Perhaps it's a result of attempting to figure out all the Big Ten tournament possibilities. Maybe it's the ongoing rain. Maybe I've got a bad case of the Mondays. In the end, it doesn't matter, I just need to vent.
PLAYING HOSTS
Most long-time readers here know that I'm in favor of a neutral site for the Big Ten Baseball Tournament. It makes sense on every level, but one. Alas, the "one" is a biggie. Baseball is a non-revenue sport. That means the Big Ten Conference office views baseball like we view a colonoscopy -- a necessary evil.
With that dazzling attitude towards the oldest sport on most campuses, the Big Ten is in no hurry to pretend like it cares about baseball. So when the subject of a neutral site arises, they dismiss it with the usual "if baseball has a neutral site tournament, then golf, tennis, soccer, curling and every other non-revenue sport is going to demand the same thing and we just cannot afford that."
Yeah, right. You can operate a television network, but you can't find enough change in the couch to borrow a quality minor league park for five days? Sorry, I ain't buyin' that line.
However, if the conference is determined to stick their head in the marketing sand and avoid a neutral site for the baseball tournament, is it asking too much to hold it in one of the venues suitable for such an event?
By suitable, I mean, acceptable for everyone involved -- players, parents, coaches, school officials, conference officials, media and fans. Here are a few requirements:
The park should have lights. It rains in the midwest on occasion. Sometimes games get postponed. Having lights helps the games to be played. It also cuts down on 9:00am starts. I love breakfast with batting practice, but the general public doesn't. Did I mention many in the potential ticket buying public have day jobs? Lights should be mandatory to host the tournament.
Ideally, there should be access to batting cages. There should also be clubhouses for the home and road teams. Excessive? In 1970, yes. In 2008, not so much. I wouldn't be a stickler for either of these items, but it is a championship event and we do have access to these at some venues in the conference. Why settle for less?
It should have a decent pressbox. The media shouldn't get soggy covering the tournament. Neither should ADs, SIDs and the various other personnel filling the box. No pressbox, no hosting.
It should have concession stands, running water and plumbing. That means bathrooms, not port-a-poddies. I can't see anything wrong with demanding basic facilities for your patrons. As further evidence, I heard an interview with legendary Louisiana State coach Skip Bertmann. Coach was asked what was one of the first things he did to Alex Box Stadium to increase attendance. He said he added diaper changing facilities.
We want people to like college baseball and come back. Help your audience take care of life's essentials. If you can't meet this requirement, you can't host.
I know, I know. Very few Big 10 parks can host the tournament under these parameters. Honestly, I'm okay with that. Would it give some schools an advantage? I suppose it would, but having a quality park gives that program an advantage regardless. Don't you think the folks who have such facilities are going to show them off to recruits, thus giving them an advantage over the other programs long before the tournament ever takes place?
Besides, there's nothing wrong with acting like the tournament is a championship event of some import. That's because it is. The winner goes onto the NCAA Tournament.
CBS' CLOSES EYE TO BASEBALL COVERAGE
Has anyone else noticed that the baseball coverage on the website formerly known as CSTV has taken a nose-dive since the CBS generals have taken over? Their baseball homepage has been almost static for weeks. The photo of the Stanford player hasn't changed in over a month. They appear to have jettisoned friend of BTH, Doug Kroll, while you have to hunt for Eric Sorenson's latest entries. If Kroll was indeed let go, and I have absolutely zero proof of that (I'm a blogger, I'm expected to engage in speculation), Big E's stay at the eye network is probably in danger, too.
Hey, CBS big-wigs. Original content, especially on college baseball, is difficult to find. Don't you want to be different? How about cool? Keep the bald-headed, rock-and-roll, Omaha-lovin' guy around. In fact, find him a couple of cohorts. I hear this Kroll guy knows something about college baseball and might be available.
VOTING IN THE DARK
Do you ever wonder how in the world anyone votes in a college baseball poll? Seriously, if I had to participate in a weekly poll, I'd be in trouble. If I head down to the ballpark, I don't get to see the games on television. If I stay home or put the games on DVR, it's not like I'm guaranteed to see the top teams in the land each weekend.
I currently receive, courtesy of my cable provider and a growing monthly bill, the aforementioned CBS College Sports plus three Fox College Stations -- Atlantic, Central and West. Between the four of them, I get a minimal amount of live college baseball each weekend. I might get one or two top level games, but the majority of games being broadcast, especially on the Fox networks, are often games not affecting the rankings or repeats from weeks ago.
There's also no one providing a quality highlight package, either. It's not a college football Saturday night where you can at least get a taste of what the elite level programs have done that day. College baseball is almost played in a media blackout, nationally speaking.
I can't see how coaches or the media can come to informed decisions about the ranking the programs each week or voting for All-Americans or the Player of the Year awards. We, and, yes, I'm including myself here, are all voting in the dark.
Showing posts with label Commentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Commentary. Show all posts
Monday, May 12, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Weekend Junkdrawer
Here is a hodge-podge of Big Ten baseball items for you to mull over while filling out your brackets.
* Matt Bashore of Indiana and Michigan's Nate Recknagel were named the conference's pitcher and player of the week, respectively.
* He didn't claim the award, but Iowa's Caleb Curry had quite a weekend, as well. The Hawkeyes' CF went 8 for 13, scored three times, drove in seven, doubled, walked twice, stole five bases and had a sac fly.
* Another Hawkeye, DH Trevor Willis had my favorite stat line of the weekend:
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
Willis, Trevor dh... 1 4 0 0 3 1 0 0 0
Willis scored four runs without ever getting a hit. He walked three times and was hit by a pitch in the Hawkeyes' slugfest with Rutgers on Sunday. Iowa prevailed, 16-14. In his lone official AB, Willis K'd.
* Ohio State freshmen Dan Burkhardt and Ryan Meade each had a four hit game over the weekend.
* I'm still not sure what's going on in Happy Valley, but heading into Sunday the Lions were eighth in batting average, tenth in ERA and ninth in fielding percentage. Ouch. I tend to agree with Uncle Lar over at Happy Valley Hardball who suggested that PSU may have already played themselves out of an at-large bid this year.
* Last I checked, which was a couple of minutes ago, only four Big Ten players had an OPS over 1.000. (You thought I forgot, didn't you?) Based on a completely arbitrary 30 at bat minimum, Northwestern's Mike Kalina was at a ridiculous 1.390. Nate Recknagel of Michigan was second at 1.305. Yes, that's crazy, too. Iowa's Caleb Curry was in at 1.208 and fourth was Indiana's Josh Phegley at 1.119.
That's all for now. I'm off to watch Top Gear on BBC America.
* Matt Bashore of Indiana and Michigan's Nate Recknagel were named the conference's pitcher and player of the week, respectively.
* He didn't claim the award, but Iowa's Caleb Curry had quite a weekend, as well. The Hawkeyes' CF went 8 for 13, scored three times, drove in seven, doubled, walked twice, stole five bases and had a sac fly.
* Another Hawkeye, DH Trevor Willis had my favorite stat line of the weekend:
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
Willis, Trevor dh... 1 4 0 0 3 1 0 0 0
Willis scored four runs without ever getting a hit. He walked three times and was hit by a pitch in the Hawkeyes' slugfest with Rutgers on Sunday. Iowa prevailed, 16-14. In his lone official AB, Willis K'd.
* Ohio State freshmen Dan Burkhardt and Ryan Meade each had a four hit game over the weekend.
* I'm still not sure what's going on in Happy Valley, but heading into Sunday the Lions were eighth in batting average, tenth in ERA and ninth in fielding percentage. Ouch. I tend to agree with Uncle Lar over at Happy Valley Hardball who suggested that PSU may have already played themselves out of an at-large bid this year.
* Last I checked, which was a couple of minutes ago, only four Big Ten players had an OPS over 1.000. (You thought I forgot, didn't you?) Based on a completely arbitrary 30 at bat minimum, Northwestern's Mike Kalina was at a ridiculous 1.390. Nate Recknagel of Michigan was second at 1.305. Yes, that's crazy, too. Iowa's Caleb Curry was in at 1.208 and fourth was Indiana's Josh Phegley at 1.119.
That's all for now. I'm off to watch Top Gear on BBC America.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
ESPNU Coverage
We learn, courtesy of Baseball America's Aaron Fitt, what ESPN's college baseball broadcast schedule is going to look like. Here it is:
Tuesday, April 1 (7 p.m.): Rice at Texas
Sunday, April 6 (2 p.m.): North Carolina A&T at Bethune-Cookman
Friday, April 18 (7 p.m.): Oklahoma State at Texas
Sunday, April 20 (3 p.m.): UNC Asheville at Coastal Carolina
Saturday, April 26 (3:30 p.m.): St. John’s at Notre Dame
Friday, May 9 (6 p.m.): Portland at Pepperdine
First, let me say something positive about this lineup of games. The network did a nice job of covering almost every region of the country. That's it. On to the less positive stuff.
Six whole games? Wow, that's quite a commitment. How can ESPN afford to give up that much valuable airtime? Oh, that's right. They are all on ESPNU -- a network nobody has.
How many people actually have ESPNU? I'm not sure exactly how many households have access, but I do know it's a small stinkin' number. (Not as small as the number of homes with the Big Ten Network, of course, but still pretty tiny.) This unprecedented coverage will no doubt elevate college baseball to a level it would have had if none of the games were broadcast.
Look, I'm a college baseball guy. I'm happy six more games get some level of television coverage. Really. I am. Yet, I'm disappointment and confused as to why ESPNU couldn't commit to more than a half dozen games. I can understand ESPN, the original, not putting up more than six regular season games, but The U?
There can be only one excuse -- a rights issue. Maybe, just as Big Ten games are the property of good ol' BTN, the ACC, SEC and Pac 10, in particular, have television contracts with other regional networks. That would cut into the amount of games available. Especially, some of the marquee match-ups. However, even if that's the case, televising six games hardly constitutes coverage on a network dedicated to providing exclusively collegiate athletics.
Tuesday, April 1 (7 p.m.): Rice at Texas
Sunday, April 6 (2 p.m.): North Carolina A&T at Bethune-Cookman
Friday, April 18 (7 p.m.): Oklahoma State at Texas
Sunday, April 20 (3 p.m.): UNC Asheville at Coastal Carolina
Saturday, April 26 (3:30 p.m.): St. John’s at Notre Dame
Friday, May 9 (6 p.m.): Portland at Pepperdine
First, let me say something positive about this lineup of games. The network did a nice job of covering almost every region of the country. That's it. On to the less positive stuff.
Six whole games? Wow, that's quite a commitment. How can ESPN afford to give up that much valuable airtime? Oh, that's right. They are all on ESPNU -- a network nobody has.
How many people actually have ESPNU? I'm not sure exactly how many households have access, but I do know it's a small stinkin' number. (Not as small as the number of homes with the Big Ten Network, of course, but still pretty tiny.) This unprecedented coverage will no doubt elevate college baseball to a level it would have had if none of the games were broadcast.
Look, I'm a college baseball guy. I'm happy six more games get some level of television coverage. Really. I am. Yet, I'm disappointment and confused as to why ESPNU couldn't commit to more than a half dozen games. I can understand ESPN, the original, not putting up more than six regular season games, but The U?
There can be only one excuse -- a rights issue. Maybe, just as Big Ten games are the property of good ol' BTN, the ACC, SEC and Pac 10, in particular, have television contracts with other regional networks. That would cut into the amount of games available. Especially, some of the marquee match-ups. However, even if that's the case, televising six games hardly constitutes coverage on a network dedicated to providing exclusively collegiate athletics.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Thoughts From The Weekend
As I await on another four to seven inches of snow, I bitterly ponder creating an outdoor college baseball tournament on the opening weekend of the season. I envision something like that NHL game between Pittsburgh and Buffalo on New Year's Day -- cold, windy, snowing. Instead of two northern programs, though, we invite four of those southern schools lamenting the universal start date.
The round robin tourney will be held somewhere like Traverse City, Michigan. The cherry capital just built a new minor league park. It's not far from Lake Michigan, either. I'm sure it would be ideal for baseball in February. The very PGA Tour-like title is the Universal Start Date Classic hosted by Eric Sorenson.
(Eric, buddy, lay off the universal start date. College baseball had to have it, if it wants to grow. Think of it like medicine, it might not taste good now, but it will make you better in the long run.)
In addition to this wildly ingenious, albeit spiteful, idea, I've been thinking about the weekend that was in Big Ten and around college baseball.
