BB: USAC: USA South Athletic Conference

[coachmilburn]

Better idea yet, many individuals have always stated that Guliford and Shenandoah should swap their conferences.  Guilford goes into USA-South and SU goes into ODAC.  For traveling purposes, it makes pretty good sense for everyone involved in both conferences, does it not?  Wonder what is preventing that from happening?

I agree with you "hokieone", that SU would most likely have less travel in the D-II, WVIAC, but do not believe that will ever happen.  Do you not remember reading the story back in the fall about how much debt that they had. 

Shenandoah long-term debt at nearly $46.7M (Winchester Star, 9/15/2008)
http://www.winchesterstar.com/showarticle_new.php?sID=6&foldername=20080915&file=Shenandoahdebt_article.html

Again, anyone know what is preventing the swap with Guilford and Shenandoah? 

[Catfishncwc]

Better idea yet, many individuals have always stated that Guliford and Shenandoah should swap their conferences.  Guilford goes into USA-South and SU goes into ODAC.  For traveling purposes, it makes pretty good sense for everyone involved in both conferences, does it not?  Wonder what is preventing that from happening?

I agree with you "hokieone", that SU would most likely have less travel in the D-II, WVIAC, but do not believe that will ever happen.  Do you not remember reading the story back in the fall about how much debt that they had. 

Shenandoah long-term debt at nearly $46.7M (Winchester Star, 9/15/2008)
http://www.winchesterstar.com/showarticle_new.php?sID=6&foldername=20080915&file=Shenandoahdebt_article.html

Again, anyone know what is preventing the swap with Guilford and Shenandoah? 

How about a two team swap.  ferrum and SU for VWC and Lynchburg.  Sounds good to me.   If I remember both VWC and Lynchburg are original Dixie conference members. 

[HighHeat]

the odac is a conference with many small, private institutions and has not changed up its order from as far back as i can remember. i think its more of the fact that the odac doesnt want a larger, public university in its conference than the usa south's vision of guilford entering their conference.

[coachmilburn]

Shenandoah University is a small, private university that runs around the 31k mark to attend.

I believe the only public school in the USA-South is CNU? that runs under the 17k mark to attend.  I have never been to CNU, but understand their facilities are at a level that are better than some D1's.   I would think with the lower tuition and the facilities that they have, they should be in position to win every conference title in every sport. 

[Catfishncwc]

I put CNU and Salisbury in the same category in that with them being state schools with much lower tuition's than the largely private and not cheap schools they compete against they should always a advantage when recruiting.   Having been to CNU they do have the best overall facilities in the USA South.  But again I remember when we played CNU back in the late 90's they played baseball on a bad High School field and know they have perhaps they best baseball facilities just behind a certain team in Rocky Mount, NC. 

[hokieone]

My experience back in the days when my sons were being recruited was that most private schools could come up with academic grants that brought the cost of private school down to something pretty close to the cost of a public school. CNU seems to have much less flexibility in getting "marginal" academic performers admitted; there have been quite a few baseball players they've wanted to recruit in recent years, but couldn't get them in, yet they got in to some private schools.  Don't take this the wrong way, public or private, the athlete has to do the academic work once admitted or he won't last long, but public schools have less latitude in taking a chance.  One of the Tidewater newspapers did a story a year or so ago about how the increasing academic standards had hurt some sports at CNU. 

[narch]

Again, anyone know what is preventing the swap with Guilford and Shenandoah? 

su actually applied for entry to the odac this past year and was shot down...apparently, they've made overtures to the odac numerous times, always to be rebuffed - there has been much discussion of possible conference realignment on the usasac football and hoops boards, and the most likely scenario is that the usasac will absorb the gsac (piedmont, lagrange, huntingdon and maryville) - if this happens, i think su will most certainly bolt for a conference like the cac or the mac or pac or (help me out, ralph turner ) - it wouldn't shock me to see cnu leave for a conference like the cac, as well, which is already a "mixed" conference (public and private) with salisbury in the mix - i would hate to lose su and/or cnu, but in the case of su, i could clearly understand...travel for them is very tough now...it would be nearly impossible if the usasac and gsac merge

if this did happen, i think it's 1/2 dozen in one hand and 6 in the other from a baseball standpoint - piedmont, lagrange and huntingdon are always very solid baseball teams that most of the usasac already plays

[hokieone]

Well great, NCWC gets back into their normal impressive form beating Lynchburg today, 4-1, just in time for the weekend series with CNU. Should be a good series, weather forecast for mid-70's. Breaking out the shorts and snow white legs!

[Catfishncwc]

Well great, NCWC gets back into their normal impressive form beating Lynchburg today, 4-1, just in time for the weekend series with CNU. Should be a good series, weather forecast for mid-70's. Breaking out the shorts and snow white legs!

