Season long look at UL's trek through the Baseball RPI rankings

[Zeebart21]

It seems you are confused. I did use the correct name. I used Louisiana to refer to the Cajuns out of the Sun Belt. I used Lafayette to refer to the Leopards out of the Patriot League.

Brian

LOL! Was there ever any doubt?

Z.

[CajunProud]

Illinois can hit and hit very well. Moody pitched 5 innings, one hit, no runs.

http://www.athleticnetwork.net/uploads/base6.htm

Thanks. I think I said he gave up 1 run. My bad. I certainly didn't mean to imply that he pitched poorly. I actually thought he looke very good, especially for someone who has not faced live bats for some time. My comment was really more of a compliment to Illinois.

I also think the reason we were in the right place to catch the hard hit shots was due to our excellent coaching staff placing the defense in the right position for the pitch that was called.

I think Moody will only get stronger as the year goes on, same with all of our pitchers.

[Cajun Express]

For the RPI to be effective you need a reasonable number of games to have been played. Boyd Nation usually begins publishing his estimate of the NCAA RPI formula in the first or second week of March.

To give you an example, Louisiana is currently #59 in the Base RPI calculation (calculated by SEBaseball.com). This does not include any of the bonuses or penalties added to the base formula by the NCAA. Meanwhile, Lafayette is currently #2 having only played two games thus far. Toledo is #3, Davidson is #4, and Furman is #5. This latest edition of the Base RPI includes games played through Saturday 2/24.

In the meantime, Paul Kislanko at SEBaseball.com was playing around with what he considers an improved RPI formula (not necessarily what the NCAA uses). It is dubbed RPI2. The Top 25 looks much more reasonable than that of the Base RPI. But more games are still needed. Lafayette is #1 in the latest edition. The Cajuns come in at #8. Southern Mississippi is #13 and Troy is #18. This does not include Sunday's Troy win over Southern Mississippi.

I understand the concept of playing enough games to give the RPI a valid base, but how does Lafayette with two games, against I don't know who have a higher rank than a team with 8 wins and no loses? That defies logic. I might understand it if the team with two wins also was a national power year after year, but the Lafayette Leopards?

[rhineaux]

Thanks. I think I said he gave up 1 run. My bad. I certainly didn't mean to imply that he pitched poorly. I actually thought he looke very good, especially for someone who has not faced live bats for some time. My comment was really more of a compliment to Illinois.

I also think the reason we were in the right place to catch the hard hit shots was due to our excellent coaching staff placing the defense in the right position for the pitch that was called.

I think Moody will only get stronger as the year goes on, same with all of our pitchers.

To add my two cents on the weekend, the season so far, and whatever else...

I think our pitching will get better. Remember how little work they were able to get in January with all the weather. Plus, in recent years, we didn't have a whole lot of depth and so there wasn't as much initiative for one player to step up. this year, you ahve several guys (other than Moody and glass) who are battling for two starting spots (Saturday/midweek, depending on where glass ends up, and sunday). that competition will definitely force somebody to step up and take the slot, and will definitely put that pitcher in a position to take over in case some of our pitchers decide to go a different direction come amateur draft time.

Secondly, one of the beefs that i've had the past several years with tony's clubs is the runners left on base. they have consistently done this over the past threee or four years for sure, and haven't shown much improvement, if any at all. I can't remember how many time i would listen to a game where we'd lose by a couple runs, and then leave 8-10 runners on base for the game. this team left plenty of runners on base this weekend, but, they also hit the ball a lot. there is a difference between getting the lead man in scoring position, then flying/grounding/striking out the next three, to having runners on the whole inning, and then there happens to still be runners on base when the third out is made. this team did a pretty good job of hitting with two outs this weekend. It certainly seems that, whether becasue of Sczef's system, or Sczef's recruiting, that the hitting is really coming around. We are beginning to see guys that aren't just good hitters or fielders, but have both, in addition to the other small tools that you need to be competitive nationally. Thanks Coach Sczef.

[rhineaux]

I understand the concept of playing enough games to give the RPI a valid base, but how does Lafayette with two games, against I don't know who have a higher rank than a team with 8 wins and no loses? That defies logic. I might understand it if the team with two wins also was a national power year after year, but the Lafayette Leopards?

I am not sure where warrennolan.com gets their RPI, but they have Stetson having an RPI of 8. and, our conference wasn't ranked in the top ten either. I also noticed that they have our strength of schedule ranked in the 170s or something like that. That's not too good, right now, but should get better. Especially with FAU and Troy being regarded so well. and if teams like Ill. and USM do well in their conferences. It kinda sucks becasue we don't have any harvards or albany's on our sechedule this year, but or SOS is still low. If you start losing those games, though, then that is only when it matters. just gotta win, no matter who is on the field.

[Turbine]

I am going out on a limb here . . . Early in the season when you sweep a team that hasn't played any other games it kills your SOS.

[rhineaux]

I am going out on a limb here . . . Early in the season when you sweep a team that hasn't played any other games it kills your SOS.

touche' my friend.

[RaginFan2]

I am going out on a limb here . . . Early in the season when you sweep a team that hasn't played any other games it kills your SOS.

I think you found a pretty sturdy, low-lying limb to climb out on! LOL

[cajunfan79]

To add my two cents on the weekend, the season so far, and whatever else...

I think our pitching will get better. Remember how little work they were able to get in January with all the weather. Plus, in recent years, we didn't have a whole lot of depth and so there wasn't as much initiative for one player to step up. this year, you ahve several guys (other than Moody and glass) who are battling for two starting spots (Saturday/midweek, depending on where glass ends up, and sunday). that competition will definitely force somebody to step up and take the slot, and will definitely put that pitcher in a position to take over in case some of our pitchers decide to go a different direction come amateur draft time.

Secondly, one of the beefs that i've had the past several years with tony's clubs is the runners left on base. they have consistently done this over the past threee or four years for sure, and haven't shown much improvement, if any at all. I can't remember how many time i would listen to a game where we'd lose by a couple runs, and then leave 8-10 runners on base for the game. this team left plenty of runners on base this weekend, but, they also hit the ball a lot. there is a difference between getting the lead man in scoring position, then flying/grounding/striking out the next three, to having runners on the whole inning, and then there happens to still be runners on base when the third out is made. this team did a pretty good job of hitting with two outs this weekend. It certainly seems that, whether becasue of Sczef's system, or Sczef's recruiting, that the hitting is really coming around. We are beginning to see guys that aren't just good hitters or fielders, but have both, in addition to the other small tools that you need to be competitive nationally. Thanks Coach Sczef.

I don't have the stats in front of me, but I heard stevie P say that this team so far this year has a ton of 2 out RBIs. That sounds like clutch hitting to me and not leaving to many on base. I mean come on give the guys a break, they are averaging 10 runs a game!

[evangelinetiger]

LOL! Was there ever any doubt?

Z.

I don't know pepperfan, I went to webiste to check on the lies that may or may not have been spewed on this site and I found out that the site refers to ULL as:


LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE

Not Louisiana.


Worry about that 39% graduation rate and those NCAA sanctions header your way.