Area High School Basketball Standings (12/19/12)

Here's the current standings according to records.  Notice, some of the 5A schools have already played a district game, so those are ranked by their district records.

BOY'S  STANDINGS

8-1A
1. Ascension Episcopal : 8-2
2. Central Catholic : 4-2
3. Hanson : 2-9
4. Vermilion Catholic : 1-6
5. Gueydan : 1-7
6. Highland Baptist : 1-11

6-2A
1. Catholic-NI : 6-3
2. Loreauville : 4-4
3. West St Mary : 4-8
4. Jeanerette : 3-6
5. Delcambre : 3-7
6. David Thibodaux : 0-13

9-3A
1. North Vermilion : 8-1
2. Patterson : 3-1
3. Kaplan : 4-5
4. Franklin : 5-8
5. Berwick : 4-8
6. Erath : 3-6
7. Abbeville : 3-8

5-4A
1. St Thomas More : 10-2
2. Northside : 8-2
3. Teurlings : 10-4
4. Cecilia : 7-4
5. St Martinville : 7-6
6. Breaux Bridge : 4-5

7-5A
T1. Westgate : 6-0 (1-0)
T1. H.L. Bourgeois : 10-3 (1-0)
3. New Iberia : 10-4
4. South Lafourche : 7-3
5. Thibodaux : 7-5
T6. Terrebonne : 7-7 (0-1)
T6. Central Lafrouche : 5-6 (0-1)

GIRL'S STANDINGS

 



8-1A
1. Vermilion Catholic : 11-1
2. Hanson : 10-2
3. Central Catholic : 7-3
4. Gueydan : 6-4
5. Ascension Episcopal : 3-5
6. Highland Baptist : 1-8

6-2A
1. West St Mary : 5-5
2. Loreauville : 3-4
3. Catholic-NI : 4-6
4. Jeanerette : 2-5
5. Delcambre : 1-11
6. David Thibodaux : 0-5

9-3A
1. North Vermilion : 11-3
2. Abbeville : 9-5
3. Erath : 5-6
4. Berwick : 3-6
5. Kaplan : 3-7
6. Patterson : 1-7
7. Franklin : 1-10

5-4A
1. St Thomas More : 10-2
2. Breaux Bridge : 6-3
3. Northside : 9-6
4. Teurlings : 7-5
5. Cecilia : 3-7
6. St Martinville : 0-10

7-5A
T1. Terrebonne : 9-6 (1-0)
T1. H.L. Bourgeois : 4-7 (1-0)
3. New Iberia : 13-3
4. Thibodaux : 7-5
5. South Lafourche : 2-6
T6. Central Lafourche : 7-4 (0-1)
T6. Westgate : 7-7 (0-1)

High School Basketball Standings (12/12/12)

Here's the rankings of the local high school basketball teams based on overall winning percentage.  Once district play starts, we will have a better idea of who should be ranked in what spot.  Also, in a few weeks, I will be able to also post the power points for each team.

BOY'S

8-1A
1. Central Catholic [2-0]
2. Ascension Episcopal [7-2]
3. Vermilion Catholic [1-5]
4. Hanson [1-7]
5. Gueydan [0-4]
6. Highland Baptist [0-10]

6-2A
1. Catholic-NI [5-3]
2. Loreauville [3-2]
3. Delcambre [3-4]
4. Jeanerette [2-5]
5. West St Mary [1-7]
6. David Thibodaux [0-11]

9-3A
1. Patterson [1-0]
2. North Vermilion [6-1]
3. Erath [3-5]
T4. Berwick [3-6]
T4. Franklin [3-6]
6. Kaplan [2-4]
7. Abbeville [3-7]

5-4A
1. St Thomas More [9-2]
2. Northside [7-2]
3. Teurlings [10-3]
4. Cecilia [5-4]
T5. Breaux Bridge [4-5]
T5. St Martinville [4-5]

