2019 MIAA Baseball

[Hornetfan]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

This is a huge weekend with six of the top seven teams playing each other. If Southern wins the series they can get some real separation from the rest of the league. If UCM wins then we could have four or five teams within two games of first, depending on how things shake out.
The UCO-Lindenwood series is really interesting to me. The Bronchos have played the toughest schedule so far while Lindenwood is tied for the worst yet they are tied at 11-7 in league.
I just wish the weather would start to cooperate so we can start getting some crowds out to the games

[Randy]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

Week 7 is in the books. Sweeps for Northwest(the 5th time Hays has been swept) & Pitt(3rd time for Northeastern). 2-1 series wins for CentralMO(Southern), Emporia(Western), Lindenwood(CentralOK) & Washburn(Baptist).

The CentralMO win changes the lead for Southern at the top. Last week nobody was within a game of Southern and only 2 teams within 2 games. Now the teams that were 2 games back are now a game back and 2 additional teams have moved within 2 games. CentralMO is also now the only team to have lost only 1 MIAA series.

[B]POS SCHOOL         W-L     %    GB    OPP%   OVERALL[/B]
 1  Southern      15-6   71.4   0.0  (54.0)   24-10
 2  CentralMO     14-7   66.7   1.0  (52.4)   22-11
    Emporia       14-7   66.7   1.0  (52.4)   20-12
 4  Lindenwood    13-8   61.9   2.0  (45.2)   19-16
    Northwest     13-8   61.9   2.0  (42.1)   17-15
 6  CentralOK     12-9   57.1   3.0  (65.1)   20-13
 7  Pitt          11-10  52.4   4.0  (50.0)   17-16
    Western       11-10  52.4   4.0  (48.4)   14-15
 9  Washburn       8-13  38.1   7.0  (55.6)   14-17
10  Northeastern   7-14  33.3   8.0  (44.4)   10-25
11  Baptist        6-15  28.6   9.0  (42.9)   12-21
12  Hays           2-19   9.5  13.0  (47.6)    3-27

[Randy]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

The CentralMO/Southern featured 3 comeback wins. In the first game Southern lead 2-0 after 5 but Central scored a run each inning after to win 4-2. Jonathan Sprinkle, who leads the Mules in saves, got the win as he entered the game with 1 out in the 4th and retired the first 16 batters he faced. 9 by strikeout.

Central scored the first 9 runs in the second game and lead 16-11 after 7 innings. Southern scored 3 runs in the 8th and Matt Miller hit a walk-off 3 run homer in the 9th. Southern's hitting star for the series, Dexter Swims, was 3 of 4 with a HR and 6 RBI. Joey Reeves, who entered the series with a 19.29 ERA, pitched 2 scoreless/hitless innings to close out the game and get the win.

Southern lead the third game 13-3 after 4 innings and 16-7 after 6. Central scored a run in the 7th and 2 in the 8th. Central's hitting star for the series, Michael Sinks, lead off the 9th with his second HR of the game and finished the 8 run inning with a 3-run HR and his 7th RBI of the game. Luke Lucas, who had pitched less than 2 innings this season, pitched 2-2/3 scoreless innings for the win and Jonathan Sprinkle pitched a scoreless 9th for the save.

Sinks finished the series 8/16 with 3 HR & 8 RBI. Swims finished 8/14 with 2 HR and 10 RBI.

[Hornetfan]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

One of the more anticipated series of the year is coming up this weekend when Bob Fornelli makes his return to Emporia.

Hornets are tied for second just one game out of first, but only have a three game lead over the Gorillas who are tied for seventh.
UCM, the other team tied with ESU for second, plays Lindenwood who they only lead by one game.
NWMSU is tied with Lindenwood for fourth and take on MWSU. Bearcats have a two game lead on the Griffs.
MSSU should safely be in first place at this time next week as they are playing 11th place SBU, but you know...baseball.

Could have a lot of movement or none at all after the dust settles.

