BB: NECC: New England Collegiate Conference

[Ralph Turner]

New England Collegiate Conference has updated the conference website.

The conference will compete as a 6-team conference in the 2008-09 season.

The members that will field baseball teams are:

Becker	(formerly of the North Atlantic Conference)
Daniel Webster	(formerly of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference)
Elms	(formerly of the North Atlantic Conference)
Mitchell	(formerly affiliated with the CUNYAC; was Provisional Year #3 in 2007-08. Should be a NCAA full member in 2010.)
Newbury	(Independent)
Southern Vermont	(Independent)

Because the conference only has five full members (two shy of the number required for the Pool A bid, the Automatic Qualifier or AQ bid), the conference members will be considered in the playoffs in Pool B.  Pool B has been very strong in baseball.

(The 2008 Pool B bids were given to Salisbury, Ithaca, Chapman, College of Saint Scholastica (CSS), Piedmont and Cal State - East Bay.)

Once the conference has had seven full NCAA members, of which four are full "core" members of the NECC, for two full seasons, then the conference can seek a Pool A bid.

[Knuckles97]

ATTLEBORO, Mass. - Elms College has been chosen as the preseason favorite to capture the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) baseball championship, it was announced today by Commissioner Del Malloy. Voting for the preseason poll was conducted among the NECC's head baseball coaches.

This is the inaugural year for the New England Collegiate Conference. Six of the nine NECC members sponsor baseball.

The Elms Blazers (12-20, 6-4 NAC) received two of the six first-place votes in the 2009 NECC preseason poll. Head coach Don LaValley returns 16 players 12 of which were starters. The Blazers will be led by two North Atlantic All-Conference players in first-team senior outfielder Nick Mackowiak (Dudley, Mass.) and second-team junior hurler Mike Bieber (Wading River, N.Y.).

Mitchell College received 43 points to notch the second-place spot. The Mariners nabbed four of the six first place votes. Becker College earned third-place with 37 points, while Newbury College placed fourth with 28 points.

Daniel Webster College and Southern Vermont College rounded out the poll with 5th and 6th place respectively. The Eagles received 25 points, while the Mountaineers nabbed 21 points.

Teams received eight points for every first place vote received, seven points for second place votes, six points for third place votes, down to three points for a last place vote. First place votes are shown in parentheses.

2009 NECC PRESEASON BASEBALL POLL
TEAM--POINTS (1st Place votes)
1. Elms--44(2)
2. Mitchell--43(4)
3. Becker--37
4. Newbury--28
5. Daniel Webster--25
6. Southern Vermont --21

[RSSmith]

ATTLEBORO, Mass. - Elms College has been chosen as the preseason favorite to capture the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) baseball championship, it was announced today by Commissioner Del Malloy. Voting for the preseason poll was conducted among the NECC's head baseball coaches.

This is the inaugural year for the New England Collegiate Conference. Six of the nine NECC members sponsor baseball.

The Elms Blazers (12-20, 6-4 NAC) received two of the six first-place votes in the 2009 NECC preseason poll. Head coach Don LaValley returns 16 players 12 of which were starters. The Blazers will be led by two North Atlantic All-Conference players in first-team senior outfielder Nick Mackowiak (Dudley, Mass.) and second-team junior hurler Mike Bieber (Wading River, N.Y.).

Mitchell College received 43 points to notch the second-place spot. The Mariners nabbed four of the six first place votes. Becker College earned third-place with 37 points, while Newbury College placed fourth with 28 points.

Daniel Webster College and Southern Vermont College rounded out the poll with 5th and 6th place respectively. The Eagles received 25 points, while the Mountaineers nabbed 21 points.

Teams received eight points for every first place vote received, seven points for second place votes, six points for third place votes, down to three points for a last place vote. First place votes are shown in parentheses.

2009 NECC PRESEASON BASEBALL POLL
TEAM--POINTS (1st Place votes)
1. Elms--44(2)
2. Mitchell--43(4)
3. Becker--37
4. Newbury--28
5. Daniel Webster--25
6. Southern Vermont --21

Looks to me like a couple of coaches have axes to grind against Mitchell.

[Knuckles97]

I'm still trying to understand how Mitchell get twice as many first place votes and finished second??  Someone must have had them way down there...

