2017 Season Notes

[VectorVictor]

5th in the conference (via RPI) in a conference that is literally the most pathetic baseball conference out there. The same conference we said we should dominate when we walked in the door because of how weak it was.

Drama much? There are at least a dozen conferences that are more 'pathetic' than the B1G, and we're playing a Top 25 team this week in Maryland.

Maybe we should just focus on winning our conference first before we complain about how 'pathetic' the B1G is in baseball (especially when that isn't the reality). I'm all for this year being Erstad's last chance to prove he should helm this team, but let's not denigrate the B1G when we can't get our own s*** in order.

Also, conference rank proof that we're not 'the most pathetic baseball conference out there':

http://warrennolan.com/baseball/2017/conference/Big-Ten

Conference Rank
RPI: 6
NPI: 6
ELO: 7

Considering our conference plays with a significant disadvantage, this is pretty good. With this we'll get 3-4 teams in the NCAA Tournament if this holds.

 

[hskrfan4life]

5th in the conference (via RPI) in a conference that is literally the most pathetic baseball conference out there. The same conference we said we should dominate when we walked in the door because of how weak it was.

Drama much? There are at least a dozen conferences that are more 'pathetic' than the B1G, and we're playing a Top 25 team this week in Maryland.

Maybe we should just focus on winning our conference first before we complain about how 'pathetic' the B1G is in baseball (especially when that isn't the reality). I'm all for this year being Erstad's last chance to prove he should helm this team, but let's not denigrate the B1G when we can't get our own s*** in order.

Also, conference rank proof that we're not 'the most pathetic baseball conference out there':

http://warrennolan.com/baseball/2017/conference/Big-Ten

Conference Rank

RPI: 6

NPI: 6

ELO: 7

Considering our conference plays with a significant disadvantage, this is pretty good. With this we'll get 3-4 teams in the NCAA Tournament if this holds.

Also the conference was pretty tough when we joined, Purdue, Indiana had their run, Illinois, Minnesota. Also we started 2-6 including games against pretty solid teams. The BIG is a good conference not great.

 

[hskrfan4life]

[No message]

 

[VectorVictor]

5th in the conference (via RPI) in a conference that is literally the most pathetic baseball conference out there. The same conference we said we should dominate when we walked in the door because of how weak it was.

Drama much? There are at least a dozen conferences that are more 'pathetic' than the B1G, and we're playing a Top 25 team this week in Maryland.

Maybe we should just focus on winning our conference first before we complain about how 'pathetic' the B1G is in baseball (especially when that isn't the reality). I'm all for this year being Erstad's last chance to prove he should helm this team, but let's not denigrate the B1G when we can't get our own s*** in order.

Also, conference rank proof that we're not 'the most pathetic baseball conference out there':

http://warrennolan.com/baseball/2017/conference/Big-Ten

Conference Rank

RPI: 6

NPI: 6

ELO: 7

Considering our conference plays with a significant disadvantage, this is pretty good. With this we'll get 3-4 teams in the NCAA Tournament if this holds.

Also the conference was pretty tough when we joined, Purdue, Indiana had their run, Illinois, Minnesota. Also we started 2-6 including games against pretty solid teams. The BIG is a good conference not great.

Right--no one is saying it's the best conference in the land, and there's certainly room for improvement. The point was that the B1G was, and I quote, "literally the most pathetic baseball conference out there". And this point couldn't be further from the truth.

I do think if the B1G would divert more resources to baseball, they'd see dividends, both in revenue and improved quality. But Delaney is a basketball guy, so I don't expect the conference to embrace that vision for as long as he's in charge.

 

[hskrfan4life]

5th in the conference (via RPI) in a conference that is literally the most pathetic baseball conference out there. The same conference we said we should dominate when we walked in the door because of how weak it was.

Drama much? There are at least a dozen conferences that are more 'pathetic' than the B1G, and we're playing a Top 25 team this week in Maryland.

Maybe we should just focus on winning our conference first before we complain about how 'pathetic' the B1G is in baseball (especially when that isn't the reality). I'm all for this year being Erstad's last chance to prove he should helm this team, but let's not denigrate the B1G when we can't get our own s*** in order.

Also, conference rank proof that we're not 'the most pathetic baseball conference out there':

http://warrennolan.com/baseball/2017/conference/Big-Ten

Conference Rank

RPI: 6

NPI: 6

ELO: 7

Considering our conference plays with a significant disadvantage, this is pretty good. With this we'll get 3-4 teams in the NCAA Tournament if this holds.

