Three members of McMurry University's 2012 baseball team – first baseman Matt Thompson, second baseman Marcellous Biggins and relief pitcher Deen Coleman - will have the opportunity to extend their baseball careers after signing contracts today with the Abilene Prairie Dogs. The Prairie Dogs are the newest franchise in the independent North American Baseball League.

http://www.mcmurrysports.com/news/2012/5/14/BSB_0514123915.aspx

Great Lakes League - Xenia Scouts:
Matt Thompson 1B - McMurry

Quote from: dp643 on May 06, 2011, 09:06:10 AM
I love getting ripped for making a wrong prediction (even after I acknowledged I was proven wrong) by someone who wont make any predictions himself! 

All in good fun, but heres to CTX winning the ASC.

Sincerely,

UMHB fan

Sorry for not making a prediction.  I haven't been online for a few days.  To be honest I would not have predicted McMurry winning it all, but I would have predicted them playing HSU in the finals.  (Obviously not close on either count).

Since I had already seen all of the teams this season, I thought HSU was the strongest.  CTX played solid defense but I was not impressed with them when McMurry played them during the regular season.  They sure stepped it up and played great this weekend though.  That first game of the tournament with the 1-0 win by CTX was a very well played game.  They made all the plays when they needed to all weekend and were certainly the best team there this weekend.

Quote from: TexasBB on May 05, 2011, 12:08:39 AM
Looking back I think the 2 games that McMurrey had against UTT at the end of the season really benefited the Warhawks. The coaching staff learned something and the team having played UTT also leaned something. Those two games were close and if nothing else showed McMurrey that UTT had weaknesses and gave them the confidence that they could compete with them. Keep in mind going into the weekend conference tournament UTT had not lost a single game to a west division opponent.

I think it was smart on the part of the Warhawks coaching staff to schedule those two games.

Texas BB

I agree that those 2 games vs UTT late in the season ended up being a big plus for McMurry.  At the time we all thought it was not good scheduling.  The McMurry players didn't like it either but by facing UTT before the playoffs the players came away thinking that UTT was very beatable.  Those 2 late season games really meant nothing to McMurry so they played a lot of different players the 2nd game but they definitely benefited.

Quote from: dp643 on April 25, 2011, 08:41:20 AM

Tyler will make McMurry wish they hadn't won 4th place.

dp643 you obviously don't have much faith in McMurry.  In your prediction for the 1st round you said "Tyler would make McMurry wish they hadn't won 4th place" and now your saying "McMurry has no chance whatsoever of winning"

Granted McMurry's record is not stellar but they have played a very tough schedule and gave away a number of games throughout the year that they should have won.  Last weekend against Tyler it looked like they may revert to the "give away" mode but they stepped up and pulled it out.  I'm obviously biased but McMurry is much better than their record indicates. 

I've been to most of the games this season and too many times we were walking away saying "how on earth did we lose that game".  The coaches made a few changes late in the season that have made huge differences in the team's play and attitude.  After taking out Tyler last weekend they now truly believe that they can win.  That was a big problem early in the season.

I don't know if McMurry will win it all this weekend but I think they have as good as chance as anyone. 

Quote from: dp643 on March 24, 2011, 02:34:48 PM
Anyone have any predictions for this weekend?

I am going out on a limb and say UMHB will take 2 of 3 from TLU and get back into the race this weekend.

While I'd like to see UMHB take 2 of 3, I'll be surprised if that happens.  My predictions are

TLU wins 2 UMHB wins 1
HSU wins 2 CTX wins 1
SRU sweeps 3 over HP
McM sweeps 3 over Schreiner

Quote from: Ralph Turner on March 20, 2011, 04:40:39 PM
Who can figure?  McMurry sweeps UMHB in the weekend series, 3 games to none.

