BB: E8: Empire 8

[Ralph Turner]

http://empire8.com/news/2015/2/19/BB_0219150131.aspx

SUNY Canton has been added to the Empire 8 as an affiliate member for baseball. A tournament will be held at the end of the regular season to crown an Empire 8 champion. With the addition of Canton, the league now has seven baseball playing members which is the threshold for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Normally there is a wait time for a league to be granted an AQ after it reaches seven teams.

Quoting KnightSlappy's summary from the Men's Multi-Region Hoops Board

Conference Changes Starting in 2014-2015
Bryn Athyn joins the NEAC (should be a 1st year provisional member in 2014-15)
Elizabethtown leaves the MACC for the LAND
McMurry rejoins Division III and the ASC (should be Year 1 reclassifying member in 2014-15)
Mississippi College leaves the ASC for Division II  (Going to the D-2 Gulf South Conference)
Penn College joins the NEAC (should be a 1st year provisional member in 2014-15)
Sarah Lawrence joins the SKY (should be a 4th year provisional in 2014-15, skipping Provisional Year 3 via NCAA waiver)
Wilson to add Men's basketball and join the NEAC
Midwest Region renamed Central Region in Men's Basketball
CAC realigned from multi-region to Mid-Atlantic Region
CSAC realigned from Mid-Atlantic to Atlantic Region
HCAC realigned from Central to Great Lakes Region
LAND realigned from multi-region to Mid-Atlantic Region
MACF realigned from Mid-Atlantic to Atlantic Region
NEAC realigned from mult-region to East Region
WIAC realigned from West to Central Region

Provisional Pipeline for 2014-2015
(First year of full membership: Centenary (La.))
4th year provisional members: Sarah Lawrence, SUNY-Canton
3rd year provisional members: Houghton, Southern Virginia, Valley Forge
2nd year provisional members: Iowa Wesleyan
1st year provisional members: Bryn Athyn, Penn College, Berea, Alfred State, Illinois Tech, McMurry (reclassifying)
Exploratory members: Belhaven
*Alfred State and Illinois Tech were not advanced to Year 2 status.

Conference Changes Starting in 2015-2016
Belhaven joins the ASC (should be Year 1 Provisional Member)
Chatham to add Men's basketball and join the PrAC.
St. Josephs (Blkyn.) leaves the independent ranks and joins the SKY
UW-Superior leaves the WIAC for the UMAC

Conference Changes Starting in 2016-2017
Carroll leaves the MWC for the CCIW

I also think that Houghton and SUNY Canton will need to be full D-3 members.

My guess is that the Conference earns its Pool A baseball bid in 2017, when Houghton is the 7th full member.

I respect the E8 Presidents and Commissioners Office to understand the quickest way to get the Pool A bid, so I think the timing of adding SUNY Canton is to facilitate the 2017 baseball bid.

[Ralph Turner]

Congratulations!  I am very happy for you!  Schools have added baseball because of the Pool Bid process.

[Ralph Turner]

Where will SUNY-Canton land for a conference full membership?

[D3SportsFan]

Adding SUNY-Canton to the Empire 8 means the conference will be at the required 7 teams for an automatic bid. Is there a 2-year provisional period before an AQ is granted?

Any thoughts on the E8 layout now that many of the teams have played 10+ games?

[Bishopleftiesdad]

My son's team OWU plated SJF in Florida after traveling by bus from Ohio and never playing outside. We still won. I am not sure SJF, is their normal self.

[John McGraw]

My son's team OWU plated SJF in Florida after traveling by bus from Ohio and never playing outside. We still won. I am not sure SJF, is their normal self.

It has been a rough start to the season for Fisher. Though given the graduation losses and having to replace just about the entire pitching staff, the start hasn't been that surprising. I'm interested to see how the team will fare in league play after a tough non-conference schedule. Big series for the Cardinals this weekend at Stevens, weather permitting.

Heading into April, Utica (8-3) and Houghton (10-7) have the best overall records in the conference. Stevens (8-9), Fisher (6-10) and Ithaca (2-7) have all had struggles in the early season. Meanwhile, first-year program Elmira has played just four games due to weather cancellations.

[Pat Coleman]

Adding SUNY-Canton to the Empire 8 means the conference will be at the required 7 teams for an automatic bid. Is there a 2-year provisional period before an AQ is granted?

Any thoughts on the E8 layout now that many of the teams have played 10+ games?

Yes, there is a two-year waiting period.

[Bombers798891]

http://theithacan.org/sports/a-valiant-leader/

Fantastic longform piece on George Valesente's career from the Ithaca College student newspaper.

[John McGraw]

http://theithacan.org/sports/a-valiant-leader/

Fantastic longform piece on George Valesente's career from the Ithaca College student newspaper.

Tremendous article. Read this last week and shared it with a ton of people. On a side note, hopefully the weather will cooperate and Ithaca will be able to actually play some games sooner rather than later.

[Jim Dixon]

http://theithacan.org/sports/a-valiant-leader/

Fantastic longform piece on George Valesente's career from the Ithaca College student newspaper.

Tremendous article. Read this last week and shared it with a ton of people. On a side note, hopefully the weather will cooperate and Ithaca will be able to actually play some games sooner rather than later.

I have to second what a great coaching team Ithaca has. 

[Bombers798891]

On a side note, hopefully the weather will cooperate and Ithaca will be able to actually play some games sooner rather than later.

Yesterday marked the first time the team had played a game in state all season.

[DucksBB]

Any one have info on format for the E8 Conference Championship?  I'm assuming maybe a one and done elimination but hoping for double elimination....

[d3d3d3]

Ithaca leaving E8:
http://athletics.ithaca.edu/news/2015/12/17/BB_1217151424.aspx

[D3SportsFan]

What does this do to the future of the Empire 8? Now back down to 6 teams, are there other potential members on the horizon? If not, it's unfortunate for the remaining E8 members.

[Ralph Turner]

What does this do to the future of the Empire 8? Now back down to 6 teams, are there other potential members on the horizon? If not, it's unfortunate for the remaining E8 members.

I still think that the E8 can shore up the numbers to keep the AQ by then.