BB: General New England Discussion

Started by Paul Heering, February 14, 2007, 06:14:24 PM

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rbgosfan

Yesterday, they postponed New England College at WNEC because of the cold weather. Wind chills are in the 20's and I guess they think that is a little too cold for baseball. It is tough because the sun is shining and the fields are in pretty good shape which is rare for the northeast this early in the season.

ECSUalum

#646
Quote from: TheGNAC on March 23, 2009, 05:14:52 PM
Quote from: KSCfan on March 23, 2009, 10:43:29 AM
Anyone want to throw out a ne poll.  Here is mine for what it is worth

1. Eastern CT- 10 game winning streak, with a healthy Gilblair puts them at the top of the NE poll in my opinion.

2. Southern Maine 7-1.  The huskies are showing pitching and fielding and beating up on teams.  A very good trip down south as well, has the huskies coming back to play Eastern this upcoming sat.

3. Wheaton- 12-1.  THe Lyons have been playing some great baseball.  They have quality wins over Hopkins, WNEC, and RIC.  Lyons looking good so far

4. Trinity- 8-2 on the year, the defending national champs with a strong showing so far.  Probably head of the NESCAC class at this point.

5. Amherst 7-3  Playing well, have Eastern on April 1, will find out how good they really are

6. RIC- They are 10-3 on the year. Strength of schedule is a little weak, but played Cortland and Wheaton tough, should of beaten Wheaton actually. But still playing some great ball as of right now.

7.  Keene State- I know the owls are 6-6 but the way they have been swinging the bats, if the young arms show up more consistantly the owls will win a lot of games.  Still a game that teams have circled on thier schedules

8. Insert name here, any ideas let me know thanks. NE shaping up to be a very good region again this year

Here's my 1st top 8 of the year, with a number of teams with 10+ games under their belts.

TheGNAC's New England Top 8

1. Eastern Connecticut (10-0) - The boys from Willimantic, CT are off to quite the start. Led by my pre-season pick for D-3 Player of the Year in New England, Shawn Gilblair, EConn is absolutely rolling right now. Spotless 10-0 record, .354 team batting average with 16 home runs in 10 games, 20-28 in stolen base attempts, and a 1.88 team ERA. That's otherworldly. I will say I'm a bit skeptical of their schedule thus far, and it would seem that Trinity's 45-1 record from last year will be safe. Still, a quality win over Johns Hopkins, last year's runner-up in the World Series, sure looks good.

2. Wheaton (12-1) - The Lyons were my darkhorse candidate to represent New England in the World Series this year, but it appears they're not going to sneak up on anybody now. Off to a sparkling 12-1 start, Wheaton is sporting a .360 team batting average with 12 home runs through 13 games. Normally a pitching and defensive-powered squad, it appears the Lyons have the offensive firepower this season to hit with anybody. The pitching doesn't appear as sharp as it has been in the past, with a 4.21 team ERA, but with the best 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation in the region in Gingras/Bernardini, I think they'll be fine.

3. Trinity (8-2) - It's official; with 2 losses to Denison last week, the Bantams are not going to go undefeated. Still, I think this squad has what it takes to repeat. Although their website has just 2 games listed, the Bantams are currently 8-2, and they sport one of the more formidable 3-4-5's in division 3 baseball in Killeen-Graham-Wood. Jeremiah Bayer looks to be as sharp as ever (13 K's in 7 innings against Suffolk last week), and when factoring in a comparably weak schedule, it looks like Trinity might once again finish with less than 5 losses in the regular season.

4. Southern Maine (7-1) - I said it earlier in the year; this is the best offense in New England. Through 8 games, they've done nothing to prove me wrong. A .351 team batting average with 10 homers in just 8 games is impressive, but perhaps the most jaw dropping statistic from the Huskies is their stolen bases - 27-31 in just 8 games. That's ridiculous, and shows the athleticism this squad possesses. The running game in college is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of the game, yet inevitably the best teams in the country always steal bases. It still appears USM's weakness is on the mound, as the boys are sporting a less-than-stellar 5.78 ERA. Still, with that offense, the pitching doesn't need to be sharp until Willimantic in May.

