Updated MAC Baseball Standings

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:58 pm

MAC EAST
Kent State, 11-4
BOWLING GREEN, 9-6
Ohio, 7-8
Miami, 6-9
Akron, 4-11
Buffalo, 3-12

MAC WEST
Central Michigan, 10-5
Eastern Michigan, 9-6
Ball State, 8-7
Western Michigan, 8-7
Northern Illinois, 8-7
Toledo, 7-8

MAC Weekend Series Action for April 28-30:
Kent State at Ohio
Miami at BOWLING GREEN
Buffalo at Akron
Toledo at Central Michigan
Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan
Western Michigan at Ball State

bigzipguy · Post by **bigzipguy** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 6:08 pm

Miami is on the verge of tanking. You guys should take a min of 2 games next week, probably sweep.

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 6:33 pm

bigzipguy wrote:Miami is on the verge of tanking. You guys should take a min of 2 games next week, probably sweep.

In response to us taking two or sweeping Miami, that would be nice, but I actually thought that's what we were going to do this past weekend against Akron. We'll see about that next weekend.

But yeah, I agree with you about Miami, they are kind of a mystery team to me so far this season. They’re coming off an NCAA Regional and MAC Championship season last year and the pieces appeared to be in place for a great season this year again. But they’ve struggled so far. They’ve got some great arms on their staff and some offensive firepower, but they just haven’t been able to put it all together so far this season. I just hope they don’t come to life next weekend against my Falcons. But I have a feeling they are going to make a run and I still think they’re going to get into the MAC Tournament. They are down, but not out.

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 9:19 am

Also, the good thing is Miami is AT BG...as is Kent in a couple weeks. BG plays so much better at home this year.

Even after the poor showing in Akron this weekend, we're only 2 games back of Kent.

GO BASEBALL

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 12:28 pm

Falconfreak90 wrote:Also, the good thing is Miami is AT BG...as is Kent in a couple weeks. BG plays so much better at home this year.

Even after the poor showing in Akron this weekend, we're only 2 games back of Kent.

GO BASEBALL

Yeah, we certainly have played much better at home in the MAC than we have on the road. We’re 6-0 at home and swept both series, but we’re only 3-6 on the road in conference play and lost all three series by the mark of 1-2. The one quirky thing we have working against us this year too is we’ll play one more road series than home this year in the MAC. We had two home and away series against the MAC West, but we’ll only play two home series in MAC East play (next week against Miami, then the next weekend against Kent State) and will have three MAC East series on the road, which is why it stinks we let the Akron series slip away. And the way the MAC Tournament is set up, it’s not played on a neutral field either. It works out great if you finish as the number one seed because you get to host it, but if not, you’re likely to play a few “road games” if you face the host school. The bottom line is, just like in every other sport, you’ve gotta protect your home field and win on the road. In our case with more road series, it’s more important to do both.

Despite our shortcoming at Akron, we’re still in the race for the top seed, but at the same time, we’re also in a real fight with a bunch of teams just to get into the MAC Tournament. Basically, there are 10 teams right now fighting for the six sports in the tournament and the entire MAC West in the running and over half of the East is as well. You can’t really write off anyone yet, but Buffalo obviously needs a minor miracle run, and we certainly helped keep Akron’s hopes alive as the Zips doubled their win totals in conference play against us. Buffalo and Akron are still long shots, but everyone else is fair game, which just goes to show how important every game is.

We always talk about how tight the MAC race is in football and basketball, but this year in baseball, it’s as tight and as exciting as those other sports.

factman · Post by **factman** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 2:13 pm

Historically, it has not been a good thing to have the top seed and host the tournament. It would be MUCH better on a neutral field. The "home" team not only has to worry about playing the games, but maintining the field etc., which includes the team when it comes to tarping etc, and if it is during a rainy period, this can be quite distracting and time consuming.
We'll keep our fingers crossed and see what happens.

