BB: SCAC: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

Started by Ralph Turner, January 04, 2006, 11:16:50 AM

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SCACFollower21

Enough talk about Wetzel already, I think we all know that he is coming back now and that he will be one of the best d3 players again, being new to the SCAC who would you say are the top baseball players in the SCAC?  Like maybe a top 10 list or something... Im sure Wetzel is numero uno...

HeadingForHome

If you want to know who the best players in the SCAC are just go to www.scac-online.org and go to the baseball part and select who was on the all confernece team.  However, the "team" had to have a selection from each team in the conference so the bottom feeders like Rhodes, Oglethorpe, and Hendrix all got at least a player on the team.  Im not saying they did not have a good season but it could be a reason why some players are honorable mention and not on the team.

Hope this helps.

HeadingForHome

I thought since the SCAC website hasnt updated and to save time looking at everyones webpage, that the date of the first games would be appericated

Trinity                2/11
Southwestern   2/11
Millsaps             2/10
Rhodes             2/09
Hendrix             2/04

DePauw           2/25
Rose-Hulman   2/25
Centre             3/05
Oglethorpe      2/07
Sewanee         2/18

Hendrix starts of the new baseball season for the SCAC in two days!
Cant wait to see how the year goes.

frank_ezelle

Thanks for the info on the opening game for each team.  It is good to see two new participants on this board.  I'll agree that we have just about been Wetzel'd to death so far and I'm looking forward to games starting and more info from all teams.

I keep thinking that I'll do a Millsaps preview but I'm swamped trying to get caught up on Millsaps basketball photos--I have to get that caught up before the start of the spring sports.  These next few weeks of basketball, baseball, fastpitch and tennis all going on at the same time will be a killer.

If I do a preview it will simply be a gathering of the numbers of the key returning players from last year.  I'm not sure if that tells a whole lot.  For example, a year ago a preview like that would rave about the return of Tal Hendrix after his 2004 8-0 season and 1.20 ERA but Tal struggled to a 1-4 record last year.  On the other hand, last year I wouldn't have given a great amount of hype about the return of Wetzel with his 2004 .311 BA, 1 HR and 29 errors at short but we have overdocumented the kind of numbers that he put up in 2005.
Millsaps Athletics:  http://www.gomajors.com/
Millsaps Photo Website:  http://gomajors.smugmug.com/

Dirty_South

I'm surprised the preseason coaches poll is not out, yet? Hendrix begins play in two days?!?!

frank_ezelle

I've also been looking for the poll.  I did notice that the standings on the website have all be set to zero games instead of the 2005 final results and a SCAC composite schedule has been posted. 

Last year the last game of the SCAC Tournament was April 24th and the first game of the NCAA Regionals was May19th.  According to the SCAC composite schedule, that gap will be slightly shorter this year stretching from April 30th to May 18th.  That's still a long gap but at least it is a week better than last year.
Millsaps Athletics:  http://www.gomajors.com/
Millsaps Photo Website:  http://gomajors.smugmug.com/

Ralph Turner

Quote from: frank_ezelle on February 03, 2006, 08:50:15 AM
I've also been looking for the poll.  I did notice that the standings on the website have all be set to zero games instead of the 2005 final results and a SCAC composite schedule has been posted. 

Last year the last game of the SCAC Tournament was April 24th and the first game of the NCAA Regionals was May19th.  According to the SCAC composite schedule, that gap will be slightly shorter this year stretching from April 30th to May 18th.  That's still a long gap but at least it is a week better than last year.

Frank, the ASC addressed that problem by going to an 8-game playoff.  The first round games are best of 3 at the sites of the top 2 finishers in the divisions.  The next weekend is a double-elimination among the four winners.

frank_ezelle

Unofficial Millsap Preview (Part 1):

Lost to graduation from the 2005 team:

Doug Garner (p) – 7-3 record, career wins leader in the SCAC.
Ryan Skertich (cf) – 2004, 2005 All-SCAC, .366 BA, 7HR, 60 RBI, 24 SB
Ben Wilson (1b) -- .308 BA, .465 OB%, .987 FLD%, Honorable Mention All-SCAC
Sherwood Collette (c) -- .255 BA, started 30 games, .352 OB%
Rob Elling (p) – 18 relief appearances, 2.19 ERA, 1-0 record, All-SCAC

Returning Field Players (over 50 at bats):

Garner Wetzel (of?) – Senior, 2005 Offensive POY, etc., etc.
Jason Hadley (cf) – Junior, 2-time All-SCAC, .401 BA, .4 HR, .587 SLG%, no errors in 2005.
Derrik Boland (position?) – Junior, HM All-SCAC in 2005 as DH, .311 BA, .419 OB%
Nick Crawford (2b) – Junior, .273 BA, .465 OB%, 14 out of 15 SB, .974 FLD%
Hunter Abrams (3b) – Soph., .318 BA, .434 OB%, 7 of 8 SB, .977 FLD% at 2b, 3b & SS
John Pacillo (of) – Junior, .296 BA, 28 games started, 8 of 9 SB, .963 FLD%
Joe Blades (of) – Junior, .253 BA, 27 games started, .373 OB%, .970 FLD%
Luke Morrow (catcher?) – Junior, played 3rd last year but they are trying him at catcher, .245 BA, 33 starts, 1HR, .368 SLG%
Millsaps Athletics:  http://www.gomajors.com/
Millsaps Photo Website:  http://gomajors.smugmug.com/

frank_ezelle

Unofficial Millsap Preview (Part 2):

Returning Pitchers:

