How does GWC baseball shapes up

[bozar1]

I apologize if my columns don't line up as I want. I hope you can figure it all out. Help me here.

TEAM RPI W - L SOS
NJIT 298 4 - 33 289
UTPA 296 12-41 244
UNC 294 14-35 215 Chicago 292 2 - 36 179
Houston - Baptist 283 11-37 195
North Dakota 264 8 - 26 127
Utah Valley 250 18-35 119
NYIT 224 19-29 251

The above numbers are the RPI’s and SOS’s from the 2009 season. These were found on boydsworld.com if you’re interested in such things. I’m sure this is no secret, but this is not too good. The lowest in the land was Coppin State at 302 and they went 0-29. Most people who follow college baseball are pulling for them to end this skid, soon. The conference was in the bottom 10%, or thereabouts, with New Jersey Tech, UT - Pan American, and Northern Colorado being the worst of the bunch.

SOS (strength of schedule) gives a fair idea of the quality of OOC as well as in-conference opposition.

Oregon 235 14-42 49
CSU Bakersfield 246 13-37 72

Check the above two teams. Why did they have such a low RPI (comparable to most GWC teams)? Simply because they didn’t win. As you can see by their SOS they certainly played tough schedules (Oregon is in the Pac10 which is very tough, top to bottom) or, as in the case of Bakersfield, were willing to take on the good teams as they were making the jump to D1. Oregon just started baseball last year after dropping it a few years back. Based on SOS, then, Utah Valley was the strongest team in the conference or, at least, played the strongest schedule. AND, they won 18 games. How do you think Oregon or Bakersfield would do in the GWC? Pretty good, I’d gather.

Let’s place them as they might have finished last year.

1. Utah Valley State 184
2. North Dakota 195
3. Chicago 235
4. NYIT 237
5. Houston Baptist 239
6. University of Northern Colorado 254
7. UTPA 270
8. NJIT 293

The above numbers are nothing more than adding RPI and SOS and dividing by two. Pretty mysterious, eh? My next posting will come on another thread.

 

[Blofeld]

Last year was a train wreck... we totally fund the program at an embarrassing rate, I think there is a sentiment amougst the "non UNC" member of the AD (read Hinrichs and his lackies) to eliminate baseball but if he actually did the locals and hardcore alums would string him up by his balls... so instead he just freezes them out of the budget and lies to them about facility upgrades that never happen with the hope they will just go away.

It's sad really...

 

[Beardown]

Last year was a train wreck... we totally fund the program at an embarrassing rate, I think there is a sentiment amougst the "non UNC" member of the AD (read Hinrichs and his lackies) to eliminate baseball but if he actually did the locals and hardcore alums would string him up by his balls... so instead he just freezes them out of the budget and lies to them about facility upgrades that never happen with the hope they will just go away.

It's sad really...

I don't think it's a matter of them wanting to let the program go. I just think it's a matter of priority in the budget. We're lucky to still have the team as more and more programs are taking away baseball. Some team on UNC's budget has to be on the bottom of the priority list and for UNC, it's baseball. Doesn't mean we want it to go away.

 

[anon22]

Last year was a train wreck... we totally fund the program at an embarrassing rate, I think there is a sentiment amougst the "non UNC" member of the AD (read Hinrichs and his lackies) to eliminate baseball but if he actually did the locals and hardcore alums would string him up by his balls... so instead he just freezes them out of the budget and lies to them about facility upgrades that never happen with the hope they will just go away.

It's sad really...

I don't think it's a matter of them wanting to let the program go. I just think it's a matter of priority in the budget. We're lucky to still have the team as more and more programs are taking away baseball. Some team on UNC's budget has to be on the bottom of the priority list and for UNC, it's baseball. Doesn't mean we want it to go away.

I'm not too sure about the whole priority thing....I tend to follow UNC baseball the most out of any sport at the school, and also have friends and family with heavy ties to the baseball program. A couple years ago Hinrichs was considering cutting the baseball program, in addition to other non-revenue sports. I think once word of this got out within the Greeley baseball community, as well as alums and boosters the outcry was resounding and he had no choice but to keep the program running--barely.

Simply put, the baseball program cannot succeed at the D-1 level with less than five full scholarships when a typical roster carries over 30 players. I think the staff does as good as job as they can recruiting with the limited resources they are provided by admin. Mostly blue-collar, hard working high school players with not too many D-1 offers on the table. It's resulted in some outstanding victories against some of the best, but not the consistency thats needed to be a successful college team.

The Great West is essentially the league formed by former D-1 Independents that are unable to find a conference to compete in. UNC should be top 1-2. The only other team I see competing with UNC is Utah Valley. The speculation a couple years ago had UNC looking into joining the WAC with Dallas Baptist and UTPA as affiliate members and forming an East and West division w/in the conference. I think due to budget constraints and the quality of facilities the proposal was rejected.....too bad.

 

[Beardown]

Last year was a train wreck... we totally fund the program at an embarrassing rate, I think there is a sentiment amougst the "non UNC" member of the AD (read Hinrichs and his lackies) to eliminate baseball but if he actually did the locals and hardcore alums would string him up by his balls... so instead he just freezes them out of the budget and lies to them about facility upgrades that never happen with the hope they will just go away.