Knowles throw a gem today.  Looks like Lynchburg threw the phonebook today.  NCWC scores runs off of Breedlove and Devlin.  I bet with Lynchburg pitching the phonebook today they did expect to have runs given up by their two best pitchers. 
Good to see my guys get back on track.   

[CNU85]

Again, anyone know what is preventing the swap with Guilford and Shenandoah? 

su actually applied for entry to the odac this past year and was shot down...apparently, they've made overtures to the odac numerous times, always to be rebuffed - there has been much discussion of possible conference realignment on the usasac football and hoops boards, and the most likely scenario is that the usasac will absorb the gsac (piedmont, lagrange, huntingdon and maryville) - if this happens, i think su will most certainly bolt for a conference like the cac or the mac or pac or (help me out, ralph turner ) - it wouldn't shock me to see cnu leave for a conference like the cac, as well, which is already a "mixed" conference (public and private) with salisbury in the mix - i would hate to lose su and/or cnu, but in the case of su, i could clearly understand...travel for them is very tough now...it would be nearly impossible if the usasac and gsac merge

if this did happen, i think it's 1/2 dozen in one hand and 6 in the other from a baseball standpoint - piedmont, lagrange and huntingdon are always very solid baseball teams that most of the usasac already plays

SU is always rumoured to be leaving. I'm surprised no other conference has snatched them to use them as whipping boys. Their athletic program is not very good. Not sure why the ODAC keeps telling them to kiss off. Maybe they don't like the folks in the Athletic Dept.  Meanwhile we'll just have to keep listening to them flapping about leaving for greener pastures.

[coachmilburn]

Shenandoah baseball gets another quality win in getting past Bridgewater today by the score of 22-11 in Winchester.   SU has faced two quality pitchers on BW's staff, Casey Hartman last week (8 to 4 win) and John Sinclair today.

I believe the 13-1 start for the season is the best ever in the school's history.  Big weekend with Methodist coming to town.  Should be good baseball this weekend with temps expected in the upper 60's.  I always enjoy watching Coach Austin's teams as they are always fundamental sound and very disciplined.

[LTBB1971]

Still not impressed by Shenandoah's start.  Their opponents winning record is 8-34.  Nice 13-1 start but they are beating up on bad D3 programs....

Good to see NCWC back on track.  Max Knowles threw another gem...back to back complete games by the young sophmore.  Hope he starts seeing the weekend rotation, specially with the injured starting rotation of Moore, Lucas and Diener.  Quality win vs #24 opponent.  I am sure CNU was hoping for the continued downward trend...J. Lucas and B. Moore going Saturday and Sunday...sweep would be nice.

[A.G.]

Well great, NCWC gets back into their normal impressive form beating Lynchburg today, 4-1, just in time for the weekend series with CNU. Should be a good series, weather forecast for mid-70's. Breaking out the shorts and snow white legs!

Knowles throw a gem today.  Looks like Lynchburg threw the phonebook today.  NCWC scores runs off of Breedlove and Devlin.  I bet with Lynchburg pitching the phonebook today they did expect to have runs given up by their two best pitchers. 
Good to see my guys get back on track.   

Yes...the young man threw a fine game.  Nice and quick...was over by 5:20.  If not for the 3-run bomb in the 8th...I imagine it may have well ended up as a 1-1 tie when darkness came.

[hokieone]

Don't be fooled by the pastry shelf early schedule,  Shenandoah can surely hit; they had sticks last year, just not enough arms.  It's hard to judge the pitching but it appears improved. Bridgewater isn't a bad club at all and Shenandoah beat them twice, although yesterday's game was gift-wrapped with Bridgewater walking 7, hitting 6, and making 4 errors-adds up to 17 free baserunners. The Hornets have two this weekend at Methodist, never anybody's gimmee, then mid-week BP with Roanoke, then two at CNU. After those five games, you'll have a better idea of how strong Shenandoah really is.  If the pitching is there, could be interesting. They did understandably get top 25 votes this week.

  Looking forward to a beautiful weekend in Rocky Mount watching CNU at NCWC. I kinda hoped NCWC would not right their ship till after we played them but it looks like they had a nice victory over a very fine Lynchburg club yesterday. Always a pleasure to visit NCWC-great rivalry, great fans, and the weather looks gorgeous-busting out the shorts time!   

[narch]

hokieone...a little excited about putting on some shorts, aren't you

mu lost to vwc 6-3 yesterday, stranding 12 runners while dropping to 7-5 - bisp gave up 5 runs in 6 ip...meaning the pups (mahaffey and fasano) will probably be weekend guys going forward - jordan pitched 2/3 of an inning (he gave up 1 hit, 1 walk and 1 run)...if/when he gets fully healthy, monarch pitching could be very deep...in the meantime, let's see if su is the real thing - hokieone is right, they have some solid sticks...i'm hoping the young monarch arms can hold them in check enough to get a couple of w's