BB: USAC: USA South Athletic Conference

[Falcon2720]

Wood,

You are arguing to change the way they rank teams by placing more of an emphasis on conference games.  Bad for you and Wesleyan, the Committee does not agree with your position.

Narch is pointing out the reason Methodist is ahead of NCWC because of strength of schedule.  You both seem to be talking about different things.

Most teams naturally are more fired up to play conference games against rivals.  Most teams save their best pitching for conference games. 

When the USA South went to a 12 game conference season as opposed to 18, they did this so they could perform better in non-conference games.  The USA South was beating each other up.  This resulted in no at-large bids. 

In 2006, the ODAC beat up on the USA South.  The last two years the USA South has beat up on the ODAC.  This change of format has placed a greater emphasis on winning non-conference and in-region games. 

They changed the format because the coaches and the conference realized that in-region games are worth the same as conference games.  They may not feel the same but they are.  Beating HSC is the same as beating Averett.  Losing to HSC is the same as losing to Averett in the grand scheme of things.

You always have to play with intensity.  You can't assume your in the tournament.  The only way you are assured in, is if you have the AQ and win your conference tournament.

[Ralph Turner]

As I look at the Pool C teams around the country, the won-loss percentage seems to  be about .700

In the Mideast, #1 Heidelberg is fighting for its life in the OAC versus Marietta.

#2 Wooster (NCAC) is Pool C.

#4 Calvin took it away from #3 Adrian on the last day in the MIAA.  Adrian is a strong Pool C candidate.

I can see 3 Pool C bids going to the Mideast.

[narch]

Narch in terms of winning % what about  a in conference MU at 9-7 .562 vs NCWC at 12-5 .705

versus common opponents (lynchburg, lagrange, capital, vwc, piedmont, bridgewater, hsc and conference teams) mu has a .667 winning % (16-8) to a .611 winning % (16-10-1) for ncwc...for every number you produce which shows that ncwc is better, i can produce a number that shows mu is better - why is that you ask...because i don't know that there is a pronounced difference between the two teams and it all depends on the angle you are approaching this from - both teams were very good, but not great this year

it might help if you think about it this way...conference games do little more than determine a conference regular season champion (cnu) and seeding for the conference tournament...on a national level, conference games count no more or less than any other regional game

PS I hope anything that I said has not been taken the wrong way. I have enjoyed learning how all this stuff works and you seem to know your stuff.

absolutely nothing you or any other ncwc fan has said regarding this topic has offended...it takes a lot to offend me - i started this process much like you, and through asking the type of questions you're asking, i've come to understand the criteria much better (although i'm no ralph turner)

[Wood]

Thanks Narch. The last statement you said  is what confused me.At the beginning of my Questions I was told that conference games made more of a difference but the reality  is that winning the conf tour is the only thing matters more. That is what looks so odd to new fans and players who Dont understand how it all works.
HOW TO BE RANKED IN REGION:
(WIN REGIONAL GAMES, GET LUCKY YOUR OPPONENT HAS A GOOD YEAR FOR QUALITY WINS, HOPE A TEAM DOES NOT CANCEL IMPORTANT GAMES WITH YOU & DONT WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU SWEEP A TEAM IN CONFERENCE IT IS ALL ABOUT WHICH TEAM WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET A FEW EXTRA GAMES IN THAT ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS CONFERENCE VICTORYS.
ps you were not the person that told me that conf count more.

[narch]

wood - i think you're devaluing conference games a little to the extreme...beating quality regional opponents (which means all usasac teams) is important...saying "don't worry so much about a conference championship" implies that winning conference games aren't as important as other regional games, which is not the case - in most seasons, wins against ANY usasac team would be huge...ferrum and averett being a bit down this year hurt all of the usasac teams in terms of owp - winning a conference championship also means a higher seed in the conference tournament, which in theory should improve your chances to win the tournament and take all the guesswork out

[A.G.]

I thought one of the reasons the USAS cut back to 2-game series in conference, was to allow the teams to beef up the regional record.  If the ODAC (top to bottom) is looked at with less regard than the USAS, would it not make since to beef up the strength of schedule by going back to the 3-games series?

