BB: General New England Discussion

[Rick Vaughn]

I have never understood why NESCAC baseball doesn't have nicer fields.  Trinity's field is embarrassing and I don't understand why it hasn't been upgraded at least a little.  Agreed on Amherst's yard - they could use dugouts, but it's a great setting and a pretty good surface.  Lack of nice fields has nothing to do with a lack of $$.  The mid-week travel in baseball is part of why some teams don't get the same respect.  I wouldn't be shocked if a team in the conference gets a turf field sometime in the near future.

[hockeyfan77]

 Is it because NESCAC schools pride education before athletics?

Can't be because for the most part they have very nice ice rinks....Middlebury and Bowdoin are 1-2 in terms of nice rinks IMO  in all of DIII...

[KSCfan]

Good points Vaugh and Hockey, i just dont get it.  You put a nice field with a nice education at the "D3 Ivy" league schools and tell me you are not going to rip up recruiting.  You put a really nice field in at Trinity, and say to a recruit NESCAC education along with a team that has won national championships and gone to the world series you are going to only make your program stronger.  Trinity's football field is gorgeous!  Why not do the same to the baseball field.

Also D3baseball makeover is very nice so hats off to whomever did that

[BBFan62]

As far as fields go, it's about the money.

Despite our love for the game and watching our guys play, baseball is a revenue draining, not a revenue enhancing sport. How many fans are at a typical D3 game? How many pay to watch? Even some D1 schools dropped baseball. It would not bother me to pay to see the game.

[HBPme]

any chance of some dark horses emerging again this year, such as UMB last year? As always, I expect Wheaton, ECSU, Keene, Trinity, WNEC, St. Joes, etc. all to have great seasons, but ive always been one for the underdog and would like to see a new team emerge in New England.

[CrashDavisD3]

As far as fields go, it's about the money.

Despite our love for the game and watching our guys play, baseball is a revenue draining, not a revenue enhancing sport. How many fans are at a typical D3 game? How many pay to watch? Even some D1 schools dropped baseball. It would not bother me to pay to see the game.

Many schools do have the money but choose not to spend it on baseball fields. There are no D3 sports that are not revenue draining..The biggest one being football. The attendance is not big enough to cover the cost of football.

Sometimes it is not about the money but the priority the school places on where that money is spent. I have seen schools spend millions on different academic and athletic facilities but not on baseball. Yes the attendance is small compared to other sports and yes most teams can/will never charge for attendance.

I also know of schools who have the money and would spend the money but are restricted by the local governments on what can be built, where it can be built, when it can be built and requiring public access to facilities built.

[Hobbesy]

Rick,

Thank you for the correction.  I have never played at Williams, hence not placing it on that list.  As for Hamilton having dugouts, that's about all they have.  Played a couple games their during my legion career and couldn't believe it was a college field!

And I have to agree the setting at Amherst is amazing! The huge hill in left and then the huge expanse of fields behind the right field fence is amazing.  I still get shivers though from my junior year when we played there and it was about 30 degrees and the game ended in a tie!

[KSCfan]

Hobbesy you are right, i remember sitting in those "dugouts" in early april almost shivering to death as the wind cut right through you.  At least Amherst had the gym behind it to cut the wind a little bit.  No such dice for the visiting team. 

Hobbesy when are we going to see that New England Preview?  I know teams usually start practicing the monday after super bowl sunday.  Nothing like walking to the gym at 5am in the 5 degree weather for practice.  Oh the joys of New England Collegiate Baseball

[straightHeat3]

This is about the time of the year when we hype up our alma mater right?

Well I think they are finally getting SOME recognition for their performance for the past 6-7 seasons because numbers don't lie. 30 win seasons in 6 of the last 7 years, 6 conference championships; WNEC needs to make that next step in a regional to become a force in New England and maybe this year team can do it. Only losing 3 seniors, this team is still young but experienced.  The bats will have to have another successful year has they are losing (ABCA) Division III All-American Joe Griglun, but also returning 6 position players that batted over .300 last year.  On the other side of it, they are returning a very deep pitching staff that has 4 strong starters and closer in Lawlor. Should be interesting to see what this team will be able to pull off. Like every year their schedule isn't the easiest starting off in the Farmingdale Tournament playing Farmingdale St, RPI and Keene St, and seeing John Hopkins down in Arizona. Adding Regional Champ UMass-Boston, playing @Eastern Conn, @Wheaton, @ Keene St. will only set them up for a competitive year.

Should be another exciting year around New England. Interested in how other teams around the region are looking this year.

[Hobbesy]

KSCfan-

Working on it right now. I'm through two conferences (GNAC and LEC) so far with six more to go! The New England preview on D3baseball.com is one of the last to go up but should be there within the week.

But some initial thoughts,

If St. Joe's, Mass-Boston and Keene can get some pitching (any at all!) they will be very good!

[KSCfan]

Thanks Hobbsey appreciate all the work you do man.  What are you thoughts on your alma matta.  They are always good, who is going to carry their staff.  What are your thoughts on Chamberlin, does he stay in the bullpen, Do they have Wojick stay as a starter?

Who has the best pitching in the LEC?  Not keene, Not Eastern, Not USM then who???

[KSCfan]

Correction Hobbesy i meant have Wojick start

[LEC Fan]

Looking forward to your insight Hobbesy for the New England Region!

Pitching is always the name of the game and hopefully the Keene staff can step up this year and get them off on the right foot. This is the first time they will be playing games up north before heading south for their spring trip, they will have to be prepared right from the get go.

Funny looking back, how did we ever get through the winter? It seems as though the snow has been here for months and that baseball is another year away...I think January is officially the worst month of the year lol.

[kscer]

This is my prediction on KSC pitching. They will have four pitchers who win 5 or more games and an All-American closer.

[Ms. Beacon]

This is my prediction on KSC pitching. They will have four pitchers who win 5 or more games and an All-American closer.

While I admire your enthusiasm for KSC's pitching staff, I think this is a pretty tall order.  Regional champs UMB finished the year with two pitchers with 5 or more wins, and runner-up Tufts had three pitchers on their staff with 5 or more wins.

While Vogt's numbers are impressive, the strong offense of the LEC may not provide him the opportunity to collect enough saves to be considered for All-American honors.  De Goti from Tufts had 12 saves last year, while Vogt only had 5.  I think he will need to improve significantly in this category in order to get a nod.

Although the Beacons lost three senior starters, my prediction is that their rotation will be better this year, since Gomez, Andriano and LeBrun all underperformed last year.  Dalton, coupled with either Cole or Heefner, provide a strong weekend combination.  However, the bullpen is a work in progress, and my hope is that some of the new untested arms can step-up and that the defense can continue to win games.