BB: USAC: USA South Athletic Conference

[cnuball25]

Just got word that they were, in fact, the white uni's...my personal favorite of all CNU's uniforms. I think it looks comparable to the nike baseball jersey's, just a little bit better material and better looking. I just wish the pants had a prominent blue stripe down the side...

Do any of you guys remember the hats that Greensboro wore 3-4 years ago?? Every part of the hat was a different color...either white, green, or yellow...looked literally like a clown hat. Makes me throw up in my mouth a little thinking about it...

But hokieone is right, back to on the field play..

GO CAPTAINS!!

[narch]

ok...the old cws unis were worse, but those cnu uni's with the blue shoulder yolk thingy look like they belong in japanese baseball...call me a traditionalist, but i think they're pretty ugly, especially when contrasted with the classic duds that ferrum was wearing...http://www.averettcougars.com/photo_gallery.aspx?gallery=27

to show i'm not biased, i'm not a huge fan of the monarchs yellow jerseys and i HATE that they are still wearing a vest that says "mc" on it...mu hasn't been "mc" for 3+ years

[hokieone]

Burlington does need a Krispy Kreme closer to the games.

[vabaseball]

Narch, stick to on field play comments-those unis look nice and get lots of compliments. "Ugliest ever?" Not even close. The White Sox polyester softball-style unis will carry that distinction forever. 

I was going to say Pittsburg Pirates, 1970s era.  Same idea.  Polyester, stretch waistbands. Awful! CNU's white jerseys are a bit art deco.  Very nice.

On to the game reports...

[hokieone]

CNU and Shenandoah both win and will meet at noon tomorrow. Shenandoah is hitting the daylights out of the ball and CNU has scored double digit runs in both of their games. Should be a good one! Averett playing Methodist right now in an elimination game. NCWC and Greensboro eliminated.  Ferrum has one loss.   

[cnufan]

when was the last time a 1 seed went 2 and out? I thinks its been a good while.  I know the first seed has the "advantage" of playing a team who has played already but, the real advantage went to the teams who got second and third.  Methodist had to play winless greensboro, and Shenandoah played AU.  I would personally take my chances with my number one against a far lower seeds number 1 instead of playing a better team throwing their number 2.  I know it worked out well for my team, but I still don't see the fairness in this tournament set up.  But what's done is done so GO CAPTAINS!!!

[narch]

i didn't expect the monarchs to bow out this early...i really thought with the pitching depth they had in the regular season made this a tournament prepared team...guess i was wrong to this point

i think they've got to get to 29-30 wins to have a realistic shot at the regionals...i'm rooting for the hornets going forward in the tourney...the last thing the monarchs need is a team that wouldn't otherwise be in the regionals winning the conference tourney

[Richard of Funchester]

What a day from Burlington.  I never thought that it would have ended the way that it did.  SU started out the day at the yard as I hoped; Coach Anderson must have gotten into the guys early in the morning.  We hit the ball extremely well all around today going 22-55 as a team, with 4 long balls (Brashears, Van Sickler, Nelson, Smith).  Mike Smith and Adam Delauter are staying hot which is helping turn over the bottom of the line up.  Brashears decided to use an aluminum bat today as he finally found some open space and I am glad to see that Corey Nelson is finally coming around (3-5); we are going to need him to stay hot like this the rest of the weekend if we want to make it to Sunday.

Right now CNU is looking like they always do this time of year, and that is tough.  Let's face it, other than one bad inning this tournament they have been in control of their opponents.  This is going to be a difficult game for the Hornets if Vince Claudio pitches like a freshman, but at this point in the season you are not a freshman any more.  The last time these two faced off it took 23 innings and about 7.5 hours for the Hornets to complete the sweep.  I believe tomorrows score will be more like a football score than a baseball score.  Any predications for the second game tomorrow?  Both Averett and Ferrum had their "foot in the bear trap" and have gotten out, getting this close to title game.  Anything can happen now.  Well as baseball players have superstitions, so do fans.  So for me its some warm Krispy Kremes and a shake from Steak n' Shake.

GO HORNETS!!

[vabaseball]

Sounds like Krispy  Kreme is getting brisk business in Burlington....

Very surprising that NCWC and Methodist have bowed out so early. 

