BB: E8: Empire 8

[OshDude]

Graczyk over Locastro for NY player of the year? Interesting call.

Graczyk: .408/.464/.516 1 HR, 1 3B, 15 2B, 31 RBI, 17 BB, 13 steals in 20 attempts
Locastro: .424/.539/.625 2 HR, 6 3B, 11 2B, 32 RBI, 15 BB, 36 steals in 37 attempts

Graczyk is a CF, Locastro is a SS, so both of them play premium defensive positions—though Locastro's 19 errors would seem like a lot for a SS, and Graczyk made just one (though it tells us nothing about his range)

But these offensive numbers aren't even close. 100 points in slugging? 23 additional steals AND a nearly perfect percentage? Yes, the caliber of competition may have been different, but by how much? The teams played three times, and shared several opponents.

The defense may have been a check in Graczyk's favor, but Locastro's advantage in hitting and baserunning make him the better pick IMO.

bombers,  according to the d3baseball.com blurb on the all-american teams, Locastro is credited with only 11 stolen bases (probably confused with doubles).  Locastro also was beaten out by a SS from Manchester with slightly lower numbers.  I hope the voting staff got the right stats!

Corrected. Thank you.

[Jonny Utah]

Graczyk over Locastro for NY player of the year? Interesting call.

Graczyk: .408/.464/.516 1 HR, 1 3B, 15 2B, 31 RBI, 17 BB, 13 steals in 20 attempts
Locastro: .424/.539/.625 2 HR, 6 3B, 11 2B, 32 RBI, 15 BB, 36 steals in 37 attempts

Graczyk is a CF, Locastro is a SS, so both of them play premium defensive positions—though Locastro's 19 errors would seem like a lot for a SS, and Graczyk made just one (though it tells us nothing about his range)

But these offensive numbers aren't even close. 100 points in slugging? 23 additional steals AND a nearly perfect percentage? Yes, the caliber of competition may have been different, but by how much? The teams played three times, and shared several opponents.

The defense may have been a check in Graczyk's favor, but Locastro's advantage in hitting and baserunning make him the better pick IMO.

bombers,  according to the d3baseball.com blurb on the all-american teams, Locastro is credited with only 11 stolen bases (probably confused with doubles).  Locastro also was beaten out by a SS from Manchester with slightly lower numbers.  I hope the voting staff got the right stats!

Corrected. Thank you.

Corrected in that Locastro got 1st team!  Great work.

[Bishopleftiesdad]

http://www.pgcbl.com/news/?article_id=1056

Justin D'Amato who played for the Newark Pilots in the PGCBL named to the the All-start team for the west division.

[airball55]

Let's get the 2014 season talk going.  Fisher gets the Bomb squad in Rochester this year.  Those four games last year all could have gone either way.  Can the Cards get Ithaca?  I say they can.  How about Stevens?  Can they make a run at the top 2?  Not sure who they have at home...they also have to go to Rochester though.  Ithaca still has a lot coming back with experience.  16 game conference schedule..here is my prediction:
1. Fisher 13-3
2. Ithaca 12-4
3. Stevens 10-6
4. Utica 4-12
5. Houghton 1-15

Thoughts??

[Bombers798891]

Let's get the 2014 season talk going.  Fisher gets the Bomb squad in Rochester this year.  Those four games last year all could have gone either way.  Can the Cards get Ithaca?  I say they can.  How about Stevens?  Can they make a run at the top 2?  Not sure who they have at home...they also have to go to Rochester though.  Ithaca still has a lot coming back with experience.  16 game conference schedule..here is my prediction:
1. Fisher 13-3
2. Ithaca 12-4
3. Stevens 10-6
4. Utica 4-12
5. Houghton 1-15

Thoughts??

The Bombers are loaded. Losing Locastro a year early hurts, but Ithaca still brings back 6 of their 9 hitters and Prendergast, Wagner, Adams (who might have another year, I forget) and Sanders, is a really good staff.

Fisher's got an outstanding staff as well, and a ton of returning talent. The offense will be good too.

Had Locastro come back, the Bombers would have the edge, as he was the best player in the region, IMO. But his loss makes it mostly a coin flip.

[sjfcards]

Let's get the 2014 season talk going.  Fisher gets the Bomb squad in Rochester this year.  Those four games last year all could have gone either way.  Can the Cards get Ithaca?  I say they can.  How about Stevens?  Can they make a run at the top 2?  Not sure who they have at home...they also have to go to Rochester though.  Ithaca still has a lot coming back with experience.  16 game conference schedule..here is my prediction:
1. Fisher 13-3
2. Ithaca 12-4
3. Stevens 10-6
4. Utica 4-12
5. Houghton 1-15

Thoughts??

