BB: USAC: USA South Athletic Conference

George Foster · April 26, 2007, 05:46:51 PM

Boston,

In my eyes there is no way Averett is a top 8 program in the South and there is no way Tufts is a top 30 program in the nation.

Bostonian · April 26, 2007, 09:31:37 PM

I haven't seen enough of the other top 30 to know where Tufts belongs. The only thing I know is that Tufts beat NC Wesleyan and Eastern CT last year. They also beat Methodist, VA Wesleyan, swept Trinity, and finished 25-14, yet they weren't ranked in the top 30. This year, at 17-8, they are ranked there.

I am just surprised that you know enough about the other teams ranked in the top 30 to definitively know Tufts doesn't belong there, especially because you've probably seen them play all of one game....

narch · April 26, 2007, 10:51:30 PM

Quote from: George Foster on April 26, 2007, 05:46:51 PMthere is no way Tufts is a top 30 program in the nation.

the abca voters as a whole don't think so, either...but i have a lot of respect for their program and know they've always been competetive with mu

George Foster · April 27, 2007, 02:24:41 AM

There a solid team.

I guess in a nut shell what I was trying to say is........I don't understand the rankings sometimes.

George Foster · April 27, 2007, 02:25:16 AM

I meant They're.

I'm an idiot.

allsky7 · April 27, 2007, 06:14:59 AM

Quote from: George Foster on April 27, 2007, 02:25:16 AM
I meant They're.

I'm an idiot.

Come on George, don't be so hard on yourself. After all, you were a great player for the Big Red Machine......right? Who cares if grammar isn't your best subject.

George Foster · April 27, 2007, 03:32:52 PM

This is true.

Jim Dixon · April 27, 2007, 03:41:21 PM

I was surprised to see that every team in the USA South has a .500 or above overall records.

I believe Methodist will get the nod (Pool C bid) above the others but NC Wesleyan, Christopher Newport and Averett have all had really good seasons. I am not surprise that nobody ran away with the conference as good as the last place team turned out to be.

narch · April 27, 2007, 09:55:43 PM

Quote from: Jim Dixon on April 27, 2007, 03:41:21 PM
I was surprised to see that every team in the USA South has a .500 or above overall records.

you shouldn't be...au was the only team with a losing record the previous 2 years ('05, '06), and the year before that, every team in the conference had a winning record, as well ('04)

in fact, '03 seems to be the UNCOMMON usasac/diac year, when 4 of 8 teams had losing records (although chowan was just 1 game under .500) - in '00, '01 and '02 only 2 teams had losing records

this is just a very good conference...top-to-bottom...year-in, year-out

Spence · April 28, 2007, 08:14:18 AM

Not to take away from the point that it is a very good conference, but playing so few conference games helps the overall record (assuming you win a lot of non-conference games). If they played 18 conference games, Greensboro probably wouldn't have a winning record, for example, and the lack of pitching depth for an Averett or Shenandoah might show up more as well (not that Averett would have a losing record against their schedule).

Again, not dogging anything you said. Just adding to it a bit.

narch · April 28, 2007, 08:47:05 AM

Quote from: Spence on April 28, 2007, 08:14:18 AM
Not to take away from the point that it is a very good conference, but playing so few conference games helps the overall record (assuming you win a lot of non-conference games). If they played 18 conference games, Greensboro probably wouldn't have a winning record, for example, and the lack of pitching depth for an Averett or Shenandoah might show up more as well (not that Averett would have a losing record against their schedule).

Again, not dogging anything you said. Just adding to it a bit.

for 2 years (maybe 3) prior to this year the usasac did play 3 game conference series...and au was the only team with a losing record in the entire conference

Ralph Turner · April 28, 2007, 11:12:32 AM

Then we can refer to the USA South as the Baseball equivalent of the NESCAC in basketball!

Surely, there must be a USA South college president trying to use that quote in marketing material.

The NESCAC only plays single round robin in basketball and manages to boost their QOWI by loading up the schedule with in-region non-conference games.

Spence · April 28, 2007, 11:11:27 PM

Quote from: narch on April 28, 2007, 08:47:05 AM
Quote from: Spence on April 28, 2007, 08:14:18 AM
Not to take away from the point that it is a very good conference, but playing so few conference games helps the overall record (assuming you win a lot of non-conference games). If they played 18 conference games, Greensboro probably wouldn't have a winning record, for example, and the lack of pitching depth for an Averett or Shenandoah might show up more as well (not that Averett would have a losing record against their schedule).

Again, not dogging anything you said. Just adding to it a bit.
for 2 years (maybe 3) prior to this year the usasac did play 3 game conference series...and au was the only team with a losing record in the entire conference

True enough. Like I said, doesn't take away from it either way.

A.G. · April 30, 2007, 06:27:31 PM

Congratulations to Ferrum...
...host of this year's SOUTH REGIONAL.

NCWC · May 01, 2007, 03:27:54 PM

When is Tom Austin gonna win the big one? All this talk about how good his teams are year in and year out, when is he gonna do it? Methodist should consider Joe Torre once he gets fired from the Yankees. All those wins and no national championship to show for it. Somehow this is going to come back and bite me but seriously, win the tournament, the regional, and the world series, then maybe you can beg for at large bids.