7-5A
1. Westgate [5-0]
2. South Lafourche [6-1]
T3. H.L. Bourgeois [7-2]
T3. New Iberia [7-2]
5. Terrebonne [7-5]
6. Central Lafourche [5-4]
7. Thibodaux [4-4]

GIRL'S

8-1A
1. Vermilion Catholic [10-1]
2. Hanson [8-2]
3. Central Catholic [5-3]
T4. Ascension Episcopal [3-4]
T4. Gueydan [3-4]
6. Highland Baptist [1-6]

6-2A
1. Catholic-NI [4-6]
T2. Jeanerette [2-4]
T2. Loreauville [2-4]
T2. West St Mary [2-4]
5. Delcambre [1-9]
6. David Thibodaux [0-3]

9-3A
1. North Vermilion [10-2]
2. Abbeville [7-5]
3. Erath [5-6]
4. Berwick [3-6]
5. Kaplan [2-7]
6. Patterson [1-4]
7. Franklin [1-7]

5-4A
1. St Thomas More [8-2]
2. Breaux Bridge [5-2]
3. Northside [8-5]
4. Teurlings [5-4]
5. Cecilia [2-7]
6. St Martinville [0-8]

7-5A
1. New Iberia [12-0]
2. Central Larourche [6-3]
3. Terrebonne [8-5]
4. Westgate [7-5]
5. Thibodaux [5-5]
T6. H.L. Bourgeois [2-6]
T6. South Lafourche [2-6]

Celebration in the Oaks 2 Mile Run/Walk

This is my first blog focused on our new hobby.....racing!  So far, I've participated in Warrior Dash Louisiana (with co-workers) and the Cajun Cup 1 Mile Fun Run (with my wife).  The Celebration in the Oaks 2 Mile Run/Walk was my third race and Conor's (my 10 year old son) first race.  Conor is in training for the Louisiana Kid's Marathon, which is a training program where kid's run the total mileage of a marathon throughout a specific time frame, with 1.2 miles being on the final race day. 

When we first decided that Conor would do the marathon, it sounded easy, run the 9 week program as designed and nothing would get in the way.  Then, football season started and then school baseball tryouts.  Of course, we thought we could just wake up early and get the running in before school.  Then, the weather got in the way.  So, we decided to just make up our own schedule to get his 25 miles in before the final race day.  Part of his training included the Celebration in the Oaks 2 Mile Run/Walk.  This race, much like the others, became a family event.  Me, Conor, Colton (2 year old little bro), and Erin (mom) made the drive to NOLA for the race.  We ended up in NOLA around 1:00 pm and decided to head to Harrah's Miracle on Fulton Street.  Conor wanted to bring his Christmas list to the Macy's mailbox to mail to Santa, but we didn't have time to find the giant red mailbox before the race.  We walked through Fulton Street, then to the Riverwalk, and along the river to watch the giant ships (Pirate Ships according to little bro). 

Then, it was time to drive to City Park for the race.  We arrived at City Park, thanks to the maps program on my iPhone, and ended up with a prime parking spot on the main drag!  After a short walk; we picked up our race bibs, race shirts, and free New Orleans Bowl tickets!  We didn't have much time to eat before arriving, but to our surprise, there was plenty of food and drinks before the race.  There were stations set up on both sides of the park with oranges, apples, bananas, chees-itz, cinnamon rolls, and cookies for everyone to enjoy.  Also, there was a Kentwood water truck and Gatorade booth set up with plenty of pre-race drinks.

