BB: USAC: USA South Athletic Conference

[hokieone]

    CNU pitching has really impressed me. Brinkman was known to be a solid #1 and has lived up to  the role. Chitsaz won a 4 way fight for the #2 spot and has throw very well, but the other three can spot start and throw long relief. Freshmen Fleischmann (12 innings, 2.19 ERA) and Goldsmith (6 innings, 0.00 ERA) have provided critical innings to bridge the gap between the starters and the closer, Malvagna, who seems to have found his home at games' end.  Better him than me, but he stays cool.    A lefty frosh, Verdillo, is also starting to get into the bullpen mix-he throws hard and Coach Harvell thinks enough of him to put him into a critical spot late against a good hitting NCWC team Sunday. A few other guys have pitched some good innings, with occasional lapses, but overall there is a lot of good pitching going on.   

   Timing of course is everything and hopefully our Captains will peak at the right time. The hitting that we thought was there is beginning to get more consistent but a long season to go yet.  Shenandoah provided a textbook example of getting hot at the right time last year, rolling all the  way to Appleton, a realistic target still for many USAS teams.

   This is such a wonderful conference for baseball that I'd hate to see it change. Every conference game every week takes on the feel of intense rivalry. There are a whole lot of good baseball players in the USAS. Many players are friends with players on other teams, and there are surely plenty of not-so-warm-but-tolerably-respectful relations as well.   It's a wonderful experience for all of these guys.      The conference as a whole hitting .316?  Just silly.

[cnuball25]

I'm glad to see some chatter on here...I can't stomach to read more of my usual Hokie message boards. In the words of an admin from techsideline.com, "I'm sick of meeting last year's criteria for an NCAA bid this year, hitting this year's criteria last year, and hitting next year's criteria two years ago". Much like the rest of Hokie nation I'm feeling pretty darn agitated this morning, so if any of my comments come across as condescending please forgive me.

On a bright spot, I couldn't be happier to see the Captains take of business this weekend at home. The defense does seem to be improving and the pitching is doing enough to give the CNU bats a chance to win, which is half the battle in college baseball.

I agree with Hokieone on all points except for "hating to see it (the conference) change". I honestly feel that a move back to a 3-game conference weekend would allow us to see who the deepest team really is. As is, you can throw all your big guns in a quick 2-game series, but I think it would be interesting to see who has enough arms to throw that 3rd game. I understand that only having a 2-game series keeps a lot of teams "in it" until the end, but is it more important to keep teams "in it", or more important to visually see more disparity but gain an understanding of who the better/deeper teams are? Just a little food for thought on a Monday morning...

Now time for me to get back to cussing the selection committee...

[Boysofsummer21]

CNU25 I am with you! I mean what where they thinking??? Quick post before all the days meetings. I got to see the CNU NCW game Sunday and it was a good game. I think the one killing blow for NCW came on a ball that a play was not made on, it let CNU score and kill the Mo. The pitching was good, not great but the pitchers did a good job of keeping their teams in the game. The weather is warming up and so is the hitting wow .361 for the conference! Man these kids can hit. Anyone one who the sidearmer was for NCW?

[D-BAT]

I agree with Hokieone on all points except for "hating to see it (the conference) change". I honestly feel that a move back to a 3-game conference weekend would allow us to see who the deepest team really is. As is, you can throw all your big guns in a quick 2-game series, but I think it would be interesting to see who has enough arms to throw that 3rd game. I understand that only having a 2-game series keeps a lot of teams "in it" until the end, but is it more important to keep teams "in it", or more important to visually see more disparity but gain an understanding of who the better/deeper teams are? Just a little food for thought on a Monday morning...

If last year was a 3-game series, then most likely CNU and SU would be at home, so what is best for the conference, playing 3-game series or getting the most teams into Reg'l play?

Really, Methodist could of been in the Reg'ls last year who were much better than York.

[cnufan]

I also liked the 3 game series, but as this board has discussed many times before it almost hurts the conference in getting atlarge regional bids.  We are almost beating up on each other.  The regular season really means nothing in the conference so to roll the ball out for another game in conference only shows you are better than that team that weekend/ regualr season.  The tournament is where the champion is crowned.  I like the 3 game series but I think it is best for the conference to stay at a 2 game series just to get better regional representation.

