BB: Midwest Region

[d3ballguy]

D3BallGuy, do you know what Rickey Saintey is up to? He and I competed against each other and struck up a friendly rivalry.

Gustie13, not really sure.  He graduated the year before I came to Bethel so I didn't really know him.  I believe he was teaching and coaching at Rosemount High School for a while, but not sure what he is up to now. 

[OshDude]

Ranked by winning percentage (through 4/6), using only in-region games. Midwest series against Top 20 in parentheses.

1.   Ripon 4-0
2.   Concordia-Moorhead 5-1 (LAX 2-0)
3.   Stevens Point 8-2 (Thomas 1-1, LAX 3-1, Norbert 2-0)
4.   Grinnell 11-5 (Olaf 0-2, Sup 1-1)
5.   Oshkosh 10-5 (CSS 1-1, Thomas 1-1, Beth 2-0, Sup 3-1, WW 2-2)
      Whitewater 8-4 (Olaf 1-1, Beth 2-0, Augs 1-1, UWO 2-2)
      St. Scholastica 4-2 (Thomas 1-1, UWO 1-1)
      St. Olaf 4-2 (WW 1-1, Grinn 2-0)
      Gustavus 4-2 (Stout 1-1)
10. Illinois College 7-4
11. Hamline 10-6 (LAX 2-0, Stout 2-0)
      Platteville 10-6 (Stout 3-1, LAX 2-2)
      St. Thomas 5-3 (CSS 1-1, Point 1-1, UWO 1-1)
14. Superior 8-6 (Grinn 1-1, John's 2-0, UWO 1-3, Stout 2-2)
15. La Crosse 9-9 (Augs 2-0, Ham 0-2, John's 2-0, Moor 0-2, Point 1-3, Platte 2-2)
      Augsburg 6-6 (LAX 0-2, WW 1-1, Stout 1-1)
      St. John's 6-6 (LAX 0-2, Stout 0-1, Sup 0-2, Beth 1-1)
      St. Norbert 5-5 (Point 0-2)
19. Stout 7-10 (Ham 0-2, Gust 1-1, Augs 1-1, John's 1-0, Platte 1-3, Sup 2-2)
20. Bethel 4-6 (UWO 0-2, WW 0-2, John's 1-1)

Midwest Region's 5 Big Results of the Week (3/31-4/6):
Whitewater split four games with Oshkosh.
Stevens Point swept two games from St. Norbert.
St. John's split two games with Bethel.
Superior split four games with Stout. Superior now 3-5 in WIAC. Sup went 4-92 from 2004-07.
Ripon swept four games from Lawrence. Finally in-region, not because they swept LU.

Midwest Region Pitching Line of the Week:
Justin Saufley, junior, Superior, vs. Stout (4/6): W (4-1), 8 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K in 9-0 win.

Midwest Region Hitting Line of the Week:
Storm Gram, junior CF, La Crosse, vs. Platteville (4/6): 3-for-3, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR, 3 SB in 14-4 win.

Midwest Region's 5 (or 6) Big DH's of the Week (4/7-13):
4/8 St. Thomas vs. Concordia-Moorhead
4/8 Ripon vs. Marian
4/9 Stevens Point vs. Oshkosh
4/12 St. Olaf vs. Augsburg
4/12-13 Oshkosh vs. La Crosse (4 games)
With any luck the Minnesota teams can get on the field this week.

[xyz123]

Hypothetical - Let's say some of these teams in the Midwest are unable to get all their games in due to the weather and are unable to make them all up as the season goes along.  How will this effect teams that will be fighting for the B and C tournament bids?

[BaseballFan]

Hypothetical - Let's say some of these teams in the Midwest are unable to get all their games in due to the weather and are unable to make them all up as the season goes along.  How will this effect teams that will be fighting for the B and C tournament bids?