I've thought all along that McMurry is not as bad as its record would appear.  They've played pretty good competition and there really have only been about 4 games where they just got "beat".  So many games early in the season they were out-hitting the opponent, making fewer errors yet still losing because the other team would get clutch hits and McMurry didn't.  The last game of the UMHB series was an exact opposite of what the McMurry season has been like.  UMHB had more hits than McMurry.  McMurry had 4 errors to 0 for UMHB but McMurry got a lot of 2 out rbi hits and won the game.  It's nice to be on the other side of that for a change. 

McMurry website is reporting that the 2011 West Regional baseball tournament will be held at Driggers field in Abilene.  Now it would sure be nice if the host team could have a good season and qualify for the tournament.

http://www.mcmurrysports.com/news/2011/1/7/BSB_0107114103.aspx

I suppose McMurry could mathematically still end up 1st with TLU winning no more than 1 and McM sweeping HSU, AND Sul Ross winning at least 1, but that's not going to happen.

Other than that wild scenario, the way see it right now, McMurry can finish 2nd by winning 2 of 3 from HSU and getting help from SRSU, or 4th (win 1 and they're locked).  If they go 0-3 they could still make it as 4th with but would need UMHB to win 2 of 3. 

I don't see any scenario's where MCM could end up 3rd at this point.

Quote from: McM Insider on March 24, 2010, 11:19:42 PM
McMurry finds itself in a rebuilding year after the loss of their power hitters (i.e. Tre Lips 12 HR, Stephen Derrick 9 HR, Weston Franco 7 HR) as well as some productive starters (i.e. Nathan Saltzgaber .359 avg, Nathan Love .359 avg, and Gerad Morris .358 svg). In Head Coach Byington's second year, many questions marks are still there, and McM is more than halfway through the season (9-13, 22 games).

On Tuesday verse Trinity (#25) everyone showed up to hit and it produced enough to slip by with a win. Defense seems to pull the team down every game with costly errors and poor two strike pitching that both seem to domino into little mistakes that produce big innings (3+ runs).

At this point in the season there seems to be a consistent 7 starters in the field (Dibiasi, Bell, Mullin, Jackson, Thompson, Falcone, and Saltzgaber (DH)). The other two positions (2B and 3B) seem to be in a rotation. My question to everyone is; is it normal to find this kind of rotation at this point in the year? Wouldn't you want to find that guy at those positions and see what he can do in a 5+ consistent game span?

Agreed that the rotations at 2B and 3B have been a problem for McM all season.  Baker was actually doing a very good job at 2B, hitting well and playing good defense, but then was shifted to 3B where he struggled.  Perhaps putting him back at 2B full-time would clear up one of the problem positions.  As for 3B, it's a dilema.  My suggestion would be to try one of the 1st baseman (Thompson or Saltzgaber).  I know Saltzgaber struggled at 3B early last season but he did no worse defensively than what they've gotten so far this season and he will hit.  The other players so far this season have struggled defensively and at the plate.  Thompson is good enough defensively to handle either position and his hitting is starting to come around.  That would also free up the DH spot for one of the younger outfielders (perhaps Walding) that has hit okay be struggled in the field.

As for the pitching, I think solidifying the defense will go a long way to improving the pitching as well.  McM has struggled with giving up a LOT of runs after errors that have made major impacts on games.

McMurry's defensive problems turned what could have been a close game into a blowout.  First a pop-up on the infield that would have been the 3rd out and kept the score at 0-0 is not caught and TLU takes advantage and scores 5 runs in the inning.  Then later a fly ball to center field that would have ended the inning is dropped and TLU again takes advantage and scores 8 runs in that inning.  If McMurry makes those simple plays they can at least have a hope of making a game of it.  Instead it got UGLY.  TLU showed how good they are by taking advantage of both of those.

Of course it may not have mattered because Orosey was awesome as usual.  I saw him pitch last year and thought he looked great.  I must brag that my son was 2 for 3 off him today though.

