BB: USAC: USA South Athletic Conference

[cnuball25]

Couldn't agree more. A lot of what cnufan typed is exactly what I was going to say, so I will repeat none of that. You see, usasouthisnumber1, when you do your homework, you report all of the findings, not just the information to support whatever measly argument it is that you're trying to make.

Nobody likes losing to anybody, much less by the score of 20-4. However, as a team you learn much more about yourself after a loss like that than you do beating Case Western Reserve University or the University of Maine-Presque Isle (are those seriously real teams or did Averett just slap uniforms on the band and run them out there for 9 innings?). That glaring 20-4 loss looks awful on the schedule, but to see CNU repond by going 5-0 (beating teams such as Rowan, RMC, Bridgewater, and Piedmont) shows that not only are they capable of overcoming adversity, but that they're a pretty darn good ball club as well.

Due to Shenandoah's success in the post season last year, they will (and should be) given the benefit of the doubt that, despite the weak schedule, they are an incredibly good ball club as well. I wasn't trying to "dog" Shenandoah, I was stating the obvious...the OOC schedule was terrible. But they proved they were also capable of hanging with the big boys as they beat some darn good teams on their way to the world series, thus the reason they are being given that benefit of the doubt unless they prove otherwise.

At this point all we know about is Averett is that they're capable of beating teams that pitch under-handed...over-handed is a totally different ball game. I'm sure we'll see how good they are tomorrow when they travel to face the traditionial power that is the Fighting Maroons of Roanoke College! It appears that the Maroons' pitching staff allows around 8 runs a game, so all of them might not throw over-hand, but hopefully they'll get to exerpience a couple guys that do. I expect Averett to use this as a measuring stick before the Roaring Lions of Penn State Fayette come to town in a few weeks!

[cnufan]

ok well then how are you comparing CNU and AU over the past few seasons? Because CNU lost a few games to CNU and AU last season?

[CNU85]

Checking box scores of recent games. Nice to see Matt Shoemaker on the CNU team. He was at Va Tech last year and played in many games. I think he started a few at SS as well. But I could be wrong. Anyway - watch this guy. My son played LL ball with him - he's a real deal. Also, nice to see Alex Nuttycomb on the Bridgewater roster. Another good player. My son played JV ball with Alex. Nice kid. Nice family with CNU roots as well.

[cnuball25]

By the way JH (you know who I'm talking to...Parker told me you read this stuff), when your Shenandoah career is done I better see both you and Parker on the softball fields! Hopefully you both get a chance to continue your respective baseball careers, but if not we're gonna save a spot for the both of you on Envoy Softball. If I recall correctly, I think Carl (one of the old guys on our team) talked to you sometime over the summer about that. Either way, good luck this season...I'll get your cell number from Parker and we'll have to grab a couple beers at some point (on a non-game night of course)...

[usasouthisnumber1]

Couldn't agree more. A lot of what cnufan typed is exactly what I was going to say, so I will repeat none of that. You see, usasouthisnumber1, when you do your homework, you report all of the findings, not just the information to support whatever measly argument it is that you're trying to make.

Nobody likes losing to anybody, much less by the score of 20-4. However, as a team you learn much more about yourself after a loss like that than you do beating Case Western Reserve University or the University of Maine-Presque Isle (are those seriously real teams or did Averett just slap uniforms on the band and run them out there for 9 innings?). That glaring 20-4 loss looks awful on the schedule, but to see CNU repond by going 5-0 (beating teams such as Rowan, RMC, Bridgewater, and Piedmont) shows that not only are they capable of overcoming adversity, but that they're a pretty darn good ball club as well.

Due to Shenandoah's success in the post season last year, they will (and should be) given the benefit of the doubt that, despite the weak schedule, they are an incredibly good ball club as well. I wasn't trying to "dog" Shenandoah, I was stating the obvious...the OOC schedule was terrible. But they proved they were also capable of hanging with the big boys as they beat some darn good teams on their way to the world series, thus the reason they are being given that benefit of the doubt unless they prove otherwise.

At this point all we know about is Averett is that they're capable of beating teams that pitch under-handed...over-handed is a totally different ball game. I'm sure we'll see how good they are tomorrow when they travel to face the traditionial power that is the Fighting Maroons of Roanoke College! It appears that the Maroons' pitching staff allows around 8 runs a game, so all of them might not throw over-hand, but hopefully they'll get to exerpience a couple guys that do. I expect Averett to use this as a measuring stick before the Roaring Lions of Penn State Fayette come to town in a few weeks!

I don't understand how you are still going to "dog" Averett this bad..I don't know what type of grudge you have against them, but Case Western Reserve swept Guilford College and Averett also beat Bridgewater who is also a great team. I know WMPI is a terrible team, but if you check the box score they had no starters playing and let pitchers play as well (And still put up 28 runs). And I am not sure what homework I need to do because there was no point I was trying to make. But I am done talking about Averett and who they played, or haven't played from your point of few. 