5. Suffolk (7-3) - The Rams scheduled one of the tougher spring trip schedules in the region, and they fared pretty well, all things considered. Their first two contests against Eastern CT and USM were snowed out, but Suffolk managed a 7-3 mark in Florida, with quality wins over Ripon, Keystone, and 2007 and 2008's MASCAC Champs in Salem State and Westfield State, respectively. Their only losses came to squads who played in regional tournaments in 2008 (Keystone (split), Rowan, and Trinity). Perhaps more impressive thus far though is Suffolk's win total when compared to their team statistics; just a .295 team batting average and a 4.77 ERA. I expect those figures to improve dramatically in the weak GNAC conference, and I fully expect the Rams to be playing in the regionals in May.

6. Babson College (8-3) - The Beavers were a fixture in these polls in 2008, and had an impressive campaign overall, despite bowing out early in the NEWMAC conference tournament. Babson is once again off to a hot start in 2009, led by an offense firing on all cylinders (.355 team batting average), although I'm not sure they have the explosiveness that the teams in front of them have (just 2 home runs in 11 games).

7. Rhode Island College (10-3) - RIC has burst onto the scenes a bit this season, and it's impossible to argue with their sterling 10-3 record. Still, I'll hold off on putting them higher until they beat a quality opponent, as wins against clubs like Fitchburg State, Elms (2), and Newbury (2) aren't exactly impressive. Still, RIC has a nice .323 team batting average to go along with 28 stolen bases in just 13 games, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them making some serious noise in the ridiculously-talented LEC this year.

8. Keene State College (6-6) - The Owls are easily New England's biggest enigma 1/4 through the season. They have undoubtedly the best offense in New England, if not the country (.392 team batting average, 44 doubles, 13 triples, 7 homers), but their pitching is, for lack of a better word, abysmal. A team ERA of 7.09, and two starters with ERA's of 14.85 and 19.29, respectively. Keene can obviously hit with anybody, but unless they find some dominant arms and soon, I fear they're going to be finding themselves on the outside looking in at both this list and the regional tournament in May.

Just missed: Amherst, WNEC

GNAC,

You have come through with another wonderful analysis, and not because ECSU is your top pick.

Ever think about writing for Sports Illustrated or Baseball Mag?

Again great, for insight into the top teams!!!! +K

SonsofMattNoone

I was in Wellesley this afternoon to see Suffolk take on Babson, and true to GNAC's analysis Suffolk squeeked by with a 2-1 win over the Beavers. Reid Jackson spun a gem for the Rams, while Barton threw 7 strong for the Beavers. Still waiting to see whether either team will really have what it takes to make a run at Wheaton or EConn. I was interested to spot former Trinity captain and stud hurler Mike Regan in the Babson dugout as a first year pitching coach. The staff over there should be very disciplined and will be better off for having Regan around.

TheGNAC

Quote from: SonsofMattNoone on March 24, 2009, 10:21:22 PM
I was in Wellesley this afternoon to see Suffolk take on Babson, and true to GNAC's analysis Suffolk squeeked by with a 2-1 win over the Beavers. Reid Jackson spun a gem for the Rams, while Barton threw 7 strong for the Beavers. Still waiting to see whether either team will really have what it takes to make a run at Wheaton or EConn. I was interested to spot former Trinity captain and stud hurler Mike Regan in the Babson dugout as a first year pitching coach. The staff over there should be very disciplined and will be better off for having Regan around.

Sounds like a good game over at Govoni Field. Jackson's been pretty nasty at times in his career at Suffolk, and it appears he had everything working today in tossing a complete game against a quality Babson club.

I'm mighty interested to see how the GNAC shakes out this year with Suffolk and St. Joe's both fielding quality squads.

Ralph Turner

Quote from: TheGNAC on March 23, 2009, 05:14:52 PM
Quote from: KSCfan on March 23, 2009, 10:43:29 AM
Anyone want to throw out a ne poll.  Here is mine for what it is worth

1. Eastern CT- 10 game winning streak, with a healthy Gilblair puts them at the top of the NE poll in my opinion.

2. Southern Maine 7-1.  The huskies are showing pitching and fielding and beating up on teams.  A very good trip down south as well, has the huskies coming back to play Eastern this upcoming sat.