LESS K's = MORE W's
Minnesota's opening weekend versus Mississippi was simply terrible. The Gohpers fell by scores of 8-1, 22-5 and 15-4. While premature, many wrote off John Anderson's team only one weekend into the new season. Then along came the Dairy Queen Classic.
The Gophers defended home soil, home astroturf to be specific, by winning the DQ tournament. Minnesota fell in Friday's opener in extra innings, 7-4, to TCU. However, the Golden Gophers rebounded to take the next two games. They beat Tulane, 7-5, and Pepperdine, 5-2, to capture the DQ for the first time since 2004. One week later and the Gophers appear to be a much better team than many thoughts seven days before.
While a number of things went much better for the Gophers between week one and week two, one thing has stood out -- strikeouts. Minnesota batters fanned a remarkable 39 times against Ole Miss two weeks ago. In those three contests, the Gophers whiffed 21, 9 and 9 times.
This weekend, the Gophers struck out only 24 times. Minnesota batters fanned 14, 6 and 4 times in the Dairy Queen Classic. Minnesota has yet to win a game where they have struck out nine or more times. The games with their two lowest strikeout numbers are both victories. Sabermatericians, rejoice! Perhaps, this does mean that fewer K's = more W's.
COMMODORES STILL SINGING THE BLUES
Vanderbilt baseball fans must hate the Big Ten right about now. As you recall, the Commodores got bounced out of the NCAA Tournament last season by Michigan. Vandy entered the post-season as the top ranked team in the land, the number one seed in The Dance and regional host only to have upstart Michigan rain on their parade.
This past weekend, Iowa jumped up and took another bite out of the SEC power. The Hawkeyes prevailed over the seventh ranked Commodores, 6-3.
Any chance the SEC faithful can muster up a little respect for the Big Ten now? I didn't think so, either. But, I figured I'd ask.
CRAWLING FOR SCORES
In my ongoing search to watch college baseball this past weekend, I flipped through all the potential channels that might televise such an event. In coming across CSTV, I found a women's lacrosse match. In stopping to watch the Notre Dame vs. Stanford affair, I glanced at CSTV's crawl.
I noted college basketball scores, both men's and women's. Completely appropriate. I also saw hockey scores. It's hockey season, I'm good with that. However, I failed to notice any baseball scores sliding across the bottom of my screen. Was I mistaken? Did I not wait long enough? Are baseball scores not posted as frequently? Do they not post baseball scores at all? This is College Sports Television, right?
WAITING TO BOIL
Remember what I said about Purdue in my season preview?
After losing three straight hard fought, one-run affairs against nationally ranked Baylor in Waco, Purdue looked like a team ready to take flight. Alas, the Boilermakers have gone the opposite direction. After dropping three more versus Western Kentucky, the Boilermakers are off to their worst start in a forever. (Technically, the '08 Boilers are tied for the worst start in the 121 year history of the program.)
I'm not sure what to say other than this is so typical of Purdue. You just can't figure out what you are going to get from them. Well, I can't anyway. My advice for the Purdue visitors here? Be patient. Much like the weather in the midwest, the Boilers' performance could and probably will change several more times before the season's end.
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN ANN ARBOR AND OMAHA
My initial reaction to Arizona State's two triumphs over Michigan was that Omaha seemed much further away from Ann Arbor than it did before last Thursday. However, my overall feeling is that Arizona State is just crazy good. There are very few programs as loaded as the Sun Devils are this year and they have come out of the gate on fire.
Even if ASU is the class of the college baseball field this year (and that's not a given), I get the feeling Michigan needs to play better baseball in 2008 than it did in 2007, if they hope to play in Omaha this June.
Michigan can swing the bats with almost anybody, but the questions about their pitching (especially the bullpen) and their ability to win low scoring games will remain until proven otherwise.
Editor's Note (3/8/08): Eric Sorenson at CBS College Sports, formerly CSTV, emailed me to clarify his position on the universal start date. (Mostly 'cause I sort of implied he didn't at the top of this post.) Big E actually loves the USD. He does poke some fun at it, but fully embraces the idea as one necessary for the overall health of college baseball.
The round robin tourney will be held somewhere like Traverse City, Michigan. The cherry capital just built a new minor league park. It's not far from Lake Michigan, either. I'm sure it would be ideal for baseball in February. The very PGA Tour-like title is the Universal Start Date Classic hosted by Eric Sorenson.
(Eric, buddy, lay off the universal start date. College baseball had to have it, if it wants to grow. Think of it like medicine, it might not taste good now, but it will make you better in the long run.)
In addition to this wildly ingenious, albeit spiteful, idea, I've been thinking about the weekend that was in Big Ten and around college baseball.
LESS K's = MORE W's
Minnesota's opening weekend versus Mississippi was simply terrible. The Gohpers fell by scores of 8-1, 22-5 and 15-4. While premature, many wrote off John Anderson's team only one weekend into the new season. Then along came the Dairy Queen Classic.
The Gophers defended home soil, home astroturf to be specific, by winning the DQ tournament. Minnesota fell in Friday's opener in extra innings, 7-4, to TCU. However, the Golden Gophers rebounded to take the next two games. They beat Tulane, 7-5, and Pepperdine, 5-2, to capture the DQ for the first time since 2004. One week later and the Gophers appear to be a much better team than many thoughts seven days before.
While a number of things went much better for the Gophers between week one and week two, one thing has stood out -- strikeouts. Minnesota batters fanned a remarkable 39 times against Ole Miss two weeks ago. In those three contests, the Gophers whiffed 21, 9 and 9 times.
This weekend, the Gophers struck out only 24 times. Minnesota batters fanned 14, 6 and 4 times in the Dairy Queen Classic. Minnesota has yet to win a game where they have struck out nine or more times. The games with their two lowest strikeout numbers are both victories. Sabermatericians, rejoice! Perhaps, this does mean that fewer K's = more W's.
COMMODORES STILL SINGING THE BLUES
Vanderbilt baseball fans must hate the Big Ten right about now. As you recall, the Commodores got bounced out of the NCAA Tournament last season by Michigan. Vandy entered the post-season as the top ranked team in the land, the number one seed in The Dance and regional host only to have upstart Michigan rain on their parade.
This past weekend, Iowa jumped up and took another bite out of the SEC power. The Hawkeyes prevailed over the seventh ranked Commodores, 6-3.
Any chance the SEC faithful can muster up a little respect for the Big Ten now? I didn't think so, either. But, I figured I'd ask.
CRAWLING FOR SCORES
In my ongoing search to watch college baseball this past weekend, I flipped through all the potential channels that might televise such an event. In coming across CSTV, I found a women's lacrosse match. In stopping to watch the Notre Dame vs. Stanford affair, I glanced at CSTV's crawl.
I noted college basketball scores, both men's and women's. Completely appropriate. I also saw hockey scores. It's hockey season, I'm good with that. However, I failed to notice any baseball scores sliding across the bottom of my screen. Was I mistaken? Did I not wait long enough? Are baseball scores not posted as frequently? Do they not post baseball scores at all? This is College Sports Television, right?
WAITING TO BOIL
Remember what I said about Purdue in my season preview?
However, Purdue is probably the most enigmatic team in the Big
Ten.
After losing three straight hard fought, one-run affairs against nationally ranked Baylor in Waco, Purdue looked like a team ready to take flight. Alas, the Boilermakers have gone the opposite direction. After dropping three more versus Western Kentucky, the Boilermakers are off to their worst start in a forever. (Technically, the '08 Boilers are tied for the worst start in the 121 year history of the program.)
I'm not sure what to say other than this is so typical of Purdue. You just can't figure out what you are going to get from them. Well, I can't anyway. My advice for the Purdue visitors here? Be patient. Much like the weather in the midwest, the Boilers' performance could and probably will change several more times before the season's end.
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN ANN ARBOR AND OMAHA
My initial reaction to Arizona State's two triumphs over Michigan was that Omaha seemed much further away from Ann Arbor than it did before last Thursday. However, my overall feeling is that Arizona State is just crazy good. There are very few programs as loaded as the Sun Devils are this year and they have come out of the gate on fire.
Even if ASU is the class of the college baseball field this year (and that's not a given), I get the feeling Michigan needs to play better baseball in 2008 than it did in 2007, if they hope to play in Omaha this June.
Michigan can swing the bats with almost anybody, but the questions about their pitching (especially the bullpen) and their ability to win low scoring games will remain until proven otherwise.
Editor's Note (3/8/08): Eric Sorenson at CBS College Sports, formerly CSTV, emailed me to clarify his position on the universal start date. (Mostly 'cause I sort of implied he didn't at the top of this post.) Big E actually loves the USD. He does poke some fun at it, but fully embraces the idea as one necessary for the overall health of college baseball.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Oregon State 1 Michigan 0
In a tremendous pitcher's duel, Oregon State beat Michigan, 1-0. Michigan's Zach Putnam and OSU starter Jorge Reyes were nothing short of spectacular. Reyes, with some help from the Beavers' bullpen, limited Michigan to just four hits. Putnam allowed one only hit, a two-out RBI single from Joey Wong in the ninth inning. Wong's hit proved to be the game winner.
Putnam worked 8.2 innings striking out eight and walking three before yielding to Michael Powers. Powers set down the lone batter he faced in the ninth. OSU's Reyes went seven innings giving up three of Michigan's hits and walking no one. Joe Paterson worked 1.1 innings giving up one hit. Eddie Kunz came in to get the last two hitters.
It was simply a masterfully pitched ballgame on both sides. With a combined five hits, there isn't much offense to talk about.
The two sides meet again tomorrow. The time has not yet been determined. It will either be 4:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. EST.
Putnam worked 8.2 innings striking out eight and walking three before yielding to Michael Powers. Powers set down the lone batter he faced in the ninth. OSU's Reyes went seven innings giving up three of Michigan's hits and walking no one. Joe Paterson worked 1.1 innings giving up one hit. Eddie Kunz came in to get the last two hitters.
It was simply a masterfully pitched ballgame on both sides. With a combined five hits, there isn't much offense to talk about.
The two sides meet again tomorrow. The time has not yet been determined. It will either be 4:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. EST.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
No Game, Just Commentary
As the super regional between Michigan and Oregon State got washed out today, I've got no game action to review. As such, I've decided tonight's a good time to share some observations, suggestions and wild speculation with you.
As is usually the case around here, this material is in no particular order. A term paper or something for work gets days of organization and review. Blogging? A few hours, tops. It doesn't make me the world's greatest blogger, but it does keep my marriage on solid ground.
* We've got our first two College World Series teams. Rice and Mississippi State are headed for Omaha. No surprise the Owls return, but MSU? I'm thinking most of us didn't pick the Bulldogs in that portion of our bracket.
* While at the Big Ten Tournament, I was told that a couple of programs experienced a higher rate of broken bats this season. Sure enough, another bat bit the dust during the Big 10 tourney. The bat I saw crumble wasn't even from one of the programs complaining about the problem. Anybody have any insight as to why the bats are breaking this year?
* I believe I've mentioned this here before, but the Big Ten and Big East are hammering out the details to establish a challenge series like the Big Ten has with the ACC in basketball. The Big Ten/Big East baseball challenge should be on the docket by 2009. (I don't think they can get it into the '08 slate, but you just never know.)
Hopefully, this series will create some additional exposure for both conferences. I would expect to see the Big Ten Network pick-up coverage, but it's premature to announce anything concrete.
* In his Thursday Thoughts column, CSTV's Eric Sorenson mentions Vanderbilt's persistence in stomping on home plate. Not only did Vandy make a point of each run scored, but their firstbaseman spent all of Sunday night spiking the baseball each time an inning ended with the ball in his possession. Not satisfied to toss it or roll it back to the mound, he had to spike it like he scored a TD. Or, as Eric suggests, he's angry.
If those two ongoing theatrics weren't enough, I felt that David Price gave the Michigan dugout a stare down in Monday's game. After the All-American set down the Wolverines in the top of the ninth, it appeared to me that Price finished his jubilant cry with a brief, but direct look into Michigan's dugout.
Now, could I just be a pro-Michigan guy over analyzing this? Yep. Could it be I was just so annoyed by the other Vanderbilt antics that I was looking for more trouble? Absolutely. Could it be that I'm just an old guy that doesn't embrace all these new forms of on-field exuberance? Without question.
However, if you are the number one team in the land, at home, in a regional you are supposed to dominate, is it necessary or even appropriate to be quite so animated? Their actions just seemed over-the-top to me.
(I'll spare you the traditional "Where I come from, if you did that stuff you'd get knocked on your butt the next time you stepped in the box" speech. I'll also skip the story about walking to school uphill, both ways, in six feet of snow.)
