BB: USAC: USA South Athletic Conference

[Spence]

Recommended him to Marietta, but he went to Danville Community College out of high school for a year then hooked on at Ferrum. I actually thought he'd end up pitching even though he could swing it then too. Great talent.

[narch]

congrats to ferrum and emory...the panthers surely gave the eagles everything they could handle

ferrum might be the most underrated team in the country...how did that team lose that many games?

[allsky7]

     Anybody have any thoughts on why Coach Naff didn't pinch hit at any point yesterday? Emory PH a few times with pretty good success. Two of their three got on base. Harrell and Heatwole for Ferrum struggled yesterday. They were 0 for 12 combined. I know it is hard to get the full picture from the game play by play and the box score but it seemed like a couple of times, there was an opportunity to give someone else a shot. Harrell did hit the ball Sat. but Heatwole did not. Maybe these guys are great defensive players, maybe they have gotten it done all year and Coach Naff was going to live and die with them, or perhaps he just didn't feel like he had anyone on the bench that could step up. This is certainly not intented as a criticism of Coach Naff or either player. Just curious if anyone out there had any thoughts. 
     Congrats to the Panthers for a heck of a run. Oh so close!! Best of luck to Emory at the CWS as well.  8)

[WLCALUM83]

Anyone care to chime in with takes on Emory's matchup with a Wisconsin squad this coming Friday?

[narch]

Anyone care to chime in with takes on Emory's matchup with a Wisconsin squad this coming Friday?

their top 2 pitchers are legit, and they will keep emory in any game they are pitching

[George Foster]

Sweet Brett Thomas drops 15 bombs, hits .387, steals 26 bases.

I'm Wesleyan biased but Brett Thomas is at least a 2nd team All American, if not first team. Was the guys that picked this team all dining in the Midwest and up in the Northeast when picking it.

Brett Thomas being an Honerable Mention in one of the toughest conferences in D-3 baseball and putting up numbers like he did makes these picks to me void and short of a joke. Maybe the ABCA will see it differently. 

[narch]

Sweet Brett Thomas drops 15 bombs, hits .387, steals 26 bases.

I'm Wesleyan biased but Brett Thomas is at least a 2nd team All American, if not first team. Was the guys that picked this team all dining in the Midwest and up in the Northeast when picking it.

Brett Thomas being an Honerable Mention in one of the toughest conferences in D-3 baseball and putting up numbers like he did makes these picks to me void and short of a joke. Maybe the ABCA will see it differently. 

for once, you and i agree, george...thomas' numbers are far more impressive than the 2nd teamer, konicek and every bit as impressive (if not more) than the 3rd teamer, David....


Pos    Name, School     AVG     R    H    2B    3B     HR     RBI     SB-ATT  FLD%    
   
3B    Tony Konicek, GAC .452    38    56    15    5    10    55    4-7    .857    
3B    Derek David, McM   .390    57    73    24    2    7    61    1-1    .930    
3B    Brett Thomas, FC    .387    51    72    10    3    15    65    26-29    .871    

[Ralph Turner]

I haven't checked all of the ABCA regional teams for good 3B's, but one can make a better case for Hardin-Simmons' Brad Coleman on defense.

Let's use another statistic on Fielding quality, the number of chances in which an error occurs.  This divides the numerator (E) into all chances (PO + A + E).

Derek David for McM -- 81 PO + 66 A + 11 E divided by 11 E = one error every 14.4 chances but a .930 Fielding %.

Brad Thomas for Ferrum -- 29 PO + 113 A + 21 E divided by 21 E = one error every 7.8 chances.

Pos    Name, School     AVG     R    H    2B    3B     HR     RBI     SB-ATT  FLD%     
   
3B    Tony Konicek, GAC .452    38    56    15    5    10    55    4-7    .857     
3B    Derek David, McM   .390    57    73    24    2    7    61    1-1    .930     
3B    Brett Thomas, FC    .387    51    72    10    3    15    65    26-29    .871 

3B    Brad Coleman HSU  .357   41    65    15      0     6    41   0-2   .973

Let me make the case for Brad Coleman. (26 PO + 81 A + 3 E = 110 chances divided 3 errors  = 1 error every 36.7 chances)  He had to be among the 4 best 3B's in Division III.

[Spence]

Defensively, absolutely.

Offensively, not even close.

I made the case for Brett Thomas on the thread on the main baseball board. It's a tough choice between the three but I think the level of competition is a difference maker between Konicek and Thomas, and Thomas' numbers are slightly better than David's (though if you look at total extra base hits David has more, so I can see the counter argument there.

[Eh-You]

Let me preface this by saying that I DID NOT see any of this - I'm going off what i've been told - but Thomas' defense got Ferrum beat in the South Region Championship game and almost got them beat the game before. All Americans make plays in big games, not errors. I don't know if the regional tournament stats were taken into consideration or not.

[Spence]

Thomas made 4 errors in the championship game, but I believe none of them led to runs. Someone might want to check me on that.

[WLCALUM83]

Well, well. What goes around comes around. Props to Emory! Though UW-Stevens Point's Zimmermann shuts Emory out in Game 1, Emory comes back in an elimination game with 2 big innings to get even and knock the Pointers out of contention yesterday.

This poster's got a feeling Emory will give Kean all it can handle.

[NCWC]

Any thoughts on who the standard five division 3 kids are going to be getting drafted this year ( all around the country)?  And who do you guys think are going to lead their respective teams in the USA dixie south next year?   Of those 3baggers discussed who had more walks? IBB? I wouldnt pitch to thomas.

[Pat Coleman]

I'd expect far more than five. In 2005 we had seven on the first day alone, 23 total.

http://www.d3hoops.com/dailydose/2005/06/08/draftees-who-play-hardball/

[Catfishncwc]

Any thoughts on who the standard five division 3 kids are going to be getting drafted this year ( all around the country)?  And who do you guys think are going to lead their respective teams in the USA dixie south next year?   Of those 3baggers discussed who had more walks? IBB? I wouldnt pitch to thomas.

Jordan Zimmerman will get drafted.  I think the USA south has a shot w/ Chris Pecora getting drafted.   Burgess or Maloney will probably not be drafted, Burgess is to old at 23 to have no position and Maloney is a 5:30 hitter.  Brett Thomas has a outside chance.  Two kids from VA Welsyan have a outside chance RHP and Catcher.  Cortland State has Jimmy Dougher and couple other guys who have a shot.  Keystone College has a lefty who may get drafted.  The catcher from College of New Jersey will get drafted. 
Just off the top of my head those are the guys in D3 that have a chance to get drafted.