BB: MIAA: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[formerd3db]

You are welcome.  Also, thanks for the update on Adrian's stadium.  It will be exciting to see it (although it may be awhile for me as your alma mater plays at our place again this year.  Hope you are doing well and have a nice Memorial Day Weekend.  Talk to you later.

[BigPoppa]

Predictions for the season??? Who is the team to beat this year? Who are the surprise teams and players going to be?

[section7]

53 days till the Dutchmen hear "Play Ball" in FL.

I'm 100% biased, but I gotta believe that the Dutchmen are the odds-on-favorites to win the league this year.  After winning 17 of their last 18 last year and a stable full of solid returners, I like their chances.

Returners - Sattler, Goeb, Vandervelde's, Lutke, VanBeek, Sommavilla and watch for these names "Baker" and "Poll".

Pitching - Mike Rodgers (look for a huge year this year, battled sickness most of last year), Dustin Wuis (maybe the best freshman last year), Brian Guerriero (struggled early as a freshman, but came on at the end, and this lefty has the goods).

[Bob Maxwell]

Even if you weren't biased, they are a good bet... just based on the past 6 seasons.  And having a lot back supports your bias...

Who will be the competition?

[section7]

My guess for the rest of the MIAA would be as follows (not having seen latest rosters, freshman and transfers):

1.  Hope - see my previous post
2.  Albion - they were quite young at spots last year, finished the season strong (spoiled Adrian's outright title) and they have Tracy (enough said, the kid can hit)
3.  Olivet/Adrian/Alma -
     Olivet - with their new coach (Mahan from MSU) and they always seem to have the type of kids that scrap and play hard.
     Adrian - lost alot from last year (not having Noko once every 4 games will hurt), still have Reynolds, new ballpark and my guess is they probably hit the recruiting trail heavy.  They always seem to put the ball in play too, in the early weather season that can win a game or two for you.
     Alma - Leister always puts a competitive product on the field, should have at least two strong starters and Leister's teams tend to not make alot of mistakes, therefore, they can stay in games, questions are do they have the bats and depth to compete in 4 game series.
4.  Calvin - will have at least one solid pitcher (last year's Freshman, name escapes me), but defensively they were weak last year, not a dominant hitting team and they lost Dreyer
5.  Kzoo - showed signs of improvement last year and Charlie will give them a decent start every 4th game, but still probably near the bottom over 28 games.
6.  Tri-State - have yet to prove they can compete for an MIAA title, nothing from last year's roster says that will be different, needed a great recruiting year to move up the ladder.

[BigPoppa]

My guess for the rest of the MIAA would be as follows (not having seen latest rosters, freshman and transfers):

1.  Hope - see my previous post
2.  Albion - they were quite young at spots last year, finished the season strong (spoiled Adrian's outright title) and they have Tracy (enough said, the kid can hit)
3.  Olivet/Adrian/Alma -
     Olivet - with their new coach (Mahan from MSU) and they always seem to have the type of kids that scrap and play hard.
     Adrian - lost alot from last year (not having Noko once every 4 games will hurt), still have Reynolds, new ballpark and my guess is they probably hit the recruiting trail heavy.  They always seem to put the ball in play too, in the early weather season that can win a game or two for you.
     Alma - Leister always puts a competitive product on the field, should have at least two strong starters and Leister's teams tend to not make alot of mistakes, therefore, they can stay in games, questions are do they have the bats and depth to compete in 4 game series.
4.  Calvin - will have at least one solid pitcher (last year's Freshman, name escapes me), but defensively they were weak last year, not a dominant hitting team and they lost Dreyer
5.  Kzoo - showed signs of improvement last year and Charlie will give them a decent start every 4th game, but still probably near the bottom over 28 games.
6.  Tri-State - have yet to prove they can compete for an MIAA title, nothing from last year's roster says that will be different, needed a great recruiting year to move up the ladder.

Thanks for the season outlook. I think most would agree with your assessment of the conference.

[JK]

Six Killed in Bluffton baseball bus crash... this is just awful.   Our thoughts and prayers to all in the Bluffton Family:

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/6522208

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Tought couple days for the Dutchmen - finish up the Florida trip with a 9am game today against #1 Otterbein, and then a double header with Alma tomorrow at 1pm to open up league play.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Great start to the season for Hope.  After loosing in extra innings to #1 Otterbein, they came back to Michigan and swept the Scots on Saturday and Monday to open the league at 4-0.  First game each day was a Hope blowout, followed by a closer second game, finished with a thrill as Brock Doud hits a walk-off homerun to deep center field leading off the bottom of the 7th.

Also, Brian Baker named MIAA player of the week after going 8-12 in the 4 game series with Alma with 10 RBI's.

Sure is nice to take a good bunch of returning players, and add a couple of former community college players (Baker & Doud) to the line-up.  I don't know much about Doud, but Baker has had quite the baseball career.  State Champ (West Ottawa) his senior year, National Champion (GRCC) his freshman year, National Runner-Up (GRCC) his sophomore year.

[section7]

FDF, nice opening season for the D-Man Saturday and yesterday.  Getting off to that 4-0 start is huge and a much different position than the last 2 years.

Brian Baker is the real deal and it didn't take him but one weekend to show it.  He is the type of player that can put a program on the national map, not just the MIAA.

Plus, Hope's pitching is really quite deep this year.  With 4 game series in short time frames, having a stable of 5-6 starters can really be the difference, especially if weather plays a factor, like it usually does.  I mean Matt Richardson (Hope's probably #5 or #6 starter) goes out and throws over 8 solid innings against the #1 team in the country last Friday.

The key is not letting a game slip through your fingers.  Yesterday's second game was a HUGE win for Hope.  Those type of games mean the difference between 1st and 2nd at the end of the year.  And if you want to go to the tourney, you have to win the MIAA title.  No Pool C's for the MIAA in baseball.  If you remember several years ago, Hope wins 25 in a row and still misses the tourney.

Well, on to Adrian for the weekend (Thursday there and Saturday at Hope).  A key series with the winner probably the front-runner to represent the MIAA!

Go Hope!

[hope1]

adrian   beat hope twice today

[Gimme]

Really, that is a suprise.  Hope played former #1 (and overrated) Otterbein to a great game I saw.

[hope1]

hope split with the bulldgos today 

[bulldogalum]

That's a big series win for Adrian.  I really liked what I saw from them on Thursday.  Nice pitching performances in both games, and timely hitting to get things done.  This puts them in a great position at this point in the league season, although plenty of times are nipping at their heels.  Should be exciting the rest of the way.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

No doubt a good week for the Bulldogs - taking 3 of 4 from the Dutchmen - which also gives them the tie-breaker advantage over Hope should the need arise