My guess would that it might not really hurt them because they average out the point totals from in region games. Reasons why it might hurt tho:
1. Only get in 30 games (less games to average, a bad loss hurts more)
2. Dont get many quality wins then
3. Hurts team when they make the regional and have not used a lot of guys on the pitching staff

I guess it all depends on how many games they get in. If they get in 36 out of 40 it wont hurt them. Only get in 30 probably would hurt some. B bid really only affects CSS. C for the rest of the non conference tourney losers. Plus if all teams are in the same boat and dont get in all games it wont hurt. Oshdude might know a little bit better but just dont think it will make much difference.

[xyz123]

Ummm - I just checked out the ABCA poll http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/abcapoll4808.pdf

What the??  First of all, how does Whitewater get ranked so high in this poll and it doesnt even make the top 25 of the D3 baseball poll? 

Also, how can no Minnesota team be in this poll?  St. Thomas? St. Scholastica?

I don't really get it.

[BaseballFan]

Ummm - I just checked out the ABCA poll http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/abcapoll4808.pdf

What the??  First of all, how does Whitewater get ranked so high in this poll and it doesnt even make the top 25 of the D3 baseball poll? 

Also, how can no Minnesota team be in this poll?  St. Thomas? St. Scholastica?

I don't really get it.

Who knows really!..UWW gets the pub for hitting 28 back to back homeruns on a short gail force wind field. St thomas and CSS hasnt played many games so it hurts them. Once they start racking up 5-7 wins (which they will have to play to get games in) a week they will be up there

[OshDude]

This could get ugly. Our conferences usually have a few false starts every year, but the more these schedules get condensed, the crazier scores and pitching matchups are going to be.

There's an 80% chance of rain at 1 p.m. in Oshkosh tomorrow, so the Stevens Point/UWO DH could get pushed back another day or until a later date.

Looking at the MIAC schedules, it looks as if arms might fall off before season's end. At least MIAC finals are finally starting to trickle in. But look around the region. No MLB team plays the schedule some of the MW teams are facing from now until early May. Oshkosh has 12 games scheduled over the next 10 days. The WIAC schedule is fairly tough without postponements. All it takes is one PPD to make it nearly impossible.

Oshkosh just one example. Look at your team – except MWC teams, which appear to be OK. Chances are, those guys are facing the same thing. If MLB teams don't have 12-man staffs of pros to pull it off, how can a D3 team do it?

The early May deadline for completion of regular-season games is firm, so will there come a time when DHs are cancelled to save pitchers for the postseason? Or should the primary concern be toward uniform participation and completion of the regular-season schedules? Those two questions seem mutually exclusive, especially in terms of Carleton's concerns vs. those of, say, St. Thomas. I think participation wins out and teams like St. Thomas, CSS, Point and Oshkosh will limp into the playoffs with their arms dragging.

[cubs]

The early May deadline for completion of regular-season games is firm, so will there come a time when DHs are cancelled to save pitchers for the postseason? Or should the primary concern be toward uniform participation and completion of the regular-season schedules? I think participation wins out and teams like St. Thomas, CSS, Point and Oshkosh will limp into the playoffs with their arms dragging.

Due to the rain today, Oshkosh cancels their regularly scheduled DH against Wisconsin Lutheran next Wednesday, and uses that date to make up the twice PPD DH against Stevens Point.

[Bronko7]

This weather is getting re-diculous! I say bang the whole season and have a two week - 16 team tourney and lets see who comes out in the end. Lord knows we might not see any more games played in Minnesota & Wisconsin in the near future.

[szlongball]

Looks like Minnesota is in for a monster snowstorm. Maybe by the end of April they can play some games.

[OshDude]

The early May deadline for completion of regular-season games is firm, so will there come a time when DHs are cancelled to save pitchers for the postseason? Or should the primary concern be toward uniform participation and completion of the regular-season schedules? I think participation wins out and teams like St. Thomas, CSS, Point and Oshkosh will limp into the playoffs with their arms dragging.