* Surprisingly, Tennessee and Florida both have job openings. However, I wouldn't be surprised if a Big Ten or Big East coach is rumored to be on either UT's or the Gators' short list. (Or, for that matter, a Big West or WCC coach.) If a mid-major coach can get into the regionals, why not consider them?
* Wild Speculation Alert: Word has it Purdue is looking for the right piece of real estate to build a new ballpark on. Let's hope that's more than just a rumor.
* Friend and blogging ally Ian Casselberry and I were thinking of watching today's super regional in an Ann Arbor watering hole. Come to find out, only a few of them had ESPNU. When those that did were quizzed if they would have the Michigan/Oregon State game on most were tepid in their response. It was like "Well..... if somebody is really interested, we might".
Come on. This is in Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor, Michigan. Home of the University of Michigan. I know the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets game was running at nearly the same time, but it's the super regionals and your school is in it. Besides, it's a nearly perfect June weekend day. How many people are going to drag themselves into a sports bar in the middle of the afternoon on a day like this? Wouldn't you encourage us to arrive to watch the program's biggest game in twenty years?
Clearly, I haven't gotten everyone aboard the college baseball bandwagon yet. The blogging continues.
* For those who follow the other nine schools in this conference, I am starting to review summer league rosters and hope to post something outlining that within the next seven to ten days. Regardless, I would encourage you to check out the Summer League Blog.
* For the record, I'm in favor of the Big Ten having the conference tournament at a neutral site. I think the advantages (like knowing a year in advance where to book a hotel, playing in better facilities, making it look like the conference cares about baseball) out number the disadvantages (the regular season winner no longer having home field advantage). That said, I was told that conference and university officials remain opposed to the idea.
As it was explained to me, it's a problem of equity. If the Big Ten baseball championship is held at a neutral site, the coaches of the other non-revenue sports are going to ask for the same thing and no one is prepared to work out the logistics for every single sport having an off-campus event.
I guess I understand the equity issue. However, I believe one thing and one thing alone can toss the equity issue out the window -- money. If the Big Ten baseball tournament was a revenue producer, this wouldn't be a discussion. However, as the tournament probably costs them more money than they make, they aren't going to give them special consideration.
I would offer this objection to the conference's objection. The Big East hosts a neutral site baseball championship. So do a number of the power conferences. While the big boys of college baseball might make some cash in this process, does the Big East? If they do, is it because it's at a neutral site?
At some point, somebody in this conference needs to understand that perception is reality. If you treat baseball like a second rate sport, and the Big Ten does, then the public will react accordingly. It's a self fulfilling prophecy.
* In reviewing attendance at the Big Ten tournament, I'm convinced that I'm one of about only ten to fifteen people who actually paid to get in. Everybody else got in with credentials or freebies. It's no wonder it's a non-revenue sport.
* Nobody is happier with the way northern schools have played this year than I, but the question remains "Is this an anomaly or a trend?". I'm hoping for the latter, but it's just too soon to tell. It will be interesting to see if Michigan and Louisville, in particular, gain any recruits because of their tournament success this year.
That's all for tonight, boys and girls. I hope you enjoyed this rambling commentary. Remember tomorrow's super regional game is on ESPN. No U, this time.
As is usually the case around here, this material is in no particular order. A term paper or something for work gets days of organization and review. Blogging? A few hours, tops. It doesn't make me the world's greatest blogger, but it does keep my marriage on solid ground.
* We've got our first two College World Series teams. Rice and Mississippi State are headed for Omaha. No surprise the Owls return, but MSU? I'm thinking most of us didn't pick the Bulldogs in that portion of our bracket.
* While at the Big Ten Tournament, I was told that a couple of programs experienced a higher rate of broken bats this season. Sure enough, another bat bit the dust during the Big 10 tourney. The bat I saw crumble wasn't even from one of the programs complaining about the problem. Anybody have any insight as to why the bats are breaking this year?
* I believe I've mentioned this here before, but the Big Ten and Big East are hammering out the details to establish a challenge series like the Big Ten has with the ACC in basketball. The Big Ten/Big East baseball challenge should be on the docket by 2009. (I don't think they can get it into the '08 slate, but you just never know.)
Hopefully, this series will create some additional exposure for both conferences. I would expect to see the Big Ten Network pick-up coverage, but it's premature to announce anything concrete.
* In his Thursday Thoughts column, CSTV's Eric Sorenson mentions Vanderbilt's persistence in stomping on home plate. Not only did Vandy make a point of each run scored, but their firstbaseman spent all of Sunday night spiking the baseball each time an inning ended with the ball in his possession. Not satisfied to toss it or roll it back to the mound, he had to spike it like he scored a TD. Or, as Eric suggests, he's angry.
If those two ongoing theatrics weren't enough, I felt that David Price gave the Michigan dugout a stare down in Monday's game. After the All-American set down the Wolverines in the top of the ninth, it appeared to me that Price finished his jubilant cry with a brief, but direct look into Michigan's dugout.
Now, could I just be a pro-Michigan guy over analyzing this? Yep. Could it be I was just so annoyed by the other Vanderbilt antics that I was looking for more trouble? Absolutely. Could it be that I'm just an old guy that doesn't embrace all these new forms of on-field exuberance? Without question.
However, if you are the number one team in the land, at home, in a regional you are supposed to dominate, is it necessary or even appropriate to be quite so animated? Their actions just seemed over-the-top to me.
(I'll spare you the traditional "Where I come from, if you did that stuff you'd get knocked on your butt the next time you stepped in the box" speech. I'll also skip the story about walking to school uphill, both ways, in six feet of snow.)
* Surprisingly, Tennessee and Florida both have job openings. However, I wouldn't be surprised if a Big Ten or Big East coach is rumored to be on either UT's or the Gators' short list. (Or, for that matter, a Big West or WCC coach.) If a mid-major coach can get into the regionals, why not consider them?
* Wild Speculation Alert: Word has it Purdue is looking for the right piece of real estate to build a new ballpark on. Let's hope that's more than just a rumor.
* Friend and blogging ally Ian Casselberry and I were thinking of watching today's super regional in an Ann Arbor watering hole. Come to find out, only a few of them had ESPNU. When those that did were quizzed if they would have the Michigan/Oregon State game on most were tepid in their response. It was like "Well..... if somebody is really interested, we might".
Come on. This is in Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor, Michigan. Home of the University of Michigan. I know the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets game was running at nearly the same time, but it's the super regionals and your school is in it. Besides, it's a nearly perfect June weekend day. How many people are going to drag themselves into a sports bar in the middle of the afternoon on a day like this? Wouldn't you encourage us to arrive to watch the program's biggest game in twenty years?
Clearly, I haven't gotten everyone aboard the college baseball bandwagon yet. The blogging continues.
* For those who follow the other nine schools in this conference, I am starting to review summer league rosters and hope to post something outlining that within the next seven to ten days. Regardless, I would encourage you to check out the Summer League Blog.
* For the record, I'm in favor of the Big Ten having the conference tournament at a neutral site. I think the advantages (like knowing a year in advance where to book a hotel, playing in better facilities, making it look like the conference cares about baseball) out number the disadvantages (the regular season winner no longer having home field advantage). That said, I was told that conference and university officials remain opposed to the idea.
As it was explained to me, it's a problem of equity. If the Big Ten baseball championship is held at a neutral site, the coaches of the other non-revenue sports are going to ask for the same thing and no one is prepared to work out the logistics for every single sport having an off-campus event.
I guess I understand the equity issue. However, I believe one thing and one thing alone can toss the equity issue out the window -- money. If the Big Ten baseball tournament was a revenue producer, this wouldn't be a discussion. However, as the tournament probably costs them more money than they make, they aren't going to give them special consideration.
I would offer this objection to the conference's objection. The Big East hosts a neutral site baseball championship. So do a number of the power conferences. While the big boys of college baseball might make some cash in this process, does the Big East? If they do, is it because it's at a neutral site?
At some point, somebody in this conference needs to understand that perception is reality. If you treat baseball like a second rate sport, and the Big Ten does, then the public will react accordingly. It's a self fulfilling prophecy.
* In reviewing attendance at the Big Ten tournament, I'm convinced that I'm one of about only ten to fifteen people who actually paid to get in. Everybody else got in with credentials or freebies. It's no wonder it's a non-revenue sport.
* Nobody is happier with the way northern schools have played this year than I, but the question remains "Is this an anomaly or a trend?". I'm hoping for the latter, but it's just too soon to tell. It will be interesting to see if Michigan and Louisville, in particular, gain any recruits because of their tournament success this year.
That's all for tonight, boys and girls. I hope you enjoyed this rambling commentary. Remember tomorrow's super regional game is on ESPN. No U, this time.
Monday, May 21, 2007
The All-Weekend Team
It's the final Big Ten Hardball All-Weekend Team for 2007. Brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it? As you reach for a Kleenex, let me proceed with this week's edition.
Catcher - Kyle Day, Michigan State (7/16, 4 R, 9 RBI, 3 2B, HR, 2 BB)
Firstbase - Jake Goebbert, Northwestern (12/16, 6 R, 8 RBI, 3 2B, 3B, BB)
Secondbase - Steve Gerstenberger, Michigan State (10/18, 6 R, 5 RBI, 3 2B, HR, BB)
Shortstop - Brandon Doherty, Michigan State (10/16, 6 R, 6 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB)
Thirdbase - Jake Owens, Northwestern (12/19, 7 R, 4 RBI, BB, 2 SB)
Outfield - Matt Nohelty, Minnesota (8/16, 5 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB)
Outfield - Mike Kalina, Northwestern (7/17, 7 R, 7 RBI)
Outfield - Zach Putnam, Michigan (5/15, 4 R, 7 RBI, 2 HR, BB)
Designated Hitter - Nate Recknagel, Michigan (8/16, 6 R, 6 RBI, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB, SB)
Bench - Nate Hanson, Minnesota (8/17, 5 R, 7 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB)
Bench - Evan Crawford, Indiana (9/15, 2 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 2 BB)
Bench - Sean Walker, Michigan State (8/17, 4 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 3 HR, BB)
Bench - Mike Rohde, Illinois (5/10, 4 R, 7 RBI, 2B, HR)
Bench - Lars Davis, Illinois (4/11, 6 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR, 3 BB)
Bench - Scott Gaffney, Penn State (6/14, 5 R, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, BB, SB; 1 APP, 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 Er, 0 BB, 2 K, no decision)
Starter - John Dwan, Michigan State (7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K's in win)
Starter - Zach Putnam, Michigan (7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 K's in no decision)
Starter - Andrew Smith, Northwestern (9.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's in win)
Starter - Dan Schwartz, Northwestern (7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 7 K's in win)
Starter - Cory Luebke, Ohio State (7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K's in no decision)
Starter - Josh Edgin, Ohio State (6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's in no decision)
Starter - Paul Hawkins, Penn State (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K's in win)
Starter - Seth Whitehill, Penn State (7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K's in no decision)
Relief - Jake Toohey, Illinois (2 APP, 5.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K's in win and save)
Relief - Drew O'Neil, Penn State (2 APP, 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K's in two saves)
Relief - Trey Fausnaugh, Ohio State (1 APP, 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's in win)
I'll bypass elaborating on this week's side other than to offer the standard request. If I missed someone, made an error in math, please drop me an email. I'll gladly consider your nominee or change whatever mistake I managed this week.
On that thought, I should thank all those who took the time to write me with their suggestions and corrections during the season. It was greatly appreciated.
I hope you enjoyed the All-Weekend Team feature this season. It was entertaining for me, albeit time consuming. My tentative plan is to bring it back again in 2008.
