SportsNote, with special guest, Brian Benton

<! Brian Benton of SEBaseball.com will be on the Sportsnote don't miss it. He knows his stuff ><p align=justify><font size="3"> Brian Benton of <a href="http://sebaseball.rivals.com/">SEBaseball.com</a><font size="2"> <font size="1"><i>(contributing writer)</i> </font size="1"><font size="3">will be the guest of Bil Ryckman on today’s edition of the SportsNote. Brian always has an interesting and informative take on the current situation in and around collegiate baseball.

If you are local to Acadiana, listen live at 9:05 to ESPN 14.20 and call in with your questions and comments <font size="1">(337)</font size="1"> 269-1077

If you can't tune in live, it will be archived on <a href="http:www.sportsnoteradio.com">sportsnoteradio.com</a> and you can go there later to listen to the show.

Long distance fans can can click here just after 9am today 9:05-10:am to listen live through <a href="http://67.19.43.158:8100/listen.pls">sportsnoteradio.com</a><b> LIVE

Great interview by Bil... as usual. GoneGolfin knocked it out the park.

Coach Szefc is on right now and Brian is interviewing the coach. SWEET

As mentioned in an earlier thread Brian is a UL almum.

I loved the interview "5 stars" thanks Bill thanks Brian.

Did he say if he thought UL was in the Sunbelt drivers seat?

show is now uploaded on the sportsnoteradio.com site.. thanks for kind words and my thanks to brian also..

Sorry I missed the interview. I will have to listen to it at a later date.

Can anyone give me the quick version of what Brian and coach Szefc discussed? Thanks.

Coach Szefc said SEBaseball was a good website. One that he visits regularly. I thought that was cool.

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Originally Posted by snote

show is now uploaded on the sportsnoteradio.com site.. thanks for kind words and my thanks to brian also..

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Great show today!

Brian and Szefc really know their stuff and complimented each other well. And, the moderator was "snote" fantastic!

Let's have a repeat please!!!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by ChanceEncounter

Did he say if he thought UL was in the Sunbelt drivers seat?

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He did not address this as it did not come up in the discussion. :)

I think it is a bit early to make that determination. But I do think the Cajuns have two of their four toughest SBC series behind them (quite possibly the two toughest). If the Cajuns can stay at or the near the top through the New Mexico State series, the Cajuns will be in the driver seat as they close with Middle Tennessee at home and Western Kentucky on the road.

Brian

Brian,

I caught the interview on the net today. Great job, as others have said. I found it interesting Coach Szefc complimented SEBaseball.com, not once but about four times. I'm going to check it out.

JD

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Originally Posted by Dad04

Brian,

I caught the interview on the net today. Great job, as others have said. I found it interesting Coach Szefc complimented SEBaseball.com, not once but about four times. I'm going to check it out.

JD

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Thanks Dad04. Yes, you should check it out. Lots of good stuff, much of it is free of charge. Although I do not get a chance to write as much as I have in the past, I do enjoy doing it. SEBaseball.com has many talented and passionate writers (notably Mark Etheridge) covering different parts of the country and one key person behind the scenes helping make it all come together (Paul Kislanko).

Brian

as luck may have it we are scheduled to "do it again".. in the morning (4-22)

so look forward to some help with calls.. coach sfecz says his dad is in town and will also be with us..

or one can post any questions in here... and i'll pass them on..

thanks..

my thanks go out to brian and coach szefc for their time and insight today..

i tried my best to stay out of their way

sportsnoteradio.com
http://sportsnoteradio.com/archives/...fri_042205.mp3

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Originally Posted by snote

my thanks go out to brian and coach szefc for their time and insight today..

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Mine as well :ms02:

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Originally Posted by Turner

Mine as well :ms02:

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Thank you. BTW, if anyone has questions they would like to ask but were unable, go ahead and shoot a question in this thread. I will try my best to answer.

Brian

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Originally Posted by GoneGolfin

Thank you. BTW, if anyone has questions they would like to ask but were unable, go ahead and shoot a question in this thread. I will try my best to answer.

Brian

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Just want your opinion, on why so few scholarships in baseball?

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Originally Posted by snote

my thanks go out to brian and coach szefc for their time and insight today..

i tried my best to stay out of their way

sportsnoteradio.com
http://sportsnoteradio.com/archives/...fri_042205.mp3

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Excellent show again, Snote; but hang in there man cause without you it just doesn't hang together. .~.

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Originally Posted by Turner

Just want your opinion, on why so few scholarships in baseball?

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I believe the primary reason is due to funding. Not many baseball programs are in the black and scholarships cost the school. Many baseball programs count on football and/or basketball to fund them. Although in the South, some programs benefit from state scholarships for in-state students that are not counted toward the scholarship limit. This has also been the source of some controversy.

Brian

Brian,

Excellent show with Snote last week, unfortunately I haven't heard today's show, but I'll listen to the archive later this afternoon.

