BB: USAC: USA South Athletic Conference

[Catfishncwc]

Narch,
You asked if any D3 team would be a ACC team so bad.  Well in 1982 NCWC beat UVA 18-0 in a game.   Their were some other big time D1 progams we beat down on in the 80's.  I will check our media guide to get some more info on that for you.

[narch]

Since Methodist is the only D3 school with a PGA approved curriculum of Professional Golf Management, then it is not that incomprehensible.  The remarkable thing is the Methodist beat Penn State.

That Penn State golf team must be either bad or still stuck in the middle of winter.

ralph - clearly the fact that mu started pgm in 1986 has helped the golf programs, as have amazing golf facilities and great coaching, but the fact of the matter is, the monarchs are still largely able to find young ladies (and men) who are lightly regarded by d1 programs as high school golfers and then develop them to the point that they trash them on the golf course - every one of the teams in that tournament gives athletic scholarships, and with title ix, women's golf scholarships are becoming pretty significant...i've heard of 14 handicap players getting $5-7K per year from some d1 and d2 programs...a 14 handicap player might not even make the varsity at mu

catfish - thanks for the research...no offense, but 1982 is a LONG time ago, and acc baseball is a different breed now than it was then...can anyone imagine a CURRENT d3 team beating a CURRENT acc team?  i can't...

[George Foster]

Otterbein opened the season with Ohio University, a D-1 squad. They lost 5-3. Just to throw into the mix.

[Ralph Turner]

Since Methodist is the only D3 school with a PGA approved curriculum of Professional Golf Management, then it is not that incomprehensible.  The remarkable thing is the Methodist beat Penn State.

That Penn State golf team must be either bad or still stuck in the middle of winter.

ralph - clearly the fact that mu started pgm in 1986 has helped the golf programs, as have amazing golf facilities and great coaching, but the fact of the matter is, the monarchs are still largely able to find young ladies (and men) who are lightly regarded by d1 programs as high school golfers and then develop them to the point that they trash them on the golf course - every one of the teams in that tournament gives athletic scholarships, and with title ix, women's golf scholarships are becoming pretty significant...i've heard of 14 handicap players getting $5-7K per year from some d1 and d2 programs...a 14 handicap player might not even make the varsity at mu

Actually, I think that the PGM school at Methodist gives an incredible advantage to the program, the only appoved PGM of its kind in D3.  Methodist is bound by D3 rules, but these players are highly motivated to come to the program.  I would expect the coaching to be outstanding.  Isn't a course in Professional marketing of golfing skills one on the areas covered by the curricula?

I understand that D3's can get great players.  You will remember that McMurry's Brittany Cary was the 2004 D3 Women's National Medalist.

I just wish that we had a PGM course of study at McMurry.

[narch]

Actually, I think that the PGM school at Methodist gives an incredible advantage to the program, the only appoved PGM of its kind in D3.  Methodist is bound by D3 rules, but these players are highly motivated to come to the program.  I would expect the coaching to be outstanding.  Isn't a course in Professional marketing of golfing skills one on the areas covered by the curricula?

I understand that D3's can get great players.  You will remember that McMurry's Brittany Cary was the 2004 D3 Women's National Medalist.

ralph - i think you're missing the point...i'm not comparing mu's women's golf team to other d3's (who they pretty much dominate)...i'm comparing them to d1's - the fact of the matter is that a golfer like katie dick had limited (if any) d1 offers as a high school golfer and just shot a 67 - she and charlotte williams (mu's #1 golfer) could probably beat 1/2 of the d1 golfers in the country, yet they were lightly regarded by those d1's as high schoolers - i will concede that having a pgm program probably helped mu land both of them vs. other d3's - i will also concede that having access to amazing golf facilities has helped their development (although, most d1's spend more time in practice and have similarly impressive facilities), but the fact of the matter is that d1's still hold the ultimate trump card...athletic scholarships - i think you minimize coaching and practice habits of the student-athletes when you imply that mu's success in golf is due so largely to the presence of the pgm program, especially when comparing mu golfers to d1 golfers - if having a pgm program automatically means having a great golf team, someone needs to send that memo to most (if not all) of the other pgm programs in the country - in fact, among other pgm schools, only arizona state (ranked in both men's & women's golf), coastal carolina men (coached by a mu pgm graduate) and clemson men were ranked in golf as of the end of the fall season - if pgm were the primary reason the monarchs are as good as they are, why aren't the other pgm programs better than their respective counterparts?  do you think scholarships and coaching may be factors which even the playing field?