Catcher - Kyle Day, Michigan State (7/16, 4 R, 9 RBI, 3 2B, HR, 2 BB)
Firstbase - Jake Goebbert, Northwestern (12/16, 6 R, 8 RBI, 3 2B, 3B, BB)
Secondbase - Steve Gerstenberger, Michigan State (10/18, 6 R, 5 RBI, 3 2B, HR, BB)
Shortstop - Brandon Doherty, Michigan State (10/16, 6 R, 6 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB)
Thirdbase - Jake Owens, Northwestern (12/19, 7 R, 4 RBI, BB, 2 SB)
Outfield - Matt Nohelty, Minnesota (8/16, 5 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB)
Outfield - Mike Kalina, Northwestern (7/17, 7 R, 7 RBI)
Outfield - Zach Putnam, Michigan (5/15, 4 R, 7 RBI, 2 HR, BB)
Designated Hitter - Nate Recknagel, Michigan (8/16, 6 R, 6 RBI, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB, SB)
Bench - Nate Hanson, Minnesota (8/17, 5 R, 7 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR, BB)
Bench - Evan Crawford, Indiana (9/15, 2 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 2 BB)
Bench - Sean Walker, Michigan State (8/17, 4 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 3 HR, BB)
Bench - Mike Rohde, Illinois (5/10, 4 R, 7 RBI, 2B, HR)
Bench - Lars Davis, Illinois (4/11, 6 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR, 3 BB)
Bench - Scott Gaffney, Penn State (6/14, 5 R, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, BB, SB; 1 APP, 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 Er, 0 BB, 2 K, no decision)
Starter - John Dwan, Michigan State (7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K's in win)
Starter - Zach Putnam, Michigan (7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 K's in no decision)
Starter - Andrew Smith, Northwestern (9.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's in win)
Starter - Dan Schwartz, Northwestern (7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 7 K's in win)
Starter - Cory Luebke, Ohio State (7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K's in no decision)
Starter - Josh Edgin, Ohio State (6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's in no decision)
Starter - Paul Hawkins, Penn State (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K's in win)
Starter - Seth Whitehill, Penn State (7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K's in no decision)
Relief - Jake Toohey, Illinois (2 APP, 5.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K's in win and save)
Relief - Drew O'Neil, Penn State (2 APP, 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K's in two saves)
Relief - Trey Fausnaugh, Ohio State (1 APP, 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's in win)
I'll bypass elaborating on this week's side other than to offer the standard request. If I missed someone, made an error in math, please drop me an email. I'll gladly consider your nominee or change whatever mistake I managed this week.
On that thought, I should thank all those who took the time to write me with their suggestions and corrections during the season. It was greatly appreciated.
I hope you enjoyed the All-Weekend Team feature this season. It was entertaining for me, albeit time consuming. My tentative plan is to bring it back again in 2008.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Tournament Chase
The late Pete Rozelle would be proud. Rozelle, the former NFL commissioner, loved parity. The equality between teams allowed fans in every city to harbor championship dreams. Heading into the last weekend of play in the Big Ten, it appears eight of the ten schools are still eligible for post-season action. It's Rozelle's dream in action.
I believe four teams are in -- Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Penn State. That leaves four more programs -- Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State and Purdue -- vying for the last two Big Ten Tournament spots. Unfortunately, the post-season is not an option for Indiana and Northwestern. I hope to have more on the Hoosiers and Wildcats down the road. For now, let's see if I can understand all the post-season possibilities.
Friend of BTH, Frank Fraas, of WMNI in Columbus, sent along the following information about all the possibilities. I owe Frank a beverage because we know my math skills weren't up to the task. Now, in his defense, Frank does provide the data with one stipulation. There could be an oversight. Well, if you can't count on a blogger to spread inaccurate information, then who in the world can you count on for that? (Oops, forgot about news people. Ok, bloggers and news people can be counted on to spread bad information. As news people don't care about Big Ten baseball, it's back on me.) On to the race.
The top four teams all have a chance to capture the Big Ten's regular season championship. Michigan, of course, holds everyone else's fate in their hands. The Wolverines magic number to clinch a back-to-back regular season title appears to be three. Here are the scenarios for Michigan to claim the crown:
- Michigan wins three (or four) in Iowa City.
- Michigan wins two and Minnesota loses one.
- Michigan can win only one and still claim the title , but Minnesota would have to lose two to Indiana and Penn State would need to lose a single game as well.
The Gophers can host the Big Ten Tournament if:
- Minnesota sweeps IU and Michigan and Iowa split.
- Minnesota wins three and Michigan loses three of four at Iowa.
(Note: Minnesota holds the tiebreaker over Penn State and Iowa.)
Penn State wins by:
- PSU sweeping Ohio State, Iowa takes three from Michigan and Indiana takes three from Minnesota.
(Note: If Iowa were to sweep Michigan, the Hawkeyes would be tied with PSU, but Iowa holds the tiebreaker.)
Iowa wins, if:
- The Hawkeyes sweep Michigan, PSU loses two and Minnesota loses three.
There is a way for a three way tie. Iowa sweeps Michigan, Penn State takes three from OSU and Minnesota and IU split. Iowa, PSU and Minnesota would tie. The Gophers have the best record against the tied teams, thus gains the crown.
See, that was simple, wasn't it? Now, let's see if I can figure out the bottom of the race. Ohio State and Illinois are in the driver's seat(s).
Ohio State gets in, if:
- The Buckeyes win two (or more) over Penn State.
- OSU wins only one and Michigan State wins three over Illinois. OSU and MSU get in as the Bucks hold the tiebreaker over the Illini in this scenario.
- OSU wins one and MSU and Illinois split. OSU's has the tiebreaker edge over MSU on winning percentage.
- OSU gets swept at Penn State, but Illinois takes three from MSU and Purdue loses one.
Illinois gets in, if:
- Illinois wins two (or more) from Michigan State.
- Illinois wins one and Penn State sweeps Ohio State.
Michigan State is in the tourney, if:
- MSU takes three (or more) from Illinois.
- The Spartans win two and Penn State sweeps OSU.
Purdue gets in, if:
- The Boilers sweep Northwestern, Michigan State sweeps Illinois and Penn State sweeps Ohio State. That would make Purdue 15-16. OSU and Illinois would be 14-16. Thus, the Boilers get in.
(If you note any errors, please let me know and I'll revise this list. Thanks to Frank Fraas, the voice of OSU baseball for sending along the information I've provided. Hopefully, I've done a good job of presenting the work.)
If you've never attended a Big Ten game before, this is the weekend to head out an catch some college baseball action. Nearly every venue will have a degree of intrigue this weekend. Michigan is at Iowa with both hoping for a championship. Minnesota is at Indiana trying to beat the Hoosiers and watching the scoreboard for results from Iowa City. (Of course, the Gophers at-large NCAA Tournament hopes may be riding on this series, too.)
Ohio State travels to Penn State with the Buckeyes two wins away from a tournament spot and PSU looking to sneak in the backdoor and grab the conference crown. Michigan State is in Champaign battling Illinois for one of the last two Big Ten Tournament openings. Finally, Purdue and Northwestern collide with the Boilers oh-so-faint hopes of a miracle finish landing them in the tournament field.
Go out and get a look at a terrific race for the Big Ten regular season championship.
I believe four teams are in -- Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Penn State. That leaves four more programs -- Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State and Purdue -- vying for the last two Big Ten Tournament spots. Unfortunately, the post-season is not an option for Indiana and Northwestern. I hope to have more on the Hoosiers and Wildcats down the road. For now, let's see if I can understand all the post-season possibilities.
Friend of BTH, Frank Fraas, of WMNI in Columbus, sent along the following information about all the possibilities. I owe Frank a beverage because we know my math skills weren't up to the task. Now, in his defense, Frank does provide the data with one stipulation. There could be an oversight. Well, if you can't count on a blogger to spread inaccurate information, then who in the world can you count on for that? (Oops, forgot about news people. Ok, bloggers and news people can be counted on to spread bad information. As news people don't care about Big Ten baseball, it's back on me.) On to the race.
The top four teams all have a chance to capture the Big Ten's regular season championship. Michigan, of course, holds everyone else's fate in their hands. The Wolverines magic number to clinch a back-to-back regular season title appears to be three. Here are the scenarios for Michigan to claim the crown:
- Michigan wins three (or four) in Iowa City.
- Michigan wins two and Minnesota loses one.
- Michigan can win only one and still claim the title , but Minnesota would have to lose two to Indiana and Penn State would need to lose a single game as well.
The Gophers can host the Big Ten Tournament if:
- Minnesota sweeps IU and Michigan and Iowa split.
- Minnesota wins three and Michigan loses three of four at Iowa.
(Note: Minnesota holds the tiebreaker over Penn State and Iowa.)
Penn State wins by:
- PSU sweeping Ohio State, Iowa takes three from Michigan and Indiana takes three from Minnesota.
(Note: If Iowa were to sweep Michigan, the Hawkeyes would be tied with PSU, but Iowa holds the tiebreaker.)
Iowa wins, if:
- The Hawkeyes sweep Michigan, PSU loses two and Minnesota loses three.
There is a way for a three way tie. Iowa sweeps Michigan, Penn State takes three from OSU and Minnesota and IU split. Iowa, PSU and Minnesota would tie. The Gophers have the best record against the tied teams, thus gains the crown.
See, that was simple, wasn't it? Now, let's see if I can figure out the bottom of the race. Ohio State and Illinois are in the driver's seat(s).
Ohio State gets in, if:
- The Buckeyes win two (or more) over Penn State.
- OSU wins only one and Michigan State wins three over Illinois. OSU and MSU get in as the Bucks hold the tiebreaker over the Illini in this scenario.
- OSU wins one and MSU and Illinois split. OSU's has the tiebreaker edge over MSU on winning percentage.
- OSU gets swept at Penn State, but Illinois takes three from MSU and Purdue loses one.
Illinois gets in, if:
- Illinois wins two (or more) from Michigan State.
- Illinois wins one and Penn State sweeps Ohio State.
Michigan State is in the tourney, if:
- MSU takes three (or more) from Illinois.
- The Spartans win two and Penn State sweeps OSU.
Purdue gets in, if:
- The Boilers sweep Northwestern, Michigan State sweeps Illinois and Penn State sweeps Ohio State. That would make Purdue 15-16. OSU and Illinois would be 14-16. Thus, the Boilers get in.
(If you note any errors, please let me know and I'll revise this list. Thanks to Frank Fraas, the voice of OSU baseball for sending along the information I've provided. Hopefully, I've done a good job of presenting the work.)
If you've never attended a Big Ten game before, this is the weekend to head out an catch some college baseball action. Nearly every venue will have a degree of intrigue this weekend. Michigan is at Iowa with both hoping for a championship. Minnesota is at Indiana trying to beat the Hoosiers and watching the scoreboard for results from Iowa City. (Of course, the Gophers at-large NCAA Tournament hopes may be riding on this series, too.)
Ohio State travels to Penn State with the Buckeyes two wins away from a tournament spot and PSU looking to sneak in the backdoor and grab the conference crown. Michigan State is in Champaign battling Illinois for one of the last two Big Ten Tournament openings. Finally, Purdue and Northwestern collide with the Boilers oh-so-faint hopes of a miracle finish landing them in the tournament field.
Go out and get a look at a terrific race for the Big Ten regular season championship.
Midweek Scores And Ramblings
Western Illinois 9 Iowa 2 (box)
Minnesota 11 North Dakota State 10 (box)
Ohio State 8 North Florida 7 (Tuesday box)
Ohio State 9 North Florida 3 (Wednesday box)
Purdue 7 Valparaisio 2 (box)
Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Northwestern all had midweekers washed out. At least it didn't snow, right? (Although, it darn near could have today. Stinkin' weather.) I'm going to let you check the box scores on these.
Perhaps nothing more accurately displays the Big Ten's weakness as a baseball conference as these midweek games do. The lack of pitching depth allows nearly every program in the Big Ten, regardless of school or year, to consistently lose (or look very poor) in these midweek games.
What makes matters worse is that the competition is usually inferior which means these losses pose a triple threat. 1) They are losses. Last I checked, losses were bad. 2) By losing to a program much further down the RPI food chain, the losing Big Ten side watches its RPI and national perception go in the toilet as well. 3) The rest of the Big Ten programs get hurt because of the trickle down effect.
Not to hammer Iowa, as every school in the conference has these kinds of losses each year, but look at the Hawkeyes loss to WIU. Western Illinios has an RPI of 244. For reference, there are only 293 programs. When Iowa, who is having a fine season, falls to a program with an RPI closer to the bottom than the middle, the Hawkeyes' RPI goes south. It also makes the folks around the land pause and go "Hmmmm. Is Iowa good or is it just another bad year for baseball in the Big Ten?"
Now, if the Hawkeyes turn around and thump Michigan this weekend, what do you think is going to happen? People, like the NCAA Tournament Committee, are going to think of this equation: WIU > Iowa + Iowa > Michigan = WIU > Michigan. That's overly simplistic, but we are talking about the selection committee here. They are looking for a reason to include every program south of the Mason-Dixon line in The Dance. This provides them with an excuse to do just that.
If the Hawkeyes were battling for a potential at-large berth, the WIU loss would probably all but eliminate them from that opportunity. Midweek losses to those in the RPI basement are suicide to at-large berths and poisonous to the rest of the Big Ten.