Two questions:

1) How do you think Southeast and Texas baseball compares to West Coast baseball this year? I find that Boyd Nation's ISRs seem to have a West Coast bias because so many inferior Western teams are rated higher strictly due to their Strength of Schedule. Or is this maybe just an anomaly for this season.

2) How do feel the Cajuns' pitching depth stacks up against the rest of the likely #1 & #2 seeds (exluding Tulane)?

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Originally Posted by cajun1300

Brian,

Excellent show with Snote last week, unfortunately I haven't heard today's show, but I'll listen to the archive later this afternoon.

Two questions:

1) How do you think Southeast and Texas baseball compares to West Coast baseball this year? I find that Boyd Nation's ISRs seem to have a West Coast bias because so many inferior Western teams are rated higher strictly due to their Strength of Schedule. Or is this maybe just an anomaly for this season.

2) How do feel the Cajuns' pitching depth stacks up against the rest of the likely #1 & #2 seeds (exluding Tulane)?

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Thanks cajun1300 ...

#1 As far as the ISR is concerned, I think there may be some bias in favor of the West Coast schools. But I think there is less bias in favor of these schools than there is bias against these schools in the RPI. The RPI is particularly brutal to the West coast due to the relative scarcity of inter-regional play for western schools. While I am not a fan of either the ISR nor the RPI, I think the ISR does a slightly better job. But I also think that as more games are played, the systems come closer together.

If you look at last season, the ISR did a better job with respect to predicting the two teams in the finals of the CWS. Both had Texas as #1, but the ISR had the national champions Titans at #3 while the RPI had them at #7. The RPI did a little better with the Top 5, but totally missed on Arizona. The RPI certainly underrated the west coast last season.

As we stand today, I think you have a case where the RPI is drastically underrating the West. Arizona State is the highest rated team out West at #9 (and ASU is overrated due to their SOS). Only four western schools are in the Top 20 with Long Beach State and Cal State-Fullerton #19 and #20 respectively. Arizona is at #25. That is nuts.

I think that the ISR has Cal State-Fullerton and Long Beach State about right. But I do think Oregon State, Southern Cal, and Arizona State are overrated.

Overall, I think the Southeast and Texas has more quality programs due to the sheer number of overall programs. I think that Stanford and Arizona State are down in a major way this season. But Cal State-Fullerton will contend for the title again this year, especially after they get Schreppel back (Saturday starter). Southern Cal started slow, but is playing good baseball. And I think Arizona will likely be back in the CWS. Finally, Oregon State has been a big surprise and has two starters that together are arguably better than anyone in the country.

That said, if I had to pick a winner this year, I would pick Texas. Just imagine if the Longhorns would not have lose their ace (LeCure) before the season started.

#2 To answer this question, I am going to break this into ...
a) #1 and #2 starters
b) quality of remaining pitching staff (including #3 starter, middle relief, and closers)

I split this up because your #1 and #2 starters can get you into the championship round of the regional undefeated and outright win a super-regional. #1 and #2 starters are also more important in today's format of the CWS.

I am using Mark's current #1 and #2 seed projections.

There are a few schools that have a slight advantage in the #1/#2 spots of the rotation ...

Texas
Oregon State
Cal State-Fullerton (with Schreppel healthy)
Long Beach State
Tennessee

Schools that I think match the Cajun #1/#2 starters

TCU
Rice
Miami
North Carolina
Vanderbilt
South Carolina
Nebraska

Schools that have an advantage/depth for the remainder of the pitching staff ...

Texas
Auburn
Florida
Florida State
Alabama
Baylor
Rice
Tulane
Mississippi State
Long Beach State
North Carolina
Vanderbilt
South Carolina
Arkansas
Southern Cal
Nebraska
Clemson

Schools that have similar quality for the remainder of the pitching staff ...

Cal State-Fullerton
Pepperdine
Mississippi
Miami
LSU
Tennessee


Brian

Thanks, Brian. Great commentary. By the way, I only expected you to spend a couple of minutes working on your answers. I didn't expect a dissertation. However, I'm very appreciative.

once again i feel lucky to have mr brian benton agrreing to join the show tomorrow the 6th of may.. only a few weeks left in the season before regionals, etc etc etc..

some points of discussion i am guessing will be:

** Upcoming Sun Belt series vs. New Mexico State
** Sun Belt race
** Race for a #1 seed
** LSU and UL race to host a regional
** History around the selection committee and the awarding of #1 seeds (w/respect to RPI, conference finish, etc.) and regionals

anything else someone wishes to know about? post or call in your questions..

Snote,

Sounds like you have it covered.

By the way, I haven't seen you at any Bullpen Club luncheons this season. Don't you care to congregate with the common folk? Perhaps you can't pull yourself away from Legends.

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Originally Posted by cajun1300

Legends.

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legends... hhmmm .. i know i've heard of that place before.. just can't put my finger on it though..

although. the legendary status of this morning's guest.. brian benton, continues to grow, at least in this sportsnote's eyes when it comes to college baseball .. hope you get to listen

link for may 6th's show with gonegolfin.. i'm now gonefishing (smiles)

http://sportsnoteradio.com/archives/...fri_050605.mp3