[Randy]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

Week 8 is in the books and Southern now has company at the top. Sweeps for CentralMO(Lindenwood), Western(Northwest) & Washburn(Hays - the 6th time they have been swept in 8 weekends). 2-1 series wins for CentralOK(Northeastern), Southern(Baptist) & Pitt(Emporia).

Emporia is the only team to win game 1 and not also win game 2. The other 5 series all had a team going for the sweep in game 3.

Both teams (Lindenwood & Northwest) that had pulled to within 2 games of the top with sweeps last week lost 2 games on the lead by getting swept this week. Lindenwood only had the lead for the first 4 innings of game 2. The Mules, who had won the first game 1-0, took the lead in the 5th and never trailed again the rest of the weekend.

CentralOK has the easiest remaining schedule as all 3 opponents (Hays, Baptist & Washburn) have losing MIAA records. Emporia has 2 remaining opponents with losing MIAA records (Northeastern & Washburn). The rest of the top 5 teams, CentralMO(Hays), Southern(Northeastern) & Western(Baptist), only have 1 remaining opponent with a losing MIAA record.

POS SCHOOL         W-L     %    GB    OPP%   OVERALL
 1  CentralMO     17-7   70.8   0.0  (54.2)   26-11
    Southern      17-7   70.8   0.0  (51.2)   26-12
 3  Emporia       15-9   62.5   2.0  (52.4)   21-15
 4  CentralOK     14-10  58.3   3.0  (59.5)   23-14
    Western       14-10  58.3   3.0  (49.4)   17-15
 6  Pitt          13-11  54.2   4.0  (51.8)   20-17
    Lindenwood    13-11  54.2   4.0  (49.4)   19-19
    Northwest     13-11  54.2   4.0  (44.6)   17-19
 9  Washburn      11-13  45.8   6.0  (49.4)   18-17
10  Northeastern   8-16  33.3   9.0  (45.8)   11-27
11  Baptist        7-17  29.2  10.0  (47.0)   13-23
12  Hays           2-22   8.3  15.0  (45.2)    3-31

Note:  The OPP% is conference games only.
       If no games are cancelled, everyone will finish at 50%.

[Randy]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

Week 9 is is the books and Southern is now alone again at the top. Sweeps for CentralOK(the 7th time Hays has been swept and the 6th consecutive week) & Southern(the 4th time Northeastern has been swept). Emporia(Washburn) & Lindenwood(Baptist) lost their bid for a sweep in game 3. CentralMO(Northwest) & Pitt(Western) won the rubber game to take the series.

With 2 weekends left, only 9 teams remain in contention for the 8 team MIAA tournament. Northeastern & Baptist could, by winning all 6 remaining tie Northwest if Northwest lost all 6. But Northwest won the series against both and would have the tie breaker. Washburn, only 2 games out of 8th place, is the only team with a chance to replace anyone in the top 8.

Jonathan Sprinkle pitched the final inning of all 3 games for the Mules which resulted in a loss, a win and a save. In game 1, after the Mules had scored 4 in the 8th & 3 in the 9th to send the game to extra innings, Sprinkle gave up his only hit of the weekend as the first batter he faced hit a towering fly ball to short right. The right fielder lost the ball in the lights resulting in a triple. He struck out the next batter but the 3rd batter drove in the run with a ground out up the middle. Northwest wins 11-10. Sprinkle pitched a perfect top of the 9th in game 2. Cole Taylor lead off the bottom of the inning with a walk-off home run. The Mules win 9-8. He recorded the save in game 3 as he faced only 3 batters in the 9th. The lead off hitter walked but was erased when the next batter hit into a double play. The Mules win 7-4.