Funny enough, I was just going to post something to the effect of "someone give me a reason to believe Fisher can beat IC for the conference title this year".

I like what Fisher has done with the baseball program the last few years. Going into last year I thought Fisher may have gotten the inside track on the top team talent wise in the conference, but IC was really impressive last year. Only a couple of wins from winning it all.

Fisher brings a lot back at the plate from last year, and with D'Amato they have some talent. The rest of the pitching staff really has to step up if they are going to hang with/beat IC over the course of a full season. Some highly thought of freshman should help as well, but Fisher will be very young in the outfield.

I think it is still Ithaca's conference to lose, but Fisher has enough that I would not be surprised if they won the league. What I would love is for the E8 to get two teams in the tournament, and start to build a stronger reputation for everyone involved.

[Big Louie]

It wouldn't surprise me to see 3 of the 5 E8 teams in the 2014 regionals! How about that for a bold statement to get things started.

[sjfcards]

It wouldn't surprise me to see 3 of the 5 E8 teams in the 2014 regionals! How about that for a bold statement to get things started.

Wow...that would be unexpected, at the least.

[John McGraw]

It wouldn't surprise me to see 3 of the 5 E8 teams in the 2014 regionals! How about that for a bold statement to get things started.

Stevens went 11-1 against the CUNYAC last year. They have more than a pretty good shot at winning that league and getting an AQ.

[sjfcards]

It wouldn't surprise me to see 3 of the 5 E8 teams in the 2014 regionals! How about that for a bold statement to get things started.

Stevens went 11-1 against the CUNYAC last year. They have more than a pretty good shot at winning that league and getting an AQ.

Maybe I am missing something...Doesn't Stevens play in the E8?

[John McGraw]

It wouldn't surprise me to see 3 of the 5 E8 teams in the 2014 regionals! How about that for a bold statement to get things started.

Stevens went 11-1 against the CUNYAC last year. They have more than a pretty good shot at winning that league and getting an AQ.

Maybe I am missing something...Doesn't Stevens play in the E8?

Yes, but they are also affiliate members of the CUNYAC and are now eligible for that league's automatic bid. Given the past success of the Ducks against that conference, I would say they'll be among the top three in that league along with traditional league heavyweights CSI and Baruch.

[airball55]

This dual league affiliation thing has to stop.  It is not fair to the other teams in the region.  Pick a league and go with it.  Or, if I was Ithaca and St. John Fisher, dummy down the schedule as much as possible and try and go 35-5 to ensure more consideration for those hard to grab at large bids.

[John McGraw]

This dual league affiliation thing has to stop.  It is not fair to the other teams in the region.  Pick a league and go with it.  Or, if I was Ithaca and St. John Fisher, dummy down the schedule as much as possible and try and go 35-5 to ensure more consideration for those hard to grab at large bids.

No one's complaining about Rochester being in both the UAA and Liberty League.

[sjfcards]

This dual league affiliation thing has to stop.  It is not fair to the other teams in the region.  Pick a league and go with it.  Or, if I was Ithaca and St. John Fisher, dummy down the schedule as much as possible and try and go 35-5 to ensure more consideration for those hard to grab at large bids.

No one's complaining about Rochester being in both the UAA and Liberty League.

I agree with airball. It seems crazy that a team can hedge their bet for an automatic bid. Why doesn't Fisher join a watered down league, and rely on that auto bid when IC is better than them?

[John McGraw]

This dual league affiliation thing has to stop.  It is not fair to the other teams in the region.  Pick a league and go with it.  Or, if I was Ithaca and St. John Fisher, dummy down the schedule as much as possible and try and go 35-5 to ensure more consideration for those hard to grab at large bids.

No one's complaining about Rochester being in both the UAA and Liberty League.

I agree with airball. It seems crazy that a team can hedge their bet for an automatic bid. Why doesn't Fisher join a watered down league, and rely on that auto bid when IC is better than them?

This isn't a fly-by-night situation. Stevens has been an affiliate member of the CUNYAC for several years. Now that the league has the requisite number of teams, seven, and a brief probation period has passed, the league is eligible for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The Empire 8 champion does not automatically qualify for a spot in the NCAA tournament. Even with the addition of Elmira next year, the league will still be one team short for an AQ. While the champion has qualified with a Pool B bid in the past, nothing ever is guaranteed as Pool B's and C's are fighting with teams across the country to earn an at-large bid into the tournament.

Sorry, but I can't blame Stevens for wanting to have a shot at an automatic bid. Besides, Stevens still has to win that league - it's not as if both CSI, a 30-win team last season, and Baruch are going to roll over for them.