I do wonder with the advent of the universal start date, if the power conferences will have to schedule more of these oh-so-dangerous midweek games? If so, will these schools find their pitching staffs as taxed as those in the Big Ten? I guess we'll have a better idea in about 365 days.
Minnesota 11 North Dakota State 10 (box)
Ohio State 8 North Florida 7 (Tuesday box)
Ohio State 9 North Florida 3 (Wednesday box)
Purdue 7 Valparaisio 2 (box)
Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Northwestern all had midweekers washed out. At least it didn't snow, right? (Although, it darn near could have today. Stinkin' weather.) I'm going to let you check the box scores on these.
Perhaps nothing more accurately displays the Big Ten's weakness as a baseball conference as these midweek games do. The lack of pitching depth allows nearly every program in the Big Ten, regardless of school or year, to consistently lose (or look very poor) in these midweek games.
What makes matters worse is that the competition is usually inferior which means these losses pose a triple threat. 1) They are losses. Last I checked, losses were bad. 2) By losing to a program much further down the RPI food chain, the losing Big Ten side watches its RPI and national perception go in the toilet as well. 3) The rest of the Big Ten programs get hurt because of the trickle down effect.
Not to hammer Iowa, as every school in the conference has these kinds of losses each year, but look at the Hawkeyes loss to WIU. Western Illinios has an RPI of 244. For reference, there are only 293 programs. When Iowa, who is having a fine season, falls to a program with an RPI closer to the bottom than the middle, the Hawkeyes' RPI goes south. It also makes the folks around the land pause and go "Hmmmm. Is Iowa good or is it just another bad year for baseball in the Big Ten?"
Now, if the Hawkeyes turn around and thump Michigan this weekend, what do you think is going to happen? People, like the NCAA Tournament Committee, are going to think of this equation: WIU > Iowa + Iowa > Michigan = WIU > Michigan. That's overly simplistic, but we are talking about the selection committee here. They are looking for a reason to include every program south of the Mason-Dixon line in The Dance. This provides them with an excuse to do just that.
If the Hawkeyes were battling for a potential at-large berth, the WIU loss would probably all but eliminate them from that opportunity. Midweek losses to those in the RPI basement are suicide to at-large berths and poisonous to the rest of the Big Ten.
I do wonder with the advent of the universal start date, if the power conferences will have to schedule more of these oh-so-dangerous midweek games? If so, will these schools find their pitching staffs as taxed as those in the Big Ten? I guess we'll have a better idea in about 365 days.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The All-Weekend Team
I could have made this a bit easier and just declared Penn State's offense, Illinois' starters and Michigan State's bullpen the All-Weekend Team and been done with it. However, I chose to stick to the more traditional selection process (whatever in the world that is). Those three programs are going to be well represented nonetheless.
Catcher - Eric Fryer, Ohio State (7/16, 5 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 2 BB)
Firstbase - Ryne White, Purdue (9/16, 7 R, 9 RBI, 3 2B, 2 HR, 2 SB, 2 BB)
Secondbase - Steve Gerstenberger, Michigan State (9/19, 5 R, 3 RBI, 3 2B, 2 SB)
Secondbase - Matt Cavagnaro, Penn State (7/20, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR)
Shortstop - Scott Gaffney, Penn State (6/17, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB)
Shortstop - Jason Christian, Michigan (4/15, 7 R, 5 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR, SB)
Thirdbase - Mike Deese, Penn State (7/15, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B, 3B)
Outfield - Rick Marlin, Penn State (7/18, 4 R, 3 RBI, HR)
Outfield - Brian Ernst, Penn State (8/15, 6 R, 3 RBI, 2B)
Outfield - Travis Sweet, Iowa (4/13, 5 R, 5 RBI, 3 2B, 3 BB, SB)
Designated Hitter - Sean Walker, Michigan State (6/14, 5 R, 7 RBI, HR, 2 BB)
Bench - Cory Wine, Penn State (6/17, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 3B, BB)
Bench - Antonio Mule, Northwestern (6/13, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 2 3B, 4 BB)
Bench - Nate Recknagel, Michigan (5/16, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, BB)
Bench - Justin Miller, Ohio State (7/14, 3 R, 4 RBI)
Starter - Jake Hale, Ohio State (7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K's in CG win.)
Starter - J.B. Shuck, Ohio State (6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 K's in win.)
Starter - Zach Putnam, Michigan (6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K's in win.)
Starter - Matt Bischoff, Purdue (7.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K's in win.)
Starter - Mike Stankiewicz, Illinois (7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K's in win.)
Starter - Scott Shaw, Illinois (6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K's in win.)
Relief - Jake Toohey, Illinois (2 APP, 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K's in two saves.)
Relief - Drew O'Neil, Penn State (2 APP, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K's in win and save.)
Relief - Mike Monterey, Michigan State (2 APP, 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's in two saves.)
Alright, I did take two middle infielders. I just couldn't leave off Penn State's Cavagnaro and Gaffney. The Nittany Lions tablesetters were in the middle of nearly everything this weekend in Ann Arbor. They probably merited a bit of favor as I saw them in person, but nobody claimed this was unbiased.
Purdue's White is moving up the Player of the Year charts. It's time to start the campaign to get Michigan's Christian some All-America honors. (I guess your leaving that to me, huh?)
I haven't seen every closer in the Big Ten this year, but if anyone of them is better than O'Neil of Penn State I'd be shocked. O'Neil was filthy in Ann Arbor. Christian was about the only guy to make solid contact off O'Neil. The rest of a potent Michigan lineup didn't just swing and miss, they missed badly.
Here's where I turn it over to you. If I missed someone or made an error in addition (something I've grown rather good at), please drop me a line and tell me what I did wrong.
Catcher - Eric Fryer, Ohio State (7/16, 5 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 2 BB)
Firstbase - Ryne White, Purdue (9/16, 7 R, 9 RBI, 3 2B, 2 HR, 2 SB, 2 BB)
Secondbase - Steve Gerstenberger, Michigan State (9/19, 5 R, 3 RBI, 3 2B, 2 SB)
Secondbase - Matt Cavagnaro, Penn State (7/20, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR)
Shortstop - Scott Gaffney, Penn State (6/17, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB)
Shortstop - Jason Christian, Michigan (4/15, 7 R, 5 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR, SB)
Thirdbase - Mike Deese, Penn State (7/15, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B, 3B)
Outfield - Rick Marlin, Penn State (7/18, 4 R, 3 RBI, HR)
Outfield - Brian Ernst, Penn State (8/15, 6 R, 3 RBI, 2B)
Outfield - Travis Sweet, Iowa (4/13, 5 R, 5 RBI, 3 2B, 3 BB, SB)
Designated Hitter - Sean Walker, Michigan State (6/14, 5 R, 7 RBI, HR, 2 BB)
Bench - Cory Wine, Penn State (6/17, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 3B, BB)
Bench - Antonio Mule, Northwestern (6/13, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 2 3B, 4 BB)
Bench - Nate Recknagel, Michigan (5/16, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, BB)
Bench - Justin Miller, Ohio State (7/14, 3 R, 4 RBI)
Starter - Jake Hale, Ohio State (7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K's in CG win.)
Starter - J.B. Shuck, Ohio State (6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 K's in win.)
Starter - Zach Putnam, Michigan (6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K's in win.)
Starter - Matt Bischoff, Purdue (7.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K's in win.)
Starter - Mike Stankiewicz, Illinois (7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K's in win.)
Starter - Scott Shaw, Illinois (6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K's in win.)
Relief - Jake Toohey, Illinois (2 APP, 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K's in two saves.)
Relief - Drew O'Neil, Penn State (2 APP, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K's in win and save.)
Relief - Mike Monterey, Michigan State (2 APP, 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's in two saves.)
Alright, I did take two middle infielders. I just couldn't leave off Penn State's Cavagnaro and Gaffney. The Nittany Lions tablesetters were in the middle of nearly everything this weekend in Ann Arbor. They probably merited a bit of favor as I saw them in person, but nobody claimed this was unbiased.
Purdue's White is moving up the Player of the Year charts. It's time to start the campaign to get Michigan's Christian some All-America honors. (I guess your leaving that to me, huh?)
I haven't seen every closer in the Big Ten this year, but if anyone of them is better than O'Neil of Penn State I'd be shocked. O'Neil was filthy in Ann Arbor. Christian was about the only guy to make solid contact off O'Neil. The rest of a potent Michigan lineup didn't just swing and miss, they missed badly.
Here's where I turn it over to you. If I missed someone or made an error in addition (something I've grown rather good at), please drop me a line and tell me what I did wrong.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Sweet Tops OPS
Last week I posted that there was a new OPS leader only to learn I was wrong. Not afraid to make the same mistake again, it appears to me that Iowa's Travis Sweet has climbed to the top of the Big Ten's OPS race.
The Hawkeyes' centerfielder has an on base plus slugging percentage of 1.132. Ryne White, Purdue's firstbaseman, is now in second at 1.126. Jason White, Sweet's teammate at Iowa, is in third place at 1..104. Fourth spot belongs to the previous leader, Lars Davis of Illinois. The potential conference Player of the Year has an OPS of 1.042.
Michigan's Nate Recknagel follows Davis at 1.094. Mike Mee, of Minnesota, is in sixth place at 1.075. Justin Toole, yet another Iowa hitter, is next at 1.046. The eighth and final Big Ten player with an OPS above 1.000 is our final Hawkeye. Iowa catcher Dusty Napoleon has an OPS of 1.042.
The Hawkeyes' centerfielder has an on base plus slugging percentage of 1.132. Ryne White, Purdue's firstbaseman, is now in second at 1.126. Jason White, Sweet's teammate at Iowa, is in third place at 1..104. Fourth spot belongs to the previous leader, Lars Davis of Illinois. The potential conference Player of the Year has an OPS of 1.042.
Michigan's Nate Recknagel follows Davis at 1.094. Mike Mee, of Minnesota, is in sixth place at 1.075. Justin Toole, yet another Iowa hitter, is next at 1.046. The eighth and final Big Ten player with an OPS above 1.000 is our final Hawkeye. Iowa catcher Dusty Napoleon has an OPS of 1.042.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The All-Weekend Team
This edition of the Big Ten Hardball All-Weekend Team is more pitching heavy than normal. It was actually a bit of a struggle to pick hitters, as the pitchers clearly dominated the bats this past weekend.
As usual, I encourage you to check my numbers. I am apt to missing something periodically. I also would request that you drop me a line if you feel I missed someone.
Catcher - Joe Blackburn, Penn State (7/13, 5 R, 4 RBI, 2 3B, BB)
Firstbase - Justin Miller, Ohio State (8/14, 2 R, 7 RBI, HR, 2B, BB)
Secondbase - Caleb Fields, Northwestern (7/16, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, BB)
Shortstop - Jason White, Iowa (5/13, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR, SB)
Thirdbase - Nate Hanson, Minnesota (6/15, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR)
Outfield - Dennis Jones, Michigan State (5/14, 3 R, 7 RBI, 2 2B, 3B, BB)
Outfield - Chris Roberts, Michigan State (9/16, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2B)
Outfield - Travis Sweet, Iowa (5/11, 2 R, 7 RBI, HR, SB, BB)
Designated Hitter - Zach Putnam, Michigan (7/13, 4 R, 4 RBI, 2 HR, BB)
Bench - Ryan Hastings, Illinois (4/11, 5 R, 4 RBI, HR, 2 BB, 2 SB)
Bench - Matt Cavagnaro, Penn State (7/17, 3 R, 2 RBI)
Bench - Justin Toole, Iowa (5/9, 5 R, 2 RBI)
Bench - Ryan White, Purdue (6/14, 4 R, 4 RBI, 2B, BB)
Bench - J.B. Shuck, Ohio State (5/9, R, 4 RBI, BB)
Bench - Mike Mee, Minnesota (4/14, 4 R, 6 RBI, HR, 3 BB, SB)
Bench - Mike Rohde, Illinois (4/13, 5 R, 4 RBI, HR 2 BB, 2 SB)
Starter - Seth Whitehill, Penn State (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K's in win over Purdue)
Starter - Nick Erdman, Iowa (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's in win over IU)
Starter - Jon Kibler, Michigan State (7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K's in win over OSU)
Starter - Scott Shaw, Illinois (7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K's in win over Michigan)
Starter - Zach Putnam, Michigan (9.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K's in win over Illinois)
Starter - Cory Luebke, Ohio State (6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K's in win over MSU)
Starter - Matt Bischoff, Purdue (7.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K's in loss to PSU)
Starter - Tony Sedlmeyer, Purdue (5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's in win over PSU)
Starter - Craig Clark, Penn State (5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K's in win over Purdue)
Relief - Jake Toohey, Illinois (2 APP, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K in win and ND vs. Michigan)
Relief - Mike Monterey, Michigan State (2 APP, 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K in two saves over OSU)
As usual, I encourage you to check my numbers. I am apt to missing something periodically. I also would request that you drop me a line if you feel I missed someone.
