BB: MIAA: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

Started by Ralph Turner, January 28, 2006, 12:58:40 AM

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Ralph Turner



section7

Guys -

Thanks for posting the baseball room and the MIAA thread.  Hopefully, we'll get some good conversation and information here.

47 days until the Flying Dutchmen opener in FL!!!!!!

Interesting change in the MIAA schedule structure:  no more Friday/Saturday series, but have been replaced with 2 DH's several days apart (home/away).  This should eliminate any home-field advantage and with more games, more than likely the best team will rise to the top.

Pitching and depth become even more important with the new schedule.  As we all know, weather will squeeze some of the games and series together, which will limit pitching.  Those with depth and good 4 and 5 starters will have a big advantage.

Go HOPE!

albinomascot19

Section 7:  No more friday/saturday series, are you 4 real.  Thats a shock.  I wonder why the MIAA would want to get rid of the weekend series.  Usually on the weekends a lot more people come to the games.  At least my schedule works out for the most part.  I have no classes on tuesdays and thursdays, so I should be able to watch a fair amount of games. 

Flea

I have always wondered why the MIAA teams have struggled in the NCAA tournament.

7 wins verses 24 loses . . . with no teams advancing out of the NCAA Regionals.  Only the 1981 Alma team won two NCAA games.

What's the problem with the MIAA?

Flea

Who do you see as the top returning MIAA player?
Someone from the 2005 All-MIAA team or someone else?

position players . . .
Mike Aggen . . . Calvin
Mark Asma . . . Calvin
Nick Caudle . . . Calvin
Jon Edmondson . . . Hope
Geordie MacKenzie . . . Hope
Charlie Mackinnon . . . Kalamazoo
David Markey . . . Adrian
James Melvin . . . Olivet
Pete Ott . . . Alma
Bobby Rickstad . . . Adrian
Chris Shelhart . . . Olivet
Mark Tigchelaar . . . Calvin
Mike VanderVelde . . . Hope
Tony Vennekotter . . . Adrian

pitchers . . .
John Filecca . . . Albion
Jeff Nokovich . . . Adrian
Craig Reynolds . . . Adrian
Brandon Teenier . . . Alma
Jonathon VanSon . . . Olivet

websters

Who's going to be tough in the MIAA this year?? What key newcommers versus key loses? 

section7

Flea Shooter -

Couple of Hope names to watch this upcoming year:

P Mike Rodgers - was Hope's #3 starter last year and sometimes didn't get the attention Vlasek and Deming did.  This kid is an outstanding pitcher with great movement.  I look for a great year out of him as Hope's #1 this year.

OF Scott Sommavilla - transferred from MSU at semester last year.  Really got it going in the 2nd half last year.  Great swing and pretty decent power.  Was a great athlete in HS, helped West Ottawa win Class A state baseball title in 2004.

I am biased but I think Hope should be at or near the top this year.  Alma and Adrian have some nice pitching returning.  I think depth is a huge issue this year with the new 4-game league schedule structure.  You are going to need 4-5 effective pitchers and a bullpen to be successful for 28 games.

albinomascot19

Albion looks like it is going to be fielding the youngest team in the MIAA.  It is imperative they have a fast start while they are on their spring break trip in Florida.  While on their trip, they will be facing only one team that had a sub .500 record last year.  The most difficult test for Albion will be playing the #1 Wooster Scots.  I am excited for the season to get underway.  I think though Albion will be a younger team, they will be exciting watch, and they will definitely compete.   It will be interesting to see how MIAA's new format for league games plays out.  Having a doubleheader with two 7 inning games, should mean more pitchers will be able to get complete games.  However, it will be nice to have a fresh, and available bullpen to back up a pitcher. 

Ralph Turner

#9
Al, is the MIAA switching to a 2 double header in the weekend format?

The ASC goes with a Friday 9 inining game and then the Saturday DH, 7-innings each.  The effect is to put your #1 pitcher either Friday, if he can pitch deep into the game, or try to get the win in game one of the Doubleheader.

Pitching is really critical in the tourneys though.  You can never have enough pitching!

section7

Ralph -

The MIAA DH's will be 7 inning games, but not necessarily on the weekends, appears more like Wed/Sat or Thur/Sat.  The format you described is what the MIAA has done in the past.

This new schedule structure should really put a premium on pitching.  True, that more pitchers will be able to complete games due to 7 innings, but what does a coach do with 2 or 3 days rest?