3. Wheaton- 12-1.  THe Lyons have been playing some great baseball.  They have quality wins over Hopkins, WNEC, and RIC.  Lyons looking good so far

4. Trinity- 8-2 on the year, the defending national champs with a strong showing so far.  Probably head of the NESCAC class at this point.

5. Amherst 7-3  Playing well, have Eastern on April 1, will find out how good they really are

6. RIC- They are 10-3 on the year. Strength of schedule is a little weak, but played Cortland and Wheaton tough, should of beaten Wheaton actually. But still playing some great ball as of right now.

7.  Keene State- I know the owls are 6-6 but the way they have been swinging the bats, if the young arms show up more consistantly the owls will win a lot of games.  Still a game that teams have circled on thier schedules

8. Insert name here, any ideas let me know thanks. NE shaping up to be a very good region again this year

Here's my 1st top 8 of the year, with a number of teams with 10+ games under their belts.

TheGNAC's New England Top 8

1. Eastern Connecticut (10-0) - The boys from Willimantic, CT are off to quite the start. Led by my pre-season pick for D-3 Player of the Year in New England, Shawn Gilblair, EConn is absolutely rolling right now. Spotless 10-0 record, .354 team batting average with 16 home runs in 10 games, 20-28 in stolen base attempts, and a 1.88 team ERA. That's otherworldly. I will say I'm a bit skeptical of their schedule thus far, and it would seem that Trinity's 45-1 record from last year will be safe. Still, a quality win over Johns Hopkins, last year's runner-up in the World Series, sure looks good.

2. Wheaton (12-1) - The Lyons were my darkhorse candidate to represent New England in the World Series this year, but it appears they're not going to sneak up on anybody now. Off to a sparkling 12-1 start, Wheaton is sporting a .360 team batting average with 12 home runs through 13 games. Normally a pitching and defensive-powered squad, it appears the Lyons have the offensive firepower this season to hit with anybody. The pitching doesn't appear as sharp as it has been in the past, with a 4.21 team ERA, but with the best 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation in the region in Gingras/Bernardini, I think they'll be fine.

3. Trinity (8-2) - It's official; with 2 losses to Denison last week, the Bantams are not going to go undefeated. Still, I think this squad has what it takes to repeat. Although their website has just 2 games listed, the Bantams are currently 8-2, and they sport one of the more formidable 3-4-5's in division 3 baseball in Killeen-Graham-Wood. Jeremiah Bayer looks to be as sharp as ever (13 K's in 7 innings against Suffolk last week), and when factoring in a comparably weak schedule, it looks like Trinity might once again finish with less than 5 losses in the regular season.

4. Southern Maine (7-1) - I said it earlier in the year; this is the best offense in New England. Through 8 games, they've done nothing to prove me wrong. A .351 team batting average with 10 homers in just 8 games is impressive, but perhaps the most jaw dropping statistic from the Huskies is their stolen bases - 27-31 in just 8 games. That's ridiculous, and shows the athleticism this squad possesses. The running game in college is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of the game, yet inevitably the best teams in the country always steal bases. It still appears USM's weakness is on the mound, as the boys are sporting a less-than-stellar 5.78 ERA. Still, with that offense, the pitching doesn't need to be sharp until Willimantic in May.

5. Suffolk (7-3) - The Rams scheduled one of the tougher spring trip schedules in the region, and they fared pretty well, all things considered. Their first two contests against Eastern CT and USM were snowed out, but Suffolk managed a 7-3 mark in Florida, with quality wins over Ripon, Keystone, and 2007 and 2008's MASCAC Champs in Salem State and Westfield State, respectively. Their only losses came to squads who played in regional tournaments in 2008 (Keystone (split), Rowan, and Trinity). Perhaps more impressive thus far though is Suffolk's win total when compared to their team statistics; just a .295 team batting average and a 4.77 ERA. I expect those figures to improve dramatically in the weak GNAC conference, and I fully expect the Rams to be playing in the regionals in May.

6. Babson College (8-3) - The Beavers were a fixture in these polls in 2008, and had an impressive campaign overall, despite bowing out early in the NEWMAC conference tournament. Babson is once again off to a hot start in 2009, led by an offense firing on all cylinders (.355 team batting average), although I'm not sure they have the explosiveness that the teams in front of them have (just 2 home runs in 11 games).

