BB: IIAC: Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[youcantseemestill]

I think you will br very happy with Waddle as your primary catcher.  He was an excellent catcher in high school but went to the outfield when Schroeder caught.  I personally think that Waddle is the better catcher of those two.  He doesn't have quite the arm, but makes up for it with great mechanics and a quick release.

[youcantseemestill]

Interesting that Coe got their complete series in against Dubuque, but just 20 miles east in Mt. Vernon, the entire series with Wartburg gets cancelled.......

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Interesting that Coe got their complete series in against Dubuque, but just 20 miles east in Mt. Vernon, the entire series with Wartburg gets cancelled.......

It is tough when Wartburg and Luther did not get to play games against conference teams that either struggled last year or are young this year.  I wish they could have found a way to reschedule those games for later in the season no matter how good Cornell or B.V. end up being this year.

It was fun last year that not only did Wartburg and Luther tie for the conference title at 18-5, but they both played everyone three times except Central (they both played the Dutch twice).  There were no legit arguments about an unfair schedule.

It is daunting to attempt to get 24 conference games in during a spring in the Midwest.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

I think you will br very happy with Waddle as your primary catcher.  He was an excellent catcher in high school but went to the outfield when Schroeder caught.  I personally think that Waddle is the better catcher of those two.  He doesn't have quite the arm, but makes up for it with great mechanics and a quick release.

Waddle is a good catcher.  He has caught the last four games in the Dome and looked good for the most part.  I have been surprised so far that they haven't rotated him more into DH or LF just to keep him fresh as a hitter and build up some depth at C, but maybe they will do that more as the year goes on or even during the nonconference doubleheaders today and tomorrow.

Hopefully Jake will continue to hit like he did last year.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Luther swept Northwestern (MN) in the Dome last night, 3-0 and 13-1.  Both teams had good pitchers going in the first game while Northwestern struggled on the mound in game two.

Pitching staff veterans Kohls and Todd both threw very well last night.  Kohls was very effective as he threw a complete game shutout while striking out 12 and giving up 3 hits.  Todd gave up 5 hits and a run in six innings in game two.

Perhaps Joe Nelson (#3 starter last year) and Max Flaig (#4 starter last year) will get the nod on the mound today. 

Paul Pichelmann (#3 starter in 2006) looked good in relief last week and may get the nod with Cody Hyland (threw a no-hitter against Gustavus last week) tomorrow.

[BigPoppa]

If the series was cancelled, and the games are not made up, do the seedings for the tourney revert back to IIAC winning percentage? If so, it could very interesting to see who benefits most form this and who is harmed the most.

[youcantseemestill]

It is only winning percentage that determines seeding in the conference tourney in baseball.  It goes winning percentage, then head to head, then records against common opponents.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

The Norse #3 starter walked 4 and a backup outfielder misplayed a couple of balls in a 5-4 loss to Macalester in game one on Tuesday.  Luther outhit the Scots 13-5 but left too many guys on base.  Against the Macalester ace, Luther pulled within 5-4 in the 7th but had a runner called out at 3rd to end the game on a very controversial call by the ump.  Ben Schott (1B) and Alex Ross (OF) both hit the ball very well in the loss.

Luther won the 2nd game, 10-2.  Max Flaig (#4 starter) got the win and Paul Pichelmann put in two scoreless innings to go with the two scoreless innings that he threw in game 1.  Jake Waddle (C) had three hits while Jeff Hiatt (SS) drove in four runs.

Yesterday the Norse beat Carleton, 14-1 in game 1 yesterday.  Cody Hyland (#5 starter as of now) went to 2-0 on the mound for the Norse this season as he got the win after 6 shutout innings.  Carleton threw a ton of pitchers who took a ton of time throwing pitches, as the 2nd game was not completed due to time restrictions.

The Norse are now 5-3 on the season with two potential wins (would have been 7-3) taken off the books due to the Metrodome time rule.  Gustavus was a solid opponent, Oshkosh was a good opponent, and they saw the best pitchers that Northwestern and Macalester had to offer.  They haven't won a real close game as of yet going into the conference games this weekend with Wartburg, but some of the guys have been swinging the bat well and the pitching staff has been pretty good overall.

It's Wartburg, Simpson, and Coe as the upcoming games for the Norse, so the real season is starting pretty quick.

[Klopenhiemer]

BV split a pair of games with NW Missouri State.  The won the first one and droped the night cap. 

Looks like the young Beavers might have a decent squad this season.  Luther will be a nice measuring stick. 

[supermiac]

The Norse #3 starter walked 4 and a backup outfielder misplayed a couple of balls in a 5-4 loss to Macalester in game one on Tuesday.  Luther outhit the Scots 13-5 but left too many guys on base.  Against the Macalester ace, Luther pulled within 5-4 in the 7th but had a runner called out at 3rd to end the game on a very controversial call by the ump.  Ben Schott (1B) and Alex Ross (OF) both hit the ball very well in the loss.

Luther won the 2nd game, 10-2.  Max Flaig (#4 starter) got the win and Paul Pichelmann put in two scoreless innings to go with the two scoreless innings that he threw in game 1.  Jake Waddle (C) had three hits while Jeff Hiatt (SS) drove in four runs.