Quote from: CUAfan on July 12, 2009, 05:53:27 PM
ASC pro's stat update:

Hitters
Steven Yurchick (Bay Area Toros) - .296/.345/.343, 2 3B, 16/20 SB, 108 AB
Tom Williams (Bay Area Toros) - .333/.400/.630, 2 2B, 2 HR, 27 AB
Jacob Kaase (Bakersfield Blaze*) - .256/.299/.411, 15 2B, 5 HR, 246 AB
Jeremy Macklin (Big Bend Cowboys) - .357/.404/.571, 3 2B, 2 HR, 42 AB
Paige Hodges (Coastal Kingfish) - .250/.280/.333, 2 2B, 6 K, 24 AB

Pitchers
Jonathan Miller (Florence Freedom) - 27.2 IP, 3.69 ERA, 21 K, 8 BB, 3 HR
Kyle Hudson (Bay Area Toros) - 23.2 IP, 1.14 ERA, 25 K, 8 BB, 0 HR
Curt Dixon (Big Bend Cowboys) - 31.2 IP, 3.69 ERA, 31 K, 13 BB, 1 HR
Stephen Szkotak (Big Bend Cowboys) - 15.2 IP, 4.02 ERA, 20 K, 4 BB, 1 HR
Brett Holland (AZL Padres*) - 8.0 IP, 1.13 ERA, 7 K, 4 BB, 1 HR
Matt Coburn (Bay Area Toros) - 9.2 IP, 3.72 ERA, 14 K, 4 BB, 1 HR
Tommy Rozell (Coastal Kingfish) - 13.2 IP, 10.54 ERA, 6 K, 5 BB, 4 HR
Michael Johnson (Brooklyn Cyclones*) - 5.0 IP, 5.40 ERA, 6 K, 2 BB, 1 HR

* - part of MLB organization

The Evansville Otters released Daleiden on 6/22/2009 and Ziegler on 7/9/2009, and Stephen Derrick was released by the St. Paul Saints on 6/30/2009.

Jacob Kaase has played 52 games in Low-A and 12 for High-A Bakersfield.

FYI....

Stephen Derrick is now playing with the San Angelo Colts of the United League and is off to a very good start.

Quote from: dp643 on May 06, 2009, 10:04:55 PM
Had anyone checked out the All-Conference teams that have released?

I am all for player recognition and acknowledging players for their accomplishments, but I think there is a point where you need to draw a line. Not to take anything away from Schreiner, but having 13 all conference recognitions in one of the bottom teams in the division definitely raises some eyebrows. There are definitely some deserving players that made the honorable mention list, and I think their accomplishments are overshaddowed by the fact that they are recognized alongside pitchers with 10+ERA's and hitters with sub .230 batting averages.

Not to mention a player like Kyle Martiin with a 3.61 ERA didnt even make Honorable Mention while other players on the list had terrible numbers.

While I agree with alot of the list, and where some players are put can be arguable, the bottom of the list really bothers me.

This is all of course my humble opinion, and I am curious to hear other's thoughts.

   

I agree completely with your assessment.  I just looked at the numbers for the Schreiner players and it's not good.  I guess each coach nominates their own players and the Schreiner coach decided to nominate his whole team.    McMurry has 8-9 guys that aren't on the list that have MUCH better numbers than most of the Schreiner players listed.  (and I'm sure most of the other teams in the conference do as well!)  I'm not meaning for this to sound disparging toward the Schreiner kids and some of them certainly deserve to be there, but the coach should certainly be more respective of what the All Conference awards are really for.

Quote from: TexasBB on March 04, 2009, 01:22:16 PM
Go the website's main page and then to "Freequently Asked Questions" and the topic NCAA tournament.

Thanks.

We're new to D3 and I'm trying to figure out how the post season works.  My son is a freshman, although playing quite a bit and doing quite well    I understand how the conference tournament works and that the winner of that gets an automatic bid to the Regional tournament but what I don't understand is the talk I hear of at-large bids and Pool C, etc.  Can someone please enlighten me.  Where do the at-large bids go and how are they determined?