Comments on: Stock Report: Week Nine

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 00:03:52 +0000

Steve: No doubt atrocious losses by Ohio St. The Webber International loss is simply inexcusable, but, that happens in baseball. I'm a Big 10 fan as well, Minnesota specifically, and it irritates me when a fellow Big 10 fan takes a shot at the conference. It just adds fuel to the propaganda out there that the Big 10 is so weak. The fact is a majority of the media covering college baseball have their own biased opinions which tend to reflect negatively on Northern baseball in general. Being a Hoosier fan, doesn't it make you wonder whether the Big 10 is really so much worse than the ACC, Big 12, and SEC overall. Your team last year was 16-7 in the Big 10, 3rd place. That is with a roster that had Eric Arnett, Matt Bashore, Josh Phlegley, and Dickerson among others. The first 3 guys were high draft picks. Dickerson will certainly be as well. I'm not going to argue that LSU (with Renaudo back), Texas, and Virginia wouldn't be favored to win the Big 10 this year if they were in the conference. Those are elite teams this year. However, the difference between the rest of the teams in those conferences and the top of the Big Ten is very small. I'm pretty confident that if the Big 10 got 9 regional bids, 4 hosts, and 4 #1 seeds the conference would do pretty well in the postseason. I personally think that if things do not change that you will see an enormous pull back from Northern teams in college baseball in the next 10 years. If the NCAA is going to continue to let in 9 teams from the SEC, 7 from the ACC, and 7-8 from the Big 12, and give the Big 10 1 bid, what is the point of Northern schools making an effort in such a non revenue sport for them? Interested if you have any thoughts.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:36:04 +0000

Scott: Rollins College and Webber International definitely would like to see Ohio State in their NAIA or DIII regional — trust them.

By: Kyle Lutz

Kyle Lutz — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:55:22 +0000

I think LSU is bubble in for sure.. I don't understand how the reigning national champs (with a 31-6 record!!!) could be bubble out.. when Arkansas (with the same exact record and who lost the weekend series to LSU!!!!) could be one of the only 2 automatics.. how does that make sense?

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:31:12 +0000

SEC getting 9 and ACC getting 7 is simply a farce. That is just not good for college baseball nationally. If it comes down to Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina versus Rutgers, Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State I take the latter 4 every time. Better to nationalize the sport every time. Steve, have you watched baseball nationwide? Don't buy that the top Big East and Big 10 teams can't compete with the "Big Boys". Louisville, Connecticut, Ohio State and Michigan State could all win a regional (if they get in). Trust me, teams will not want to see them in their region.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:13:34 +0000

Great breakdown. I'm a Big 10 fan; but, I gotta say there are no at-large worthy teams in the B10 this year. So, when Indiana repeats as champions, OSU, Mich, and MSU can all go home.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:05:03 +0000

Mark Fresno State down in pen. Don't be surprised when they at least make a Super Regional this year.

By: Pat

Pat — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:37:10 +0000

This format makes so much more sense than trying to place teams and seeds in a regional. Please keep it.

By: Aaron Fitt

Aaron Fitt — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:06:56 +0000

Good comments, all. It’s obviously a very fluid situation. I listed Georgia Tech as a bubble team for a national seed because it is 11th in the RPI, a product of its soft nonconference schedule. But I do think Tech is very much on track to get a national seed. Mark, I agree with you that the Pac-10 should get seven teams if it deserves seven teams, but the simple truth is the committee is very, very unlikely to do that. Paul, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Fullerton sneak up and steal a national seed by the end of the season. Tigerterrace, the things that separates Ole Miss from Auburn for me: (1) Auburn has lost three of its last four series, and four series overall, and (2) Auburn has just one really good series win, against LSU. Ole Miss has a comparable series win against Florida and has been a little more consistent overall. But you’re right, it’s not a huge difference.

By: Aaron Fitt

Aaron Fitt — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:59:24 +0000

Fixed that error — thanks for catching that, AstroTiger.

By: AstroTiger

AstroTiger — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:33:17 +0000

Kansas did not sweep the 2 games against Tulane, they were swept. Also, bold move calling UCLA secure in for a national seed, since they are 5-5 in their last 10 (and lost big again since you wrote this); but that's your opinion so I'm cool with that. However, the Kansas thing is wrong so fix that.

By: Tigerterrace

Tigerterrace — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 05:18:05 +0000

A couple of quick points.
First in the SEC-You have Ole Miss safely in, but yet you have Auburn in the Bubble (IN) category. I would just like to point out that as of right now both teams are 8-7 in the SEC. Auburn has a much better RPI against a better SOS. So I would say that right now Auburn, Vandy and Ole Miss are all there together, but if you are going to separate then Ole Miss is behind both at this point. The SEC only gets 8, it sends a bad message to the rest of the NCAA.
Second-The Sunbelt is currently the 5th ranked RPI conference. I think if it holds that position then it deserves three teams and you have to look at the team at the top in South Alabama. They have already played WKU and host Florida Atlantic in Mobile in mid-May. I think if both teams avoid a sweep then both are in.
Third-Big East look for Rutgers to make enough of a push to force the committee to take another northern team.
Four-PAC-10 Stanford slips down the stretch.
Five-CON USA has no chance at three and might not get two if Rice wins the tournament. This isn't even your normal Rice team, this league is bad this year.
Six-SOCON- Give me one more team. WCU or App St. This league can play. They are battle tested with games against the SEC and ACC.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 04:29:00 +0000

I really think when it is all said and done Fullerton will be a top 8 team and well on it's way to Omaha. They really got this pointed in the right direction.

By: bhamjacket

bhamjacket — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:39:32 +0000

Georgia Tech on the bubble for a national seed at 32-5? Seriously?

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:11:42 +0000

I'm troubled by just automatically assuming that an Oregon State club that has been ranked and played well most of the season wouldn't become the 7th Pac 10 team to get in just because the conference hasn't gotten that many in before — but meanwhile the SEC and ACC get 8 or 9 teams in without a hitch? I'll take the Beavers over Auburn, UNC, Alabama, Kentucky, and Virginia Tech. The west is almost always underrepresented in regionals, and it would be a shame if in a year when the dominant west coast conference has both top end strength and fantastic depth, they don't get rewarded for it the way the southeastern conferences do.