BB: USAC: USA South Athletic Conference

[D-BAT]

Be careful what you wish for. USAS is a great baseball league, but Shenandoah is most certainly departing, probably after this year, leaving the league one team short.   Discussions are under way about all kinds of things, which is as much as I can say with any certainty.  No use fueling a rumor mill, but change will happen sooner or later.

Thanks for the heads-up.

I have postulated the solution many times.  Let me see if the USA-South agrees.

Ralph, what's your solution that you have shared?

[Cannons22]

Just maybe Ferrum is another surprise this year in the USA-South?  The perception is that they have two legit starters on the mound.

I sure hope so.  I'm new to college baseball and the USA South, but on paper Ferrum seems young to me.  With only 12 conference games, every game is important.  (Is that stating the obvious or what?)  Like I said, I'm new and it's all exciting to me.

[narch]

the monarchs get a pretty good test @ vwc this afternoon...i'm interested to see how the pitching is handled with su coming into town this weekend - i suspect that britt will get the start, but be held to a pitch limit to keep him fresh for the weekend...vwc, on the other hand, has a run of tough matchups coming up (MU today, post wednesday, cnu thursday and bridgewater saturday)...mu MAY get the top of their rotation (bulman) since he only went 2 over the weekend...if i remember correct, the monarchs lit bulman up pretty well last year, so i wouldn't be opposed to that matchup...

a couple of monarchs are starting to heat up a little...goodwin and lovette have both pushed their averages over .300 for the first time in a while...mu needs them to hit to really reach full offensive potential - it would be nice to see them start ripping the cover off the ball right about now (through the next 5-6 weeks)

ralph - if you're referring to the usasac/gsac merger, i'd be shocked to see it happen at this point...it makes a lot of sense, but i don't see it...

[Ralph Turner]

Be careful what you wish for. USAS is a great baseball league, but Shenandoah is most certainly departing, probably after this year, leaving the league one team short.   Discussions are under way about all kinds of things, which is as much as I can say with any certainty.  No use fueling a rumor mill, but change will happen sooner or later.

Thanks for the heads-up.

I have postulated the solution many times.  Let me see if the USA-South agrees.

Ralph, what's your solution that you have shared?

the monarchs get a pretty good test @ vwc this afternoon...i'm interested to see how the pitching is handled with su coming into town this weekend - i suspect that britt will get the start, but be held to a pitch limit to keep him fresh for the weekend...vwc, on the other hand, has a run of tough matchups coming up (MU today, post wednesday, cnu thursday and bridgewater saturday)...mu MAY get the top of their rotation (bulman) since he only went 2 over the weekend...if i remember correct, the monarchs lit bulman up pretty well last year, so i wouldn't be opposed to that matchup...

a couple of monarchs are starting to heat up a little...goodwin and lovette have both pushed their averages over .300 for the first time in a while...mu needs them to hit to really reach full offensive potential - it would be nice to see them start ripping the cover off the ball right about now (through the next 5-6 weeks)

ralph - if you're referring to the usasac/gsac merger, i'd be shocked to see it happen at this point...it makes a lot of sense, but i don't see it...

As narch mentioned...
Leaving the GSAC Women intact.  Leaving the USA South Women intact.  An affiliation agreement between the USA South men and GSAC men to preserve the AQ for the USA South men.

The timeline that makes the most sense is probably related to Covenant making satisfactory progress in the provisional pipeline which would mean full membership in 2103-14.  Berry may also be in the picture.  Shenandoah might announce plans for the 2011-12 season, but I don't expect that until to hear anything until May-June, when the next round of conference meetings will occur.

I don't think that the ODAC has changed its mind about adding new members.  Shenandoah has travel considerations and the ODAC, the CSAC, and the Capital AC are geographically closer than the USA South.

I do not know who is up for consideration for D-3 provisional status for August 2010.  University of New Orleans is re-classifying from D-1 to D-III this summer.

[Catfishncwc]

How about the ODAC and USAC make a trade.  SU for VWC makes a lot of sense geographically.  Also VWC was a member of the Dixie back in the day.  

[D-BAT]

Surprised that NOBODY is talking about this ...

Eastern Mennonite is fresh off an impressive Old Dominion Athletic Conference sweep of Virginia Wesleyan.