Due to the rain today, Oshkosh cancels their regularly scheduled DH against Wisconsin Lutheran next Wednesday, and uses that date to make up the twice PPD DH against Stevens Point.

The Point/Ripon DH is the casualty on the other side.

If that DH does not get rescheduled, Ripon's sched the rest of the way obviously looks much easier. Ripon has a DH against Marian and four games against St. Norbert. All six are good games, but removing the Point games would make Ripon a top-seed contender once again. Ripon could run the table in region until the MWC tourney. I doubt it, but it's doable now.

[szlongball]

The early May deadline for completion of regular-season games is firm, so will there come a time when DHs are cancelled to save pitchers for the postseason? Or should the primary concern be toward uniform participation and completion of the regular-season schedules? I think participation wins out and teams like St. Thomas, CSS, Point and Oshkosh will limp into the playoffs with their arms dragging.

Due to the rain today, Oshkosh cancels their regularly scheduled DH against Wisconsin Lutheran next Wednesday, and uses that date to make up the twice PPD DH against Stevens Point.

The Point/Ripon DH is the casualty on the other side.

If that DH does not get rescheduled, Ripon's sched the rest of the way obviously looks much easier. Ripon has a DH against Marian and four games against St. Norbert. All six are good games, but removing the Point games would make Ripon a top-seed contender once again. Ripon could run the table in region until the MWC tourney. I doubt it, but it's doable now.

Ripon game is now scheduled for April 29th. Like to think there won't be weather issues by then, but who knows.

[for2n8john]

A wise man once said, "Some times you win, some times you lose, some times it rains."

What he didn't say was that the rainout stink.  We were going to have a great weekend watching 6 games with no conflicts between the kids.  We'll be lucky to see 3 if we drive all night.

[OshDude]

As I was looking at the UMAC and other teams outside the "Midwest Top 20," I stumbled upon this gem.

http://www.crown.edu/fileadmin/Athletics/baseball/08_Box_Scores/a8ccnw1.htm

If someone from Northwestern throws a no-hitter against Crown, will anyone notice? By scanning the boards, apparently not. In any event, I think I have my Pitching Line of the Week. For those keeping track, I have Northwestern at 4-3 in-region and Crown 0-7.

By the looks of it, every result will be a Midwest Region Top 5 Result this week.

[BaseballFan]

Well looks like no one noticed that no-hitter, typically those are the front page of d3.
I was looking Scholasticas schedule wow its ridiculous

4/13/2008 *  Presentation College   Aberdeen, S.D. Noon                             3 games
4/14/2008 *  Crown College   St. Bonifacius, Minn. 11 am                              3 games
4/15/2008 *  Northland College   Duluth, Minn. @ Wade Stadium 2 pm          2 games guessing pushed back
4/18/2008 *  NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE  Duluth, Minn. @ Wade Stadium 3 pm 
4/19/2008 *  NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE   Duluth, Minn. @ Wade Stadium Noon  2 games
4/20/2008 *  Martin Luther College   New Ulm, Minn. 1 pm                                 2 games
4/22/2008 *  NORTHLAND COLLEGE  Duluth, Minn. @ Wade Stadium 3 pm 
4/25/2008 *  UM-MORRIS  Duluth, Minn. @ Wade Stadium 3 pm 
4/26/2008 *  UM-MORRIS   Duluth, Minn. @ Wade Stadium Noon                        2 games
4/27/2008    UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS  Duluth, Minn. @ Wade Stadium 1 pm 
4/29/2008    Gustavus Adolphus   St. Peter, Minn. 2 pm                                      2 games
5/2/2008 *  BETHANY LUTHERAN COLLEGE  Duluth, Minn. @ Wade Stadium 6 pm 
5/3/2008 *  BETHANY LUTHERAN COLLEGE                                                           2 games

Plus they need to fit a DH against Olaf so 25 games in 20 days including 2 Triple headers back to back ouch!