Now it was time for the race!  Of course, little bro (Colton) wanted to run with us, but mom distracted him with Storyland park.  Me and Conor headed the starting line with the hundreds of other runners.  We found a good spot to set up and get our music ready for the race.  After the National Anthem, the crowd roared, and then we heard the gun shot!  It was time to run!  This was Conor's first race, so he didn't really understand what was going on.  At the start, he was having trouble getting through all the people.  Then, he caught on and began having fun!  We began weaving in and out of people, almost running into a few cars, and found us a good opening to run.  We had prepared to run a half mile, then walk a quarter mile, run half mile, and so on; but then the competitive spirits kicked in.  We ran the first half mile in 4 minutes (Conor's personal best), then kept a good pace on our walk.  We walked for about a tenth of a mile, then Conor thought he would get the best of me and started running before our scheduled distance.  Of course, he didn't leave me in the dust (yet) and I kept up with his pace, while we weaved through all the traffic.  We continued to mix it up between runs and walks throughout the race based on milestones; such as the man lift in the park, the science museum, and the random light poles we pointed out.

Then, it was time for the final distance.  It was me against Conor; old vs young, mano E mano! According to the app on my phone, we had already run 1.7 miles.  Between punching each other when we saw random Volkswagons, we decided that at the third lightpole after the final turn, we would race to the finish.  Of course, Conor doesn't listen, and at the "second" light pole he began sprinting!  By the time he made the final turn for finish, I couldn't see him anymore.  By the time I crossed the finish line, he was waiting for me and laughing!  As I crossed, I checked my phone.  It showed my time as 23:17 for 2.15 miles.  By the amount of laughter, I gave Conor a final time of 22:00!  Yes, HE SMOKED ME!

Now, it was time for the post-race party!  Our first stop was the water truck.  Then, we split up, Conor went for the Gatorade booth, while I headed for the beer truck.  I picked up a cup of red beans and rice, thanks to Blue Runner Foods, and we then looked for mom and bro.  Of course, little bro (and Conor) wanted red beans, so they went pick up some food and drinks.

After the post-race food and drinks, it was time to check out Celebration in the Oaks (free of charge due to running in the race).  Mom jumped in line early to get her ticket and we were all in the gates by 5:20.  This was Colton's (little bro) first time in the park since he was a few months old.  We walked the park and enjoyed all the lights.  My favorite part was the Train Garden, which Colton kept calling Chuggington based on his morning cartoons, and Conor's favorite part was the Dripping Snow Exibit.  After the lights, it was time for our drive home.  This was the worst part of the day, but it's only for a short time.  We shall return in two weeks for the New Orleans Bowl to watch our Cajuns!  We are planning on having a timed run along the river Friday, December 21st before all the partys begin.  If you want join us, send us an e-mail at theshedmail@yahoo.com .

Ranking the SEC during the BCS era

As we enter bowl season, and slowly say goodbye to the BCS, it's time to rank the SEC programs from 1998-2012.  Keep in mind, the stats are from the entire BCS era, not just the years when your favorite team was winning.  Also, even though Texas A&M and Missouri are in their first year of SEC play, you (SEC presidents) wanted them in the conference so I've included them in my ranking.

How did the conference do as a whole?  Considering 6 wins equals a non-losing season, 10 out of 14 programs have over 96 wins in the BCS era.  That translates to at least 6 wins per season for those programs.  Now, I'm sure all true SEC fans know this stat, but I'm putting it anyway.  The SEC won the inagural BCS championship and has won 8 total, with three programs winning 2 each.  How does that compare to other conferences?  Well, the Big 12 is the only other conference with multiple titles (2).  The ACC, Big East, Big Ten, and Pac-12 each have 1 title a piece.  I'm just thowing this in here, but this year Notre Dame has a chance to become the first Independent to win a BCS championship.  Of course, they are playing another SEC team making a championship game appearance.  That makes 10 championship game appearances by SEC teams.  Now onto the rankings and stats.

