BB: E8: Empire 8

[BaseB13]

Bob I agree with you.  At the time I thought someone had said the SUNYAC teams were set.  But it does appear the same teams are in.  I had seen  Brockport play this year and they are by no means bad at all.  But in the past they've had some VERY strong teams.  Around the time of that post I also had a Brockport baseball alum mention to me that Fredonia had just swept them.  I don't think this has happened in a very long time so it led me to believe Brockport wasn't as strong as usual (but still very good).  It had also seemed like Plattsburgh was a bit weaker than in past years.  So I don't think the conference is bad at all.  I just think compared to the past year or two they are not quite as strong.  Brockport has really turned it on though which doesn't surprise me considering some of their losses were heart breakers early on.  Hopefully the Brock, Platt, and Oneonta can make the conference tournament interesting.  I always enjoy an upset.

[John McGraw]

Wednesday - Oneonta 8 Ithaca 4
Saturday - Penn State Behrend (31-9) 6 Ithaca 5
Sunday - Ithaca 11 York 2

[John McGraw]

Ithaca 12 Montclair State 0

Josh Smith hit a pair of home runs and IC pitchers struck out 12 MSU hitters. Pitcher-by-committee today with Wolf, Sottung, Conway and Gardner.

They'll play again on Sunday.

Honestly, I'm more interested in the softball regionals taking place just a walk away at Kostrinsky Field. Ithaca plays either Rochester or Bethany (WV) in the title round. They just need one win to go to Salem.

[Caz Bombers]

Ithaca 12 Montclair State 0

Josh Smith hit a pair of home runs and IC pitchers struck out 12 MSU hitters. Pitcher-by-committee today with Wolf, Sottung, Conway and Gardner.

They'll play again on Sunday.

Honestly, I'm more interested in the softball regionals taking place just a walk away at Kostrinsky Field. Ithaca plays either Rochester or Bethany (WV) in the title round. They just need one win to go to Salem.

Funny you mentioned it John I was also going to note.  Both Ithaca and Cortland are in great shape to go to the World Series...how cool would it be to have a Cortaca national title game?

[John McGraw]

That'd be really cool. I wonder if both have ever made the World Series at the same time? My guess would be probably not since they're usually in the same regional either at Ithaca or Cortland.

I remember I was board-op'ing the Ithaca-RPI baseball regional title game at Heritage Park in 2002 when the softball team won the national championship.

[FranElia]

Ithaca and Cortland softball teams are both heading to the World Series in Salem, Va., after each going unbeaten in their respective regionals. To answer the previously asked question, this is the first time that Cortland and Ithaca have been in the Series together. As John said, usually they play in the same regional, although I do remember one time when Cortland was sent to a regional in Iowa in 1999, even though Ithaca was also hosting one.

To my knowledge, only once have Ithaca and Cortland played head-to-head for a team national title - Ithaca women's soccer beat Cortland in the 1990 national championship game (at Cortland), winning in penalty kicks after the teams played to a 0-0 tie through four OTs in muddy, sloppy conditions (Cortland got a little revenge two years later, beating Ithaca in PKs in the first round on its way to a national title run).

John, I will be heading to Virginia to cover softball, so I will unfortunately miss you in Auburn. I will listen to you, when possible. Enjoy the regionals!!

Fran

[pudge27]

That'd be really cool. I wonder if both have ever made the World Series at the same time? My guess would be probably not since they're usually in the same regional either at Ithaca or Cortland.

This comment is chum in the water for Fran.  Any doubts that he would know that one??

[scuba16]

No doubt NARF would eat that up like Chicken Parm at the HOLLYWOOD or a slice at PIZZA AND MORE!

[John McGraw]

Ithaca's 2009 schedule now posted. No roster just yet but the first game of the season isn't until the beginning of March.

Typical stuff for the Ithaca slate. The Bombers again will venture west for their health to start the season with now usual games against SCIAC competition like Oxy, Cal Lutheran, Pomona Pitzer, CMS, plus Chapman. At this point, it doesn't look like Ithaca will play an eastern team out west like ECSU last year. Hopefully the '09 edition of the Bombers fair better than the '08 squad did with just two wins in Cali. It could be an interesting trip with all the fresh faces in the line-up.