Yesterday the Norse beat Carleton, 14-1 in game 1 yesterday.  Cody Hyland (#5 starter as of now) went to 2-0 on the mound for the Norse this season as he got the win after 6 shutout innings.  Carleton threw a ton of pitchers who took a ton of time throwing pitches, as the 2nd game was not completed due to time restrictions.

The Norse are now 5-3 on the season with two potential wins (would have been 7-3) taken off the books due to the Metrodome time rule.  Gustavus was a solid opponent, Oshkosh was a good opponent, and they saw the best pitchers that Northwestern and Macalester had to offer.  They haven't won a real close game as of yet going into the conference games this weekend with Wartburg, but some of the guys have been swinging the bat well and the pitching staff has been pretty good overall.

It's Wartburg, Simpson, and Coe as the upcoming games for the Norse, so the real season is starting pretty quick.

I was impressed by Luther's hitting top to bottom. I saw them play Macalester and then Carleton last night. Kind of disappointing I'd imagine to see them split to a team like Carleton. It seemed like they were flat from the night before, in both games. However, Gustavus is a good team to split with, and Macalester is so-so. They probably should have won that first game against MAC, especially in the early innings where Macalester pitched a freshman who had not started yet this year (Luther did not, as you claim, face their best pitching for most of the game) They did face Murray at the end and all I came away with from watching that was that either Murray throws pretty hard, or Luther's bats are very slow. However, the play at the end of the game was controversial; yet, as an umpire on a close play like that, you do not reward stupidity, which is what it was for the runner to try to advance to third.

With that all being said, I think Luther is a very tough team. Their hitting is very good. I like Riddle in the leadoff and Schott is a monster in cleanup. I would probably pick them to be the far and away favorites after seeing Wartburg earlier this year (not impressed). Good luck on the year, Luther is a solid team.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Thanks for posting supermiac.  Which Wartburg games did you see in the Dome?

I wasn't trying to imply that Murray had pitched the whole way in the 5-4 game but rather that they were getting back into the game on him (down 5-3 when he came in during the 6th, had the tying and winning run on base in the 7th when the out was called at 3rd).   Murray did look like a very talented pitcher to me (good size, very good fastball, decent breaking ball).  Congrats to the MAC LF for letting the ball go through his legs to get the Norse runner to try and take the extra base.   My brother and I even initially thought the ball was going to roll far enough after going through his legs that Luther might have been able to score.  It obviously didn't go that way.

As I mentioned earlier, the only negative to me besides the weather is that the Norse have lost three close games while the five wins have not been that close.  It was good that the Norse even got 13 hits in the MAC loss, but they left too many on.

I left the 2nd Carleton game with the Norse winning and the #6 Luther pitcher on the mound (the doubleheader the night before was very late and my son was with me for the Carleton games).  I wasn't surprised that the 2nd game didn't count as the Knights had pitching issues and injury issues that really slowed down the 1st game.  I hope the Carleton kids are all right.

Overall the Norse pitching impressed me in the 8 games I saw more than the hitters in terms of consistency (pitchers Kohls, Todd, Hyland, and Pichelmann looked very good, Flaig looked all right and Nelson needs to throw more strikes), but the hitters clearly showed signs of doing a lot of the things that they did last year.  Hopefully Waddle and Schott can be anchors in the offense all season.

[youcantseemestill]

I am telling you right now......after seeing Hyland throw some last year as a freshman, and then seeing his stats to start this season, it would not suprise me to see him making conference starts sooner than later.  I think, based on limited viewing of Luther, that he is/will be this season, Luther's second best pitcher (behind Kohls).

It would be nice to see all of the teams get games in this weekend to really see what is out there in the conference.

[youcantseemestill]

I have seen that Hiatt isn't on the same pace as last year.  Do you think that he has come back to earth a little this season, or is he just struggling right now?

[Gustie13]

Luther swept Northwestern (MN) in the Dome last night, 3-0 and 13-1.  Both teams had good pitchers going in the first game while Northwestern struggled on the mound in game two.

Pitching staff veterans Kohls and Todd both threw very well last night.  Kohls was very effective as he threw a complete game shutout while striking out 12 and giving up 3 hits.  Todd gave up 5 hits and a run in six innings in game two.

Perhaps Joe Nelson (#3 starter last year) and Max Flaig (#4 starter last year) will get the nod on the mound today. 

Paul Pichelmann (#3 starter in 2006) looked good in relief last week and may get the nod with Cody Hyland (threw a no-hitter against Gustavus last week) tomorrow.

When teams play at neutral sites (like the Dome) and switch off being home/away, is it the home team's team book that is Official? If that is the case, GAC was the home team in game 2 vs Luther and their website shows 1 hit. Looks like GAC gave a hit to DesLauries while Luther gave an E to Hyland. I wasn't there so I have no idea what the play in question was like. But if its the home teams book that is official then Hyland doesn't get credit with a no-no.

[supermiac]

Thanks for posting supermiac.  Which Wartburg games did you see in the Dome?

Well I got to see their series against Bethel at the beginning of the year. I know their top pitching wasn't in the game, but I hope for they sake they have better depth than what I saw. I also saw their win against St. Olaf. I liked what I saw there, how they roughed up Mathison a bit (which no one had yet to do). However, Saeugling looked like a very good hitter, but after that nothing really stood out to me. Schmitt looks like a high-quality number #2 pitcher. I was more impressed by Luther's offense however (and the fact that they have a billion lefties it seems).