1. Florida Gators
• 145-48 (75.13%); 3 SEC titles; 2 BCS titles
• The most successful program.  7 ten win seasons with 0 losing seasons.
2. LSU Tigers
• 140-51 (73.30%); 4 SEC titles; 2 BCS titles
• While the Tigers have 8 ten win seasons, they also have 2 losing seasons.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
• 130-61 (68.06%); 3 SEC titles; 2 BCS titles
• The first team to win a BCS title without winning the conference title, much less their division.  8 ten win seasons, but also 3 losing seasons.
4. Georgia Bulldogs
• 142-51 (73.58%); 2 SEC titles; 0 BCS titles
• 8 ten win seasons and only 1 losing season.  More wins than Bama but the lack of BCS titles drop them down a spot.
5. Auburn Tigers
• 121-67 (64.36%); 2 SEC titles; 1 BCS title
• 3 ten win season and 4 losing seasons. A toss up between Auburn and Tennessee, but the Tigers have 1 more SEC title so they get #5.
6. Tennessee Volunteers
• 121-68 (64.02%); 1 SEC title; 1 BCS title
• The original BCS champion.  However, while they have 5 ten win seasons, they also have 5 losing seasons.
7. Arkansas Razorbacks
• 113-74 (60.34%); 0 SEC titles; 0 BCS titles
• 3 ten win season and 4 losing seasons.  Everyone knows what happened to their BCS title hopes, they went down on two wheels.
8. Texas A&M Aggies
• 108-78 (58.06%); 1 Big12 title; 0 BCS titles
• 2 ten win seasons and 4 losing seasons. 
9. Missouri Tigers
• 105-80 (58.76%); 0 Big12 titles; 0 BCS titles
• 3 ten win seasons and 6 losing seasons.  3-1 record versus SEC teams before joining the conference including a win over my #10 team.
10. South Carolina Gamecocks
• 99-84 (54.10%); 0 SEC titles; 0 BCS titles
• 2 ten win seasons and 4 losing seasons.  Loss to Missouri in the 2005 Independence Bowl, which dropped them down a spot.
11. Ole Miss Rebels
• 90-91 (49.72%); 0 SEC titles; 0 BCS titles
• 1 ten win season and 6 losing seasons
12. Mississippi State Bulldogs
• 84-97 (46.41%); 0 SEC titles; 0 BCS titles
• 1 ten win season and 8 losing seasons
13. Kentucky Wildcats
• 76-105 (41.99%); 0 SEC titles; 0 BCS titles
• 0 ten win seasons and 8 losing seasons
14. Vanderbilt Commodores
• 57-119 (32.39%); 0 SEC titles; 0 BCS titles
• 0 ten win seasons and 13 losing seasons, but the future is bright with James Franklin leading them to back-to-back bowl games.

That's my ranking, what's yours?

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Preview

WHAT: R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

WHEN: December 22, 2012 (11:00 a.m.)

WHERE: Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans, LA)

WHO: Louisiana 8-4 (Sun Belt) vs. East Carolina 8-4 (CUSA)

 

Here's the deal, this will be a great game!  Louisiana (2-0 Bowl Record) is making is second straight appearance in the New Orleans Bowl, while East Carolina (8-9 Bowl Record) is making their 17th bowl appearance after missing out last season.  The game will have a huge crowd, as both teams are expected to bring thousands to the Superdome, especially the Cajuns.  With identical records, both teams lost their two games against teams from AQ conferences and beat an FCS opponent.  They then went through their conference schedule and finished near the top of the rankings.  These teams will both try to run the ball, but also look for the quick strike scores in the passing game.  So, how do these teams stack up against each other?

Louisiana is led by Terrance Broadway, who stepped in for senior Blaine Gautier when he was injured early in the season.  Broadway has put up some of the top passing numbers in Louisiana history and also is a big-time threat in the rushing game.  The other rushing threat is Alonzo Harris who is the "big" back for Louisiana, but also is paced by the "little guys"; Effrem Reed and Torrey Pierce.  In their eight victories, Louisiana has rushed the ball an average of 42.88 times.  However, in their four losses, they only rushed the ball an average of 24.25 times.  The East Carolina defense has given up an average of 234.75 yards per game in their four losses (144.33 not including the Navy 512 yard gam).  The key in this game for the Louisiana offense is to control the line and run, run, run.  If Louisiana rushes for more than 120 yards, they easily walk away with the victory.

