BB: USAC: USA South Athletic Conference

[D-BAT]

I won't be surprised if there are a ton of conference splits again. Just the way it goes with a 2-game series.  Every team on paper can beat each other.

Like I have said in earlier posts, the conference setup (good or bad) places significant importance on mid-week "south region" games.  These games are just as important as the conference game even if they don't "feel" that way.

Like always should be a fun and competitive baseball season. Lets hope the weather forecasts drastically change.    

Would love to see 3 USA-South teams in the regional again.

With current format, 3-teams from USA-South advancing to Reg'l play is very doable!

[fanofusasouth]

First off thanks for the welcome.... but 2nd  i think you guys should remember that post  because i believe that my predictions will be right... meth first shan 2nd for sure... i think i made a mistake on gboro below ncwc.....  i took time tonight... because i have nothing else to do with my life and looked at the stats from last year.... GBORO still my dark horse  and i talked to some friends from gboro this year and they tell me that they are responding to coach Aiker very well.... infact he was the team favorite all along...  still see averett doing nothing this year.... hildreth was there team last year and hes gone.. and is playing independent ball the sticks that the USA SOUTH Brings is Very good and when you have no hitting and no pitching   your not GOOD PERIOD....  Speaking of stats... NCWC LOST A LOT... i looked at a lineup from the regional game... they lose there #1 and #2 AND #4 PITCHERS . john shearon being there 4 if not 5  3b, C, RF, DH, 2B   i see ncwc looking to slide just a little bit more this year and pray to get hot at the end of the year...  CNU returns good amount of players  and especially there 3b..  i dont remember playing against him but his stats do not lie from last year... there coach always coaches well as they always have a very very deep team..... Speaking of coaches... if you had to rank the coaches from 1-7  what would your rank be and why
1.  METH   is what every coach wants to be... his players hate him in  a way and my friends tell me his a very crazy guy.. but he makes his team better and numbers dont lie

2. SHAN   dedication to his team and the school is un real.... the man is the best motivator in the conference  and look what he did last year... cant really say much more about that..

3.  CNU    Puts good teams up every year  and can recruit his butt off.... got a good city and depth in his teams every year just show how good he is

4. NCWC   the man has a national championship ring... but was it his team or Fox... if im not mistaken he won it the year after fox left  and those players were fox's...  but heres something you cant lie about   300 wins last year if im not mistaking...  Also everytime ive played NCWC they only have two coaches...  i see on the roster this year they have a coach byrd.... is he a hitting or pitching coach? LTHS maybe you can answer that

5. Averett... the man makes me laugh more than any coach in the league... hes so hyped up on tobacco or his desire to win....  hes the first to get fired up and the first to yell his players back to 4th grade  scared to death....   but his past playing experience brings alot of knowledge to the game...

6-7   Tie... would give a edge over aiker  just because my friends say they love the guy and hes from the university and is the only guy that really recruits from that university... but  cant say much because its his first year... would say the ferrum guy gets the nod because he did have a good year his first time with the new team... i mean he was one game from the championship game in the tourny last year......   

Also remember none of these coaches are what they are without the asst coaches and trianers... alot of people never recognize that...   but you guys let me know what you think

[LTBB1971]

fanofusasouth,
Coach Jones will be the pitching coach and coach Byrd is the hitting coach.

As far as ranking the coaches...boy, very hard to do.  This is not the best Division III conference for nothing.  The coaching is excellent and most of these guys could probably move on to DII or DI schools if they wanted to, they sure have the credentials for it.

I have noticed for the most part that the COY award goes to the coach whose team won the conference.  Coach Long won it last year but I think Coach Austin (Methodist) was a very close second.  He did a tremendous job with such a young roster.  On top of that their catcher (Proctor) and best pitcher RHP L. Jordan were hurt for part of the year.

[vabaseball]

CNU's roster is finally about to be posted. Looks like all the starters still eligible have returned: Despins, Romett, Neal, Brinkman, Lenda(s), Lindemuth, etc. A couple transfers: one from VA Tech and one from Shenandoah. Some freshman pitchers who should help out. I'm hopeful.

[hokieone]

...and a transfer from Liberty and from the U.S. Naval Academy.   Looks like a very good hitting lineup, fielding is excellent, Brinkman could well be a draft prospect, and there's a 4 way dogfight for the #2 starter spot, so if all of those guys are #2 worthy, or close to it, it could be an interesting year.

