BB: ASC: American Southwest Conference

Started by Pat Coleman, December 29, 2005, 12:08:01 AM

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Ralph Turner

We have some great games this week.

Here are the better games on Monday and Tuesday.

Monday

Franklin and Marshall at TLU

Southwestern at McMurry--big in-region game and McMurry is coming off a series on Friday and Saturday.  Fortunately, McMurry only used 4 pitchers.  I want to see how Coach Driggers handles an important in-region game against Southwestern on Monday and the game against Marietta on Tuesday.

Tuesday

F&M at UMHB
Marietta at McMurry
Southwestern at HSU
Trinity at Concordia-Austin
UW-Stout at TLU

McMurry and HSU have to figure how to use their bullpens because they have their series on Friday and Saturday...really big games!

The HSU/McM series will be great baseball! ;)

BigPoppa

Ralph.... the conference has 16 teams... do they still only get one NCAA bid? If so, it needs to be addressed. Most conferences have only 8 teams and get a bid... the American Southwest Conference should be allowed two bids or be given VERY strong consideration for a Pool C bid after the champion is crowned.

I would bet that their second place team would win most D3 conferences in the nation.
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

Ralph Turner

#47
Big Poppa, yes, we get only one bid.  In 2006-07, the West will have 8 full members, but the ASC-East will only have 6 full members as UT-Tyler is 4th year provisional and Austin College leaves for the SCAC.

The ASC-East would not qualify as Pool A.

Imagine you are an AD or the Commisioner. The make-up in 2007-08 looks like this, when the West has 8 full members and the East has 7.

Full AQ membership qualifiers... 3 & 3 team sports, men & women, west & east.

Women's Soccer --  7 West and 7 East

Men's Soccer -- 7 West and 7 East

Women's Hoops -- 8 West and 7 East

Men's Hoops -- 8 West and 7 East

Softball -- 7 West and 7 East

Baseball -- 8 West and 7 East

Here is where the numbers fall short.  As I understand the requirements, a conference needs 5 sports for men and women.

Football 9 teams in one conference.  (6 in the West, 3 in the East.)

Volleyball -- 8 West and 5 East.

Women's XC -- 3 West and 5 East. (Neither a conference.)

Women's Tennis -- 8 West and 6 East (A Conference but no AQ.)

Men's Tennis --  8 West and 5 East

Women's Golf -- 4 West and 2 East (neither are a conference).

Men's Golf -- 4 West and 4 East (neither are a conference).

Women's Outdoor T&F -- 4 West and 1 East  (neither are a conference).

Men's Outdoor T&F -- 3 West and 1 East  (neither are a conference).

The debate is whether to place oneself in a tenuous positon if a school did not "make" in a sport and the conference fell below the requirements to make.

Pertinent history in the conference includes the fact that UDallas left the conference to become an independent in 2001.  Texas Weselyan University in Ft Worth went from D2 in 2000-01 thru the ASC in 2001-02 onto the NAIA Divsion I Red River AC in 2002-03.  Austin College is leaving this year.  If the rumors of a new southern super-conference plucked a Mississippi College and/or a Louisiana College, then the East would be doomed.

I hate that we are forfeiting Pool A bids, but I can understand the caution.  An aggressive integrated management by 2 separate conferences would be needed to make it work, but everyone would need to be on the same page.  The vulnerability would come when one single president changes the focus on the role of student-athletics in her/his school and leaves the conference.  That leaves everyone else scrambling.  With an excess of members, that reduces the risk of that scenario.  As I have looked at the other NAIA candidates to join D3, I don't see any prospects!

BigPoppa

Ralph... sound like a very tumultuous postition to be in. I can clearly see the potential problem due to the conference instability and East/West balance. The sad thing is that the student-athletes are the ones who are getting the short end of the stick in ALL sports. I would bet that the NCAA also looks at that situation when making consideration for Pool C bids... or Pool A bids for non-qualifying sports.

Do any of those schools get lumped into the Pool B(independents) or are they only considered for Pool C bids?
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

Ralph Turner

Big Poppa, all teams are in the A/C Pools.  I don't think that the conference is looked at any differently than the SCIAC or the NWC.