Todd Kindler – Senior, 2005 All-SCAC, 8-1 record with 3.94 ERA, 10 starts, career record of 19-4 at Millsaps.
John Fox – Senior, 4-4 record with 5.88 ERA, 10 starts, 56 SO in 60 innings, career record of 11-6 at Millsaps.
Tal Hendrix – Senior, 1-4 record with 6.70 ERA following a 2004 season with 8-0 record and 1.20 ERA, 20 appearances, 31 SO in 41 innings.
David Hutzel – Soph., 3-3 record with 4.31 ERA, started a regional game in 2005 going 6 2/3 innings with no earned runs.
Brad Mizerany – Senior, 1-0 record with 2.70 ERA in 8 appearances, 14 SO in 17 innings.
Other returning pitchers who didn't see a lot of action last year include Jay Hollenbeck, Brandon Ingram, and Hunter Abrams and I'm sure that they have some new pitchers on the roster.

New Players, Summary, etc.:

I've heard that some new players will help right away.  I thought Hunter Abrams with his .977 FLD% would move to short so they must have a slick new infielder if Hunter is slated to start at 3rd.  For all the firepower Wetzel provided, he did commit 26 errors at SS so that's one area where Millsaps can improve. 

Fox and Hendrix were a combined 14-2 in 2004 and that number fell to 5-8 in 2005.  An obvious key for the Majors this season will be to see these two senior pitchers bounce back.  If these two return to form, a 1-2 punch of Kindler and Fox with Hendrix in the bullpen would be a very formidable.  David Hutzel showed in the regionals that he might be ready to produce big numbers in the SCAC and I like a couple of the other young pitchers who weren't able to get enough innings to prove themselves in 2005.

Millsaps lost some key players from 2005 but I have a feeling that the 2006 team will be better at the plate, will be better in the field, and I see the potential for a deeper and stronger pitching staff.  And of course, I see this through the eyes of a fan and not as a baseball expert.  Let the game's begin.
Millsaps Athletics:  http://www.gomajors.com/
Millsaps Photo Website:  http://gomajors.smugmug.com/

scaccommish

The coaches are voting as we speak...the poll should be released early next week.

historymajor

Ralph... the problem with the SCAC setup is that it is run in conjunction with the "Spring Sports Festival" and all championships are decided over 3 days....  That give seedings and strength of pitching an almost insurmountable edge....  If you lose in the first or second round,,, you must play the max games to "win-back",,,,  that means that if the top seed wins games 1 and 2,,, it likely faces teams that played 4-5 games to get to the final rounds..... almost impossible....
The Millsaps faithful probably have this format in their favor....  Look at the two divisions.... if MC can maintain, while TU and SW split,,,, and maybe let Millsaps prevail.... all they have to do is beat DePauw (or RHIT).

Let's groom the fields and lay down the chalklines and get-it-on!

scaccommish

Historymajor.....I'm not saying it makes it any easier, but the baseball tournament is actually a four-day event - Thursday-Sunday.

Has been since we increased the field from a 4-team to 6-team tournament.

consultant

There has been some talk among coaches about a new baseball tournament format for the SCAC.  Not sure whether anything has been decided.  Even if there is, it's not in effect for this season.  It may be up for discussion at the annual meetings during the Spring Sports Festival. 

Also, a three week break between the SCAC tournament and the NCAA regional is far from ideal, but it's nicer than a four week break.  Millsaps was as hot as a team can be at the end of last year.  The Majors won their last eight games, including their four wins en route to their SCAC title.  Four weeks later, the winning edge had worn down.  Perhaps you take a chance by not scheduling a full 40 before the tourney and then play a game or two before the regionals to keep sharp.  But if you don't win the tourney, you short your guys a couple of games because in Millsaps' case with school ending the week after the tourney it would be hard to pay for guys to stay around to play "meaningless" games.  (For those who might cry..."Awww...no game is meaningless....play for the love of the game".....I agree....but budgets don't.)

In the case of schools like DePauw, Rose-Hulman, and Centre, they play another couple of weeks after the tournament because school is still in session and their seasons start later because of the cold weather.  These schools have an advantage if one were to win the tournament because they still have a game or two. 

For the "warmer" schools, it's better to play a full schedule before the tournament and hope to keep a winning edge....just have to figure out how to do it. 

frank_ezelle

I have to disagree with historymajor's speculation that Millsaps has any advantage with the format.  In reality, Millsaps had an advantage last year because they did not prevail against Trinity and Southwestern in the regular season.  Millsaps went into the SCAC Tournament as the 3W seed with TU and SW as 1W and 2W.  Once Millsaps beat DePauw as the 1E team, Millsaps was rewarded with a game against opening round loser Sewanee.  TU and SW won their opening games and had to face each other in the second round.

Thanks to the scheduling (plus the ability to beat the top-seed from the East), Millsaps threw freshman David Hutzel in a 13-1 win over Sewanee and saved Doug Garner for the matchup with Trinity.  In contrast, TU and SW both had to use pitchers with 7-1 records in their 2nd round game.

As for the number of games played, it seems to me that the bracket is set up so that the undefeated team in the championship game will have always played 3 games and the team with one loss will have played 4 games.  An advantage for sure, but not one that is impossible to overcome.
Millsaps Athletics:  http://www.gomajors.com/
Millsaps Photo Website:  http://gomajors.smugmug.com/

HeadingForHome

Baseball has finially arived!! Hendrix starts off the season
0 - 2  Losing 3 - 13 and  6 - 9

We will have to see if Oglethorpe can be the first team to win opening day.

Cant wait to see how strong or weak everyone will be this year
 
   Go Baseball!