[cnuball25]

I completely understand...with other conferences adopting the 2-game series it would certainly put the USA South behind the 8 ball when it comes to Regional At-Large bids. It made all the sense in the world for the USAS to follow suit with other conferences because it was like we were beating up on one another. The point I was trying to make is that, to me at least, it would make more sense baseball-wise to reward the deeper teams as opposed to the ones that might have 1-2 good arms. But for some reason that's not how Div. III works, thus the reason for the change.

Thank you guys correcting me on that...I was so full of piss-and-vinegar this morning I obviously didn't type very clearly:)

[narch]

kurt kelly came up HUGE for the monarchs yesterday after van sickler looked like a shut-down pitcher on saturday - i don't like split conference weekends unless the monarchs lose on saturday...then i love 'em ...a sweep by su could have been a disaster for the monarchs

if kelly can bring that type of effort as the #2 starter for the rest of the year, the monarchs will be in great shape

i think 9 conference wins will take the usasac regular season crown...your thoughts?

[narch]

since almost everyone is at the 1/2 way point, i decided to handicap this race going forward

i combined overall and conference w/l records for each conference team to determine who had played the most difficult conference schedule, to date, and who had the "easiest" remaining road...with the caveat that i don't think there is an easy weekend in the usasac

here are the "toughest" conference schedules played, in order (overall/conference win%):
fc (.711/.636), mu (.717/.588), ncwc (.719/.583), gc (.706/.545), cnu (.612/.538), au (.563/.385), su (.444/.357)

here are the "easiest" remaining schedules (games remaining):
mu (6), cnu (6), fc (9), ncwc (8), au (7), gc (8), su (6)

the monarchs remaining conference teams have the following splits: .447/.364 while cnu's remaining conference opponents come in at .549/.400 and fc has 9 games against conference teams who are .545/.440 - ncwc has 8 vs. .597/.444, au has 7 vs. .645/.579, gc has 8 vs. .647/.583 and su has 6 vs. .729/.643

at this point, i'm not willing to count ANYONE out of the regular season race, but i will point out that gc has the second toughest remaining conference schedule and is already 2 behind in the loss column and 4 back in the win column...that's a tough road

the fc/au game tonight is big for both teams...

[cnufan]

Does anyone remember how tie breakers are determined come tournament time? I understand it is a little ways away but you have to think there will be some sort of tie with all the teams right now sporting compatible records.

[RSSmith]

Does anyone remember how tie breakers are determined come tournament time? I understand it is a little ways away but you have to think there will be some sort of tie with all the teams right now sporting compatible records.

Check the conference handbook.

http://www.usasouth.net/manuals/admin_directory.shtml

You'll have to register.

[hokieone]

With a dart board....  actually, that probably  makes as much sense as the explanation I got two years ago when 5 teams went into the final weekend tied for first.

[D-BAT]

Follow Averett vs. Ferrum LIVE stats ... 7pm start:
http://www.sidearmstats.com/ferrum/baseball/index.htm

[LTBB1971]

Boysofsummer,
you are not kidding...starting pitching gets left out to give you 7-8 runs before they come out...always tough on offense when pitchers are left in too long.  Best bullpen I think wins this whole thing.  Also team with sharpest nbr 3 starter gets the advantage.

By the way, the righty that pitched Sunday vs. CNU is senior John Child.

[Boysofsummer21]

Boysofsummer,
you are not kidding...starting pitching gets left out to give you 7-8 runs before they come out...always tough on offense when pitchers are left in too long.  Best bullpen I think wins this whole thing.  Also team with sharpest nbr 3 starter gets the advantage.

By the way, the righty that pitched Sunday vs. CNU is senior John Child.

Thanks he did a good job. CNU threw some freshmen and the closer and they all looked good. Wondering if they get enough work that could help them in the long run. NCW seem to be ok while they where up but when they got down they started getting on each other, hope the team chem gets better.

[LTBB1971]

Team chemistry not too good.  You read it on point.  We play well when on top, but once adversity hits, players seem to handle poorly.  Only 3 seniors on team, which only 2 play regularly.  Senior leadership lacking with 17 fresh/soph on roster.  Really young team.  We are having issues hitting this year as well.

Some turmoil on team as well, I hope they will get it together.  I heard one player quit today, I hope not.  I see a different lineup everyday, which may be due to inconsistency of team.

CNU played really well.  OF Shannon Mark, OF Drue Vernon and SS Parker Neal hit the crap out the ball.  Really solid young lineup for the Captains.  I take my hat off!