[Ralph Turner]

ATTLEBORO, Mass. - Elms College has been chosen as the preseason favorite to capture the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) baseball championship, it was announced today by Commissioner Del Malloy. Voting for the preseason poll was conducted among the NECC's head baseball coaches.

This is the inaugural year for the New England Collegiate Conference. Six of the nine NECC members sponsor baseball.

The Elms Blazers (12-20, 6-4 NAC) received two of the six first-place votes in the 2009 NECC preseason poll. Head coach Don LaValley returns 16 players 12 of which were starters. The Blazers will be led by two North Atlantic All-Conference players in first-team senior outfielder Nick Mackowiak (Dudley, Mass.) and second-team junior hurler Mike Bieber (Wading River, N.Y.).

Mitchell College received 43 points to notch the second-place spot. The Mariners nabbed four of the six first place votes. Becker College earned third-place with 37 points, while Newbury College placed fourth with 28 points.

Daniel Webster College and Southern Vermont College rounded out the poll with 5th and 6th place respectively. The Eagles received 25 points, while the Mountaineers nabbed 21 points.

Teams received eight points for every first place vote received, seven points for second place votes, six points for third place votes, down to three points for a last place vote. First place votes are shown in parentheses.

2009 NECC PRESEASON BASEBALL POLL
TEAM--POINTS (1st Place votes)
1. Elms--44(2)
2. Mitchell--43(4)
3. Becker--37
4. Newbury--28
5. Daniel Webster--25
6. Southern Vermont --21

Looks to me like a couple of coaches have axes to grind against Mitchell.

This matrix is one possible solution to the vote distribution.  Could be an axe to grind or did the Mitchell coach soft-sell his team?

Team......................	1st...	2nd...	3rd...	4th...	5th...	6th...
Elms (2) -- 44	16	28	0	0	0	0
Mitchell (4) -- 43	32	0	6	5	0	0
Becker -- 37	0	14	18	5	0	0
Newbury -- 28	0	0	12	5	8	3
Dan'l Webster -- 25	0	0	0	10	12	3
So. Vermont -- 21	0	0	0	5	4	12

[Knuckles97]

I suppose it doesn't really matter when the teams in the conference have posted a cumulative 10-35 record so far!!

[Knuckles97]

2009 NECC BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Justin Jacobs, Elms, JR (Springhill, Fla.)
2009 NECC BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Matt Wood, Elms, FR (Feeding Hills, Mass.)
2009 NECC BASEBALL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Joe Corey, Becker, FR (Billerica, Mass.)
2009 NECC BASEBALL COACH OF THE YEAR: J.P. Pyne, Daniel Webster
2009 NECC BASEBALL TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD: Newbury College Nighthawks

2009 ALL-NECC BASEBALL FIRST TEAM
FIRST BASE: Dan Briand, Becker, SR (Northbridge, Mass.)
SECOND BASE: Brendan Cordeiro, Elms, SO (Berkley, Mass.)
THIRD BASE: Nicolino Iavicoli, Elms, FR (Hampden, Mass.)
SHORT STOP:  Jairo Valdez, Becker, SO (Lynn, Mass.)
OUTFIELD: Rob Leary, Daniel Webster, JR (Litchfield, N.H.)
OUTFIELD: Clayton Boegler, Mitchell, SO (Somerset, Mass.)
OUTFIELD: Billy Maddock, Newbury, JR (Marshfield, Mass.)
PITCHER: Matt Wood, Elms, SO (Feeding Hills, Mass.)
PITCHER: Errick Maddern, Becker, SO (West Haven, Conn.)
CATCHER: Chris McKenzie, Daniel Webster, SO (Burlington, Mass.)
DESIGNATED PLAYER: Justin Jacobs, Elms, JR (Springhill, Fla.)
DESIGNATED PLAYER: Frank Vaccaro, Becker, SR (Shrewsbury, Mass.)

2009 ALL-NECC BASEBALL HONORABLE MENTION
Andrew Langlais, Mitchell, JR, 1B (Ledyard, Conn.)
Adam Northup, Southern Vermont, SO, 1B (Richmond, R.I.)
Joe Tamulonis, Daniel Webster, JR, 2B (Woodstock, N.H.)
Peter Plansky, Daniel Webster, FR, 3B (Litchfield, N.H.)
Jeff Perillo, Mitchell, SO, SS (Newington, Conn.)
Pat Curry, Newbury, FR, C (Hampstead, N.H.)