Catcher - Joe Blackburn, Penn State (7/13, 5 R, 4 RBI, 2 3B, BB)
Firstbase - Justin Miller, Ohio State (8/14, 2 R, 7 RBI, HR, 2B, BB)
Secondbase - Caleb Fields, Northwestern (7/16, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, BB)
Shortstop - Jason White, Iowa (5/13, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR, SB)
Thirdbase - Nate Hanson, Minnesota (6/15, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR)
Outfield - Dennis Jones, Michigan State (5/14, 3 R, 7 RBI, 2 2B, 3B, BB)
Outfield - Chris Roberts, Michigan State (9/16, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2B)
Outfield - Travis Sweet, Iowa (5/11, 2 R, 7 RBI, HR, SB, BB)
Designated Hitter - Zach Putnam, Michigan (7/13, 4 R, 4 RBI, 2 HR, BB)
Bench - Ryan Hastings, Illinois (4/11, 5 R, 4 RBI, HR, 2 BB, 2 SB)
Bench - Matt Cavagnaro, Penn State (7/17, 3 R, 2 RBI)
Bench - Justin Toole, Iowa (5/9, 5 R, 2 RBI)
Bench - Ryan White, Purdue (6/14, 4 R, 4 RBI, 2B, BB)
Bench - J.B. Shuck, Ohio State (5/9, R, 4 RBI, BB)
Bench - Mike Mee, Minnesota (4/14, 4 R, 6 RBI, HR, 3 BB, SB)
Bench - Mike Rohde, Illinois (4/13, 5 R, 4 RBI, HR 2 BB, 2 SB)
Starter - Seth Whitehill, Penn State (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K's in win over Purdue)
Starter - Nick Erdman, Iowa (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's in win over IU)
Starter - Jon Kibler, Michigan State (7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K's in win over OSU)
Starter - Scott Shaw, Illinois (7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K's in win over Michigan)
Starter - Zach Putnam, Michigan (9.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K's in win over Illinois)
Starter - Cory Luebke, Ohio State (6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K's in win over MSU)
Starter - Matt Bischoff, Purdue (7.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K's in loss to PSU)
Starter - Tony Sedlmeyer, Purdue (5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's in win over PSU)
Starter - Craig Clark, Penn State (5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K's in win over Purdue)
Relief - Jake Toohey, Illinois (2 APP, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K in win and ND vs. Michigan)
Relief - Mike Monterey, Michigan State (2 APP, 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K in two saves over OSU)
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The Remaining Schedule
There are only three weekends left of conference play. With that in mind, I pondered what the schedules looked like for each team coming down the stretch. Here's what I found (non-conference games are not listed).
MICHIGAN
Illinois
Penn State
@ Iowa
MINNESOTA
Northwestern
Ohio State
@ Indiana
PENN STATE
Purdue
@ Michigan
Ohio State
OHIO STATE
Michigan State
@ Minnesota
@ Penn State
IOWA
Indiana
@ Purdue
Michigan
ILLINOIS
@ Michigan
Indiana
Michigan State
PURDUE
@ Penn State
Iowa
@ Northwestern
MICHIGAN STATE
@ Ohio State
Northwestern
@ Illinois
INDIANA
@ Iowa
@ Illinois
Minnesota
NORTHWESTERN
@ Minnesota
@ Michigan State
Purdue
On paper, it appears Minnesota has the easiest schedule amongst the conference leaders. Ohio State and Penn State would be the two programs with the most difficult slates left. The two teams are currently tied for third place in the Big Ten and conclude the season against each other at State College. Of the top six teams in the conference, only OSU finishes the season with two road series. Thus, I would give the nod to the Buckeyes as having the most difficult stretch run.
The Big Ten leaders, Michigan, don't have anything close to a cakewalk to repeating as regular season champions, either. All three of their remaining opponents would be in the conference tournament today.
The bottom four programs get no help for the schedule makers. All four -- Purdue, Michigan State, Indiana and Northwestern -- play two of their remaining three conference series in enemy territory.
I don't believe I'm breaking any news to suggest that Michigan and Minnesota are the only two programs with a chance of landing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Oh, I suppose OSU or PSU could win out and cause an eyebrow to be raised by the tournament committee, but I think everyone outside the Wolverines and Gophers are going to have to win the Big Ten tourney to go dancing.
MICHIGAN
Illinois
Penn State
@ Iowa
MINNESOTA
Northwestern
Ohio State
@ Indiana
PENN STATE
Purdue
@ Michigan
Ohio State
OHIO STATE
Michigan State
@ Minnesota
@ Penn State
IOWA
Indiana
@ Purdue
Michigan
ILLINOIS
@ Michigan
Indiana
Michigan State
PURDUE
@ Penn State
Iowa
@ Northwestern
MICHIGAN STATE
@ Ohio State
Northwestern
@ Illinois
INDIANA
@ Iowa
@ Illinois
Minnesota
NORTHWESTERN
@ Minnesota
@ Michigan State
Purdue
On paper, it appears Minnesota has the easiest schedule amongst the conference leaders. Ohio State and Penn State would be the two programs with the most difficult slates left. The two teams are currently tied for third place in the Big Ten and conclude the season against each other at State College. Of the top six teams in the conference, only OSU finishes the season with two road series. Thus, I would give the nod to the Buckeyes as having the most difficult stretch run.
The Big Ten leaders, Michigan, don't have anything close to a cakewalk to repeating as regular season champions, either. All three of their remaining opponents would be in the conference tournament today.
The bottom four programs get no help for the schedule makers. All four -- Purdue, Michigan State, Indiana and Northwestern -- play two of their remaining three conference series in enemy territory.
I don't believe I'm breaking any news to suggest that Michigan and Minnesota are the only two programs with a chance of landing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Oh, I suppose OSU or PSU could win out and cause an eyebrow to be raised by the tournament committee, but I think everyone outside the Wolverines and Gophers are going to have to win the Big Ten tourney to go dancing.
Monday, April 30, 2007
The All-Weekend Team
What a weekend for offense! Even as you read this edition of the Big Ten Hardball All-Weekend Team, I'm probably editing the list. In light of the prodigious output, I've made a few concessions. I'm sure you'll note them as you read along. Please save all your questions until the end.
Catcher - Dusty Napoleon, Iowa (8/18, 7 R, 6 RBI, 2B, HR, 3 BB, SB)
Firstbase1 - Bryan Jost, Minnesota (6/16, 9 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, HR, 3 BB)
Firstbase2 - Nate Recknagel, Michigan (7/15, 6 R, 6 RBI, 3 2B, HR, 3 BB)
Secondbase - Ryan Hastings, Illinois (6/12, 5 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 BB, SB)
Shortstop - Dan Lyons, Minnesota (8/15, 10 R, 6 RBI, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 3 BB, SB)
Thirdbase - Nate Hanson, Minnesota (9/17, 6 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 2 HR)
Outfield - Eric Rose, Michigan (8/15, 6 R, 13 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 BB, 3 SB)
Outfield - Mike Mee, Minnesota (8/17, 7 R, 7 RBI, 2B, HR, 2 BB)
Outfield - Travis Sweet, Iowa (10/17, 11 R, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 3 HR, 6 BB)
Designated Hitter - Ryne White, Purdue (9/14, 6 R, 5 RBI, 3B, HR, SB)
Bench - Jason Christian, Michigan (7/16, 11 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 4 BB, 2 SB)
Bench - Ryan Snowden, Illinois (8/16, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, SB)
Bench - Jon Fixler, Indiana (5/13, 2 R, 9 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, SB)
Bench - Jake Owens, Northwestern (9/17, 4 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 3B, 2 BB)
Bench - Kevin Hoef, Iowa (8/17, 8 R, 4 RBI, 2B, SB)
Bench - Jason White, Iowa (8/23, 7 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 3B, HR)
Bench - Kevin Cislo, Michigan (6/13, 5 R, 5 RBI, 2 BB, SB)
Bench - Mike Kalina, Northwestern (6/15, 3 R, 8 RBI, HR, BB)
Bench - Ben Geelan, Iowa (4/11, 4 R, 8 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 BB)
Bench - Zach Putnam, Michigan (5/17, 2 R, 8 RBI, 2 2B, BB; W vs. MSU w/9 K's)
Pitcher - Cory Luebke, Ohio State (9.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K in win over Purdue)
Pitcher - Matt Bischoff, Purdue (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K in win over OSU)
Pitcher - Mike Wilson, Michigan (7.0 IP 2 H, o R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K in win over MSU)
Pitcher - Craig Clark, Penn State (7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K in win over IU)
Pitcher - Matt Bashore, Indiana (7.0 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K in win over PSU)
Relief - Trey Fausnaugh, Ohio State (2 APP, 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K in win and save vs. Purdue)
I could have easily limited my hitters to Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota players and still had too many to chose from. Guys like Caleb Curry, Doug Pickens and Matt Nohelty all had weekends that might garner them my weekly recognition, but this was not your typical weekend.
No, I couldn't decide between Recknagel and Jost. Truth be told, I had Ryne White as my third 1B on the original draft, but moved the Boilers slugger into the DH slot. It made me look (slightly) more decisive.
I can see why Rose, Sweet and Luebke claimed Player of the Week honors. I was actually comforted by the fact the conference office couldn't make up their mind, either.
I'm more than ready to admit that I may have inadvertently skipped a pitcher. After running through all those big batting figures, I probably overlooked a deserving arm. Although, the six I've selected had extremely good outings. Between them they allowed only six walks and three earned runs in 32.1 innings. That's made more impressive in light of the pinball scoring that occurred.
As always, let's keep three things in mind. First, my math could be wrong. (This isn't a stat heavy blog for a reason.) Second, the team is entirely arbitrary. (I'm thinking most of you know that by now.) Third, if you know of someone I missed, drop me a note. (Hey, it worked last week.)
Update (5/9/07): A reader points out I gave Travis Sweet credit for only two homers, when he hit three. Sorry, Travis. The change, albeit tardy, has been made.
Catcher - Dusty Napoleon, Iowa (8/18, 7 R, 6 RBI, 2B, HR, 3 BB, SB)
Firstbase1 - Bryan Jost, Minnesota (6/16, 9 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, HR, 3 BB)
Firstbase2 - Nate Recknagel, Michigan (7/15, 6 R, 6 RBI, 3 2B, HR, 3 BB)
Secondbase - Ryan Hastings, Illinois (6/12, 5 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 BB, SB)
Shortstop - Dan Lyons, Minnesota (8/15, 10 R, 6 RBI, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 3 BB, SB)
Thirdbase - Nate Hanson, Minnesota (9/17, 6 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 2 HR)
Outfield - Eric Rose, Michigan (8/15, 6 R, 13 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 BB, 3 SB)
Outfield - Mike Mee, Minnesota (8/17, 7 R, 7 RBI, 2B, HR, 2 BB)
Outfield - Travis Sweet, Iowa (10/17, 11 R, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 3 HR, 6 BB)
Designated Hitter - Ryne White, Purdue (9/14, 6 R, 5 RBI, 3B, HR, SB)
Bench - Jason Christian, Michigan (7/16, 11 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 4 BB, 2 SB)
Bench - Ryan Snowden, Illinois (8/16, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, SB)
Bench - Jon Fixler, Indiana (5/13, 2 R, 9 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, SB)
Bench - Jake Owens, Northwestern (9/17, 4 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 3B, 2 BB)
Bench - Kevin Hoef, Iowa (8/17, 8 R, 4 RBI, 2B, SB)
Bench - Jason White, Iowa (8/23, 7 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 3B, HR)
Bench - Kevin Cislo, Michigan (6/13, 5 R, 5 RBI, 2 BB, SB)
Bench - Mike Kalina, Northwestern (6/15, 3 R, 8 RBI, HR, BB)
Bench - Ben Geelan, Iowa (4/11, 4 R, 8 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 BB)
Bench - Zach Putnam, Michigan (5/17, 2 R, 8 RBI, 2 2B, BB; W vs. MSU w/9 K's)
Pitcher - Cory Luebke, Ohio State (9.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K in win over Purdue)
Pitcher - Matt Bischoff, Purdue (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K in win over OSU)
Pitcher - Mike Wilson, Michigan (7.0 IP 2 H, o R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K in win over MSU)
Pitcher - Craig Clark, Penn State (7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K in win over IU)
Pitcher - Matt Bashore, Indiana (7.0 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K in win over PSU)
Relief - Trey Fausnaugh, Ohio State (2 APP, 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K in win and save vs. Purdue)
I could have easily limited my hitters to Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota players and still had too many to chose from. Guys like Caleb Curry, Doug Pickens and Matt Nohelty all had weekends that might garner them my weekly recognition, but this was not your typical weekend.
