BB: NCAC: North Coast Athletic Conference

Started by woosterbooster, December 29, 2005, 03:10:56 PM

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old scot

WB,
    Playing for 1 run vs the big inning isn't very sexy but, one per inning is 9. As a coach I like my chance for a W with that number.

On the matter of bunting, maybe the players are not schooled properly on a simple technique. You need to make contact about a foot or18"in front of the plate. This gives you a larger margin of error. Cushion the ball with the bat and most importantly, bunt STRIKES.

woosterbooster

Yes, one per inning is nine.  So, exactly how do you implement that strategy of playing for one run an inning?  You can make a good go of it if your lead-off man gets on, but you'll be lucky if that happens 45% of the time even at the DIII level.  What if your first man makes an out and your second hitter gets to first?  Steal, sure, if he can.  But sacrificing with one out only leaves you one shot at getting the man home; not too good. 

Baseball strategy is a rolling process, based upon multitudes of factors.  That's what makes the game interesting.  Before making any decision you need to take into account your team's personnel and their abilities, the score, the number of outs, all that stuff and much more.  If you go into each inning with a pre-plan to try to score one run you'll surely end up with fewer runs for the game than if you analyze each situation as it's put before you.

75westbound

Speaking of coaching and strategy, how cool is it that both the teams in the NCAC finals this week are led by young interim coaches, Tyler Mott (OWU, 2004) and Justin Dedman (Denison, 2005).

OWU has nearly the same overall record it had last year. That's 27-16 overall in 2007, 26-16 overall in 2008; 13-3 in the conference last year for 1st in the West, 10-6 this year for 2nd in the West. OWU had a rough start in the conference, but the players hung in there with the new coach, and then embarrassed Wooster in the 1st round of the tournament.

Denison is much improved. That's 19-18 overall in 2007, 26-16 overall in 2008; 12-4 in the conference last year for 2nd in the West; 12-4 this year for 1st in the West. Denison got off to a hot start, with players much happier playing for a positive coach. Despite having only four seniors on the team, they easily won the West. And beat Wooster, too, splitting the two games during the season.

Good luck to both teams on Thursday (if the rain lets up) and Friday.

One of those young coaches is going to be coaching in the NCAA tournament next week!

Audio of the games is supposed to be here:

http://www.denison.edu/athletics/mens/baseball/ba_ncachome08.html


old scot

WB,
     I guess I like to think outside the box. Yes, baseball is a situational game and your coaching techniques must adapt to your personnel at a specific moment and the situation.
My idea of playing for one run is a coaching and team philosophy. Getting a runner into scoring position does not always mean a SAC bunt. Steal, hit&run, bunt&run, force balk by the pitcher are ways to do it. I believe playing for one run starts soon as the batter makes contact. Running hard out of the box, aggressive turns at first toward second. Constantly trying to put pressure on the defense to field it cleanly or make a perfect throw. When your team get the reputation of being able to use"all the tools in the tool box" it opens up other options.

75westbound

Granville report: They're waiting, hoping the rain will pass. Start time was moved from 6 to 7. Now it's after 7 and it looks like they'll be waiting a while longer.

75westbound

Rained out tonight. Games are on for 11 a.m. Friday, according to the Denison Web site.

ScotsFan

Quote from: 75westbound on May 07, 2008, 10:51:49 PM
...and then embarrassed Wooster in the 1st round of the tournament.

Welcome to the board 75westbound. 

I just had one question for you though.  Exactly how was Wooster embarrassed by OWU in the 1st round of the tournament?  Maybe if the Bishops had swept Wooster and won each game convincingly, your argument might be valid.  But that was hardly the case.  Are you now implying that losing to OWU is embarrassing?  Because I saw two teams that were pretty evenly matched.  You have to remember that Wooster's record is a bit inflated because of the weakness of the NCAC East compared to the West.  Which, in turn, leads them to be over ranked in the DIII polls.  Put Wooster in the West and I would guess their record would not have been as good and probably more along the lines of Denison and OWU.

75westbound

OWU won the first game of today's possible three, 5-2. Complete-game win for Sean Speed. James Clear took the lost for Denison, also pitching a complete game.

(On the question of embarrassment, calm down. As the coach himself said, the team was outhit, outpitched, etc. How could it not be embarrassing for a team that was ranked most of the year in the top 10 in the nation to lose to an unranked opponent in its conference semifinals?)

75westbound

Denison wins game two, 4-2. J.D. Wyborny pitches a complete game for Denison. Xander Jones pitched eight innings for OWU.

Expected start for game three at 6 p.m.

(Pity the catchers, behind the plate for 27 innings!)



woosterbooster

I can't believe they're playing all three games in one day; I didn't even think that was allowed.

old scot

Scots Fan,
         I agree. Embarrassed is the wrong word.

75, out played, is a more appropriate word.

Split in the first 2 games of the NCAC. Sounds like a real " battle for the crown and the bid". Good luck to both teams.

75westbound

OWU Battling Bishops are the conference champs, moving on to the NCAA regional in Terre Haute.

Box scores here:

http://www.denison.edu/athletics/mens/baseball/ba_ncachome08.html

Congrats to OWU and Denison on good seasons.

mideastfan2

Congrats to OWU and Tyler Mott!!  He's done a great job in his first year, and I'm sure coach Brewer at Marietta was smiling when he heard the news.

ScotsFan

Quote from: 75westbound on May 09, 2008, 02:51:31 PM
(On the question of embarrassment, calm down. As the coach himself said, the team was outhit, outpitched, etc. How could it not be embarrassing for a team that was ranked most of the year in the top 10 in the nation to lose to an unranked opponent in its conference semifinals?)
Again, did you miss the part where I stated that maybe, just maybe Wooster was a bit over-rated???  The polls can be wrong and obviously in the case of Wooster, they were.

75westbound

Sorry, ScotsFan, but I'm not interested in pursuing an argument. I know some on boards like this live for an argument that goes on and on, but it's not my thing. I come to share information and to hear information.