• PASSING
• Terrance Broadway (SO); 185-283 for 2,526 yards and 16 TD
• RUSHING
• Alonzo Harris (SO); 149 - 761 yds - 8 TD
• Terrance Broadway (SO); 104 - 658 yds - 8 TD
• Effrem Reed (FR); 84 - 411 yds - 5 TD
• Torrey Pierce (FR); 47 - 253 yds - 3 TD
• RECEIVING
• Harry Peoples (SR); 61 - 744 yds - 5 TD
• Darryl Surgent (JR); 33 - 559 yds - 3 TD
• Javone Lawson (SR); 36 - 540 yds - 4 TD
• Jamal Robinson (SO); 20 - 514 yds - 3 TD
• TACKLES
• Justin Anderson (JR); 82 tackles

While Louisiana has many weapons, East Carolina is led by the "Big 3".  At the quarterback position for is Shane Carden who has put up some very nice passing numbers by targeting inside receiver Justin Hardy.  However, the East Carolina offense is paced by Vintavious Cooper, who has put up some really nice rushing stats.  The East Carolina stats are much like those of Louisiana.  In their eight winds, East Carolina ran the ball an average of 38.75 times.  While in their losses, East Carolina ran the ball an average of 29.75 times.  Running the ball often will keep the Louisiana offense off the field, plus East Carolina is 6-3 in games they win time of possession.  If East Carolina wins time of possession and keeps the potent Louisiana offense on the sidelines, they walk away with the win.

• PASSING
• Shane Carden (SO); 248-371 for 2,838 yards and 21 TD
• RUSHING
• Vintavious Cooper (JR); 191 - 1,059 yds - 7 TD
• RECEIVING
• Justin Hardy (SO); 83 - 1,046 yds - 10 TD 
• TACKLES
• Damon Magazu (JR); 72 tackles
• Jeremy Grove (SO); 71 tackles

How about the other numbers that nobody thinks about?  One interesting stat to look at is plays per game.  In the four losses for Louisiana, the defense was on the field for an average of 79.25 plays per game (85.67 if the Florida game is not included).  In their eight wins, the Louisiana defense was on the field for an average of 69.63 plays per game (65 if the Troy 102 play game is not included).  That is a huge difference in the amount of time the defense spends on the field in regards to wins and losses.

Now, let's look at the world famous 3rd down conversion stat.  For Louisiana, in wins they lead this stat by a slim margin of 39% - 37.5%.  However, in losses there is a huge difference of 31% - 47.76%.  For East Carolina, in the difference is even bigger.  In wins they lead 53.57% - 34.45% and in losses they trail 32.07% - 53.06%.  It's pretty clear that whichever team wins this category will win this game.  If Louisiana converts on at least 35% of their 3rd down conversions, the get the win.  However, if East Carolina converts on at least 45% of their conversions, the walk away with the win.

So, let's say that both teams reach they 3rd down conversion goals.  What happens then?  Obviously, then it comes down to special teams.  Louisiana has the advantage in this department, but East Carolina is not that far behind.  Louisiana has the most accurate kicker in NCAA history in senior Brett Baer [17-20 (85%), 52 long], who also handles the punting duties.  East Carolina's kicker is sophmore Warren Harvey [13-18 (72.2%), 54 long].  Everyone in Louisiana knows about "The Kick" to win last years New Orleans bowl.  If this game lives up to expectations, it may take another one to decide who get the victory.  No matter the winner, this years early kickoff has all the makings of one great after party.  I'll see you in NOLA!

The Sun Belt's Future.......

Here we go, time for the Sun Belt to make a move.  With the bowl season now mapped out, the Sun Belt has a record four teams going to bowls this year.