7. Rhode Island College (10-3) - RIC has burst onto the scenes a bit this season, and it's impossible to argue with their sterling 10-3 record. Still, I'll hold off on putting them higher until they beat a quality opponent, as wins against clubs like Fitchburg State, Elms (2), and Newbury (2) aren't exactly impressive. Still, RIC has a nice .323 team batting average to go along with 28 stolen bases in just 13 games, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them making some serious noise in the ridiculously-talented LEC this year.

8. Keene State College (6-6) - The Owls are easily New England's biggest enigma 1/4 through the season. They have undoubtedly the best offense in New England, if not the country (.392 team batting average, 44 doubles, 13 triples, 7 homers), but their pitching is, for lack of a better word, abysmal. A team ERA of 7.09, and two starters with ERA's of 14.85 and 19.29, respectively. Keene can obviously hit with anybody, but unless they find some dominant arms and soon, I fear they're going to be finding themselves on the outside looking in at both this list and the regional tournament in May.

Just missed: Amherst, WNEC

Good thoughts!  +1!  :)

TheGNAC

Couple scores are in from games today...

Looks like Keene got a solid pitching performance from sophomore Corey Vogt, as the Owls dropped Babson 4-1 at Govoni Field. Vogt went 6 innings, allowing just 4 hits and no runs while striking out 8. Pretty impressive stat line, as Babson has been crushing the ball thus far this year (hitting .336 as a club after today). Keene improves to 8-6, while Babson falls to 9-5.

No box score is available yet, but Suffolk beat Bridgewater State 6-2 today to improve to 9-3. Bridgewater State falls to 7-8.

Rhode Island College improved to 13-3 on the year today, beating Salem State 10-8. Salem State falls to 6-6.

WNEC traveled to Troy, NY today to take on RPI, and took the worst of it, dropping the contest 13-4. RPI improves to 10-4, and WNEC falls to 8-5.

Wheaton put the hurt on UMass-Dartmouth today, dropping UMD 9-2. Wheaton improves to 13-1 with the victory.

Going into this weekend's conference games, it appears the top four clubs in the region are clear; Eastern CT, Wheaton, USM, and Trinity. Following them, my money is on Suffolk, RIC, Keene, and Curry as the darkhorse candidates to do some damage in the regionals.

KSCfan

The GNAC i think you are right on with your analysis.  I think that the top 4 are pretty clear, however, i feel that any of those other teams you mentioned are capable of getting hot and running off win streaks at anytime.  Game of the weekend in New England is in Willimantic Ct this weekend USM travels to Eastern for a LEC doubleheader

KSCfan

Another week in the books, and some interesting games might i say.  UMD sweeping Keene on sat said something, as well as an Eastern and USM split still makes me wonder who is better.  Wheaton still rolling along strong, as well as trinity.  ANyone want to throw out another top 8 poll. Here is mine

1. Wheaton- winning 15 straight and rolling.  Lyons seem to be class of NE
2. USM- Beat a healthy Gilblair in split with Eastern
3. Eastern- Split with Southern Maine proves its still to early to pick one ahead of the other, i just picked Eastern 3rd, because Southern Maine beat thier ace
4. Trinity- Defending champs still rolling along just fine.  In sweep over weekend looked strong

It is here after the top 4 where things get interesting.  I feel that these 4 teams have seperated themselves from the rest of NE as of right now.

5. Curry Collge. -Split this weekend with WNEC.  The colonels are i think are something like 15-3.  I still dont think that they are in the league of the top 4 but i think still solidly the 5th best team in New England right now
6.  Suffolk- Rams are 11-3, big game with wheaton coming up on the schedule
7. RIC- split with UMB over the weekend and the anchorheads still have a pretty solid record.
8. I'll go williams college.  After losing first 5 they are now 6-5.  So many teams are floating right at that 500 level its tough to pick one.


Stump

I'd like to extend a compliment to the grounds crew at Pierce Field in Providence. They got the field ready to play in very little time yesterday. Waking up Sun. AM there didn't look like there was any chance there would be any games.  After a 2 hour delay St. Joes and J&W were able to get in their doubleheader.  Split, St. Joes taking first, J&W coming back to take 2nd.  The lights were certainly nothing to write home about but the field held up very well.