[B]POS SCHOOL         W-L     %    GB    OPP%   OVERALL[/B]
 1  Southern      20-7   74.1   0.0  (48.6)   29-13
 2  CentralMO     19-8   70.4   1.0  (54.6)   28-12
 3  CentralOK     17-10  63.0   3.0  (53.2)   27-14
    Emporia       17-10  63.0   3.0  (52.3)   24-16
 5  Pitt          15-12  55.6   5.0  (52.3)   23-18
    Lindenwood    15-12  55.6   5.0  (46.8)   22-20
    Western       15-12  55.6   5.0  (50.0)   18-17
 8  Northwest     14-13  51.9   6.0  (47.7)   18-22
 9  Washburn      12-15  44.4   8.0  (50.9)   20-19
10  Baptist        8-19  29.6  12.0  (47.7)   16-25
    Northeastern   8-19  29.6  12.0  (49.1)   11-31
12  Hays           2-25   7.4  18.0  (46.8)    3-34

Note:  The OPP% is conference games only.
       If no games are cancelled, everyone will finish at 50%.

[Hornetfan]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

Technically MSSU and UCM have clinched spots in the MIAA tourney. Magic number for ESU and UCO to clinch is one. Hornets had a chance to clinch if they had swept WU. The only two teams in the top nine that have been swept at home so far are UCO (by MSSU) and NWMSU (by UCO).
Southern finishes with Pitt at home and Lindenwood in St. Charles.
UCM has FHSU at home and goes to Western.
ESU is at Northeastern State and home to NWMSU.
UCO has got Washburn at home and then finishes at SBU.

If I were a betting man I would say MSSU goes 4-2, UCM goes 5-1, ESU goes 5-1, UCO goes 6-0. In that scenario the Hornets would finish fourth. I haven't gone into all the possibilities after that but Pitt holds the tie breaker on LWU and Western so they could easily finish fifth ESU would play Fornelli in the first round of the MIAA tourney as the home team in Pittsburg.

[Hornetfan]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

Looking at the regional stuff
The MIAA has four teams with winning percentages of over .600 right now and I'm pretty sure all of those games are D2 games since the league as a whole has only played four non-D2 games according to the NCAA stats site. All four of the teams have opponents winning percentages above .500 right now and when you include future opponents.
The NSIC has five teams over .600 with all of them at least .684 right now. I don't know how many of those are D2 games since the league has played 27 non-D2 games. Three of the five have opponents winning percentages over .500 right now but one of them drops below .500 when you include future opponents.
The GAC has four teams over .600 right now and as a league has played 28 non-D2 games. Three of the four have opponents winning percentages under .500 right now but two of those go over .500 when you include future opponents.

Unless something crazy happens I would say it looks like the conference breakdown will probably be 3-3-2 with who gets what depending largely on the postseason tourneys.
FWIW the only non-con games I saw between the teams above .600:
UCM lost one game to SCSU
UCO took three from Ark. Tech
Mankato took two of three from Monticello

[Randy]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

CentralMO beat ArkTech a few weeks ago in a midweek game that was not on the original schedule.

[Hornetfan]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

CentralMO beat ArkTech a few weeks ago in a midweek game that was not on the original schedule.

Thanks.
That one isn't showing up on the MIAA site.

[Randy]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

Thanks.
That one isn't showing up on the MIAA site.

I knew the MIAA website was missing one of CentralMo's wins, now I know which one. They are also missing one of Baptist's non con wins. This kind of crap is why I always check the team websites before posting the weekly recaps.

[Taxman]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

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[Frosty]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

First place in the conference - sixth in the region makes perfect sense ...

[Randy]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

First place in the conference - sixth in the region makes perfect sense ...

Everyone above Southern has lost at least 2 fewer D2 games.

[Hornetfan]

Re: 2019 MIAA Baseball

If you look at the info sheet at the bottom of the rankings page on ncaa.com there are five criteria listed and the four teams in front of Southern all have better numbers in at least three of the five (based on the percentages).
I know those aren't the only criteria that the RAC uses but based on what's available to the public these actually look pretty good for the first set of rankings.
Based on past years and this is a new committee this year, it seems like baseball puts a lot on how you do in your league tournament. One year when the MIAA was still in the south central Cameron was the #1 team for most of the year but went 0-2 in league tourney and didn't make the NCAA Tournament. Last year ESU was the eighth seed in the MIAA Tourney, made it to the championship game before getting beat and then made the NCAA Tourney. (And were tied with the eventual national champions in the third game at the regional.)