It's sad really...

I don't think it's a matter of them wanting to let the program go. I just think it's a matter of priority in the budget. We're lucky to still have the team as more and more programs are taking away baseball. Some team on UNC's budget has to be on the bottom of the priority list and for UNC, it's baseball. Doesn't mean we want it to go away.

I'm not too sure about the whole priority thing....I tend to follow UNC baseball the most out of any sport at the school, and also have friends and family with heavy ties to the baseball program. A couple years ago Hinrichs was considering cutting the baseball program, in addition to other non-revenue sports. I think once word of this got out within the Greeley baseball community, as well as alums and boosters the outcry was resounding and he had no choice but to keep the program running--barely.

Simply put, the baseball program cannot succeed at the D-1 level with less than five full scholarships when a typical roster carries over 30 players. I think the staff does as good as job as they can recruiting with the limited resources they are provided by admin. Mostly blue-collar, hard working high school players with not too many D-1 offers on the table. It's resulted in some outstanding victories against some of the best, but not the consistency thats needed to be a successful college team.

The Great West is essentially the league formed by former D-1 Independents that are unable to find a conference to compete in. UNC should be top 1-2. The only other team I see competing with UNC is Utah Valley. The speculation a couple years ago had UNC looking into joining the WAC with Dallas Baptist and UTPA as affiliate members and forming an East and West division w/in the conference. I think due to budget constraints and the quality of facilities the proposal was rejected.....too bad.

I think you're confusing the concept of being forced to cut baseball and wanting to cut baseball. Blofeld made it sound like he's out to get rid of UNC baseball. Jay probably wants to keep it around as much as possible, but you even mentioned it yourself. It's a non-revenue sport.

 

[Bearsfan24]

I don't see UNC dropping baseball, just because it's now the second D1 program in the state, and the history that is here. I think now that the ball is starting to roll, and kids see that they are in a conference, it could help that much more with bringing kids here. If they have a good year this year, maybe take the conference (which is reasonable to think), and get into a regional. That will also help that much more with recruiting. Seriously if Coppin State is able to keep their program, UNC should be able to as well. Going 0-29 in baseball is pretty bad.

 

[Blofeld]

The scholarship issue can be fixed, the max for baseball isn't that high really, I'm thinking 11 or 12 and if we're at 5 that sucks but that can be made up... not like trying to find 30 football scholarships.

 

[anon22]

Blofeld made it sound like he's out to get rid of UNC baseball. Jay probably wants to keep it around as much as possible.

Blofeld is right, Jay did want to get rid of baseball, not because he was forced to, but because he wanted to. In fact he's been trying to get rid of Smallcomb the past couple of seasons too, however rumor has it Norton put the kabosh on that.....for now.

 

[anon22]

I don't see UNC dropping baseball, just because it's now the second D1 program in the state, and the history that is here. I think now that the ball is starting to roll, and kids see that they are in a conference, it could help that much more with bringing kids here. If they have a good year this year, maybe take the conference (which is reasonable to think), and get into a regional. That will also help that much more with recruiting. Seriously if Coppin State is able to keep their program, UNC should be able to as well. Going 0-29 in baseball is pretty bad.

I like that UNC baseball was able to find a conference, but due to the "de novo" status of the Great West conference all sports are not eligible for automatic bids, and as such, baseball would not automatically qualify for regionals if they won the conference tournament (From my understanding).

 

[Bearsfan24]

I don't see UNC dropping baseball, just because it's now the second D1 program in the state, and the history that is here. I think now that the ball is starting to roll, and kids see that they are in a conference, it could help that much more with bringing kids here. If they have a good year this year, maybe take the conference (which is reasonable to think), and get into a regional. That will also help that much more with recruiting. Seriously if Coppin State is able to keep their program, UNC should be able to as well. Going 0-29 in baseball is pretty bad.

I like that UNC baseball was able to find a conference, but due to the "de novo" status of the Great West conference all sports are not eligible for automatic bids, and as such, baseball would not automatically qualify for regionals if they won the conference tournament (From my understanding).

You're right, there won't be an automatic bid for the Great West. Here's a little write-up I found for the Great West this year. http://collegebaseballtoday.com/?p=2854

 

[bozar1]

Collegebaseballtoday.com is probably the best website for college baseball. The writer calls himself Stitch-head (with love for the game) and is mostly opinion, editorials, and interviews. He doesn't write about the day's scores but you do get to find out what the opposition has as it comes in for a three game set. He doesn't go overboard and he treats the mid-major (such as UNC) more than fairly. Always a good read.

 

[Bearsfan24]

There's a comment on that article that brought up an interesting point. Will the Great West conference hold together for long? I would think that this league is a temp type thing, because the traveling cost have to be up there, and these baseball budgets aren't that great.

 

[Blofeld]

You have to travel anyway, and more often without a conference. At least now half the conference games are home games. As an indy UNC had a very difficult time getting anyone other than other independents to come to Greeley (besides Air Force) so we always ended up playing 75% of our games on the road. This isn't ideal but it's a vast improvement over past schdules, and will be cheaper, with less travel and playing lesser teams we'll have a chance to win more.