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Post by ATP on Feb 20, 2024 10:12:23 GMT -6
Hoping we can keep tabs on the other 11 teams. It's too early to tell about anyone, though Sickly State is 3-0 on its southern trip against various opponents. I don't know who their pitchers are, but Pottinger and McGill are back, both of whom will eventually be drafted. McGill might actually be a great selection when he's offered.
Valpo is playing in Alabama, and UIC had some fun against Kansas. Another week and we can take a dive into their progress. Misery State is maybe a top 3 team. They will try their luck against Oral Roberts today (Tuesday).
Saluki Tech and Murray are also 3-0.
Too many blowout wins early for everyone. That's probably just the nature of the game.
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Post by ATP on Feb 20, 2024 18:45:25 GMT -6
Carbondale Academy 14, UT Purple Martin 11 Moe State 10, Oral (We hate the Valley) Roberts 6 Belmont 6, North Abalama 2
Murray is at SEMO on Wednesday. SEMO is on the UE schedule for March 13, so there is some comparative interest. Sycamore College of Higher Education is stuck in Florida and will play Gulf Coast because, who doesn't want to play Gulf Coast? UIC will listen in and get the Incarnate Word.
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Post by ATP on Feb 21, 2024 18:19:22 GMT -6
Incarnates whomp down on the You Eye Sees 22-7. Ouch -- 10 in the first and 10 in the 5th. Otherwise, the Flames played a pretty solid game.
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Post by ATP on Feb 24, 2024 0:15:18 GMT -6
All Valley teams are still in the South trying to get the adhesions relieved. In a week or so, we can take a look at them to see if any trends have emerged. I did watch a little of Misery State at Suth'n Mississippi (Bears got honey jar stuck on nose, lose 4-3). There are some additions to their roster over last year that make them a solid contender. The only Valley team still undefeated is Indiana Normal, Terre Haute campus.
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Post by ATP on Feb 24, 2024 23:41:02 GMT -6
Sycamore Tech remains the only undefeated Valley team (6-0) as they skip through their southern trip. On Friday, they beat Michigan State, which happened to be in Florida and not scheduled to play anybody else. Saturday, the team claiming "We Are Marshall" met the Tree-stumps and came away saying, "Crap, we lost too."
The other especially important game was Belmont knocking off South Carolina. 11-2. The Chickens were 6-0.
Valley teams are doing pretty well, overall, if you subtract Valpo's somewhat ambitious attempts to stay within 10 runs of Alabama.
It's still too early to attach any trends to this, although we knew the Sycamores would be a tough handle. Jacob Pruitt has a point-94 WHiP. He also wears goggle-glasses, which is a bit more intimidating on a pitcher than a forward. Randall Diaz is making a bid to make the Valley all-stars and enhance his draft resume.
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Post by austinace on Feb 25, 2024 7:22:33 GMT -6
Thanks for the update ATP. Valley teams will certainly be tough, especially ISU-blue.
Interesting how a few runs can make a big difference at the right time. Indiana State is 6-0 but four of their wins have been by one run (two in extra innings). We are 3-3 and have lost our games by a total of five runs (one in extra innings) but felt like we should have won all of them.
Bottom line: They are 6-0 and we are 3-3.
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Post by ATP on Feb 25, 2024 8:39:18 GMT -6
Thanks for the update ATP. Valley teams will certainly be tough, especially ISU-blue. Interesting how a few runs can make a big difference at the right time. Indiana State is 6-0 but four of their wins have been by one run (two in extra innings). We are 3-3 and have lost our games by a total of five runs (one in extra innings) but felt like we should have won all of them. Bottom line: They are 6-0 and we are 3-3. Thanks. As we know, early-on that results are a part of the process. The teams from the North are getting in real-time action but it's all on the road. Likely there's fun attached to that, but it is the road. Some of these guys are getting that for the first time. And the Southern teams have been outdoors since January, and there are college teams in the South that we never heard of that are a lot better than even some of the B1G teams. Even Juco programs can be tough. But the best part for these guys is that they get to face top level competition. There are some top-heavy scores. A 3-2 game is pretty rare in February.