I really think you are going to need 4 pitchers to have success long-term in this format.

Another concern will be, is a coach willing to bring back his #1 or #2 on 2-3 days rest.  If he does this consistently are we going to see more injuries?  I remember a couple years back, where Jim Deters from Calvin pitched significant innings and pitch counts early in the year and by mid-season was on the shelf with a bad arm.  Thankfully, for him, he came back healthy and had a great year last year.

I hope we don't see something like that again with this new format.

Another interesting factor will be weather.  As we all know, rescheduling is just part of the game up here in the midwest.  This will also squeeze these DH's together and put a team with pitching depth at a premium.

Interesting fact, Hope plays on Friday AM, March 24, in Port Charlotte, FL.  Then returns home to play a DH against Alma on March 25 (of course weather permitting).  The team will get a taste of MLB travel.

formerd3db

The change in MIAA format basically returns to what it was years ago.  While this might be an advantage as far as weather is concerned for some dates (which is always by luck anyway), it does perhaps put a damper on attendance as was mentioned previously.

As far as MIAA teams not advancing past the NCAA Regionals, one problem (like it is for most teams) is pitiching.  At least in the MIAA, there has simply not enough pitchers on most teams to help advance one's team.  Of course, eveyone usually has a #1 and #2 top, but you really need 3 and 4 top-notch people to get you by (plus a little luck like some of the other conference teams have on occasion!!!). 

The 1981 Alma team (which BTW was the best in the school's 100+ year history in baseball and which is in their Athletic Hall of Fame), came very close to getting into the Div III Final series that year.  All they needed to do was win one game of a double header with Marietta College, which they came within one out of doing in the second game.  It was a great series - I witnessed it.  The Alma team of the year before was very good also.  In addition, one of the reasons why those Alma teams were good was they played a number of upper level teams DII and DI (Eastern Mich, Univ of Detroit, Central Mich, Ferris State, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, etc.).  MIAA teams need to do more of that (some of them have been returning to that the past couple of years) as it can only help in post season experience as well.  Admittedly, though, for some of the past several years, some of the DI teams were reluctant to play DII or DIII teams due to the Power Rankings, but that appears to be changing.  And it should; no reason not too.

Final comment on this post:  watch for Mike Howes, Sr. pitcher for Hope to make a big contribution this year.
 
"When the Great Scorer comes To mark against your name, He'll write not 'won' or 'lost', But how you played the game." - Grantland Rice

BigPoppa

Quote from: formerd3db on February 21, 2006, 05:25:42 PM
In addition, one of the reasons why those Alma teams were good was they played a number of upper level teams DII and DI (Eastern Mich, Univ of Detroit, Central Mich, Ferris State, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, etc.).  MIAA teams need to do more of that (some of them have been returning to that the past couple of years) as it can only help in post season experience as well.  Admittedly, though, for some of the past several years, some of the DI teams were reluctant to play DII or DIII teams due to the Power Rankings, but that appears to be changing.  And it should; no reason not too.

One of the reason D1s shy awat from D3s is that they will actually gain more power points by losing to a D1 team than by pounding a D3 team. Something seems wrong with that. I was a part of a team that had a few D1s bail out on us during the season due to the fact that we were natioanlly ranked and they did not want to take the chance of losing to us.
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

bulldogalum

In the last 5 years, Adrian has played Toledo a couple of times.  I know they've also played Saginaw Valley a couple of times.  They may have played a few other DI and DII teams, but I'm not sure.  It's definitely good experience to face the competition that a DI or DII team brings.  I'm all for scheduling up, so to speak.

formerd3db

bulldogalum and BigPoppa:

I agree with you bulldog and BigPoppa you mention indeed one of the concerns the larger schools have.  However, IMO, it shouldn't really matter to them (I feel the same about DI football i.e. Big Ten playing MAC teams as Joe Tiller said 5-6 years ago or so when he lost to Toledo that they shouldn't be playing them) because, the DI teams still have to win their tournament and/or league to get their playoff bid, AND, if they are good enough, they'll do and/or have the same chance of doing it regardless of who they play in the regular season (albeit having some luck as well as one's team peaking at just the right time - like at tourney time!).
"When the Great Scorer comes To mark against your name, He'll write not 'won' or 'lost', But how you played the game." - Grantland Rice