No, I couldn't decide between Recknagel and Jost. Truth be told, I had Ryne White as my third 1B on the original draft, but moved the Boilers slugger into the DH slot. It made me look (slightly) more decisive.
I can see why Rose, Sweet and Luebke claimed Player of the Week honors. I was actually comforted by the fact the conference office couldn't make up their mind, either.
I'm more than ready to admit that I may have inadvertently skipped a pitcher. After running through all those big batting figures, I probably overlooked a deserving arm. Although, the six I've selected had extremely good outings. Between them they allowed only six walks and three earned runs in 32.1 innings. That's made more impressive in light of the pinball scoring that occurred.
As always, let's keep three things in mind. First, my math could be wrong. (This isn't a stat heavy blog for a reason.) Second, the team is entirely arbitrary. (I'm thinking most of you know that by now.) Third, if you know of someone I missed, drop me a note. (Hey, it worked last week.)
Update (5/9/07): A reader points out I gave Travis Sweet credit for only two homers, when he hit three. Sorry, Travis. The change, albeit tardy, has been made.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
A Little Home Cookin'
I've mentioned here once or twice (or forty times) before, but many years ago Oakland University cashed some checks I wrote in return of a few semesters of higher education. As such, I have a soft spot for the Golden Grizzlies. Now, OU is primarily a basketball school (with apologies to the fine soccer and swimming programs), so when a baseball Grizzly nabs some national attention, it bears repeating. (No pun intended.)
OU senior firsbaseman Ryan Heath cranked out three, count 'em, three, grand slams in a Sunday doubleheader. Heath also added another homer for good measure, giving him four homers, a double, five runs scored and an incredible fourteen RBI. In two games! That amazing performance led to Heath being named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week. Heath's once in a lifetime twinbill also garnered him the Hitter of the Week Award from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
I don't care what level of baseball you are at, when you go 5 for 7 in a doubleheader with four homers, including three grand slams, and drive in fourteen runs, that's a mighty fine outing. One that deserves mentioning even if this is a Big Ten baseball weblog.
OU senior firsbaseman Ryan Heath cranked out three, count 'em, three, grand slams in a Sunday doubleheader. Heath also added another homer for good measure, giving him four homers, a double, five runs scored and an incredible fourteen RBI. In two games! That amazing performance led to Heath being named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week. Heath's once in a lifetime twinbill also garnered him the Hitter of the Week Award from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
I don't care what level of baseball you are at, when you go 5 for 7 in a doubleheader with four homers, including three grand slams, and drive in fourteen runs, that's a mighty fine outing. One that deserves mentioning even if this is a Big Ten baseball weblog.
It's Stat Night At BTH
It's time for another rousing edition of Wednesday Night OPS. Today, er, tonight, we have nine participants in our weekly stat breakdown. Let's meet our players.
From the University of Illinois, our champion from last week (and the week before, and the week before that, and the week before that.....), we have Lars Davis with an OPS of 1.206. Lars is having such a good season he's even getting votes from someone on CSTV's National Player of the Year panel. Our next player, with an OPS of 1.123, is Nate Recknagel of the University of Michigan. The Wolverines star firstbaseman started a bit slow, homers aside, but has been collecting hits in bunches as of late. Our third OPS star is the Player of the Week in the Big Ten, the University of Iowa's Jason White. White's phenomenal weekend propelled his OPS to 1.116.
While he's re-taken the batting lead from Illinois' Davis, the University of Minnesota's Mike Mee is three spots behind Davis in OPS. The Gophers' OF is next at 1.104. Purdue University's Jordan Comadena checks in as our fifth leading OPS producer. Comadena's at 1.084. Another Hawkeye, catcher Dusty Napoleon, has made it through to our weekly list, again. Napoleon's season OPS is 1.063.
Firstbaseman Ryne White, our second Boilermaker, is the seventh member of Wednesday Night OPS fame. White has an OPS of 1.055. Our eighth participant is Iowa's Caleb Curry. If not for teammate Jason White, Curry may have been the Big Ten Player of the Week. Curry's strong weekend showing lifted his OPS to 1.023. The last spot amongst this week's players belongs to Michigan's Jason Christian. Christian has been a consistent member of this list and rounds out this week's edition with an on base plus slugging percentage of an even 1.000.
From the University of Illinois, our champion from last week (and the week before, and the week before that, and the week before that.....), we have Lars Davis with an OPS of 1.206. Lars is having such a good season he's even getting votes from someone on CSTV's National Player of the Year panel. Our next player, with an OPS of 1.123, is Nate Recknagel of the University of Michigan. The Wolverines star firstbaseman started a bit slow, homers aside, but has been collecting hits in bunches as of late. Our third OPS star is the Player of the Week in the Big Ten, the University of Iowa's Jason White. White's phenomenal weekend propelled his OPS to 1.116.
While he's re-taken the batting lead from Illinois' Davis, the University of Minnesota's Mike Mee is three spots behind Davis in OPS. The Gophers' OF is next at 1.104. Purdue University's Jordan Comadena checks in as our fifth leading OPS producer. Comadena's at 1.084. Another Hawkeye, catcher Dusty Napoleon, has made it through to our weekly list, again. Napoleon's season OPS is 1.063.
Firstbaseman Ryne White, our second Boilermaker, is the seventh member of Wednesday Night OPS fame. White has an OPS of 1.055. Our eighth participant is Iowa's Caleb Curry. If not for teammate Jason White, Curry may have been the Big Ten Player of the Week. Curry's strong weekend showing lifted his OPS to 1.023. The last spot amongst this week's players belongs to Michigan's Jason Christian. Christian has been a consistent member of this list and rounds out this week's edition with an on base plus slugging percentage of an even 1.000.
Monday, April 23, 2007
The Big Ten Is "IT"
I missed this post from Eric Sorenson, CSTV's baseball guru, on Thursday, but it is still worthy of sharing. Eric did a list of the "IT" things in college baseball. Well, guess who he selected as the "IT" conference?
- The IT conference: The Big 10 I'm not saying they've got the best win percentage or best RPI or anything, but this has been a great year for the Big 10ers. Michigan and Minnesota lead the way with a number of marquee wins. In a nutshell, everyone has improved significantly this season.
To quote the late Mel Allen, "How about that?!".
(Sorry, I missed that post, E. These adult responsibilities keep me from reading everything I should. At least that's the excuse I'm currently using.)
- The IT conference: The Big 10 I'm not saying they've got the best win percentage or best RPI or anything, but this has been a great year for the Big 10ers. Michigan and Minnesota lead the way with a number of marquee wins. In a nutshell, everyone has improved significantly this season.
To quote the late Mel Allen, "How about that?!".
(Sorry, I missed that post, E. These adult responsibilities keep me from reading everything I should. At least that's the excuse I'm currently using.)
The All-Weekend Team
Some weeks, I have to really dig to find enough players to fill out the All-Weekend Team. This, however, was not one of those weeks. There were plenty of quality performances to choose from. The leader of the pack was Iowa's Jason White who didn't have a great weekend, he had a great career crammed into a weekend. A three homer game, including a walk-off shot, followed by hitting for the cycle? Are you kidding me? Without question the best performance by anybody during any weekend this season.
Catcher - Joe Blackburn, Penn State (7/13, 4 R, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 2B, SB)
Catcher - Lars Davis, Illinois (5/14, 3 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 2B, 2 HR)
Firstbase - Justin Miller, Ohio State (7/13, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB)
Secondbase - Justin Toole, Iowa (7/10, 6 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 2B, 3B, SB)
Shortstop - Jason White, Iowa (11/18, 9 R, 9 RBI, 2B, 3B, 4 HR, SB)
Thirdbase - Tony Kennedy, Ohio State (6/11, 5 R, 5 RBI, 2B, SB)
Outfield - Mike Mee, Minnesota (10/16, 4 R, 8 RBI, 3 2B, HR, BB, SB)
Outfield - Caleb Curry, Iowa (7/15, 5 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, SB)
Outfield - Rick Marlin, Penn State (5/16, 2 R, 7 RBI, 2 2B, 2 GW RBI)
Utility - J.B. Shuck, Ohio State (6/10, 2 R, RBI, BB, 8.0 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 K in win over IU)
Bench - Matt Nohelty, Minnesota (5/9, 4 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB, HR)
Bench - Adam Abraham, Michigan (6/11, 4 R, 3 RBI, 3 BB)
Bench - Jason Christian, Michigan (6/14, 5 R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR, BB)
Bench - Jake Owens, Northwestern (7/15, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 2 BB)
Bench - Shawn Roof, Illinois (6/12, 5 R, 2 RBI, 3 2B, 1 BB, 4 HBP, 6 SB)
Starter - Craig Clark, Penn State (7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K in CG win over NU)
Starter - Tanner Roark, Illinois (7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K in win over Iowa)
Starter - Tom Buske, Minnesota (7.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 bb, 0 K in win over MSU)
Starter - Andrew Hess, Michigan (7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K in CG win over Purdue)
Starter - Dustin Braebender, Minnesota (6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K in win over MSU)
Starter - Chris Fetter, Michigan (6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K in win over Purdue)
Starter - Tony Sedlmeyer, Purdue (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K in win vs. Michigan)
Relief - Andrew Groves, Purdue (4.0 IP, 2 H, o R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K in save vs. Michigan)
Relief - Josh Oslin, Minnesota (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K's in two saves vs. MSU)
If it wasn't for Jason White, Mike Mee would have been "The Man" this past weekend. Of course, White's running mate, Justin Toole, had one of the better showings by a secondbaseman this year, as well. We are all used to seeing Lars Davis' name, so that's nothing new. Craig Clark, Joe Blackburn and Rick Marlin highlight the Nittany Lions resurgence.
As always, drop me a line if I missed somebody who is deserving.
Catcher - Joe Blackburn, Penn State (7/13, 4 R, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 2B, SB)
Catcher - Lars Davis, Illinois (5/14, 3 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 2B, 2 HR)
Firstbase - Justin Miller, Ohio State (7/13, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB)
Secondbase - Justin Toole, Iowa (7/10, 6 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 2B, 3B, SB)
Shortstop - Jason White, Iowa (11/18, 9 R, 9 RBI, 2B, 3B, 4 HR, SB)
Thirdbase - Tony Kennedy, Ohio State (6/11, 5 R, 5 RBI, 2B, SB)
Outfield - Mike Mee, Minnesota (10/16, 4 R, 8 RBI, 3 2B, HR, BB, SB)
Outfield - Caleb Curry, Iowa (7/15, 5 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, SB)
Outfield - Rick Marlin, Penn State (5/16, 2 R, 7 RBI, 2 2B, 2 GW RBI)
Utility - J.B. Shuck, Ohio State (6/10, 2 R, RBI, BB, 8.0 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 K in win over IU)
Bench - Matt Nohelty, Minnesota (5/9, 4 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB, HR)
Bench - Adam Abraham, Michigan (6/11, 4 R, 3 RBI, 3 BB)
Bench - Jason Christian, Michigan (6/14, 5 R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR, BB)
Bench - Jake Owens, Northwestern (7/15, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 2 BB)
Bench - Shawn Roof, Illinois (6/12, 5 R, 2 RBI, 3 2B, 1 BB, 4 HBP, 6 SB)
Starter - Craig Clark, Penn State (7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K in CG win over NU)
Starter - Tanner Roark, Illinois (7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K in win over Iowa)
Starter - Tom Buske, Minnesota (7.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 bb, 0 K in win over MSU)
Starter - Andrew Hess, Michigan (7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K in CG win over Purdue)
Starter - Dustin Braebender, Minnesota (6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K in win over MSU)
Starter - Chris Fetter, Michigan (6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K in win over Purdue)
Starter - Tony Sedlmeyer, Purdue (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K in win vs. Michigan)
Relief - Andrew Groves, Purdue (4.0 IP, 2 H, o R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K in save vs. Michigan)
Relief - Josh Oslin, Minnesota (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K's in two saves vs. MSU)
If it wasn't for Jason White, Mike Mee would have been "The Man" this past weekend. Of course, White's running mate, Justin Toole, had one of the better showings by a secondbaseman this year, as well. We are all used to seeing Lars Davis' name, so that's nothing new. Craig Clark, Joe Blackburn and Rick Marlin highlight the Nittany Lions resurgence.