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Post by ATP on Feb 25, 2024 17:36:23 GMT -6
Terre Haute College is still the only undefeated team in the Valley with a sweep of a mediocre Marshall team. Every other Valley team got bonked on Sunday, except the Aces.
Valpo had a rough set with Alabama, losing 14-2, 13-3 and 11-1.
Not a lot of details to add that matter yet.
The Sycamorals go to Vandy on Tuesday to soften them up ahead of the Purples swooping in on Wednesday for the kill.
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Post by 65pointgame on Feb 25, 2024 23:04:41 GMT -6
Terre Haute College is still the only undefeated team in the Valley with a sweep of a mediocre Marshall team. Every other Valley team got bonked on Sunday, except the Aces. Valpo had a rough set with Alabama, losing 14-2, 13-3 and 11-1. Not a lot of details to add that matter yet. The Sycamorals go to Vandy on Tuesday to soften them up ahead of the Purples swooping in on Wednesday for the kill.
Looks like the Trees pitching is holding up pretty well, if I remember correctly Jachec, Miller and Fenlong are gone either to graduation or drafted??
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Post by ATP on Feb 25, 2024 23:26:49 GMT -6
Looks like the Trees pitching is holding up pretty well, if I remember correctly Jachec, Miller and Fenlong are gone either to graduation or drafted??
Jachec got drafted by Cleveland. Fairly late round. I don't know where he's slotted. Most likely A ball. Royals drafted Fenlong. I didn't know he had been drafted as I was watching the draft a little last year. Will probably be in low A this year. Miller had joined the Marines, so i assume he sent into service. Yeah, they took a hit with graduation.
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Post by ATP on Feb 27, 2024 18:00:49 GMT -6
Not really keeping up with USI but they went down 10-4 to Ball Jar Tech on Tuesday. The Screamers are 2-6. They have a real tough game at Tennessee next week as well as a 3-game set coming up at Cham-bana against Illinois.
They don't play the Aces until May 7. They do play several Valley opponents.
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Post by ad1770 on Feb 28, 2024 4:50:04 GMT -6
Vandy wallups Clabber Girl Tech (as ATP would call them) 20-4. Bad game for the trees I guess.
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Post by austinace on Feb 28, 2024 5:37:50 GMT -6
Vandy wallups Clabber Girl Tech (as ATP would call them) 20-4. Bad game for the trees I guess. Hopefully we can play them (a lot) closer today. Should be a challenging game. Vanderbilt is a top ten team. This link had them at #9 before the ISU game and they had been higher (at least as high as #6).
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Post by ATP on Feb 28, 2024 12:31:36 GMT -6
The only series this weekend that intrigues me is Murray at Arkansas. The Track Nags have a sweep of Purdue-FW and are 6-2 overall.
The Razorbacks, meanwhile, decided to dance on the head of Grambling on Tuesday (21-1 mercy killing) and are ranked as high as 2nd in the country. Those games are on the SEC streaming network.
The rest of the Valley is playing mid-major non-con games.
Hulman State is at Southern Miss., which is a good mid-majors matchup. You could watch that on ESPN+.
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Post by ATP on Feb 28, 2024 12:38:38 GMT -6
Vandy wallups Clabber Girl Tech (as ATP would call them) 20-4. Bad game for the trees I guess. Hopefully we can play them (a lot) closer today. Should be a challenging game. Vanderbilt is a top ten team. This link had them at #9 before the ISU game and they had been higher (at least as high as #6). 20-4 scores are outliers. They just reflect hitters going against young pitchers who don't have command. They throw meatballs, stay behind on the count ... good hitters get into a groove. I recall UE beating Dallas Baptists 20-1 in the MVC's a couple of years back. I suspect if they played another 6 games, DBU would have won 4 of them.
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