Nothing that exciting on the non-conference slate once Ithaca returns to the northeast. A roadie with non-conference newby DeSales and a home contest with Old Westbury bring a splash of new life to the schedule. The DeSales game is part of Ithaca's late March trip to the Mid-Atlantic (usual games against Washington Md. and Gettysburg).

In terms of conference play, Ithaca has RIT and Utica on the road and Stevens and St. John Fisher at home. The RIT series is scheduled right now for the last weekend of March. I'd imagine that will get pushed back into April or May due to the weather. Other eyebrow raisers in terms of the weather are a 3/25 home opener with New Paltz and an April 1 date with Cortland at home. Montclair State has Ithaca listed on its' schedule in May for the weekend prior to regionals. This may or may not happen depending on what games are lost to the weather.

This should be an interesting season for the Bombers. Nine seniors graduated and a junior lost to the pros. Familiar four-year faces like Sottung, Raux, Ferguson and Smith no longer a part of the line-up, same with the elder Wolf. Offensively, it looks like the pressure will be on David Ahonen to see if he can replicate his great frosh numbers. Drew Ash is the other big returning bat. Fringe players the past few years like Jared Roth, Alan Kartholl and Brian Grastorf will be asked to step up into a full-time role. Thankfully we know Grastorf can step into the spotlight after his great performance in the Jug game.

Ithaca used 10 pitchers last year, nine regularly, and five of them return. Adam Brown, Pete MacDaniel and Tom Fishback should all battle for the top spot. I don't see any of the three jumping out at me right now. That may be a good thing so none of the three are ridden throughout the season like Sottung was last year (pitching most of the season on three days' rest). The bullpen is probably the biggest mystery since it will be full of fresh faces.

[Ralph Turner]

DeSales and Gettysburg are in-region.

[John McGraw]

DeSales and Gettysburg are in-region.

Right, the NY/PA administrative region. I meant to the mid-atlantic region of the country.

[Ralph Turner]

DeSales and Gettysburg are in-region.

Right, the NY/PA administrative region. I meant to the mid-atlantic region of the country.

Yes, I suspected that you did, too.  Slipping into Maryland and New Jersey gets you non-region games (for our newbies' sake). 

[John McGraw]

Ithaca 2009 baseball roster is up on the sports information web site. At first outset, lots of new faces. The big news IMO is that seniors Drew Ash and Adam Brown are not listed. After some quick research online, I can't tell whether it's just an oversight, they're hurt or they transferred. But as of now, neither is listed. Ash's loss leaves leaves a big hole behind the plate with the three catchers being sophomore Mike Becker, frosh Conor Thompson and St. John Fisher transfer Mike Armstrong (hit .170 in limited action last year after transferring to Fisher from Clarkson). Brown was in the running to be Ithaca's number one starter and was going to be part of a formidable threesome with Pete MacDaniel and Tom Fishback.

The two names I wasn't expecting that are listed are Matt Samela and Kurt Bednarcyk. Samela was listed as a senior last year. He originally transferred to Ithaca from UMass Amherst (redshirted as a frosh, hence getting this extra year). He'll be the lone senior in the outfield. Bednarcyk didn't play last year due to injury according to his roster bio. He last suited up in 2007 and saw limited playing time after transferring over from Rochester. I'd imagine he'll be up for a starting spot.

Matt Streich joins the Bombers from St. Mary's, Md. He drove in 24 runs last year but managed just a .255 batting average. All the other newcomers are either first-years or players promoted from the junior varsity.

This looks like it could be a trying season. Hopefully some of the freshman turn out like David Ahonen did last year.

[AlleyCat]

Ithaca is Ithaca and if they win 20 games, even if they are 22-18, they'll get a bid becasue of reputation. A few years back they didn't win the league got swept by RIT and the committee still took Ithaca over RIT even though RIT beat Cortland that same year. Coach Val is a great coach and he'll make the best of the situation and get the boys playing well. I''ll say 26-14 and #3 or #4 seed in the NY Regional at least.  He knows how to teach how to pitch and not rely on power arms. His guys always are baseball guys and know how to play the game.  Both RIT as St John Fisher are getting better, but until they unseed the Bombers for more than one year the E8 belongs to IC.

[Jack Parkman]

Ithaca vs. Cal Lutheran is on live.

www.kadytv.com