Huber #3. Someone said we'll see who has quality #3 and #4 starters, I would put Berg's up against anybody if Manner is pitching like he did vs Laroche. Whining about the schedule is like all the commotion about D1 basketball seedings. You have to beat them on the field to take the championship, complaining about it is just a bunch of useless noise.

Maybe I should have said the Marietta coaches will try to pad their starters stats. Given their recent history vs Mount they are probably only good for 1 win. Winning the conference tournament may get you the automatic bid into the tournament, but I don't consider them champions for mopping up after Otterbein knocked out mighty Pios out. The regular season is a truer test of who the champion is.

Glad you are so concerned about what time I am awake. Not that it is any business of yours but I just had gotten home from work. See you don't have much of a life, had to respond at 3:15am.

[motorman]

This is the current ABCA coaches poll

April 1, 2014 ... next poll: April 8
Rank School Record* Points Last Rank
1. Linfield (Ore.) (16) 21-3 480 1
2. Wis.-Stevens Point 10-1 462 3
3. Cal Lutheran 20-5 432 6
4. Southern Maine 12-4 419 5
5. Kean (N.J.) 14-4 410 4
6. Webster (Mo.) 12-3 396 7
7. Cortland (N.Y.) State 14-4 346 8
8. Trinity (Texas) 21-6 343 2
9. Concordia-Chicago 12-2 338 9
10. Wis.-Whitewater 10-2 333 11
11. Concordia (Texas) 19-3 306 17
12. Birmingham-Southern (Ala.) 21-6 277 10
13. Heidelberg (Ohio) 15-4 275 14
14. Rhodes (Tenn.) 21-6 254 16
15. Rowan (N.J.) 11-3 239 15
16. St. John Fisher (N.Y.) 12-1 233 20
17. Johns Hopkins (Md.) 12-2 206 19
18. Marietta (Ohio) 12-6 202 13
19. George Fox (Ore.) 20-6 185 23
20. Tufts (Mass.) 12-1 164 24
21. St. Thomas (Minn.) 9-5 161 12
22. Salisbury (Md.) 13-6 148 18
23. Case Western (Ohio) 14-4 145 22
24. Shenandoah (Va.) 18-4 141 26
25. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) 17-6 75 21
26. Buena Vista (Iowa) 13-3 72 25
27. Endicott (Mass.) 9-2 68 rv
28. York (Pa.) 11-2 66 27
29. Lynchburg (Va.) 15-4 51 30
30. Emory (Ga.) 20-9 39 29

[Spence]

That's just great...um...you win the midseason being ranked in the top 15 contest? Do they have a wooden plank for that?