• Louisiana 8-4 : R&L Carrier's New Orleans Bowl vs. East Carolina 8-4 (CUSA)
• Western Kentucky 7-5 : Little Caesar's Bowl vs. Central Michigan 6-6 (MAC)
• ULM 8-4 : AdvoCare 100 Independence Bowl vs. Ohio 8-4 (MAC)
• Arkansas State 9-3 : godaddy.com Bowl vs Kent St. 11-2 (MAC)

These are all quality matchups that, if the Sun Belt goes 4-0, will definitely help in the perception wars that will be going on when the TV contracts are being negotiated in the next few years.  The one bowl eligible team left out was Middle Tennessee, who is bolting for CUSA.  So, what will the future look like for the Sun Belt?  I believe the Sun Belt is looking east and is trying really hard to avoid adding New Mexico State and Idaho.  If all reports are correct, the Sun Belt is leaning towards adding Appalachian State and Georgia Southern.  Of course, there's always the long shot that the Sun Belt takes teams from CUSA; such as Southern Miss, Tulsa, or UAB.  Here's the numbers for the possible schools (not from CUSA) in regards to success the past four seasons, including total athletic department revenue (2011).

• New Mexico State; 10-40 (20%); 0 Bowl App; $26,997,597
• Idaho; 16-33 (32.65%); 1 Bowl App; $17,545,304
• Appalachian State; 37-14 (72.55%); 4 Playoff App; $17,748,605
• Georgia Southern; 35-17 (67.31%); 3 Playoff App; $11,245,505

What does all this mean?  Well, adding the eastern schools will cut down on travel expenses, bring quality football programs into the conference. and keep the Sun Belts regional footprint strong.  While history tells us that these programs will not be automatically successful on the FBS schedule, if they make the investment in football much like Western Kentucky, they will be successful and fighting for bowls within five years.

Now quickly onto my favorite topic, BASEBALL!  Here are the numbers on the possible schools baseball programs.

• New Mexico State; 149-88 (62.87%); 1 Reg App
• Appalachian State; 145-84 (63.32%); 1 Reg App
• Georgia Southern; 145-94 (60.67%); 2 Reg App
• Idaho; No program

Looking at this, it's a no-brainer that adding any of these schools will boost Sun Belt baseball.  However, how many Sun Belt fans remember those 21-18 Sunday games at New Mexico State? My vote is for the eastern schools. Now it's time for BOWL SEASON!

What would I do if I were Sun Belt commish......and focused on baseball.

With the recent conference shuffle, it is beginning to affect Sun Belt baseball.  Obviously using baseball as the base of a conference is a dream, but this is what I would do if it was.  First, you have to look at the geographical footprint of the Sun Belt.  As of now, with the addition of Georgia State, Texas State, and UT-Arlington, the Sun Belt stretches from Georgia to Texas and north to Kentucky.  So, where to look for the next baseball programs to add? I’ve looked at 10 schools that all have one thing in common; they have made major investments in baseball since 2000.  I’m sure you are wondering what schools I’m looking at.  However, based on the criteria for being a “successful” program I’ve already kicked two schools out of my dream.  The football crowd won’t agree, but UT-San Antonio is the first team kicked out.  While they have made multiple renovations to Roadrunner Field (Built 1992 with a seating capacity of only 800), the Roadrunners only have a winning percentage of 47.03% in the past four years, and no regional appearances.  The second school kicked out is Jacksonville, not because I think Florida schools don’t belong in the Sun Belt (as you will see), but mainly because I believe the Sun Belt should focus on expanding north.  So here they are with some information about their facility.