    CNU's infield, as of yesterday, is game ready but a little more drying in the outfield would be helpful. If this storm that's going to bury us up here in the Valley doesn't leave too much additional moisture, they should be able to tee it up against Hampden-Sydney on Tuesday in Newport News, but it will be chilly. If all goes well, unlikely with the weather, the Captains will have played  5 games by sundown Sunday..and they will all be blue popsicles.

[vabaseball]

Yes Greg Goldsmith from NAPS.  I think he will help CNU out tremendously and I'm sure the coach was happy to have him arrive in January.  Who is the Liberty transfer, HokieOne? I think CNU has some pitchers that have not yet been fully discovered in conference play.

[WMSBRGFan]

I think that it is going to be very important for every school to have freshman step up and the one that has that happen I think will do the best in conference play. With that said it will be interesting to see how has the best freshman class to build off of.

[D-BAT]

Wonder why nobody has chatted about this as today is Feb. 5th?

February 2, 2010

MESA, Ariz. - Junior Greg Van Sickler has been tabbed as the pre-season Division III Player of the Year in selections announced Tuesday by Baseball America.

Van Sickler, who earned NABC All-America status last season after leading Shenandoah to a 38-10 record and a South Region championship, was selected as a "Player to Watch", the  pre-season Player of the Year and as the top NCAA Division III draftable prospect by Baseball America.

Van Sickler hit .411 with seven home runs, 66 RBI and a school record 20 doubles last spring while also winning nine of 11 decisions on the mound with a 2.69 ERA.

In addition to his NABC honors, Van Sickler was selected All-USA South Conference, to the USA South, Salisbury and NCAA Division III Championships All-Tournament teams and as a Valley League All-Star during the summer.

Shenandoah is scheduled to open its 2010 season on February 13 with a pair of games at the ODAC/USA South Conference Challenge.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/

[WMSBRGFan]

I thinl it is that with Mr. Van Sickler you know what you are going to get. He will probably meet the hype, the questions with SU start after he is done on the mound.

[narch]

Wonder why nobody has chatted about this as today is Feb. 5th?

February 2, 2010

MESA, Ariz. - Junior Greg Van Sickler has been tabbed as the pre-season Division III Player of the Year in selections announced Tuesday by Baseball America.

Van Sickler, who earned NABC All-America status last season after leading Shenandoah to a 38-10 record and a South Region championship, was selected as a "Player to Watch", the  pre-season Player of the Year and as the top NCAA Division III draftable prospect by Baseball America.

Van Sickler hit .411 with seven home runs, 66 RBI and a school record 20 doubles last spring while also winning nine of 11 decisions on the mound with a 2.69 ERA.

In addition to his NABC honors, Van Sickler was selected All-USA South Conference, to the USA South, Salisbury and NCAA Division III Championships All-Tournament teams and as a Valley League All-Star during the summer.

Shenandoah is scheduled to open its 2010 season on February 13 with a pair of games at the ODAC/USA South Conference Challenge.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/

i don't think he's even the best player in the conference (although he's very close)

[Southern BB fan]

Weather is causing some schedule adjustments. Here a post on the MU site:

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Methodist baseball team has adjusted their schedule for the next two weekends and fans should take note to plan accordingly.

This weekend, the Monarchs will kick off the 2010 campaign at LaGrange College, but the games have been pushed back a day to Sunday and Monday at 1 p.m.

Next weekend, Methodist was originally scheduled to play in the ODAC/USA South Challenge hosted by Randolph-Macon, but due to heavy winter weather in the area, the tournament has been split up amongst a number of sites. The Monarchs will host Bridgewater College in a three-game series at Armstrong-Shelley Field beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 12 p.m. The final game will take place Sunday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m.

[D-BAT]

For those who got show, how much did everyone get?

[vabaseball]

Two feet in Fairfax County. I heard that the Charlottesville area was relatively spared compared to the forecast.

I walked by a little league yesterday and thought about how spring training is right around the corner...

[LTBB1971]

I would say Norfolk, VA got 1 or 1.5".  According to VA Wesleyan website, VA Wesleyan will be hosting NCWC next Saturday for a DH.

[D-BAT]

Looks like Northern VA area got hammered!