Also the conference was pretty tough when we joined, Purdue, Indiana had their run, Illinois, Minnesota. Also we started 2-6 including games against pretty solid teams. The BIG is a good conference not great.

Right--no one is saying it's the best conference in the land, and there's certainly room for improvement. The point was that the B1G was, and I quote, "literally the most pathetic baseball conference out there". And this point couldn't be further from the truth.

I do think if the B1G would divert more resources to baseball, they'd see dividends, both in revenue and improved quality. But Delaney is a basketball guy, so I don't expect the conference to embrace that vision for as long as he's in charge.

Purdue has a new stadium, Indiana who we just visited also had a new stadium in 2013. We are getting there just need more teams to step up to the plate.

 

[VectorVictor]

5th in the conference (via RPI) in a conference that is literally the most pathetic baseball conference out there. The same conference we said we should dominate when we walked in the door because of how weak it was.

Drama much? There are at least a dozen conferences that are more 'pathetic' than the B1G, and we're playing a Top 25 team this week in Maryland.

Maybe we should just focus on winning our conference first before we complain about how 'pathetic' the B1G is in baseball (especially when that isn't the reality). I'm all for this year being Erstad's last chance to prove he should helm this team, but let's not denigrate the B1G when we can't get our own s*** in order.

Also, conference rank proof that we're not 'the most pathetic baseball conference out there':

http://warrennolan.com/baseball/2017/conference/Big-Ten

Conference Rank

RPI: 6

NPI: 6

ELO: 7

Considering our conference plays with a significant disadvantage, this is pretty good. With this we'll get 3-4 teams in the NCAA Tournament if this holds.

Also the conference was pretty tough when we joined, Purdue, Indiana had their run, Illinois, Minnesota. Also we started 2-6 including games against pretty solid teams. The BIG is a good conference not great.

Right--no one is saying it's the best conference in the land, and there's certainly room for improvement. The point was that the B1G was, and I quote, "literally the most pathetic baseball conference out there". And this point couldn't be further from the truth.

I do think if the B1G would divert more resources to baseball, they'd see dividends, both in revenue and improved quality. But Delaney is a basketball guy, so I don't expect the conference to embrace that vision for as long as he's in charge.

Purdue has a new stadium, Indiana who we just visited also had a new stadium in 2013. We are getting there just need more teams to step up to the plate.

Like Northwestern replacing their Little League playing field that looks like they're playing on the Sandlot in comparison?

 

[hskrfan4life]

5th in the conference (via RPI) in a conference that is literally the most pathetic baseball conference out there. The same conference we said we should dominate when we walked in the door because of how weak it was.

Drama much? There are at least a dozen conferences that are more 'pathetic' than the B1G, and we're playing a Top 25 team this week in Maryland.

Maybe we should just focus on winning our conference first before we complain about how 'pathetic' the B1G is in baseball (especially when that isn't the reality). I'm all for this year being Erstad's last chance to prove he should helm this team, but let's not denigrate the B1G when we can't get our own s*** in order.

Also, conference rank proof that we're not 'the most pathetic baseball conference out there':

http://warrennolan.com/baseball/2017/conference/Big-Ten

Conference Rank

RPI: 6

NPI: 6

ELO: 7

Considering our conference plays with a significant disadvantage, this is pretty good. With this we'll get 3-4 teams in the NCAA Tournament if this holds.

Also the conference was pretty tough when we joined, Purdue, Indiana had their run, Illinois, Minnesota. Also we started 2-6 including games against pretty solid teams. The BIG is a good conference not great.

Right--no one is saying it's the best conference in the land, and there's certainly room for improvement. The point was that the B1G was, and I quote, "literally the most pathetic baseball conference out there". And this point couldn't be further from the truth.

I do think if the B1G would divert more resources to baseball, they'd see dividends, both in revenue and improved quality. But Delaney is a basketball guy, so I don't expect the conference to embrace that vision for as long as he's in charge.

Purdue has a new stadium, Indiana who we just visited also had a new stadium in 2013. We are getting there just need more teams to step up to the plate.

Like Northwestern replacing their Little League playing field that looks like they're playing on the Sandlot in comparison?

EXACTLY!

 

[Atbone95]

I meant P5....

You know, like we compare every other sport to...

We aren't even in the top 5 conferences by any metric... that's a BAD P5 conference... It's actually harder to play baseball in the "American Athletic Conference". Interesting.

