BB: UMAC: Upper Midwest Athletic Conference

[BaseballFan]

CSS and Hamline live video, think this is the first time they have done this so we will see how it works.

http://www.ifan.tv/ads/css/css.html

[BaseballFan]

CSS sweeps Hamline late last night

[biggio34]

CSS sweeps Hamline late last night

I saw the box and read the recap but does anyone who was there have any takes?  It's nice to get some perspective from someone who actually saw the action.

[MIACLUV]

Oh Dukes, come on. No need to be upset, and your boys at CSS are the least of my concern, they're a proven commodity and a traditionally strong program. What Baggs accomplished in Duluth was exceptional. My biggest qualm with your UMAC boys is the people bouncing around the Midwest boards pumping BLCCC as the second coming of Murderers Row. Based on the games against Carleton (likely the 6th or 7th best team in the MIAC this year) lets no get that excited about your conference favorite. And I made the trip down to game 1 last night and offensively St. Scholastica looked pretty solid, the kid that started on the mound had good stuff but was erratic (dominate 1 hitter, fire four straight no where near zone the next). I like the look of that squad, but lets face it, Hamline is not offensively that strong. And to your argument that the MIAC has their share of cup cakes lets take the match ups and see how they match up shall we......

Lets simulate an MIAC / UMAC DH challenge shall we?

St. Thomas vs St. Scholastica (Possible sweep for Tommies / Likely split)
St. Olaf vs Bethany (lets say split, Oles a little young)
Augsburg vs Northwestern (sweep Augs)
Mac vs Presentation (Mac sweep)
Bethel vs Northland (split-not sold on Bethel staff and Northlands 3-4-5 ok)
Concordia vs Martin Luther (Sweep Conc)
Hamline vs Morris (Sweep Hamline, they'll sweep 1-0 & 1-0)
Carleton or St. Marys vs Crown (Sweep Carl / St. Mar)

Adantage MIAC 13-3
"its science" Ron Burgandy    

[BigPoppa]

The true strength of a conference is not in the quality of the top teams, but in the quality of the teams in the middle of the pack. If they matchup well with other conference's top 2 or 3 teams, then you have a strong conference.

[biggio34]

The true strength of a conference is not in the quality of the top teams, but in the quality of the teams in the middle of the pack. If they matchup well with other conference's top 2 or 3 teams, then you have a strong conference.

I agree.  And that statement further supports MIACLUV's (great name by the way) point because clearly the middle tier MIAC teams would destroy the middle tier UMAC teams on most days.

[BigPoppa]

Agree. If the UMAC wants more credibilty as a conference, their middle teams need to step up.

[MIACLUV]

One thing that has always impressed me is that St. Scholastica has always tried to get as many of the upper tier MIAC's on there schedule to offset the poor conference schedule. I think Bethany is getting the hint by adding Olaf this year. Their Pool B chances last year were squashed last year by their schedule. How nice would it be to merge the UMAC and MIAC, have 2 divisions and an 8 team conference tournament. That I'd buy a ticket to see!

[BigPoppa]

One thing that has always impressed me is that St. Scholastica has always tried to get as many of the upper tier MIAC's on there schedule to offset the poor conference schedule. I think Bethany is getting the hint by adding Olaf this year. Their Pool B chances last year were squashed last year by their schedule. How nice would it be to merge the UMAC and MIAC, have 2 divisions and an 8 team conference tournament. That I'd buy a ticket to see!

It would make for a great conference, but the UMAC becomes a Pool A next year and it would only gaurantee those 16 teams one bid, while right now they are two conferences who will each be assured one bid starting next year.

[biggio34]

One thing that has always impressed me is that St. Scholastica has always tried to get as many of the upper tier MIAC's on there schedule to offset the poor conference schedule. I think Bethany is getting the hint by adding Olaf this year. Their Pool B chances last year were squashed last year by their schedule. How nice would it be to merge the UMAC and MIAC, have 2 divisions and an 8 team conference tournament. That I'd buy a ticket to see!

So, in this completely ludicrous scenario, how would you lay out the 2 divisions?  Is one division the UMAC and the other one is the MIAC?  Or do you throw all the teams together and randomly pick who goes into what division.  Does one divison get to use the DH and the other one doesn't?  Could they have a mid season all star game with the winner getting some sort of advantage in the conference tourney?  I take it back, this is not ludicrous at all.

[BigPoppa]

Lay it out as North/South or East/West... whichever set up works best. PLay everyone in your own division twice (14 games) and each team from the other division once (7 games) for a total of 21 conference games.
Match 1vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in a cross division set up for the post season and play out an 8-team double elimination tourney over 3-4 days.

Worst case scenario is UST, STO, CSS and BLC all end up in one division and can STILL all get into the playoffs and battle it out in the double elimination.

[paulisdeadman]

Im  confused, where does anyone suggest that the UMAC is better than the MIAC? 

[BASEBALLLOVER18]

I was also in attendence at the scholastica hamline game.  to say that the saints had a good offense in the first game is obserd.  the pipers didnt throw it, field it, or hit it well.  at least 3 of thier 6 runs were unearned.  note to all you ladies and gentlemen:  IT IS EARLY!!!!! BLC and CSS have great offenses and are off to a slow start.  Nobody is trying to say the UMAC is better than the MIAC from top to bottom.  but i gaurentee the two top teams in the umac could hold their own in the MIAC.  Put it this way bethany has something like 18-20 pitchers on their roster and css has musch of the same depth would not be a problem for either team.  Just figure out that noone in say the northwesterns and the presentations and the mlc's are beeter than MIAC middle field so i am sick of seeing that stuff posted day in and day out..... OHHHH the MIAC is so great..... news flash aside from Thomas and Olaf ...... not a very strong conference either

[MIACLUV]

Lay it out as North/South or East/West... whichever set up works best. PLay everyone in your own division twice (14 games) and each team from the other division once (7 games) for a total of 21 conference games.
Match 1vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in a cross division set up for the post season and play out an 8-team double elimination tourney over 3-4 days.

Worst case scenario is UST, STO, CSS and BLC all end up in one division and can STILL all get into the playoffs and battle it out in the double elimination.

I like this but, here's how it could line up:

EAST DIVISION                             WEST DIVISION
St. Thomas                                                        St. Olaf
St. Scholastica                                                   Bethany Lutheran
Carleton                                                            Gustavus
Macalaster                                                         Conc. Moorhead
Hamline                                                             St. Johns
Augsburg                                                           Crown
Northwestern                                                    Presentation
Northland                                                          MN Morris
St. Marys                                                           Bethel

Someone would have to go to the West, in this fantasy world I scent Bethel, no hard feelings to Bethel but someone would have to go and to even the divisions it could be someone else.

Two possible playoff scenarios:
#1
Top two in each division make playoff and seed the 4 based on record, best of 3 over a two weekend (opening round & championship round)

#2
Top 3 in each division make playoffs, seed all 6 teams, seeds #1 & #2 qualify for best of 3 second round, seed 3 & 6 and 4 & 5 play a 1 game play in to face 2 top seeds.  

[biggio34]

...in this fantasy world I scent Bethel, no hard feelings to Bethel...

I "scent" Bethel as well, and they smell real real nice clark.