The Marlins were voted second in the ODAC's preseason poll, but the Royals (voted 8th out of 10) pounded out 23 runs Saturday in Virginia Beach, winning by 12-8 and 11-7 scores.

Game 1:
R   H   E
12-09-04 ... EMU
08-07-03 ... VWC

EMU chased Bulman after 2.0 IP, 14 batters faced, 4 hits, 5 runs and 3 BB's.

Game 2:
R   H   E
11-17-03 ... EMU
07-10-01 ... VWC

EMU chased Samuels after 2.0 IP, 15 batters faced, 7 hits, 5 runs.

[hokieone]

Impressive to be sure...

[cnuball25]

You make an excellent point Catfish...it seems we've beening hearing "Shenandoah is leaving the conference" rumors forever, but most reasons I've heard always involve being more "competitive, although I have no idea how much truth (if any) there is to that. It doesn't seem to me like they get pounded in everything...I know for a fact they swept us during the regular season in men's basketball (although we knocked them out in the semi's), but geographically is does make a heck of a lot more sense.

And the EMU sweep is crazy to say the least...I assumed that would be an easy sweep for VWC. Maybe the Marlins thought the samething...

[D-BAT]

Albertus Magnus (0) Shenandoah (19)    
Albertus Magnus (7) Shenandoah (25)
   
Methodist (4) Va. Wesleyan (3)

Averett (5) Lynchburg (10)

Conf/Overall
2-0  06-9 ... NCW
3-1  12-5 ... AU
1-1  08-2 ... FC
2-2  10-3 ... SU
2-2  12-5 ... MU
2-2  09-4 ... CNU
0-4  04-8 ... GB


The USA-South is 61-36 overall.

[narch]

willingham pitched 6 strong innings again today, giving up 6 hits, 0 er and 7 k's...but no win...rusty white came in after britt pitched the 7th and was the recipient of a monarch comeback win...mu improves to 12-5 going into su weekend...should be fun...looks like the su offense got uncorked in a big way today

[D-BAT]

Albertus Magnus (3) CNU (10)
Albertus Magnus (3) CNU (15)
        
Greensboro (12) Lynchburg (14)
      
Averett (4) Randolph-Macon (3) 10inn

Penn State-Harrisburg (0) Ferrum (23) 7inn


Conf/Overall
2-0  06-9 ... NCW
3-1  13-5 ... AU
1-1  09-2 ... FC
2-2  10-3 ... SU
2-2  11-4 ... CNU
2-2  12-5 ... MU
0-4  04-9 ... GB


The USA-South is 65-37 overall.

[hokieone]

Albertus Magnus-real nice kids but providing basically live BP for USAS.  They went through so many arms with SU and CNU that the trainer may need to throw against NCWC.   They are another northern school getting outside for the first time and taking their lumps in exchange.

[WMSBRGFan]

It was very nice to see all the young CNU arms throw. CNU looks like they have good arms for the next 4 years.

[narch]

The USA-South is 65-37 overall.

...and more importantly, 53-25 in ooc games (the conference record is irrelevant...it will always be .500)

[D-BAT]

Team Batting Avg:
.340 - AU   
.332 - GB   
.322 - FC    
.305 - SU   
.298 - MC   
.295 - CNU   
.265 - NCW   

Team ERA Avg:
3.41 - MU   
4.27 - FC    
4.73 - SU  
4.77 - AU   
4.87 - CNU   
5.05 - NCW   
6.92 - GB   

Stats as March 11 (all games):


Team Batting Avg:
.350 - SU
.337 - AU  
.333 - GB  
.322 - FC    
.315 - MC  
.299 - CNU  
.265 - NCW  

Team ERA Avg:
3.30 - MU  
3.54 - FC    
3.97 - SU
4.57 - CNU  
4.86 - AU  
5.05 - NCW  
7.62 - GB  


Penn State-Fayette (3) Averett (5)
Penn State-Fayette (0) Averett (8)   

Greensboro (4) Wash. & Lee (11)   

CNU (5) Va. Wesleyan (8)

Albertus Magnus (5) N.C. Wesleyan (8)       
     

Conf/Overall
2-0  07-9 ... NCW
3-1  15-5 ... AU
1-1  09-2 ... FC
2-2  10-3 ... SU
2-2  12-5 ... MU
2-2  11-5 ... CNU
0-4  04-10 . GB


The USA-South is 68-39 overall.