Creighton is tearing it up in Wichita

***SkinnyLu*** · 05-22-2009, 07:44 PM

Creighton just beat MSU 7 to 6 in 10 innings so they move on to Saturday's Championship game. Who they face will be decided tonight from the Wichita and Illinois State.

Does anyone this that Missouri State might get an at large bid?

**ISUCC** · 05-22-2009, 09:13 PM

highly unlikely if you ask me.

Originally Posted by SkinnyLu

Creighton just beat MSU 7 to 6 in 10 innings so they move on to Saturday's Championship game. Who they face will be decided tonight from the Wichita and Illinois State.

Does anyone think that Missouri State might get an at large bid?

**SycEm** · 05-23-2009, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by SkinnyLu

Creighton just beat MSU 7 to 6 in 10 innings so they move on to Saturday's Championship game. Who they face will be decided tonight from the Wichita and Illinois State.

Does anyone this that Missouri State might get an at large bid?

No

League RPI is terrible (17th) with only three teams in the top 100.

**BankShot** · 05-23-2009, 02:22 PM

Since that part of Missouri was more aligned with the South during the Civil War, I'll say the Bear's will get an At-large bid!

**SycEm** · 05-23-2009, 03:17 PM

They have a chance - but not much of one. They have some good wins (6-7 record vs to 50 RPI), but they also have some really bad losses that will hurt them (8-6 vs teams above 200). Their overall RPI is in the 60s - so it is possible, but that large number of bad losses will hurt them.

Overall, our league numbers are scary bad. We have a 9 team league, and here are the RPIs:
1. MSU 62
2. INS 92
3. WSU 93
4. CU 103
5. ILS 172
6. SIU 175
7. UNI 202
8. UE 208
9. BU 257

There are only 302 total D1 baseball teams

**BankShot** · 05-24-2009, 09:13 AM

Most of those "bad" losses were very early season. Until Friday's 10-inning loss to Creighton (7-6), the Bears had won nine (9) in a row over some pretty fair competition. They were 30-10 in the season’s final 40 games and winning the MVC regular season crown by two games. The NCAA Baseball Selection Committe MUST take into consideration the "developmental" factor, given the inherent geographic bias favoring Southern institutions, who obviously have a "natural advantage" over cold-zone schools, who usually don't begin to GROOVE until mid-April.

The selection show will air Monday (May 25) at 11:30 a.m. Central on ESPN.

***SkinnyLu*** · 05-24-2009, 10:48 AM

Thanks Bankshot. I will be tuned in on Monday to see if Missouri gets a nod.

After watching the MVC playoff game last night I don't hold high hopes for Wichita going far in Regionals. Both teams struggled with leaving guys on base and the pitching depth is not there. Did anyone get the attendance count at last nights game?

The MLB draft is June 9th to the 11th at the MLB Network Studios in New York. Wonder if we will lose any ISU players to it this year. Any thoughts?

***msreason*** · 05-24-2009, 11:29 AM

Attendance last night was 4,900. Not a huge crowd...but the students have gone home for the summer. It was a poorly played game. Wichita was trying to give it away with 12 walks, but Creighton was dead and couldn't capitalize on the spotty pitching! Had Indiana been in Creighton's shoes on offense, I think we'd see a different outcome. You never know night to night what will happen. It is interesting that Missouri State has nearly always been a major factor in the league, but yet they have won the tournament twice! The Sycamores have won the crown six times!

I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of our juniors get drafted...but I don't see them going very high, thus no money to speak of to draw them away from their senior years. The guys that get the dough are the ones that are focused upon when it comes to developing their talents in the pros.

**BankShot** · 05-24-2009, 11:52 AM

I agree, MS although there are always a few that have immediate issues that weigh heavily in their decisionmaking. I've seen a few in my day waive a "hot" season for the MLB draft, fearing a subsequent collegiate drop in value. You just just never know.

I'll never forget Tommy John's meeting w/Bird in St. Louis during the Summer of Bird's Jr. year. John, a TH Gerstmeyer HS product, was labeled as a somewhat of "heretic" after rumors surfaced that he "encouraged" Bird to go Pro, where actually John simply exposed the fiscal dynamics of a final year ISU injury and its impact upon Bird's NBA career. TJ and his dad (a TH City Councilman) both suffered from this incident, which actually helped deify LB in the hearts of ISU/TH fans given the inherent possible sacrifice(s) that Bird accepted while playing in '79.
John has kept arms-length from TH since this incident, which is sad, because BEFORE Bird, he was probably the most-liked athlete in TH history!

What I really hate, is MLB dipping into collegiate programs when a player has one or two years left, thus destroying the chemistry that a coach has worked so hard to piece together. It's more damaging to mid-major programs, who find replaceability a greater issue than your BIG TIME southern programs (i.e. Texas, FL State, FL, Miami, LSU), that seemingly have an endless funnell of talent.

I hope that Coach Meggs keep the Sycamores glued. We've got some good kids coming back, and with a lil' personal fine-tuning of skills and proper scheduling rhythm (which enhances & challenges w/o destroying confidence), we'll be back challeging for the MVC golden key NEXT season.