• College of Charleston; Opened 2001 (Renovated 2007); Capacity 2,000
• Dallas Baptist; Opening 2013; Capacity 2,000
• Appalachian State; Opened 2008; Capacity 1,000
• Elon; Opened 2001 (Renovated 2010); Capacity 2,000
• Charlotte; Opened 2007; Capacity 1,100
• Florida Gulf Coast; Opened 2004; Capacity 1,500
• Creighton; Opened 1988 (Renovated 2000); 2,000 [Has access to TD Ameritrade Park Omaha]
• Wichita State; Opened 2000; Capacity 7,851 

Facilities are only one part of the equation, but these schools definitely have quality stadiums that fans will want to visit. Of course, the second part of the equation is whether the program has been “successful” in the past four years. This is the part where the state of Florida is left out of the conference.  While Florida Gulf Coast can be described as a program on the rise, they have failed to make a regional appearance and are a middle of the pack team in the Atlantic Sun since the departure of 2010 NCAA Pitcher of the Year, Chris Sale.  So, how do the remaining seven program hold up to the “successful” test?  The answer is that they hold up very well.

• College of Charleston; 156-85 (64.73%); 2 Reg App
• Dallas Baptist; 149-83 (64.22%); 2 Reg App
• Appalachian State; 145-84 (63.32%); 1 Reg App
• Elon; 148-89 (62.45%); 2 Reg App
• Charlotte; 136-87 (60.99%); 1 Reg App
• Creighton; 131-96 (57.17%); 2 Reg App
• Wichita State; 145-97 (59.92%); 1 Reg App 

So, now that I’ve listed the stats, I guess it’s time to rank these schools in that order that I’d want them.  All the schools have had recent success, including regional appearances, but here’s my list.

1. Wichita State : Great history with an amazing ballpark, and not too far north especially if the Sun Belt can also add #2 on the list (Really 1A)
2. Dallas Baptist : Upstart program with plenty of success in recent years and a new stadium being built (Really 1B)
3. College of Charleston : Very successful and only about 320 miles from new member Georgia State
4. Elon and/or Charlotte : Really a tie with comparable stadiums history, also brings in the state of North Carolina
5. Appalachian State : Also brings in North Carolina, but that’s about it

So if I were Karl Benson, and building a baseball conference, I would immediately be on the phone with Wichita State and Dallas Baptist.  The Sun Belt is normally a top ten conference, but the addition of these two programs will bring up the conference RPI and be enough teams for a division split if wanted.  However, if the Sun Belt were to expand east, the calls would go to the College of Charleston (RPI bump) and either Elon or Charlotte.  Appalachian State is really just there to make the football fans happy and would be a last ditch addition. So what’s the next question?  Guess it depends on who jumps next.

Here we go again, what about my baseball theory?

Well, the conference shuffle is in full swing with the mid-major conferences.  Today's news brings Louisville heading to the ACC, along with Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic heading to CUSA.  So once again, what about baseball?  Well, Louisville heads to a top notch baseball conference to compete with the likes of Clemson, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, and Virginia.  There is no doubt that if Louisville is contending for a conference title in the future, then they won't be on the bubble to host a regional.

So what about CUSA? While they are losing some quality programs, they still have East Carolina (for now), Rice, and Southern Miss.  The addition of Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic is a good thing for CUSA baseball. Sun Belt baseball had a down year in 2012, and the departure of these two definitely will hurt. Using the same criteria for successful programs as I have before, these are the numbers.

Middle Tennessee; 128-106 (54.70%)
Florida Atlantic; 131-97 (57.46%); 1 Reg App

While Middle Tennessee falls just below the threshold for "successful", their facilities make up the difference.  Reese Smith Jr. Field, while built in the early 1980's, was built the right way.  The seating capacity is 2,600 and it's on my list of stadium to visit.  Florida Atlantic's numbers qualify as successful, but their facilty leave much to be desired.  FAU Baseball Stadium was built in 1991, and the largest crowd ever for a game was 2,300 in 2008 when they hosted Miami.

