BB: SUNYAC

[Bob Maxwell]

Ruby, good question... but I've never seen a coach not make a play.  You hear it all the time that coaches don't have their teams ready to play... or a team had a great week of practice, etc.  But when in the end it all comes down to matchups, circumstances, situations, opportunites and making plays.  So I can't answer the question as it really doesn't have a RIGHT answer... 

Fran, great call on the Plattsburgh still having a chance to host...  As I said in a post, we still don't know:
1) where the tournament will be
2) who the four teams will be
3) what the seeding will be.

Great year for those of us who like to "hot stove" over the games.... but I'm sure it is frustrating to some of the players and coaches, while at the same time exciting for others.  Fredonia has to be elated to finally get into the tournament!  Good for them... and it is nice to see the field change a bit.  I've always thought that there was to much red at the tournanments...  .  Hope I didn't speak too soon, as there still could be three red teams... have to wait until after Saturday to know for sure.

[Smithers]

Sorry board its been awhile since I've been on...My daughter just gave birth to our 3rd grandchild!!!!

I have been doing my best to keep my eye on whats going on around the SUNYAC as well as the rest of the region. Was a little suprised by the first regional rankings yesterday, thought for sure Ithaca would be ahead of Cortland, and looking just at the regional records, I would have thought Fredonia would be ahead of Cortland too. I guess the name Cortland goes a lot longer than you would think (deservedly so).

In response to Rudy and Bob's latest post...

I would have to say that getting a team to live up to expectations and play at a consitent level falls all on the shoulders of the coaching staff. Bob, you are correct in saying that coaches don't make plays and they don't get at bats, but when it comes to playing up to your potential, that falls squarely on the shoulders of the coaches. Teams do often "play down" to there competition and are able to walk away with a "W" based solely on their talent. Other times they may play up to their competion (i.e. a rivalry game, senior day, homecoming, etc.).

Taking this arguement and extending it to the conference...

Oneonta- Now i'm on record as saying this was Coach Ferchen's best chance to take the SUNYAC tournament. I am also on record as saying this might be the biggest let down for his program if they didnt. So now what would you call the fact that without a ton of help this weekend, they aren't even going to be going to the tournament. Who do you blame this on? From the looks of it it could go 50/50. The plattsburgh series his team couldnt' scrap up one run in the first game and then his starter in the 2nd game couldnt find the zone. But how in the world do you score 40 runs in doubleheader and come away with a split? Or how about Ferchen splitting his 1 and 2 on that same weekend? Why would he not thrown Filak against Oswego and take what would seem to be an easy and obvious win? Of course looking back now, had they swept Plattsburh and Filak did beat Cortland, Ferchen would look like a genius. Nonetheless, Ferchen and his staff need to field some of the blame for this team underachieving in conference play.

Brockport- I would have to agree with Rudy on this one. Seems to me like when this team is up they are up, but when they are down they are really down. This team seems to look real good every staurday, when they have Shannon on the mound for them. There midweek play as well as theri play on Sunday has been terrible. If this team is as good as they should be (going on what has been said on this board) who do you blame for their inability to get more than one game above .500 for the season?


When a team can show up and look like the '74 Oakland A's one day (I guess a modern day equivalent would be the '96 Yankees) and the then look like the Bad News Bears the next (the one's with Walter Matheau, haha) who is to blame for that? In my opinion it is the coaching staff. Part of being a coach is motivation, you need to be able to motivate those who can motivate themselves. You need to make sure your team plays on an even field at all times. Make sure your teams keeps the same approach at the plate no matter if they are facing the top level of competition or the bottom of the barrel. I realize that we are dealing with 18, 19, 20 year old kids who have school, girlfriends and socail lives to deal with, but I do not think that this shoul be accounting for rollercoaster play.


My intentions are not to pick on anyone or to single anyone out, but better yet just to share my opinion, I'm sure planty of people will not agree with it, but that is their right and I understand.

Going to try and make it out to the Oneonta and New Paltz game this week, if i do I will be sure to let you know what I see....

Enjoy the nice weather board members!!

