JimBob
02-18-2008, 08:26 AM
Season change places pressure on pitching
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
2/17/2008
Shorter schedule likely to affect mid-majors the most, says ORU coach.
IT'S MID-FEBRUARY, and for the first time ever, college baseball is not underway.
This marks the first season of a new NCAA rule that establishes, like football and basketball, a uniform start date for practice and for opening day.
On the surface, it sounds good. Northern teams are now less disadvantaged because of winter weather than their counterparts in the south and west. Also, with practice starting no sooner than Feb. 1 and no games before Feb. 22, players have more time to spend establishing spring classroom routines.
But plenty of negatives remain.
"I think it hurts a little bit because you're having to double-up in your midweek games," said Oral Roberts coach Rob Walton. "For us, and for some smaller mid-major schools that are trying to make a run at winning a national title, it's just going to run through your pitching."
With the 56-game schedule intact, the season is now compacted to fit into 12 weeks instead of 15 or 16 (some teams even took 17). Traditionally, teams don't have games on Monday or Thursday. This season, Monday and Thursday games are commonplace.
And to keep from adding a game day to an already grueling week, many teams have opted for doubleheaders. From 2003 to 2007, Oklaho ma and Oklahoma State scheduled one doubleheader between them. This year, they have combined to schedule seven.
"Academically, it kind of sets you back because you've got to play five or six games a week," said OSU coach Frank Anderson. "So you miss class time, and travel time and stuff like that is concentrated so we're not in school as much as you need to be."
Anderson said he "probably" likes it, although he wishes the season would start a week earlier. Oklahoma coach Sunny Golloway said he definitely likes it.
"It makes for a fair playing field. I think it's something that should have happened a long time ago," Golloway said. "Is it going to make for an even playing field for teams like Michigan and Arizona State? Absolutely not. But it gets us closer, everybody starting on the same day."
Golloway said his team hasn't missed a practice yet despite an inconsistent run of weather.
"There's still some schools we've talked to," Golloway said, "that haven't been outside yet."
Teams can't improve if they're not practicing, and winter is notoriously hard on programs in the Northeast and Midwest. This year, at least, pushing back the calendar hasn't made for improved weather.
ORU on Friday endured 22-degree temperatures. Anderson said bad weather has cost his team plenty of practice opportunities so far.
"The northern schools that have been good will continue to be good," Anderson said. "Maybe there'll be a few that'll change, but I think it'll be about the same."
The Cowboys have a stretch of 10 games in nine days in mid-March. That includes, like the Sooners, a stretch of seven games in five days. That will level out some when Big 12 play arrives, but just the opposite happens at ORU, where Summit League series are four games (the Big 12's are three). OU and OSU will steadily play four games per week when league play begins, while ORU will regularly play five.
Pitching, Walton said, is where the new rule hurts the most. ORU and other mid-major programs without a stockpile of pitchers still have to emphasize winning weekend conference series, so that means fewer quality pitchers will be available in midweek games. Likewise, pitchers who start and go deep in all those midweek games will be less available for weekend duty.
"I'm not going to have some guys available for a conference weekend. So now, being competitive in the middle of the week is going to be very difficult to do," Walton said. "Around the country, we're going to run through pitching like nobody's business, so I think over the next three years, you're going to see scores that are extremely inflated."
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
2/17/2008
Shorter schedule likely to affect mid-majors the most, says ORU coach.
IT'S MID-FEBRUARY, and for the first time ever, college baseball is not underway.
This marks the first season of a new NCAA rule that establishes, like football and basketball, a uniform start date for practice and for opening day.
On the surface, it sounds good. Northern teams are now less disadvantaged because of winter weather than their counterparts in the south and west. Also, with practice starting no sooner than Feb. 1 and no games before Feb. 22, players have more time to spend establishing spring classroom routines.
But plenty of negatives remain.
"I think it hurts a little bit because you're having to double-up in your midweek games," said Oral Roberts coach Rob Walton. "For us, and for some smaller mid-major schools that are trying to make a run at winning a national title, it's just going to run through your pitching."
With the 56-game schedule intact, the season is now compacted to fit into 12 weeks instead of 15 or 16 (some teams even took 17). Traditionally, teams don't have games on Monday or Thursday. This season, Monday and Thursday games are commonplace.
And to keep from adding a game day to an already grueling week, many teams have opted for doubleheaders. From 2003 to 2007, Oklaho ma and Oklahoma State scheduled one doubleheader between them. This year, they have combined to schedule seven.
"Academically, it kind of sets you back because you've got to play five or six games a week," said OSU coach Frank Anderson. "So you miss class time, and travel time and stuff like that is concentrated so we're not in school as much as you need to be."
Anderson said he "probably" likes it, although he wishes the season would start a week earlier. Oklahoma coach Sunny Golloway said he definitely likes it.
"It makes for a fair playing field. I think it's something that should have happened a long time ago," Golloway said. "Is it going to make for an even playing field for teams like Michigan and Arizona State? Absolutely not. But it gets us closer, everybody starting on the same day."
Golloway said his team hasn't missed a practice yet despite an inconsistent run of weather.
"There's still some schools we've talked to," Golloway said, "that haven't been outside yet."
Teams can't improve if they're not practicing, and winter is notoriously hard on programs in the Northeast and Midwest. This year, at least, pushing back the calendar hasn't made for improved weather.
ORU on Friday endured 22-degree temperatures. Anderson said bad weather has cost his team plenty of practice opportunities so far.
"The northern schools that have been good will continue to be good," Anderson said. "Maybe there'll be a few that'll change, but I think it'll be about the same."
The Cowboys have a stretch of 10 games in nine days in mid-March. That includes, like the Sooners, a stretch of seven games in five days. That will level out some when Big 12 play arrives, but just the opposite happens at ORU, where Summit League series are four games (the Big 12's are three). OU and OSU will steadily play four games per week when league play begins, while ORU will regularly play five.
Pitching, Walton said, is where the new rule hurts the most. ORU and other mid-major programs without a stockpile of pitchers still have to emphasize winning weekend conference series, so that means fewer quality pitchers will be available in midweek games. Likewise, pitchers who start and go deep in all those midweek games will be less available for weekend duty.
"I'm not going to have some guys available for a conference weekend. So now, being competitive in the middle of the week is going to be very difficult to do," Walton said. "Around the country, we're going to run through pitching like nobody's business, so I think over the next three years, you're going to see scores that are extremely inflated."