DIII News & Notes

Marietta’s John Snyder (Courtesy of marietta.edu)

The calendar just flipped to May this morning and we’re already trying to digest the NCAC tournament. Feels a little odd. Throw in the ultimate outcome and it was a fitting end to a strange season in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

Beyond the scene in Chillicothe it was Mother Nature stealing the spotlight in what has become the biggest theme of the 2011 season. Enough games have been squeezed in that the OAC tournament picture is starting to pull into focus.

Another week and another milestone in Cleveland. This one may just have been the biggest in program history though.

• The NCAC tournament started with a bang as Wooster spotted Wittenberg a 10-1 lead only to come storming back and win a slugfest, 17-13. Would you be surprised if I told you that Wittenberg used six pitchers in that NCAC tournament opener? Maybe not. After all, the Scots put 17 runs on the board. But would you be surprised if I told you they used six pitchers each for less than an inning? Because that’s precisely what happened. The Tigers used eight pitchers in all, six of them for less than one inning. All together 13 different people took the mound in the game.
• With Wooster (20-14) having a down year by their lofty standards, the NCAC was wide open. Nothing proves that more than a team heading into the conference tournament at 18-20 and running the table. I can’t remember the last time that could have happened. Many observers on this site and abroad have been saying for weeks that anyone can beat anyone this season. This week in Chillicothe confirmed that.
• On a side note, I saw that Wabash’s John Holm was named MVP of the tournament. There’s no way I would pitch to that kid late in a close game unless I absolutely had to. He now has 12 home runs, over 50 RBI and an average over .380. I’m sure they have other good hitters, but it seems like every time I look that kid hit a big home run late in a game. No way I let him beat me.
• Case crossed the finish line. Despite a cancelled DH against Bethany, the Spartans completed the regular season at 30-13. First off, a sincere congratulations to Coach Englander and the kids. Their turnaround has been nothing short of amazing. Honestly, it’s the best story of the 2011 season in my opinion. Second, as cliche as it is I think that 30th win was enormous. As I mentioned in this space previously, Case doesn’t have the historical clout of other programs. And playing in the UAA forces them to play as what amounts to an independent in the Mideast Region. So Case’s appearance in the regional rankings is all the more important. With the NCAC not sending an Ohio team to the field this season it may be a perfect time for all of us to hop on the Case bandwagon if they receive that deserved at-large bid. The only question I have is whether this amount of time off would hinder a team that relies heavily on hitting? I hope not. And I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that Englander and the players would love to find out. Let’s all keep our collective fingers crossed that the invite comes.
• Marietta centerfielder John Snyder tied the OAC record when he drove in 10 runs against Muskingum. Snyder went 5-for-5 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI. In one game. Not bad. Snyder was named OAC and national Hitter of the Week. The senior is among the frontrunners to garner the Rafeld Award as the OAC’s top player.
• Marietta’s Brian Gasser turned in his standard stellar performance again this week. At some point I’m going to quit writing about Gasser and just let everyone know if he gives up more than a couple hits or something. This week he threw a complete game shutout against Otterbein. Gasser is now 9-0 and dropped his ERA below one to 0.98. Just as impressively, he has allowed just 27 hits in 55 innings of work. That’s fantastic pitching.
• I posed the question on the message board as to whether this performance from Gasser all but guarantees him the Tekulve Award (OAC Pitcher of the Year). It seems like a no brainer. Gasser has the best numbers and he’s the best pitcher on the #1 team in the nation. Slam dunk. But Andy Lowe represents a big picture philosophical debate. Is it possible to not take into account a kid’s track record when voting on these awards? Look at the facts. Lowe has won the Tekulve Award the last two seasons. He’s an All-American who is leading the nation in saves. He’s the all-time DIII career saves leader. And his numbers in 2011 (3-1, 1.40 ERA, 13 saves, 24 appearances, 45 IP) are nearly identical to his 2009 stats and BETTER than when he shared the award last season. I guess the question is whether it’s possible to separate Andy Lowe from his stellar career prior to this season? In the end I think Gasser is getting the award. Whether he becomes the second straight Pioneer to share it with Lowe remains to be seen.
• Heidelberg dropped a key game to Capital yesterday. The Berg is now three games back of Etta in the loss column. With the way Marietta has been playing I think it’s safe to book hotel rooms on the river for that second weekend in May. The flip side of the coin is that Cap continues to battle every time out. I’ve said far too many times that Coach Grice is working to change the attitude in Bexley, but it’s happening. Not too many years ago this DH would have been a given. Pencil in two W’s for the Berg. But the Crusaders continue to be my favorite example of how the competitiveness within the OAC is improving. That pays off come tournament time. When Marietta and Heidelberg take the field for the Regional they will have played 18 OAC games (hopefully) and how many were gimmes? Who in the conference can you just show up and beat?
• Mount Union nailed down a crucial sweep of Ohio Northern yesterday. The outcome puts the Polar Bears at 10 conference losses and effectively ends their season. The Raiders, on the other hand, have put themselves in the driver’s seat at 9-5 in OAC play. With John Carroll also breaking out the brooms yesterday to go to 9-5 and no one else in the conference being above .500 it certainly appears as though the OAC tournament field is clearing up. I would say Coach Hesse has to like where they’re at being 9-5 with Capital up next, but see above. Cap can’t be taken lightly. No one should know that better than Mount who was swept by the Crusaders last season to send them to their lowest OAC finish ever.

Advertisement