[sergispie]

Smithers I couldnt agree with you more on Brockport. I am on record for saying they would host. Bad call. I am not 100% they will get in anymore. Oneonta may steal that one right away from them. If Shannon loses this weekend the Eagles could be sitting at home next weekend. Smithers I am with you about the coaching staff. Coach Beach is starting to look inexperienced more and more as the season goes. Coach Ferchen is in the same boat in my opinion. He had a great chance of making a run at this one, but now he is fighting to get in because of terrible pitching decisions last weekend. Should've taken 2 almost guaranteed wins with Juedes and Filak against Oswego. I guess Filak got his feet wet though. If Oneonta gets in he will have to beat the real Red Dragons of the conference. It will be an interesting weekend. Alot of questions will be answered around 7 or 8 o'clock tomorrow.

[Bob Maxwell]

Congratulations to you on your third grand child... hope everyone is healthy!!!

I understand what everyone is saying about a coaches responsibility... but it is never that simple.  Having made a living as a coach for 18 years I can tell you that you can do everything right... and come out flat as a pancake.  And vice versa... it is a fine balancing act.  Group dynamics, team chemistry, individual leadership from players and their comfort level with what ever they perceive the stress they are under ALL play as  much of a role (if not more of one) then anything a coach can do.  The only thing that I've found that may improve the situation on a consistent basis through out a season is to just remain consistent from day to day leading up to a game and doing the same thing from pitch to pitch during a game.  I spoke about it in an earlier post that was ignored.. I thought it would provoke some discussions, but it didn't.

From what I know of coach Ferchen and coach Beach, they are both very consistent... but I am talking generally when I make my comments.  I only mentino these two as they were mentioned in the posts making the points.

It comes down to players performing at their norm in their perceived level of stress.  There really isn't any {{{REAL}}} stress in baseball... it is all what you think it is.

And yes, Brockport does perform well when their best pitcher is on the mound... but that is the same with every team.  Players perform when they feel comfortalbe in their rolls and when they have a good match up working for them they feel more comfortable.  Taht can be said for any team... put their best pitcher on the mound and everyone feels good about it.

Thanks for the flashback to our youth with the Oakland A's reference... they don't happen much on here.  LOL

Off to the games...

[John McGraw]

Bottom 2
cortland 5 Plattsburgh 0 (Tone vs. Noonan)

Bottom 3
Fredonia 2 Brockport 1 (Shannon vs. Nowak)

Bottom 4
Oneonta 2 New Paltz 0 (Juedes vs. Sparks)

[John McGraw]

Game 1 - FINAL
cortland 12 Plattsburgh 3
*Plattsburgh had only three hits but cortland committed 5 errors.

FINAL - Game 1
Oneonta 6 New Paltz 0

FINAL - Game 1
Fredonia 9 Brockport 4

[John McGraw]

Updated standings

cortland       9-2 (locked into 1 or 2)
Fredonia      8-3 (locked into 1 or 2)
Brockport     6-5
Oneonta      5-6
Plattsburgh  4-5
New Paltz     3-8
Oswego       2-8

Game 2 - Top 2
Oneonta 0 New Paltz 0

[cstate19]

Cortland wins 12-3.

I believe the 5 errors were the left side for the DRagons.  Again.  Wow.

[FranElia]

The Plattsburgh live stats incorrectly stated briefly that the final was 12-2. When I talked to a friend on the phone who's at the game, I said "hey, I see the game just ended", to which he replied, "no it didn't - it's still going on!!"   The final was 12-3.

[John McGraw]

Top 8
Fredonia 7 Brockport 5

Bottom 7
cortland 7 Plattsburgh 5

Game 2 - FINAL
Oneonta 18 New Paltz 0

[cstate19]

Cortland and Plattsburgh tied in the 9th.

[cstate19]

Joe Curcio walk off HR for Plattsburgh in the bottom of the 9th. 

[cstate19]

Does Platburgh only need 1 tommorow now?

[FranElia]

Yes, Plattsburgh in with one win Sunday vs. Oswego.

Cortland 1st place at 9-3
Fredonia 2nd place at 8-4
Brockport 3rd place at 7-5

Plattsburgh is 5-5 with two left
Oneonta is 6-6

If Plattsburgh wins twice Sunday, they are 7-5 and tied with Brockport, but Brockport still gets 3rd seed (the teams split, both are 1-1 vs. Cortland, but Brockport is 1-1 vs. Fredonia while Plattsburgh is 0-2)

If Plattsburgh wins once Sunday, they are 6-6 and get fourth seed by virtue of sweep vs. Oneonta

If Plattsburgh loses twice Sunday, Oneonta gets fourth seed at 6-6

[John McGraw]

Brockport 9 Fredonia 8 - Game 2 FINAL