TheGNAC

It's Monday, and that means it's time for my weekly regional rankings.

1. Wheaton (17-1) - New #1 this week, as the boys from Norton rolled, going 5-0 and beating their opponents by a combined score of 60-12. They're hitting .364 as a team and have a team ERA of 3.69. Not only are they the best team in New England, they just might be the best team in the nation.

2. Eastern CT (14-1) - The Warriors lost their first game of the year this past weekend, splitting a weekend series with rival and fellow top-10 team Southern Maine. The Huskies roughed up EConn star Shawn Gilblair a bit, but the Warriors rebounded well in game two.

3. Southern Maine (12-2) - The Huskies knocked off the #1 team in the land this past weekend, and looked impressive in doing so. They have an offensive that doesn't quit, and Tim Therrien proved on Saturday he is capable of shutting down even the most potent offenses. If Therrien can continue his emergence as a bonafide ace, expect USM to be a fixture in the top 3 here for the remainder of the season.

4. Trinity (12-3) - The defending national champs started the week out strong, but took a hit today, falling to WPI 9-7. The Bantams still rolled in the NESCAC though, sweeping Bowdoin in a 3 game set. It's becoming clear that the Bantams might not be the cream of the crop that we expected them to be.

5. Curry (15-3) - Curry split with conference foe WNEC this weekend, but their results speak for itself. Their offense is perhaps the most potent one in the country that no one is talking about (.391, 17 HR), and Cory Collins has emerged as a stopper (3-0, 1.52 ERA). I think they're the best club in the CCC, with WNEC a close second.

6. Suffolk (11-3) - The Rams had a perfect week, going 4-0 with victories over Babson, Bridgewater, and a two-game shellacking of Rivier (34-0 and 9-1). With conference rivals Johnson and Wales and St. Joe's splitting, Suffolk has the inside track on the #1 seed in the GNAC. A tough test awaits tomorrow, as the Rams will travel south to take on Wheaton.

7. WPI (14-6) - WPI was off to a fine start before today, but after beating Trinity, they've shown they have what it takes to compete with anybody. At 14-6, their record is sterling, and Conor Fahey is one of the top pitchers in the country, capable of beating any team at any time. I don't see them emerging from the NEWMAC this year with Wheaton as good as it is, however if they can run off a few more in-region victories like today, the NCAA Selection Committee would have a difficult time excluding them from regional play.

8. Rhode Island College (14-4) - I was a bit skeptical of the Anchorman last week, as their schedule and wins haven't exactly been overly impressive. They didn't do much to change my views this week, splitting a LEC series with a weak UMass-Boston squad on Saturday. As I said last week, RIC will have to beat some good teams before I annoint them anymore than I have.

Just missed: Williams, Westfield State

KSCfan

GNAC great call on the top 8, i will admit that i missed WPI so good spot up on that.  I agree with Rhode Island college and its strength of schedule.  I think that they need to win some in conference wins against some of the big boys like Easterna and or USM before i start moving them up the ladder.  Right now i think what is standing out is pitching to me.  The top 4 of NE clearly have pitching, and that is never more evident than down at Keene State. Thier pitching has been up and down, and that is reflected in thier 8-8 record.  The same with Babson, and Williams, pitching up and down and thier records right around 500.  I know the saying says you need pitchiing to win, and that has never been more obvious than in NE this year

d3ball123

"THE GNAC's" Top 4 Pitching Stats:

Wheaton: 18 Games, 3.69 ERA, 163 Hits, 77 Runs (65 Earned), 42 BB, 128 K

ECSU: 15 Games, 3.50 ERA, 117 Hits, 75 Runs (51 Earned), 54 BB, 126 K

USM: 14 Games, 5.21 ERA, 135 Hits, 80 Runs (66 Earned), 44 BB, 98 K

Trinity: 15 Games, 4.24 ERA, 113 Hits, 84 Runs (56 Earned), 76 BB, 107 K


If pitching wins, Wheaton and ECSU have separated themselves to this point, in my opinion.  And for those that may argue that Trinity and USM have potent offenses to make up for the discrepancy, consider the following:

Trinity: 8.9 runs scored per game
USM: 10.6 runs scored per game
ECSU: 10.2 runs scored per game
Wheaton: 10.8 runs scored per game

Thoughts?

