Comments on: Clearing the Bases – Wisconsin Ho

By: dirtbagbaseball8

dirtbagbaseball8 — Thu, 22 May 2008 21:39:54 +0000

is there going to be any way to watch the games via computer?

By: Bostonian

Bostonian — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:56:27 +0000

I’ll go on a limb and predict that Cortland hands Trinity it’s first loss. Cortland faced Kiely last year in the regionals and had basically no scouting report on him. They took way too many first pitch strikes and were basically 0-1 in every count. I think they’ll be more aggressive and put up enough runs to give Tone room to work comfortably. I can’t see them knocking Kiely around too much but I also don’t see Kiely holding them to 2 hits and 1 run through 10 innings like he did last year.

By: dixon

dixon — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:03:58 +0000

The number of head-to-head games between the eight teams in Wisconsin is pretty slim. Chapman beat Kean twice and Cortland State beat Johns Hopkins. Even the common opponents do not help. Adrian and Johns Hopkins played Piedmont and each regional champions won. Montclair State played three teams – Cortland State, Johns Hopkins and Kean but were MSU beat Kean twice in three games and lost to both Cortland State and Johns Hopkins. La Verne played Chapman and Kean but lost all these games.

If these results provide a guideline – Chapman defeats Kean (based on head to head), Adrian-Johns Hopkins is a toss up with Kean losing again if they play Johns Hopkins. Linfield-UW-Whitewater is another toss-up as is Cortland State-Trinity.

I just have the feeling that whomever wins the Cortland State-Trinity game will have the upper hand in the tournament facing Chapman or Johns Hopkins.

Sorry Bulldogs, the record for teams in their first championship series is not good. There is the Ramapo and George Fox victories in their only championship appearances.

One more bit of history is that does not bode well for Kean is that there has not been a repeat winner since Glassboro State did it in 1978-79. Thats 29 years for those scoring at home – the longest such streak (an unconfirmed rumor) in college sports.

By: Ralph Turner

Ralph Turner — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:57:39 +0000

One cannot always translate outcomes in one tourney to another, but West Region teams will look carefully at how the Linfield Wildcats and Chapman Panthers fare.

As one of the two regions to have two members playing in the National Championships, the other being the MidAtlantic with Kean and Johns Hopkins, the West Region foes will evaluate for the degree of parity that may exist in the Region.

Chapman went through the Regional undefeated, but eked out four hard-earned victories. Look how close the Abilene Regional was…

G1 Chapman 4, LaVerne 3

G2 Chapman 5, McMurry 3; 12 innings (walk-off HR)

G3 Chapman 10, Trinity 9

G4 Chapman 4, Trinity 3!

Chapman won the 2003 National Championship, but lost to eventual National Champion George Fox in the 2004 Regionals. Since 2004, Chapman has won the last four West Regional tourneys.

Linfield’s run through the Rock Island IL Regional went this way:

G1 UW-Stevens Point L, 2-1 in 10 innings.
G2 Illinois Wesleyan W, 5-4
G3 Wartburg W, 7-5
G4 Augustana W, 10-1
G5 Webster W, 4-3 10inn.

The Wildcats victory and Chapman’s win in Abilene Tourney cause West Region fans to ask which Region is strongest this year.