[Ralph Turner]

Lesley to add baseball in 2011.  NECC should earn AQ in 2011.

Pool B just got smaller.

[Hobbesy]

Guys,

Finally launched my blog that is everything New England D3 Baseball!

Check it out!

http://ned3baseball.wordpress.com/

[Tarheel0550]

How about SVC they lose thier best player to Oneonta and pull a goose egg in Arizona.Did they expect better?What a shame.Maybe instead of just firing the AD {oh Im sorry} letting the AD resign they should have let the coach go too.

[Ralph Turner]

Live blog from Mitchell for the SVC Mitchell game.. Mitchell leads 6-4 in the 5th.


http://www.mitchellathletics.com/sports/bsb/2010-11/releases/BB_LiveBlog_Game6

[Ralph Turner]

From the Mitchell blog of the Mitchell SVC game

5:58   
   
Comment From Ralph Turner
Situation please? Runners, outs

5:59
   MC leads 9-7 with two down in the nith...tying run at the plate.
5:59
   Strike three swinging on a curveball...Blair gets mobbed by his teammates at the mound.
   
Comment From Guest
That's the way Mitchell that's good baseball right their

6:01
   Final line on Blair: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 8 K...and the win.

...

6:04
   Exciting day as MC wins two games to force a final championship game. Again, be sure to check www.NECCathletics.com tomorrow afternoon for complete details.

NECC Championship Game TBA

The excitement of D-III Championship Baseball.  Thanks for the blogging!

[Ralph Turner]

Congratulations Mtichell. 

First Round 2014 D-III Regional at Whitehouse Field.
Mitchell 4, ECSU 3. (11 innings) 

[BobbyBeacon]

The Newbury Nighthawks were not allowed into the NECC Postseason Tournament despite qualifying for the tournament as the #4 seed. 

In the New England Collegiate Conference seven teams play three game weekend series, two 7-inning games and 1 9-inning game. The top four teams (out of six) make the postseason tournament.

Kraig Kupiec, in his 5th season as Newbury Nighthawks Head Coach, guided the Nighthawks to a 19-21 record, 9-9 in NECC play.  A former assistant coach at UMass Boston, Kupiec inherited a Newbury College Baseball program that had won only 17 games in its first four years in existence.  With no baseball field  , no gym, and closet-sized weight room (sound familiar?  ) Kupiec has, to date, tallied 87 wins in his five years at the helm.

This year the NECC had a three-way tie for the #3 seed with Lesley University, Newbury College and Becker College all finishing at 9-9 in NECC play.  NECC rules, and common sense, state that:

TIE BREAK PROCEDURES
1. Head to Head result (two-way tie).
2. Best record among tied teams (three-way or more ties). Will only examine conference records of tied
teams in contests with each other during this step.
3. Comparison of results against higher ranked teams starting with the highest ranked team and working
down in descending order.
4. Comparison of results against non-conference common opponents.
5. Comparison of winning percentage versus opponents with .500 or better winning percentage.
6. Overall winning percentage.
7. Coin toss.

The three season series went as such:

Lesley University 1 Newbury College 0
Lesley University 3 Newbury College 4
Lesely University 6 Newbury College 8
Lesley University 1 Newbury College 2

Lesley University 3 Becker College 2
Lesley University 10 Becker College 2
Lesley University 17 Becker College 16
Lesley University 3 Becker College 0

Newbury College 2 Becker College 5
Newbury College 3 Becker College 1
Newbury College 5 Becker College 10
Newbury College 1 Becker College 2

Looking at Rule #2, "Best record among tied teams (three-way or more ties). Will only examine conference records of tied teams in contests with each other during this step."  Therefore, Lesley University would be 4-2, Newbury College 3-3, and Becker College 2-4.  Hence, Lesley University and Newbury College should earn the #3 and #4 seed respectively with Becker College missing the tournament.

However, it has been announced that somehow Lesley University and Becker College will make the NECC Postseason Tournament and not Newbury College?!?!

DIII Boards, am I missing something???  Apparently, the same incident happened several years ago in NECC Softball and Bay Path College was left out of the softball postseason tournament?!   