 

[Mavric]

I meant P5....

You know, like we compare every other sport to...

We aren't even in the top 5 conferences by any metric... that's a BAD P5 conference... It's actually harder to play baseball in the "American Athletic Conference". Interesting.

I for one thought this was obvious. Apparently I was wrong. :dunno

 

[Atbone95]

I meant P5....

You know, like we compare every other sport to...

We aren't even in the top 5 conferences by any metric... that's a BAD P5 conference... It's actually harder to play baseball in the "American Athletic Conference". Interesting.

I for one thought this was obvious. Apparently I was wrong. :dunno

Feeling the love, thanks Mav <3

 

[Mavric]

[No message]

 

[caveman99]

I meant P5....

You know, like we compare every other sport to...

We aren't even in the top 5 conferences by any metric... that's a BAD P5 conference... It's actually harder to play baseball in the "American Athletic Conference". Interesting.

I for one thought this was obvious. Apparently I was wrong. :dunno

Feeling the love, thanks Mav <3

Except that Power 5 isn't the firm barometer in college baseball that it is in football. As in college basketball where there are 300+ teams in DIV 1, the power 5 are always good, but there are other non-power 5 leagues, i.e. Big East, AAC, WCC, etc., that are also good and the RPI will reflect that. Arguably College Baseball is even more dispersed than college basketball with tons of good teams that are non-power 5. Looking at Power 5 only for baseball leaves out a big piece of the pie.

 

[VectorVictor]

I meant P5....

You know, like we compare every other sport to...

We aren't even in the top 5 conferences by any metric... that's a BAD P5 conference... It's actually harder to play baseball in the "American Athletic Conference". Interesting.

I for one thought this was obvious. Apparently I was wrong. :dunno

Feeling the love, thanks Mav <3

Except that Power 5 isn't the firm barometer in college baseball that it is in football. As in college basketball where there are 300+ teams in DIV 1, the power 5 are always good, but there are other non-power 5 leagues, i.e. Big East, AAC, WCC, etc., that are also good and the RPI will reflect that. Arguably College Baseball is even more dispersed than college basketball with tons of good teams that are non-power 5. Looking at Power 5 only for baseball leaves out a big piece of the pie.

This. Plus, you didn't say P5, and it isn't assumed, for any sport. Just like if you were to say in a football thread that the B1G is literally the worst conference in college football--there are a lot of conferences, P5 or otherwise, that you're lumping in there, regardless of your post-stated intentions.

In short, words mean things, including the absence of them.

---

Anyway, getting back on track, the team is looking better. Nice job on the RPI improvement, and we need it--other than Minnesota (who is currently first in the B1G), the rest of our schedule consists of at or sub-.500 conference teams (as of today):

• Iowa (3-3 .500)
• Ohio State (3-6 .333)
• Rutgers (0-3 .000)
• Michigan State (3-3 .500)
• Penn State (1-5 .167)

Granted, the sample size is small, but Penn State, Rutgers, and tOSU usually are .500 clubs, so I don't see them doing much improvement. Iowa and Michigan State could raise their stock, and both schools have overall records comparable to ours (19-11 and 18-10, respectively), so I don't know how much wiggle room we'll have for making the NCAA tourney.

I'm thinking us surpassing 38 wins prior to tourney play (and 40+ post B1G Tourney) will lock us in, but we only have 22 games left to get 19 wins, so that probably isn't realistic. :dunno

 

[Atbone95]

lol okay

There are academic, athletic, recruiting, and facilities benefits that come with a P5 school that those other conferences don't offer and can't match. That's what I'm saying.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

lol okay

There are academic, athletic, recruiting, and facilities benefits that come with a P5 school that those other conferences don't offer and can't match. That's what I'm saying.

There are many "smaller" schools in the southern U.S. and California that can offer just as much as a Big Ten school can, in terms of a college baseball player can. The biggest equalizers in college baseball is weather and the 11.7 scholarship limit.

If I was from a warm weather state, I would much rather go to a warm weather school that is close to my home, and where I can play baseball nearly year-round. I am probably only going to get a 1/2 a scholarship anyway, so if it's close to my home and I'm a good student, I may be able to get some academic scholarship $ also.

There is a reason why "small" schools in warm weather states can make the CWS on an almost annual basis, and Indiana in 2013 is the only Big Ten school to make a CWS appearance in recent history.