As always, drop me a line if I missed somebody who is deserving.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Midweek Scores And Observations
Michigan split a doubleheader with Eastern Michigan today. The Eagles topped the Wolverines in the opener, 10-2. Michigan captured the finale, 10-7. Nate Recknagel's bomb in the first contest was really the only highlight for the Big Ten leaders. I caught the majority of the nightcap on Comcast Local. I didn't even know it was on. Channel flipping does pay off. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. A few things immediately caught my attention.
First, Michigan apparently didn't play very inspired baseball in the opener and Coach Maloney discussed that during his game two interview. He didn't look too happy. Losing by eigth at home doesn't make coaches happy.
Second, I saw fellow blogger Sam hard at work taking photos and keeping score, of course. It wasn't hard to spot Samara. She was one of about thirty in attendance. Regardless, I am in awe of Sam's persistence. If I were a betting man, I'd bet Sam has these photos uploaded sometime tonight. Probably very late tonight/early tomorrow between following the Red Sox game, studying and yet another cup of coffee.
Third, EMU was up in the second game, 5-0, after one inning.
Now, the Eagles aren't a bad baseball team, but Michigan is ranked as high as eighteenth. If they want to keep that spot, they need to play like the 18th best team in the land in their own backyard. In addition, Big Ten schools simply cannot afford to dismiss these games. I know coaches struggle to find dependable midweek pitchers and they love to rest an everyday player or two, but the programs in the Big Ten must win these midweek encounters.
You are not guaranteed a spot in the NCAA tournament unless you win the conference tourney and just about anything is possible in a double elimination format. Thus, it's imperative for Michigan, or anyone else in need of an at-large bid, to win these midweek games. Losing them only hurts your RPI and diminishes your at-large chances. Last year, midweek losses hurt both the Wolverines and Ohio State. I'm not sure Michigan makes the field last year if they don't win the conference tournament.
I began to think EMU was going to pull a sweep when a six run fourth inning catapulted Michigan to a triumph in the finale. Doug Pickens had three hits, Chris Berset and Jason Christian each drove in two runs. Adam Abraham pitched the last four innings and got his second win of the year.
Illinois beat Illinois State, 18-4. Coach Hartleb's squad put aside any thoughts of losing early with a five run second inning followed by four in the third. Freshman 3B Brandon Wikoff had three hits, including his first HR, and drove in three. Lars Davis, continuing his bid for Player of the Year, homered, drove in two and walked twice. (Hey, I wouldn't pitch to the guy, either.) Mike Rohde, fresh off being named to the BTH All-Weekend Team, stayed hot by going 2 for 4 with three RBI and scoring twice. CF Craig Lutes had three hits, drove in four and scored twice. Aaron Martin's (2-2) six hits over six innings was good enough for the win.
Iowa beat Northern Illinois, 4-3. I don't see a boxscore, so as to not repeat what the Hawkeyes' SID typed, you can read his recap. I can tell you Mike Schurz posted his seventh save, which I am guessing leads the Big Ten. Chase Stephens collected his first win.
Minnesota did lots of yardwork in their 7-6 win over South Dakota State. Nate Hanson led the way with two homers. Matt Nohelty hit his first big fly of the year and Dan Lyons went yard for the fifth time in '07. Hanson had three hits, four RBI and scored twice. Lyons had two hits, two runs and two RBI. Phil Zander's four innings of one hit relief earned him his first win. Josh Oslin matched Iowa's Mike Schurz with his seventh save. (I still think that must be tops in the conference.)
Ohio State followed in Michigan's path as the Buckeyes dropped the opener of their doubleheader with Ball State. BSU won, 5-0. I'm searching for an OSU highlight. The Bucks managed only four hits in the loss. Just like their arch-rival, Ohio State rebounded to take game two of the twinbill. The Buckeyes prevailed, 3-2. All-Conference catcher Eric Fryer had two hits and drove in all three OSU runs. Josh Edgin picked up with win. Jake Hale notched, of course, his seventh save. Didn't everybody get save number seven today? Can you tell I edit this as I go instead of waiting to do it all at the end?
As I had to finish up the All-Weekend Team, watch the EMU at Michigan game and toss in this recap, OPS Wednesday will have to be OPS Thursday this week. That's the plan for now, anyway.
First, Michigan apparently didn't play very inspired baseball in the opener and Coach Maloney discussed that during his game two interview. He didn't look too happy. Losing by eigth at home doesn't make coaches happy.
Second, I saw fellow blogger Sam hard at work taking photos and keeping score, of course. It wasn't hard to spot Samara. She was one of about thirty in attendance. Regardless, I am in awe of Sam's persistence. If I were a betting man, I'd bet Sam has these photos uploaded sometime tonight. Probably very late tonight/early tomorrow between following the Red Sox game, studying and yet another cup of coffee.
Third, EMU was up in the second game, 5-0, after one inning.
Now, the Eagles aren't a bad baseball team, but Michigan is ranked as high as eighteenth. If they want to keep that spot, they need to play like the 18th best team in the land in their own backyard. In addition, Big Ten schools simply cannot afford to dismiss these games. I know coaches struggle to find dependable midweek pitchers and they love to rest an everyday player or two, but the programs in the Big Ten must win these midweek encounters.
You are not guaranteed a spot in the NCAA tournament unless you win the conference tourney and just about anything is possible in a double elimination format. Thus, it's imperative for Michigan, or anyone else in need of an at-large bid, to win these midweek games. Losing them only hurts your RPI and diminishes your at-large chances. Last year, midweek losses hurt both the Wolverines and Ohio State. I'm not sure Michigan makes the field last year if they don't win the conference tournament.
I began to think EMU was going to pull a sweep when a six run fourth inning catapulted Michigan to a triumph in the finale. Doug Pickens had three hits, Chris Berset and Jason Christian each drove in two runs. Adam Abraham pitched the last four innings and got his second win of the year.
Illinois beat Illinois State, 18-4. Coach Hartleb's squad put aside any thoughts of losing early with a five run second inning followed by four in the third. Freshman 3B Brandon Wikoff had three hits, including his first HR, and drove in three. Lars Davis, continuing his bid for Player of the Year, homered, drove in two and walked twice. (Hey, I wouldn't pitch to the guy, either.) Mike Rohde, fresh off being named to the BTH All-Weekend Team, stayed hot by going 2 for 4 with three RBI and scoring twice. CF Craig Lutes had three hits, drove in four and scored twice. Aaron Martin's (2-2) six hits over six innings was good enough for the win.
Iowa beat Northern Illinois, 4-3. I don't see a boxscore, so as to not repeat what the Hawkeyes' SID typed, you can read his recap. I can tell you Mike Schurz posted his seventh save, which I am guessing leads the Big Ten. Chase Stephens collected his first win.
Minnesota did lots of yardwork in their 7-6 win over South Dakota State. Nate Hanson led the way with two homers. Matt Nohelty hit his first big fly of the year and Dan Lyons went yard for the fifth time in '07. Hanson had three hits, four RBI and scored twice. Lyons had two hits, two runs and two RBI. Phil Zander's four innings of one hit relief earned him his first win. Josh Oslin matched Iowa's Mike Schurz with his seventh save. (I still think that must be tops in the conference.)
Ohio State followed in Michigan's path as the Buckeyes dropped the opener of their doubleheader with Ball State. BSU won, 5-0. I'm searching for an OSU highlight. The Bucks managed only four hits in the loss. Just like their arch-rival, Ohio State rebounded to take game two of the twinbill. The Buckeyes prevailed, 3-2. All-Conference catcher Eric Fryer had two hits and drove in all three OSU runs. Josh Edgin picked up with win. Jake Hale notched, of course, his seventh save. Didn't everybody get save number seven today? Can you tell I edit this as I go instead of waiting to do it all at the end?
As I had to finish up the All-Weekend Team, watch the EMU at Michigan game and toss in this recap, OPS Wednesday will have to be OPS Thursday this week. That's the plan for now, anyway.
All-Weekend Team
Yes, it's here. Another BTH All-Weekend Team. This week's squad is filled with Wolverines. Not surprising as they not only won all four games, but posted big numbers all three days. If I made an oversight, please let me know.
Catcher - Dusty Napoleon, Iowa (6/14, 5 R, 5 RBI)
Firstbase - Nate Recknagel, Michigan (7/14, 8 R, 7 RBI, 5BB)
Secondbase - Kevin Cislo, Michigan (6/15, 6 R, 2 BB)
Shortstop - Jason Christian, Michigan (6/18, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB)
Thirdbase - Adam Abraham, Michigan (7/17, GS HR, 4 R, 9 BI, 3BB)
Outfield - Alex Jaffee, Purdue (10/17, 2 HR, 8 R, 7 RBI, BB, SB)
Outfield - Tijl Vanderwege, Minnesota (5/13, HR, 3 R, 6 RBI, BB)
Outfield - Brad Roblin, Michigan (6/16, 8 R, 4 RBI, 3 BB, SB)
Designated Hitter - Mike Rohde, Illinois (6/16, 4 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB)
Utility - Zach Putnam, Michigan (5/15, HR, 4 R, 5 RBI, 5 BB)
Bench - Rick Marlin, Penn State (5/11, 2 R, 6 RBI)
Bench - Joe Blackburn, Penn State (8/17, 4 R, 2 RBI)
Bench - Kyle Day, Michigan State (8/15, 2 R, 2 RBI)
Bench - Lars Davis, Illinois (7/15, 4 R, 2 BB, SB)
Pitcher - Tanner Roark, Illinois (7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K in win vs. NU)
Pitcher - Mike Stankiewicz, Illinois (7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 r, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K in win vs. NU)
Pitcher - Cole Livermore, Northwestern (10.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K in win vs. ILL)
Pitcher - Ricky Heines, Purdue (7.0 IP 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 4 K in win vs. IU)
Pitcher - Mike Wilson, Michigan (6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 4 K in win vs. OSU)
Pitcher - Jon Kibler, Michigan State (7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K in win vs. PUR)
Pitcher - Chris Fetter, Michigan (7.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K in win vs. OSU)
Relief Pitcher - Jake Toohey, Illinois (3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 r, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K in 2 saves vs. NU)
Catcher - Dusty Napoleon, Iowa (6/14, 5 R, 5 RBI)
Firstbase - Nate Recknagel, Michigan (7/14, 8 R, 7 RBI, 5BB)
Secondbase - Kevin Cislo, Michigan (6/15, 6 R, 2 BB)
Shortstop - Jason Christian, Michigan (6/18, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB)
Thirdbase - Adam Abraham, Michigan (7/17, GS HR, 4 R, 9 BI, 3BB)
Outfield - Alex Jaffee, Purdue (10/17, 2 HR, 8 R, 7 RBI, BB, SB)
Outfield - Tijl Vanderwege, Minnesota (5/13, HR, 3 R, 6 RBI, BB)
Outfield - Brad Roblin, Michigan (6/16, 8 R, 4 RBI, 3 BB, SB)
Designated Hitter - Mike Rohde, Illinois (6/16, 4 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB)
Utility - Zach Putnam, Michigan (5/15, HR, 4 R, 5 RBI, 5 BB)
Bench - Rick Marlin, Penn State (5/11, 2 R, 6 RBI)
Bench - Joe Blackburn, Penn State (8/17, 4 R, 2 RBI)
Bench - Kyle Day, Michigan State (8/15, 2 R, 2 RBI)
Bench - Lars Davis, Illinois (7/15, 4 R, 2 BB, SB)
Pitcher - Tanner Roark, Illinois (7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K in win vs. NU)
Pitcher - Mike Stankiewicz, Illinois (7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 r, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K in win vs. NU)
Pitcher - Cole Livermore, Northwestern (10.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K in win vs. ILL)
Pitcher - Ricky Heines, Purdue (7.0 IP 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 4 K in win vs. IU)
Pitcher - Mike Wilson, Michigan (6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 4 K in win vs. OSU)
Pitcher - Jon Kibler, Michigan State (7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K in win vs. PUR)
Pitcher - Chris Fetter, Michigan (7.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K in win vs. OSU)
Relief Pitcher - Jake Toohey, Illinois (3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 r, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K in 2 saves vs. NU)
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