[boysofsummer]

While all of this is entertaining it will all be moot come this weekend. With conference games this weekend the conversation should be who will win the season and who will be hot for the tourney.

[cnuball25]

The conversation can/should/will be about whatever it is on everybodys respective minds...that's sorta the point of a message board...to type a message...hence the "message" portion of the name. To make a statement on who I feel will win the season or which team will be hot for the tourny would be both ill-informed and foolish. It's impossible to predict who will be hot 30 games down the road. I certainly hope it's CNU, but I have no friggin clue what kind of team they will be, or anybody else will be for that matter. I haven't had the opportunity to review the weekend schedule, but all I know is that CNU is going to have it's hands full with Methodist this weekend.

[boysofsummer]

The conversation can/should/will be about whatever it is on everybodys respective minds...that's sorta the point of a message board...to type a message...hence the "message" portion of the name. To make a statement on who I feel will win the season or which team will be hot for the tourny would be both ill-informed and foolish. It's impossible to predict who will be hot 30 games down the road. I certainly hope it's CNU, but I have no friggin clue what kind of team they will be, or anybody else will be for that matter. I haven't had the opportunity to review the weekend schedule, but all I know is that CNU is going to have it's hands full with Methodist this weekend.

Well sorry I said anything and I was just trying tosay that the season and tourney are the important parts. I will refrain from any further "messages" as I am not as eloquent as CNUball25 or as knowledgeable. Hope everyone has a great year.

[vabaseball]

Please don't disappear from the board Boysofsummer.  Team loyalties, insights and differing opinions make the board interesting.

[D-BAT]

Reading over the past couple pages, I've seen a couple of you bickering back and forth about opponents W-L record and schedule strength. Historically speaking, Shenandoah and Averett would play a team of blind, deaf mutes if possible...thus the reason they usually don't garner much respect. Last year, however, Shenandoah took that OOC "schedule" (I thought they should have been called "advanced practices", but whatever) and gained confidence, turned that confidence into victories, and those victories resulted in the best year in school history.

I do agree with what a couple of you said above in that tough OOC games usually aren't rewarded. A tough loss to a good team from your respective region seemingly gets less respect than beating the piss out of Philadelphia Bible Virgin School (if that is a real university...sorry). It makes absolutely no sense to me, but obviously Shenandoah did something with it last year so maybe we should all start doing that, who knows.

As far as Averett is concerned, watch out!! The Roaring Lions of Penn State Fayette come storming into town March 11!! I hear they have a short stop with one leg and play with invisible runners...look to take advantage of that!!

Are not "at large bids" awarded to teams based on their "in-region" record?

Based on that, SU must of done something correct or they would not of been awarded the "at large bid", correct?

After everyone within the USA-South played their entire regular season, the NCAA rule book awarded both CNU and SU "at large" bids.

Enough said on who played teams considered "advanced practices" and who played the teams with "one legged ShortStops".

Bottom-line, everyone had an equal opportunity to receive an "at large" bid based on their "in-region" won/loss record and the other primary selection criteria.



Selection Criteria:

Primary Criteria

The primary criteria emphasize regional competition (all contests leading up to NCAA
championships); all criteria listed will be evaluated (not listed in priority order).

• Win-loss percentage against regional opponents.
• Strength-of-schedule (only contests versus regional competition).
- Opponents' Average Winning Percentage (OWP).
- Opponents' Opponents' Average Winning Percentage (OOWP).
• See Appendix B for explanation of OWP and OOWP calculations.
• In-region head-to-head competition.
• In-region results versus common regional opponents.
• In-region results versus regionally ranked teams.
• Ranked opponents are defined as those teams ranked at the time of the rankings/
selection process only.
• Conference postseason contests are included.
• Contests versus provisional and reclassifying members in their third and fourth
years shall count in the primary criteria. Provisional and reclassifying members
shall remain ineligible for rankings and selection.



Secondary Criteria

If the evaluation of the primary criteria does not result in a decision, the secondary criteria will be
reviewed. All the criteria listed will be evaluated (not listed in priority order). The secondary criteria
introduce results against out-of-region Division III and all other opponents including those contests
versus opponents from other classifications (i.e., provisionals, NAIA, NCAA Divisions I and II).

• Out-of-region head-to-head competition.
• Overall Division III win-loss percentage.
• Results versus common non Division III opponents.
• Results versus all Division III ranked teams.
• Overall win-loss percentage.
• Results versus all common opponents.
• Overall DIII Strength of Schedule.

[hokieone]

   CNU v. VWC wiped out by a wet field, and CNU v. Catholic wiped out by whatever amount of snow Catholic still has on its field.

   Huge start to conference games with Methodist this weekend. Methodist has a wonderful coach and an always solid baseball program, I'm just not sold on "Fayette Nam" as a local vet referred to Fayetteville. It's an awfully big place, with a lot of "interesting" entertainment, but I guess you can find your share of trouble in Greensboro, Rocky Mount, or even Winchester if you go looking.