Today, Louisville baseball finds itself in a much better position for the growth of their program.  However, Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic are making a lateral move basically replacing Central Florida and Tulane.  So next question, how does this affect Sun Belt baseball?  Guess that's a topic for tomorrow.........unless more schools switch conferences.

What is the Big East doing.......building up baseball, maybe?

Okay, so now the conference carousel continues with the addition of Tulane (all sports) and ECU (football only) to the Big East.  Of course, everyone knows that the motive behind the move is the all mighty dollar.  The big-boy conferences sold their souls to ESPN years ago, and now the mid-major conferences are selling their souls to the Regional Sports Networks.  The unfortunate outcome of this is the sacrifice of other sports such as baseball.  But here’s a crazy idea, since the Big East is no longer a big-boy football conference, are they actually working on building a big-boy baseball conference?

The Big East was formed in 1979 with a focus on basketball and has a long history of success on the court.  The conference also has a long history of in-fighting between the “football” schools and the “basketball” schools.  The past few years have brought on the defection of several of the top basketball programs (Boston College, Syracuse, Pittsburg, and Notre Dame) and several of the top football programs (Miami, Rutgers, West Virginia, and Virginia Tech).  While the core of the original basketball schools remain (Georgetown, UConn, Providence, St. John’s, and Seton Hall), it seems the conference is searching for a new identity.  Since the “football” schools never got along with the “basketball” schools, maybe that new identity is the original one, a top-tier basketball conference as well as a top-tier baseball conference.

When I look at baseball programs, the main criterion for being “successful” is regional appearances.  The secondary area I look at is winning percentage, and anything over 55% is successful in my opinion.  So I looked up the numbers for the past four seasons and this is what I found.

TEAMS STAYING IN THE BIG EAST

• Louisville; 170-83 (67.19%); 3 Reg App
• UConn; 160-87 (64.78%); 2 Reg App
• St. John’s; 149-87 (63.14%); 3 Reg App
• South Florida; 123-108 (53.25%)
• Seton Hall; 112-103 (52.09%); 1 Reg App
• Villanova; 99-110 (47.37%)
• Cincinnati; 106-123 (46.29%)
• Georgetown; 88-127 (40.93%)  

TEAMS JOINING THE BIG EAST

• Central Florida; 139-97 (58.90%); 2 Reg App
• Tulane; 135-95 (58.70%)
•  Memphis; 110-117 (48.46%)
• Houston; 97-120 (44.70%)

TEAMS LEAVING THE BIG EAST

• Pittsburg; 127-90 (58.53%)
• Notre Dame; 118-111 (51.53%)
•  Rutgers 103-112 (47.91%)

The Big East is keeping together is top baseball schools that have combined for 9 regional appearances in the past four years, while adding some quality programs that have recently invested in baseball.  Tulane may have been down the past few years, but they are a quality program with a stadium that was just built in 2008 for $10.5 million with a seating capacity of 5,000.  Central Florida brings in back-to-back regional appearances.  They have invested in their stadium in the past five years and now have a seating capacity of 3,600.  Memphis brings a program on the rise with plenty of financial backing and the opening of brand new FedExPark in 2010.  Houston has invested in their stadium as recently as this year and can seat up to 5,000.

So what are they losing?  Pittsburg has a new stadium that opened in 2011, but only has a seating capacity of only 900.  Notre Dame has some good history in baseball, but their stadium was built in 1994.  Rutgers has invested in a turf playing surface in 2007, but still only seats 1,500.  While these schools have made investments in their baseball programs in the recent past, it’s nowhere near the investment of the schools being added.  These three schools have invested in their football programs and are being rewarded with addition to big-boy football conferences.

Looks like the Big East may just be doing what I have suggested, building a top-tier baseball conference.  Based on my numbers, they are adding two schools that have been recently successful and two other that have invested in order to be successful in the near future.  All the while, losing three schools that are focusing on football, and being able to keep most of the basketball core in the conference.  Next question, will the Big East have four or more regional teams in 2013?