[Ralph Turner]

Good points, narch!

1)  Win the conference AQ.  If that means getting the top seed by winning the regular, then good. If that means getting to host, as we do in the ASC in every other year, better.  Winning the regular season is always great.

2)  Does playing the ODAC schools give you enough "in-region" OWP/OOWP boost?

I am very impressed with the way the McMurry coach Lee Driggers schedules his games.  The ASC-West plays 3-games series amongst the 8 teams (3 times 7 = 21.)   The ASC mandates two 3-game crossover (Inter-divisional) series (6 games, up to 27).   He scheduled mid-week games with Trinity, Southwestern (2), and Austin College from the SCAC.  (Another 4 games, make that 31 so far.)  This year, he got 3 games with Chapman and 3 games with GFU.  He always tries to get series with quality west coast teams.  (That is 6 more, bringing the total to 37.)   He added a game with UT-Tyler, a game with Marietta who comes to Texas for its spring trip and one last mid-week game versus NAIA Wayland Baptist.  Coach Driggers had 38 in-region games by working for it!

In-region games work for you when you can bring teams from Administrative Region #3 (OAC, NCAC, MIAA, HCAC) south early in the season when they may not feel that you have too much of a head start on them.  If you don't think that ODAC gives you a boost, find other teams.  The SCAC schools need games. In fact, playing more games versus GSAC schools might help boost your OWP.

[HighHeat]

narch, how much free time do u have on your hands? i think you need something else to do besides researching methodist baseball statistics. its amazing how much time you dedicate here.

[Falcon2720]

HighHeat,

It looks like you have a lot of free time on your hands posting at 2:15 in the morning.  Maybe, you have more time on your hands with Virginia Wesleyan's season over.

[narch]

narch, how much free time do u have on your hands? i think you need something else to do besides researching methodist baseball statistics. its amazing how much time you dedicate here.

believe it or not, it doesn't take much time to do the research i've done...there is this great site called d3baseball.com that has w/l records for almost every team in the country - no need to worry about my free time...i find pretty interesting ways to fill it, but thanks for your concern

[Wood]

Explain the difference between pool b and pool c bids. ( Simple terms)

[A.G.]

Pool B teams are those from leagues that do not meet the qualification for automatic (Pool A) bids.  In the south, this includes teams like Salisbury, Emory, and Piedmont.

IF...a team is NOT selected for one of the Pool B bids, then they get dropped down into Pool C consideration (the true at-large bids).  Pool C consideration also includes teams that did not win their league's pool A bid (like Lynchburg).

[Ralph Turner]

Explain the difference between pool b and pool c bids. ( Simple terms)

FAQ

The NCAA has budgeted one playoff bid for every 6.5 schools fielding a baseball team.


That works out to 54 teams.  In all team sports, the NCAA awards a Pool A bid to each conference in which there are 7 schools competing.  the conference can allocate the bid however it wishes.  (The USA South has a tournament.  The Northwest Conference, the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Michigan IAA do not.)

The conference "winner" gets a Pool A bid, one of 34.

Pool B is comprised of those schools that do not have 7 full members or in the transition to having 7 full members.  The Capital AC (Salisbury) is headed towards 7 members, but do not at this time.  Piedmont (GSAC with 4 members), UAA with 5 participants, Landmark Conference with 8 members and the Northern Athletics Conference with 12 members but have not been in existence for 2 years are also Pool B.  Independents Chapman, Cal State East Bay also compete for the 6 Pool B bids.  (The number "6" is determined by the number of schools in the Pool A conferences divided by 34 to give the "access ratio".  The access ratio takes all of the non-Pool A schools and gives the number of Pool B bids available.)

Everyone else that does not get a Pool A or a Pool B bid is trying for the 14 Pool C "do-over" bids. 

Just like AG said!      

[narch]

congrats to monarch scott russell for being named to the academic all-district team - great job, scott

[A.G.]

Well gang...
...its been a blast talking baseball with you guys.  Seems I am mostly all alone in the ODAC thread, so thanks for making me welcome in here.  Hopefully, I can meet some of you when LC comes south again, next year.

Good luck to all the guys playing summer ball.  See ya next fall.