   UVA is playing on CNU's field the next two weekends while the Captains are on the road. A condition of field usage should be scheduling a regular season game with CNU.  It would be fun, a no lose situation for the Captains (which is why UVA would likely never schedule the game). 

     Praise be to VCU, who is playing Randolph Macon later this year in a charity game.


     P.S. OOOps, backtrack: I'm now told UVA isn't coming-perhaps they don't want to play away from home with that #1 national ranking...

       
     

[cnuball25]

USA Fan...judging by the cute little chart you provided me below, and by common sense alone, one would assume (and think) that said bids are awarded based on in-region records. And for the 3rd time I am by no means insulting what they did last year, "dogging" them, or whatever adjective you want to use. All I said was they played a weak OOC schedule. However, at the time of the conference/regional tourny you could have run the Washington Nationals out there and SU would have probably won...they were smoking hot and come that time of year that's the only thing that matters. As someone typed before, that's the glorious aspect of college baseball...if the worst team in the conference gets hot at the right time, they have the opportunity to advance. As a player, that's all you can ask for...

But, I stand by my statement. Let's look at the teams in the South region that were on their 2009 schedule (not counting conference opponents)...Eastern Mennonite, Bridgewater, Roanoke, Va Wesleyan, Catholic, Randolph-Macon, and Washington & Lee. Not exactly murderer's row eh? Those teams had a combined record of 134-137. Either way you want to spin it, in the end the appearance is that Coach Anderson did a great job of scheduling a bunch of regional teams that float around .500, thus boosting their in-region record. I understand a lot of other variables come in to play here as well...maybe SU tried to schedule other opponents but no one wanted to travel up there to play, as it is usually cold, windy, and the field surface isn't exactly great. But as I initially stated, none of this matters as in the end they were hottest, went the furthest, and had the best season of all.

[Falcon2720]

All this discussion about whether SU deserved an At-Large bid was discussed on this board last May.  Look at older pages if you want more information.

SU had a solid in-region record last year and deserved an at-large bid. Because of SU location they are able to play Mid-Atlantic region teams which count as South in-region games for them. Some of the PA schools they beat last year finished with good records. This helped boost their in-region record.

The only games that count for an At-Large bid to the regional are South-Region games/record. Out of region games, games vs. NAIA, DII teams, means very little to the selection committee.

We can all agree that the USA-South is one of the best DIII baseball conferences in the country.  This is baseball and on any given day any team can win.  This should be an interesting opening weekend with some solid pitching match-ups.

CNU @ MU- Each team has a solid ace in Jordan (MU) & Brinkman (CNU) and good offenses. Should be a great match-up

AU @ GC (We will see how strong AU really is, Loye appears to be a solid pitcher and they have a great catalyst in Higgins, 15 SB's already)

SU @ NCWC (Van Sickler vs. Diener or Knowles should be great as well)

Bye Ferrum

[usasouthisnumber1]

   CNU v. VWC wiped out by a wet field, and CNU v. Catholic wiped out by whatever amount of snow Catholic still has on its field.

   Huge start to conference games with Methodist this weekend. Methodist has a wonderful coach and an always solid baseball program, I'm just not sold on "Fayette Nam" as a local vet referred to Fayetteville. It's an awfully big place, with a lot of "interesting" entertainment, but I guess you can find your share of trouble in Greensboro, Rocky Mount, or even Winchester if you go looking.

   UVA is playing on CNU's field the next two weekends while the Captains are on the road. A condition of field usage should be scheduling a regular season game with CNU.  It would be fun, a no lose situation for the Captains (which is why UVA would likely never schedule the game). 

     Praise be to VCU, who is playing Randolph Macon later this year in a charity game.


     P.S. OOOps, backtrack: I'm now told UVA isn't coming-perhaps they don't want to play away from home with that #1 national ranking...

       
     

Averett University vs. Roanoke College was also called due to weather.

[cnuball25]

I agree with Falcon regarding the strength of the conference. I can't count how many times CNU/USA-S teams have faced a team outside the South Region with an impressive overall and conference record...only to watch them get smoked. It amazes me the records some of the teams in PA complile while being an incredibly average-to-below average ballclub...tells you something about the level of competition up there. While OOC schedule strength can be disputed all day long, one thing that can't be are the conference records of our respective teams. Wins and losses within the USA-S are earned...that's a given.

As far as this weekend goes, I hope my boys in Newport News find a way to tighten up that defense...that's how Methodist wins ballgames. You watch them take BP and nobody really stands out, then you commit a couple errors early and the next thing you know they're bunting all over you and you're down by 8. Every year they're living proof of how important fundamentals are.

I'm curious to see how the Wesleyan/Shenandoah series turns out as well. These games and the CNU/Methodist series should paint an early picture of how this year may turn out.