BB: General New England Discussion

[Paul Heering]

This may have also played a role in southern maine getting in ove keene

From Keene's 2006 Stat page
Apr 22, 2006 at U. of Southern Maine    6-9  L   
Apr 22, 2006 at U. of Southern Maine    6-7  L   
May 13, 2006 vs U. of Southern Maine W 14-4

head to head USM took 2 of 3

and i know there is no official selection criteria for this but USM might have got some "name recognition points"

[Jim Dixon]

It use to be that reputation helped to get you in the playoffs but i think those days are gone.  With so many bids taken up by conference Champions (of which i am all in favor of) there are just a few slots open if you do not win your conference.  I like settng up a point system as they have since you know before the season starts just what you have to do.  Few surprises.

[BigPoppa]

I was once the beneficiary of the name recognition in the bids process. Our 1994 Carthage team had no business getting into the NCAA after a disappointing 32-15 season. In fact, we turned in our uniforms and equipment and headed for home. We got the #4 seed in the Central Region and had to scramble to get back to school then rolled through the regional to get into the World Series while a North Central team that beat us 5 of 7 times that year was left out of the field... even after beating us in the CCIW tourney final.

I prefer the new method much better.

[Paul Heering]

i don't think name plays a big role at all. 

but, and coming from someone who spends a great deal of his job making sure people make objective decisions and removing the subjectivity, i will admit that whenever we have humans making decisions, there will be some subjectivity

looking at my first post about this, i think the 2 of 3 games head to head probably played a bigger factor.  they factor in head to head, right?

[kscer]

New to the game here. I have followed KSC for three years. They lost two games at home to St Joes of Maine. I think thats what kept them from getting a bid. The two games at USM could have gone either way. A bad call at home plate changes one game

[Bob Maxwell]

Jim is right... the point schedule is what determines who gets a bid after the automatics.  So playing a stong schedule helps... but you have to win a lot of those games to get the high point totals.

Last year, Brockport played a really tough early schedule, but lost a lot of 1 run games and didn't get the points.  And while they may have been under consideration, when a couple of conferences had upsets in them... the potential available bids went to teams who were upset.

I guess the point is win games... no matter who you play.

[dgilblair]

One factor I may not have thought of is that the head coaches father passed away the weekend of the LEC.  Do you think it's possible they would have asked to not be included in the bids?

[kscer]

Coach Howe's Father's death had nothing to do with not getting a bid, maybe with not winning one of those games. They accepted a bid for the ECAC, to host but were rained out. This is  a close knit team and both of Howe's parents were huge fans and knew all the players. That was tough

[dgilblair]

I knew it was pretty bad because Holowaty's daughter Jen was real upset.  I think that definetly took some wind out of the team as close knit as that.  Sure baseball wasn't on their minds. 

[363dp]

I was also very surprised last spring when USM got the bid over Keene.  I believe it had to do with ?? the coach?

[kscer]

I really think the reason they did not get a bid was out of conference losses to St. Josephs and Colby Sawyer. If KSC had beaten ESCU that would have meant that they had four wins against Holowaty in one season. Also I think they were expecting to play USM and were surprised to find Eastern in the other dugout. I don't think any Dlll team beats Eastern four times out of five. Three out of five wasn't bad, just the wrong three.

[wordsmith]

USM went to the NCAA because they had name recognition, Ed Flatherty - HOF, and had several quality wins, where KSC had little in the way of wins over quality teams other than those listed below, and lost to some below average squads. KSC will have to win their way into the NCAAs as long as USM and EConn are in the conference. Once there they must win some games to establish a name. Much as Wheaton has done over the past couple of years.

USM - Wins over- Williams, Bowdoin, St. Joe's (twice), EConn, KSC
USM - Key losses, but to quality teams were to Wisconsin-Whitewater (2), Wheaton (2), St. Joe's - 1
        one bad loss was to Husson.

KSC - suffered some bad losses to St. Joe's (2), Colby-Sawyer, Fitchburg St., USM (2), and Amherst.
KSC - Quality Wins- EConn (3), USM (1).

Word!

[kscer]

KSC also had a good win over Amherst at Keene - 8-3. Thurston wanted a rematch because his team did not look good. KSC should not have played the game. Keene through their #5 pitcher and Amherst threw their 1or2. It meant nothing to KSC but Thurston wanted to win badly.

[Paul Heering]

wordsmith,

i appreciate the extra work but why is it that whens USM losses to St. joes it is a loss to a "quality team" but when KSC lost to st joes it is a "bad loss"?

[wordsmith]

You are correct.

Hey it is below zero here in New England boys!! Let's play 2.

Word