BB: SAA: Southern Athletic Conference

[BSCpanthers]

#23 BSC split with Centre this weekend, currently 18-9.

Other conference members ranked,

#12 Berry

Football member Trinity is currently ranked #1.

[Ralph Turner]

Congrats to Rhodes.
At NPI ranking of #40, 2 losses in the tourney might have knocked Rhodes out of an at-large bid. After May 9th games, I had Rhodes as the #22 at-large bid (of 23 total). In the SUNYAC, Oswego went 2-and BBQ and lost 10 slots in the rankings.

As I see it, because of the rain-out, Centre may have been denied a Regional Hosting at NPI #17, but the SAA extended their prowess as a Baseball Power Conference with 3 bids.

[Ron Boerger]

Trinity posted its schedule for its first season as a member of the SAA. 

Coming to town:  UW-Whitewater (4), Babson (3), Kean (3), Muhlenberg, Tufts (3), TLU, Concordia
Away:  TLU, Concordia, St. Thomas

SAA (3 games each):  Millsaps, @Oglethorpe, @Berry, @Southwestern, Sewanee, Rhodes, @Centre

Competition starts with a single game against UW-W on Feb 19.

[Ralph Turner]

Trinity posted its schedule for its first season as a member of the SAA. 

Coming to town:  UW-Whitewater (4), Babson (3), Kean (3), Muhlenberg, Tufts (3), TLU, Concordia
Away:  TLU, Concordia, St. Thomas

SAA (3 games each):  Millsaps, @Oglethorpe, @Berry, @Southwestern, Sewanee, Rhodes, @Centre

Competition starts with a single game against UW-W on Feb 19.

I think Trinity will have a sufficiently strong NPI to earn a Pool C bid, if they do not win the conference.

[Ron Boerger]

Former B-SC coach Jan Weisberg will make his D1 head coaching debut Friday when his Eastern Kentucky Colonels travel to Alabama State for a three-game set.  He was previously the HC at D2 Valdosta State, where he led the team to a 30-22 record.  He will have his work cut out, leading a team that after an 11-44 season (8-22 American Sun) lost 28 players from its roster.  Only 18, and only three starters, return. 

[Ralph Turner]

Question.

4 errors for TUTx vs TLU on Tues.
What was the condition of TLU's infield?

[Ron Boerger]

Question.

4 errors for TUTx vs TLU on Tues.
What was the condition of TLU's infield?

Just saw this.  Trinity's somewhat error-prone this season (three games with four errors so far) and this was not only the first time they hit the road this season, but the first time they played on natural grass.

Good to see the Tiger bats get going this weekend (23, 10, and 10 runs) but looks like Jim Page's Majors are struggling this season.

[Ralph Turner]

Question.

4 errors for TUTx vs TLU on Tues.
What was the condition of TLU's infield?

Just saw this.  Trinity's somewhat error-prone this season (three games with four errors so far) and this was not only the first time they hit the road this season, but the first time they played on natural grass.

Good to see the Tiger bats get going this weekend (23, 10, and 10 runs) but looks like Jim Page's Majors are struggling this season.

TLU's field is usually pretty good. McMurry had 5 errors in game 1 and 2 in each of games 2 and 3 back on February 13 and 14.

[Ron Boerger]

It hasn't been the year Trinity has hoped for (21-12, 12-3 SAA to date) but with today's 11-6 comeback win against Sewanee, Tim Scannell recorded his 900th career win.

Next up for the Tigers: three games at home against second-place SAA co-leader Rhodes (24-9, 11-4) next weekend.  The Lynx unexpectedly dropped the last game of their series at Millsaps today. 

[Ron Boerger]

Rhodes took two of three from Trinity after a ninth-inning comeback attempt in the rubber match fell short, so the two teams are now tied for the SAA lead with the Lynx owning the tie-breaker as a result of the weekend results.   Trinity dropped to 15-10 at home this season.

The Lynx scored three in the top of the ninth, with the eventual winning run coming on a double steal.

[108 Stitches]

@Ron Boerger etal. I have been following Trinity for 12 years and have never seen them out of the top 20 until this year. All teams have ups and downs, but I sure they will reload next year. They have a great program and coaches. They do have a strong schedule there is always the conference tournament, so you never know. 

[Ron Boerger]

Acording to a Chron.com story, Trinity will "reallocate an existing unoccupied portion of the first floor [in the Bell Center] with [a] new locker [room], while also installing a new toilet room facility" for use by the baseball team beginning next season.  According to the story, work will begin next week.

[Ron Boerger]

The two top seeds in the SAA, Trinity and Rhodes, will play an elimination game to see who will be the sacrificial lamb in the championship series vs #4 Centre.  Rhodes is playing its third game of the weekend, Trinity, its fourth. The winner will face a fresh Colonel squad playing only its third.  The Lynx (35th in NPI) probably have clinched an at-large bid even with a loss; Trinity (45th) might have to win two to secure a bid but winning one against higher-ranked Rhodes could do the trick.  Centre is 46th, two losses would mean they're out but they'll have two chances against a tired team to win one and the auto bid.   

[Ron Boerger]

Rhodes beat Trinity, 3-2.

Centre is up 6-0 with Rhodes still to bat in the third.  The Colonels did all their damage (so far) in the top of the first, chasing starter Nathan Shumway after two-thirds of an inning.   

[Ron Boerger]

Centre wins their second SAA championship in three years, 11-3 over Rhodes.