RE: NCAA baseball tourney
Okay, I've read some things here. Let me address some of them.
1. Getting an at large team has everything to do with YOUR resume, not the resume of your league. The SBC is #9 because they have five schools in the top 100 and a sixth that's relatively close. And, NONE of those RPI are currently in the top 50.
2. There is no "magic number" to get in the tournament. 35 isn't magic. Neither is 40.
3. Your RPI number isn't as important as how you got to that number. The committee looks heavily on how you did vs. the RPI Top 25, Top 50 and Top 100. They also look at bad losses (to 200+)
Here's why the SBC will (unless something strange happens) be a one bid league.
51. SOUTH ALABAMA: Top 25: 1-7, Top 50: 2-10, Top 100 6-16, two bad losses
60. LOUISIANA Top 25: 2-2, Top 50, 5-4, Top 100 12-13-1, no bad losses
63. COASTAL: Top 25: 0-5, Top 50 0-6, Top 100 5-10-1 1 bad loss
76. GA SOUTHERN: Top 25 0-0 (!) Top 50 2-1, Top 100, 10-8 2 bad losses
81. UTA: Top 25: 1-3, Top 50 2-8, Top 100 6-11 3 bad losses
I know a couple of you have some good midweek games this week which could improve your stock especially if the games are on the road, where victories count for 1.3 wins. But as far as the league is concerned.
USA: Travels to App, Hosts Troy. App will be slightly better than RPI neutral, as will Troy. A win over LSU tonight would help but I can't help but feel that 2-10 mark against the top 50 just isn't going to measure up.
LA: Best record in the Sun Belt among the top 25 and top 50, but still a losing record vs. top 100 Chances for two top 50 wins this week vs. Louisiana Tech and McNeese. But the last six probably will cause the RPI to go down after that, even if they sweep TxSt in Laf and at ULM.
CCU: 0-5 Top 25, 0-6 Top 50, 5-10-1 Top 100 2 bad losses: A sweep at UTA would help the RPI, but not the record against the Top 50. Three at home against App. hurts the RPI even if you sweep.
GS: 0-0 Top 25, 2-1 Top 50, 10-8 Top 100. Two bad losses: The schedule is a killer here. Just three games against the top 50. And the two final series aren't going to do anything for the Eagles in the RPI department.
So now I'm looking at what happens if someone wins out and goes to the finals of the conference tournament: I'm seeing NO ONE in the top 40 of the RPI.
And, that's why I'm calling this a one bid league. And, I think it happens that way no matter what happens the rest of the way.
And no, the regular season champion in the #9 conference isn't a shoo in. ESPECIALLY when going 2-8 against the Top 50.
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