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:06 am

factman wrote:Historically, it has not been a good thing to have the top seed and host the tournament. It would be MUCH better on a neutral field. The "home" team not only has to worry about playing the games, but maintining the field etc., which includes the team when it comes to tarping etc, and if it is during a rainy period, this can be quite distracting and time consuming.
We'll keep our fingers crossed and see what happens.

No question about that factman. When I worked with the baseball program at Virginia, in 2004, we hosted an NCAA Regional (which consists of the host team and three other teams and is a double-elimination format). The support staffs (media relations, promotions, marketing, ticket office, athletic training, etc.) had to work the entire tournament and it was a lot of work from everyone’s end. The following year, in 2005, we played on the road at an NCAA Regional, and all you had to do was cover your own team and it was so much more enjoyable from a support staff standpoint that way. Hosting an event like that is great for the home fans and usually the home team, but man it can be a lot of work for the support staffs. Hosting a Conference Tournament or Regional can be a headache, but on the flip side, hosting an event such as a Super Regional – that would be awesome and a completely different story.

It would be cool if the MAC could land a neutral site location such as in a minor league stadium like some of the bigger conference do. While I was at Virginia the last couple years, the ACC Tournament was at a minor league stadium every year. We played at Durham, N.C., Charlotte, N.C., St. Petersburg, Fla., Salem, Va. and Jacksonville, Fla. All of these locations were at minor league stadiums and it was usually a nice event. Of course, baseball is much bigger in the ACC, but still. But, the bottom line to all of it though usually comes back to three things: money, money, and money…which is a big part of why it is and why it'll likely remains the way it is in the MAC.

bgsufalcon24 · Post by **bgsufalcon24** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 8:06 pm

BGSU33 wrote:
factman wrote:Historically, it has not been a good thing to have the top seed and host the tournament. It would be MUCH better on a neutral field. The "home" team not only has to worry about playing the games, but maintining the field etc., which includes the team when it comes to tarping etc, and if it is during a rainy period, this can be quite distracting and time consuming.
We'll keep our fingers crossed and see what happens.
No question about that factman. When I worked with the baseball program at Virginia, in 2004, we hosted an NCAA Regional (which consists of the host team and three other teams and is a double-elimination format). The support staffs (media relations, promotions, marketing, ticket office, athletic training, etc.) had to work the entire tournament and it was a lot of work from everyone’s end. The following year, in 2005, we played on the road at an NCAA Regional, and all you had to do was cover your own team and it was so much more enjoyable from a support staff standpoint that way. Hosting an event like that is great for the home fans and usually the home team, but man it can be a lot of work for the support staffs. Hosting a Conference Tournament or Regional can be a headache, but on the flip side, hosting an event such as a Super Regional – that would be awesome and a completely different story.

It would be cool if the MAC could land a neutral site location such as in a minor league stadium like some of the bigger conference do. While I was at Virginia the last couple years, the ACC Tournament was at a minor league stadium every year. We played at Durham, N.C., Charlotte, N.C., St. Petersburg, Fla., Salem, Va. and Jacksonville, Fla. All of these locations were at minor league stadiums and it was usually a nice event. Of course, baseball is much bigger in the ACC, but still. But, the bottom line to all of it though usually comes back to three things: money, money, and money…which is a big part of why it is and why it'll likely remains the way it is in the MAC.

If the MAC wants its baseball tournament to be held at a minor league ballpark, you just know Fifth Third Field in Toledo is the most likely choice.

factman · Post by **factman** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:10 am

Dayton's Fifth Third wouldnt be a bad choice either

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 4:18 pm

Akron's Canal Park is a beauty as well...a mini Jacobs Field.

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:25 pm

Falconfreak90 wrote:Akron's Canal Park is a beauty as well...a mini Jacobs Field.

I was thinking the same thing.

jacojdm · Post by **jacojdm** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:12 pm

why not thurman munson or ned skeldon? those are real minor league ballparks.