[Diamond King]

Shenandoah has a chance on Sunday to win the USA South Conference Tournament for the first time. Everyone else in the conference has won it at least once.  Unlike last season, I think the Hornets can get it done.
Whoever survives tonight's last game between Ferrum and CNU has to have burned a lot of innings with pitching. Who's going to be left to pitch against a lineup with no weak links, like SU's.
Folks have  been trashing their "weak" out-of-conference schedule. I want to hear the talk now. The Hornets buried Methodist Friday, 17-3. When's the last time SU beat Methodist by such a lopsided margin? Greg Van Sickler again proved he is the best pitcher in the conference and Kevin "Coach K" Anderson decided to let him finish things out. The offense scored eight runs with two outs and Kevin Brashears, Mike Smith, Cory Nelson, and Van Sickler all went yard.
And today? My God, the Hornets sliced up a team everyone felt was going to make a mark in this tournament. Are you kidding me, 19-5!!!!!! Look up and down that box score: Brashears (3-for-4, 4 RBIs, HR), Jesse Henry (Yes, he hit in the clutch; 2-for-4, 4 RBIs), Van Sickler (3-for-5, RBI), Nelson (2-for-3, 2 HR, 3 RBIs), and Adam Delauter (3-for-4, 2 RBIs). Who do you pitch around, Ferrum or CNU?
The Hornets are hitting .397 as a team with 7 HRs. Brashears (.467, 7-for-15, 7 runs, 2 HRs, 7 RBIs, and no strikeouts) should be the favorite right now for tournament MVP. Make a case for Nelson (.417, 5-for-12, 3 HRs, 4 RBIs, one strikeout), too. Smith (team-best .538) has been the unsung hero and Keaton Neeb (.444, 3 RBIs) and Delauter (.500) are hitting well in the last two spots. Henry (six RBIs) has picked it up in each blowout, and just think, USA South Conference Offensive Player of the Year Scott Van Dusseldorp is batting just .214 with one RBI! I can't wait to see him heat up on Sunday (it will come).
There are some that have knocked the Hornets' pitching, and, yes, in some games, they have been hit around. But this team is 32-6 and the staff has gotten better over the last month. Remember, the Hornets have now won 16 of their last 17.
The first two games could not have worked out any better for the Hornets. SU gambled by not pitching Van Sickler against Averett and all Jake Yokum (4-0) did was go out and pitch into the seventh and hold the Cougars to two runs. Yokum had not pitched against Averett prior, so bold and ingenious move by Coach K! Van Sickler pitched well against Methodist and beat the Monarchs for the second time this season, allowing no walks and punching-out 10. Vince Claudio, who won the job as Sunday pitcher in conference games the last few series, gave up four runs with two outs in the first to CNU and was gone after the first two reached in the second. Then Bryce Sears comes in and holds the Captains down, allowing two walks, one run, and five hits over six innings. How valuable was that to the Hornets?!!!!
Anderson has virtually everybody ready to eat innings Sunday, and hopefully the Hornets will only have to play one game. Van Sickler won't go and I doubt Yokum comes back on two-days rest. Closer Kyle Scallion has made one appearance and pitched 2 2/3 innings. Claudio made just 28 pitches. Patrick Moore faced one batter, on Thursday. The Hornets have a wealth of options to look at.
I'll get to my projected starter for Sunday's noon first-pitch in a bit (there's THREE options there). Moore (2.57, 1-0, 14 app) gives SU a lefty out of the pen. Rightys to look at include Scallion (2.61, 4-0, 6 Sv, 18 app, 31 IP, one HR allowed), Bobby Stefanowicz (3.33, 4-0, 10 app, 27 IP), and Smith (6.10, 1-0, 7 app., 12 Ks in 10 IP).
Now for those that will get the ball first.
A: Could it be right-hander Matt Griffin (2.45, 0-1, 2 starts, 11 IP, 2 walks, 11 Ks)? Griffin is getting more duty of late and he did get hit a bit by ODAC 9th-place EMU in a late-season start (no decision). But Griffin has good stuff that is still being developed and his ERA and strikeouts/walks ratio works in his favor.
B: Could it be right-hander Brian Goodard (11.22, 2-2, 8 app., 3 starts, 21 1/3 innings, .398 opponents BA, 5 homers allowed)? Goodard has a small frame (5-foot-7) and got a chance twice to be a Sunday pitcher during conference series. His outing vs. 0-14 (in conference) Greensboro was so-so at best, and he got knocked out by Methodist in the third inning and took the loss in his last conference start on March 14. Don't know if he'll see the mound, unless it's a situational thing for a few batters or if they need innings if the "if" game is played.
C: That leaves, who I think will get the ball, 6-5 junior Brian Fream (No. 42), a lefty with six starts in 17 appearances. Fream has pitched a grand total of one inning in conference games this season. So what's my logic? Fream has been getting more starts of late, and he had a wonderful outing at Catholic on April 6, picking up the win by going eight innings. He gave up 11 hits that day, but held Catholic to two earned runs and struck out eight. On the season Fream is 3-0 with an ERA of 2.38. Why not see if Fream can use his size to eat innings until the rightfull bullpen crew comes in if needed?
Coach K might throw another curve, like he did in the opener. It could just as easily be Scallion or Stefanowicz getting the call, even though neither has a start this season. Last season, in the South Region Championship game, Anderson sent out since-graduated Matt Davis, and Davis did an excellent job to keep SU in it before Gage LeVac closed it out.
Guess we'll see what develops. SU is a combined 5-0 vs. CNU and Ferrum. The Hornets have scored a combined 17 runs in their last two games with two outs in an inning.
Vote for Red (or Blue, or White, whichever uni they decide to wear)!