In Football, HSU lost its first 2 QB's. The extra loss probably made the difference in Pool C.  HPU had an early loss to ETBU which knocked them out of the Pool A bid.

The decision by UDallas to leave may have helped them get some Pool B bids in the last 5 years in Baseball, women's soccer, and men's basketball in 2004.  However, Pool B is much trickier in this part of the country, just trying to get a decent schedule.

I honestly cannot recommend any other option than the ASC.  If the presidents thought splitting would be the option, I am certain they would do it.  Also, I cannot figure any other candidates to move to D3 from D2 or the NAIA.

Practically speaking, the NCAA's begin with the ASC Post-season tourney.  With the isolated geography, the East and West would be first round opponents anyway in the NCAA, for "geographic" proximity.

I think that the Division Championship should be emphasized even more!  It is the equivalence of a Conference championship in other parts of the country.

I want East and West to split, but only to evolve into 2 conferences that live symbiotically as they are now as divisions.

BigPoppa

I think two conferences would be ideal for the ASC. You are correct on the isolated geography... I cannot imagine trying to get games against anyone other than those in the conference or traveling to another part of the country(McMurry flying to CA to play Chapman).

I was recently checking the McMurry webpage.... what a amazing facility for baseball. Looks very similar to many minor league set-ups. How do the other facilities in the ASC compare to McMurry's? I have been to Concordia-Austin to coach and they have a nice little set-up there as well... as long as the freeway hanging over left field does not bother you.
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

Ralph Turner

Concordia-Austin is getting a "whole new" campus somewhere else, supposedly Round Rock.

Kokernot Field at Sul Ross may be the most historic.

Please google Kokernot Field.

HOF'er Gaylord Perry and Detroit Tiger Norm Cash both played there.


BigPoppa

Quote from: Ralph Turner on March 12, 2006, 05:14:37 PM
Concordia-Austin is getting a "whole new" campus somewhere else, supposedly Round Rock.

Kokernot Field at Sul Ross may be the most historic.

Please google Kokernot Field.

HOF'er Gaylord Perry and Detroit Tiger Norm Cash both played there.


Kokernot Field is beautiful... I wish more colleges would keep the traditional stadiums and not simply build the cookie cutter fields we see across the nation's campuses today. I think too many schools get caught up in the potential revenue created from larger staduims and forget about the historical aspects of smaller parks. I know this is not too big of an issue in D3, but many D1s are going that way.
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

Ralph Turner

McMurry and Hardin-Simmons are hosting the Abilene Classis this Monday - Wednesday.

Featured D3 schools include McMurry, HSU, Southwestern, UT-Dallas, Neb Wesleyan and D3 power Marietta OH.  NAIA schools include Friends KS and Southern Nazarene OK.

No results yet, but here is the  link.

BigPoppa

That should be a great week of baseball. Marietta always brings great teams to the table. It will be a good measuring stick for the Texas teams to see where they stand.

Keep us updated on the games, Ralph.
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

Ralph Turner

McMurry defeated Southwestern 16-7 today.  No details yet.

http://www.southwestern.edu/athletics/ath-home.html

I don't know whom McMurry pitched.  This being a West Region game, i would think that Coach Driggers used a  better starter.

Who he will pitch tomorrow is another question?

The HSU series begins on Friday!

Ralph Turner

McM's Andy McDougal pitched 7 strong innings in the win over Southwestern.  Brent Voorhees picked up the relief effort.

http://www.mcm.edu/sports/baseball/classic.htm

BigPoppa

Quote from: Ralph Turner on March 14, 2006, 09:33:00 AM
McM's Andy McDougal pitched 7 strong innings in the win over Southwestern.  Brent Voorhees picked up the relief effort.

http://www.mcm.edu/sports/baseball/classic.htm

That's a big win for McMurry. Things should start to sort themsleves out in the next week or so.
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

Ralph Turner

McMurry 11, Marietta 1.

http://www.mcm.edu/sports/baseball/mcmmar.htm

McMurry moves to 12-4, Marietta 2-4.

Clint Johnston gets his first win of the year in his first start.  Eric Dickerhoff got one inning of off-day work.

This still has to be considered "spring training" for Marietta, which used 4 pitchers.

BigPoppa

Spring training or not... it is a quality win for McMurry.
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.