TheGNAC

Quote from: d3ball123 on March 31, 2009, 09:23:25 AM
"THE GNAC's" Top 4 Pitching Stats:

Wheaton: 18 Games, 3.69 ERA, 163 Hits, 77 Runs (65 Earned), 42 BB, 128 K

ECSU: 15 Games, 3.50 ERA, 117 Hits, 75 Runs (51 Earned), 54 BB, 126 K

USM: 14 Games, 5.21 ERA, 135 Hits, 80 Runs (66 Earned), 44 BB, 98 K

Trinity: 15 Games, 4.24 ERA, 113 Hits, 84 Runs (56 Earned), 76 BB, 107 K


If pitching wins, Wheaton and ECSU have separated themselves to this point, in my opinion.  And for those that may argue that Trinity and USM have potent offenses to make up for the discrepancy, consider the following:

Trinity: 8.9 runs scored per game
USM: 10.6 runs scored per game
ECSU: 10.2 runs scored per game
Wheaton: 10.8 runs scored per game

Thoughts?

I've contended for a while now that I'm not sure Southern Maine has the pitching to win the region this year, no matter how awesome they are offensively. Therrien's performance over the weekend is obviously encouraging, but the other 3 teams, Trinity included, all have a bonafide All-American ace. USM doesn't. Although Trinity probably has the least amount of pitching depth out of the four.

Still, when Wheaton can run out a one-two of Bernardini-Gingras with Barnes and Simmons at the end of games, that's just silly. Same at Eastern, with Gilblair-Fontaine-Musson and Dutton and Wojick at the end of games.

Obviously the national polls agree, as Eastern and Wheaton are the #1 and #2 teams in the land as of today.

d3ball123

Quote from: TheGNAC on March 31, 2009, 10:05:26 AM
Quote from: d3ball123 on March 31, 2009, 09:23:25 AM
"THE GNAC's" Top 4 Pitching Stats:

Wheaton: 18 Games, 3.69 ERA, 163 Hits, 77 Runs (65 Earned), 42 BB, 128 K

ECSU: 15 Games, 3.50 ERA, 117 Hits, 75 Runs (51 Earned), 54 BB, 126 K

USM: 14 Games, 5.21 ERA, 135 Hits, 80 Runs (66 Earned), 44 BB, 98 K

Trinity: 15 Games, 4.24 ERA, 113 Hits, 84 Runs (56 Earned), 76 BB, 107 K


If pitching wins, Wheaton and ECSU have separated themselves to this point, in my opinion.  And for those that may argue that Trinity and USM have potent offenses to make up for the discrepancy, consider the following:

Trinity: 8.9 runs scored per game
USM: 10.6 runs scored per game
ECSU: 10.2 runs scored per game
Wheaton: 10.8 runs scored per game

Thoughts?

I've contended for a while now that I'm not sure Southern Maine has the pitching to win the region this year, no matter how awesome they are offensively. Therrien's performance over the weekend is obviously encouraging, but the other 3 teams, Trinity included, all have a bonafide All-American ace. USM doesn't. Although Trinity probably has the least amount of pitching depth out of the four.

Still, when Wheaton can run out a one-two of Bernardini-Gingras with Barnes and Simmons at the end of games, that's just silly. Same at Eastern, with Gilblair-Fontaine-Musson and Dutton and Wojick at the end of games.

Obviously the national polls agree, as Eastern and Wheaton are the #1 and #2 teams in the land as of today.



I agree.  I decided to throw the stats out there in order to validate your top 4, and somewhat contend KSCfan's statement that the "top 4 of NE clearly have pitching."

KSCfan

dball123- Yes USM's pitching era is a bit high, buti feel like thier starters can hold the game close enough to let thier offense do the trick.  I guess what i was trying to say is that as long as thier starters can keep it close thier offense can pick up the slack.  Therrian looked good in his start against eastern as well.  In order to compete at the top of NE you need to have a bullpen, 3 to 4 quality starters and an offense that can hit a bit.  I was trying to say that the top 4 all have these.