NCAA / Nashville Regional musings

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Versus75
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NCAA / Nashville Regional musings

Post by Versus75 »

Did you see that Oregon opened this season AT HOME (with temps topping out at 55 and lows during game time of 40-45) against Xavier?

The Ducks swept a 4-game series by an average score of 5-2.

Oregon's last weekend series was a sweep at Utah with the average score 12-3. Ducks scoring more and giving up fewer runs? More offense, but the pitching is still suspect. The weekend starters were Mercado (6.46 ERA), Spoljaric (6.32 ERA) and Grabmann (4.60 ERA). They do have three relievers with sub-3.00 ERAs, including Austin Anderson (0.31 ERA / 9 hits / 32 K / 22 BB in 23.1 innings but 0 saves?).

https://d1baseball.com/team/oregon/stats/

The team ace, Jace Stoffal, was listed as "uncertain" three weeks ago and hasn't pitched since then. Maybe he's going to take a seat in Section E with Dutkanych.

~~~

Xavier rides its top two starters, Alazaus and Bosacker, who averaged 6+ innings per start between them. Brant Alazaus pitched into the 9th inning (109 pitches) on Wednesday to open the Big East Tournament then returned SATURDAY to start and throw 69 pitches. Watch out for him if the Nashville Regional goes to a Monday game.

https://d1baseball.com/team/xavier/stats/

~~~

And what do we know about Eastern Illinois?

Good record (38-19 but only 13-9 in OVC regular season and two of the wins were versus non-Division I teams), decent RPI (139 per d1baseball / 114 per WarrenNolan), and then the team got hot in the OVC Tournament, going 5-1.

The Panthers only played 3 games versus RPI Top 50 teams, but won 1 of 3 at Arkansas early in the season. Their one 51-100 game was an extra inning 1-0 victory over RPI 98/95 Illinois.

https://d1baseball.com/team/eillinois/stats/

~~~

Seeing the disparity between the Eastern Illinois RPI on d1baseball.com and warrennolan.com has me wondering: Which ranking does the NCAA Baseball Selection Committee use?

Well, I don't know. NCAA.com agrees with WarrenNolan that Eastern Illinois' W-L record is 36-19. D1baseball STATES 34-20 but lists scores showing 37-19. Hmmm.

The Eastern Illinois website shows 38-19, but that includes the two non-Division I games that apparently aren't credited by NCAA.com and SHOULD NOT COUNT TOWARD RPI. A score for one of the two non-Div I games is listed with a note to that effect. The other score isn't listed.

I don't know how d1baseball got its 34-20 count, but that record must have factored into an RPI score that disrespected Eastern Illinois. Don't trust the d1baseball.com RPI.

Spot-checking other teams throughout the 1-305 rankings, it appears that NCAA.com matches warrennolan.com's RPI Live.

https://www.warrennolan.com/baseball/2023/rpi-live


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Re: NCAA / Nashville Regional musings

Post by Versus75 »

I mentioned Brant Alazaus of Xavier. He was just taken out in the seventh inning after 110 pitches. Oregon has used at least 4 pitchers.

Oregon has more depth; I’m rooting for Xavier.
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Re: NCAA / Nashville Regional musings

Post by AuricGoldfinger »

Oregon beats Xavier 5-4 and will face the winner of Vandy/EIU tomorrow night.
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