I just wish that we had a PGM course of study at McMurry.

don't hate...emulate

last point, which will bring us back to baseball a bit - mu has a fantastic sports management program which has produced a number of graduates who are working in front office positions with major and minor league baseball teams - maybe that explains why they now sit in a first place tie in the usasac...they are able to get great baseball players who are interested in sports management

[sarcasm](because coaching and tradition clearly can't be the reason)[/sarcasm]

[narch]

the monarchs work their way into the abca poll at #21, and #4 in the south region...i was surprised to see that rhodes was not ranked ahead of the monarchs in either ranking at 24-4 (they didn't get more than one vote)

abca rankings

and the monarchs push their record to 19-7 with a 10-6 victory over guilford

box score

[narch]

the monarchs get a nice regional win over lynchburg today, 11-8 behind the offense of the two frosh halpin (5-5 with 3 runs) and kivett (3-4, 3 rbi)...as a whole the monarchs pounded out 15 hits - not the best pitching performance of the season, but a win is a win and a regional win is the second best regular season win you can get

game story and box score

last night was the dedication of what is now armstrong-shelley field at mu...check out the photos - the facility isn't quite where it needs to be yet, but it's sure getting their - the lights and entrance are huge improvements

big series with averett this weekend

[Ralph Turner]

Narch, I looked at what it would take to add a PGM course at McMurry and came up with a $6-8 M price tag to start up and endow a completely new program such as Methodist's which has been organically grown from inside the university.  Getting PGA accreditation would be critical and almost mandatory for a commitment by the university.

As for the calibre of golfer that one needs to win the D1 championship versus the calibre of golfer that one needs to win the D3 championship, I would expect those to be different skill sets.  The D1 scholarship golfer wants to win the PGA Championship.

The PGM student wants to be the CEO at the Country Club that hosts the PGA Championship.

[narch]

Narch, I looked at what it would take to add a PGM course at McMurry and came up with a $6-8 M price tag to start up and endow a completely new program such as Methodist's which has been organically grown from inside the university.  Getting PGA accreditation would be critical and almost mandatory for a commitment by the university.

i can assure you that every penny invested in the mu pgm program has been worth it...

As for the calibre of golfer that one needs to win the D1 championship versus the calibre of golfer that one needs to win the D3 championship, I would expect those to be different skill sets.  The D1 scholarship golfer wants to win the PGA Championship.

The PGM student wants to be the CEO at the Country Club that hosts the PGA Championship.

all the more reason that the recent performance by the mu women's golf team, vs. some big name d1 teams is very impressive

[narch]

unofficially, the usasac/odac series stands at 37-14, usasac

i've read a couple comments about how young the odac is, as a whole, this year, but i don't think youth is a valid excuse for poor performance...look at what au has done (they're 10-3 vs. the odac) with a roster infused with youth

even the monarchs aren't an upper-class heavy team - of the 11 most regular position players, 5 are freshman or sophomores and 2 of mu's top 3 hitters are freshman...the pitching staff is even more green, with 3 of their top 6 pitchers (as measured by ip) being frosh, 2 of their top 3 starters as sophs and just 1 junior among the top 6 pitchers (and no seniors on the staff)

i personally think the switch to 2 day conference weekends has really helped the usasac compete in these mid-week contests

[Catfishncwc]

unofficially, the usasac/odac series stands at 37-14, usasac

i've read a couple comments about how young the odac is, as a whole, this year, but i don't think youth is a valid excuse for poor performance...look at what au has done (they're 10-3 vs. the odac) with a roster infused with youth

even the monarchs aren't an upper-class heavy team - of the 11 most regular position players, 5 are freshman or sophomores and 2 of mu's top 3 hitters are freshman...the pitching staff is even more green, with 3 of their top 6 pitchers (as measured by ip) being frosh, 2 of their top 3 starters as sophs and just 1 junior among the top 6 pitchers (and no seniors on the staff)

i personally think the switch to 2 day conference weekends has really helped the usasac compete in these mid-week contests

Narch you could be any further from the truth about the 2 game conference weekend games.  I have talke to all the Dixie Conference coaches (but averett and SU) about this that and they all agree about the two games instead of the 3 games being the main reason. 
Though I think the odac is having a down year this year but I think the conference schedule going back to the old way has helped also.

[narch]

anxiously awaiting mu/au results...the 7 pm start made it impossible for me to make the game and waiting for a score is killing me

here's an article on matt hunt from the fayetteville observer...enjoy

[Spence]

Averett 15, Methodist 3.

Back at it tomorrow for both teams.

CNU beat Ferrum, 3-1. Shenandoah beat Greensboro, 8-6 in 11.

USA Dixie standings as of right now: CNU 6-3, Averett 5-4, Methodist 5-4, Ferrum 5-4, NC Wesleyan 5-5, Shenandoah 4-5, Greensboro 3-8,

[narch]

mu/au game story and box score...ugly for the monarchs...they've got to salvage a split today

[George Foster]

Did Averett win that game by run rule or something?

There's a run rule in D-III? I didn't know that? Whats the rule?