I can only feel for the Newbury Nighthawks seniors and parents who earned the right to extend their baseball careers an extra week.  Imagine reading the rules on the World Wide Web for the last two weeks, knowing that you accomplished your regular season goals, taking time off work, making lodging reservations and preparing for the postseason..... only to be told otherwise in the week leading up to the tournament. 

Newbury College has apparently appealed the decision only to be denied by the NECC Executive Committee.  Interestingly enough, a Becker College representative is the chair of said committee.... 

Am I understanding this correctly?!?  Is this a serious misinterpretation of the rule or a political issue?!?    The rules clearly state the guidelines for defining a three-way tie yet they do not seem to be applied here.

The cost of winning even at the DIII level..... 

DIII Boards, how does everyone else's conference define "Tiebreakers?"  Again, am I missing something? Please help me understand.  I know -- I hope an occurrence like this would never happen in the LEC!!!

[hockeyfan77]

The Newbury Nighthawks were not allowed into the NECC Postseason Tournament despite qualifying for the tournament as the #4 seed. 

In the New England Collegiate Conference seven teams play three game weekend series, two 7-inning games and 1 9-inning game. The top four teams (out of six) make the postseason tournament.

Kraig Kupiec, in his 5th season as Newbury Nighthawks Head Coach, guided the Nighthawks to a 19-21 record, 9-9 in NECC play.  A former assistant coach at UMass Boston, Kupiec inherited a Newbury College Baseball program that had won only 17 games in its first four years in existence.  With no baseball field  , no gym, and closet-sized weight room (sound familiar?  ) Kupiec has, to date, tallied 87 wins in his five years at the helm.

This year the NECC had a three-way tie for the #3 seed with Lesley University, Newbury College and Becker College all finishing at 9-9 in NECC play.  NECC rules, and common sense, state that:

TIE BREAK PROCEDURES
1. Head to Head result (two-way tie).
2. Best record among tied teams (three-way or more ties). Will only examine conference records of tied
teams in contests with each other during this step.
3. Comparison of results against higher ranked teams starting with the highest ranked team and working
down in descending order.
4. Comparison of results against non-conference common opponents.
5. Comparison of winning percentage versus opponents with .500 or better winning percentage.
6. Overall winning percentage.
7. Coin toss.

The three season series went as such:

Lesley University 1 Newbury College 0
Lesley University 3 Newbury College 4
Lesely University 6 Newbury College 8
Lesley University 1 Newbury College 2

Lesley University 3 Becker College 2
Lesley University 10 Becker College 2
Lesley University 17 Becker College 16
Lesley University 3 Becker College 0

Newbury College 2 Becker College 5
Newbury College 3 Becker College 1
Newbury College 5 Becker College 10
Newbury College 1 Becker College 2

Looking at Rule #2, "Best record among tied teams (three-way or more ties). Will only examine conference records of tied teams in contests with each other during this step."  Therefore, Lesley University would be 4-2, Newbury College 3-3, and Becker College 2-4.  Hence, Lesley University and Newbury College should earn the #3 and #4 seed respectively with Becker College missing the tournament.

However, it has been announced that somehow Lesley University and Becker College will make the NECC Postseason Tournament and not Newbury College?!?!

DIII Boards, am I missing something???  Apparently, the same incident happened several years ago in NECC Softball and Bay Path College was left out of the softball postseason tournament?!   

I can only feel for the Newbury Nighthawks seniors and parents who earned the right to extend their baseball careers an extra week.  Imagine reading the rules on the World Wide Web for the last two weeks, knowing that you accomplished your regular season goals, taking time off work, making lodging reservations and preparing for the postseason..... only to be told otherwise in the week leading up to the tournament. 

Newbury College has apparently appealed the decision only to be denied by the NECC Executive Committee.  Interestingly enough, a Becker College representative is the chair of said committee.... 

Am I understanding this correctly?!?  Is this a serious misinterpretation of the rule or a political issue?!?    The rules clearly state the guidelines for defining a three-way tie yet they do not seem to be applied here.

The cost of winning even at the DIII level..... 

DIII Boards, how does everyone else's conference define "Tiebreakers?"  Again, am I missing something? Please help me understand.  I know -- I hope an occurrence like this would never happen in the LEC!!!

Think it may be time to find a new conference!