[Diamond King]

As far as the all USA South Conference teams, I thought a lot of the picks were fair. I know NCW is a little upset that Alexander didn't get on the first team, but he was at IB, were Justin Franklin of Ferrum resides. You just can't ignore Franklins's numbers:
Overall (and rank):
HR: 11 (Tied for first; stats through April 11).
RBI: 55 (first).
Slug: .816 (first).
Total Bases: 93 (third).
BA: .395 (tied for seventh).
Fielding: 3 errors in 240 chances.
Conference:
HR: 5 (tied for first).
RBI: 16 (Tied for second).
BA: .409 (sixth).

SU was well represented, which makes up for the blackballing it got last season (one first-teamer on the first two teams combined)! That said, I'd like to know why the coaches felt Cory Nelson needed to be left off? No first-team. No second-team. No third-team (I don't go with "honorable mention").

Let's see, Nelson batted .398 (fifth) overall, with four homers, 27 RBIs, and had only two errors in 187 chances in the field. Not to contradict my paragraphs above, since Nelson was a first-baseman when he played in the field. But he also DHs plenty of times and had a better season than Beacom (Ferrum) and McGuire (Averett). The league only picked selections at DH on the first two teams. Why not a third-team nod?
Nelson hit .326 (tied for 24th) in conference games with one homer and seven RBIs. In conference games, Beacom batted .233  with no homers and five RBIs. McGuire batted .254 (in only seven starts) with no homers, three RBIs, and one extra-base hit.

Just baffling, that's all.

[LTBB1971]

I am not completely shocked we went 2 and out.  I am definitely disappointed.  Errors have hounded the Bishops all year and to pile on 4 players suspended for the tournament gave the bishops barely any offense to go along with poor fielding which I believe resulted in the 2 loses. 

This team is really talented and I expect them to be back full force next year.  We are still missing some sort of on field leadership.  Only guy I see get emotional out there for the most part is 1B Zach Alexander.  I always played with emotion on my sleeves on my catching days and I really think that gets the team going.

Shenandoah looks unstoppable and it looks like they are getting quality innings from their starters now, so they may make some noise should they get in the Regionals.

[narch]

diamond king - the hornets played a weak ooc schedule (fact...not bashing), and they've really turned it up in the tournament just as they did in the regional last year...i'm hoping they stay hot for one more day and get a "w" to keep the monarchs hopes for a regional alive

[vabaseball]

Addendum to DiamondKing's thesis: Stefanowicz is injured and done for the rest of the season.  Or so I have been told.  He really was solid early in the season for the Hornets.

Also, who ever said CNU would be making noise in this tournament?  Just glad they have won as many games in the tournament as they have.  They had a rather disappointing season from my perspective.  Just hope they win a couple more tomorrow...

[Diamond King]

Addendum to DiamondKing's thesis: Stefanowicz is injured and done for the rest of the season.  Or so I have been told.  He really was solid early in the season for the Hornets.

Also, who ever said CNU would be making noise in this tournament?  Just glad they have won as many games in the tournament as they have.  They had a rather disappointing season from my perspective.  Just hope they win a couple more tomorrow...

Perhaps I missed that one on Stefanowicz . Either way, like I said, plenty of options for the Hornets on Sunday!