Final Week of Sun Belt Play

[GoneGolfin]

The reason it is so important to be the number 1 or number 2 seed is, you could literally lose your second game and advance.

Here an example as the number 1 or 2 seed.
Team A is the number 6 seed in the West, Team B is the number 4 seed in the East, and Team C is the number 1 seed in the West.
Team A plays Team B on Tuesday and Team A wins.
Team A plays Team C on Wednesday, if Team C Wins then the worst they can finish is 1-1 in pool play.
Team C's game on Thursday is for nothing, they could pitch the backup catcher. Even if they lose the game, they will still advance because all teams will have a 1-1 record. For this to happen, the higher-seeded team would want the team they are playing first to be the winner of the first game in their pool.

The same situation for the number 2 seed in each division, but they would play on different days.

As stated several times, we need to keep pace with Little Rock on wins this weekend and win one more game than UTA. Both of those situations are very doable.

Even more troubling for me with this tournament format is the decision that a #1 or #2 seed may need to make in their first game (the converse of your example above). That is, your first pool game may be against the lower seeded opponent that lost their first game on Tuesday. In this situation, the first pool game is meaningless. As such, teams would be smart to throw the bottom of the staff, saving their pitching for the later tournament games (especially game 2). Meanwhile, you quite possibly have anti-momentum heading into the all-important game 2 ... where the weight of the season rests. Post-season tournaments should not potentially come down to one game at the outset of the tournament, especially for top seeds. But that is where we are with this format.

Too many meaningless games with this format and potentially many teams going home with a single loss. Give me the excitement of double elimination where every single game means something.

Brian

[CajunAmos]

Even more troubling for me with this tournament format is the decision that a #1 or #2 seed may need to make in their first game (the converse of your example above). That is, your first pool game may be against the lower seeded opponent that lost their first game on Tuesday. In this situation, the first pool game is meaningless. As such, teams would be smart to throw the bottom of the staff, saving their pitching for the later tournament games (especially game 2). Meanwhile, you quite possibly have anti-momentum heading into the all-important game 2 ... where the weight of the season rests. Post-season tournaments should not come down to one game at the outset of the tournament, especially for top seeds. But that is where we are with this format.

Too many meaningless games with this format and potentially many teams going home with a single loss. Give me the excitement of double elimination where every single game means something.

Brian

Brian, are we still up in the air about our seed? What are the scenarios?

[GoneGolfin]

Brian, are we still up in the air about our seed? What are the scenarios?

We are going to be the #1, #2, or #3 seed in the West. If we keep pace with Little Rock today, we are guaranteed no worse than the #2 seed. If we gain on UTA today (we win, they lose), we are the #1 seed. Probability is that the seeds remain where they are ... but the Cajuns can still be the #1 or #3 seed.

Meanwhile as I write this, Little Rock has jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Georgia State 3-0 in the B1st. And so the probabilities are adjusting in real time.

Brian

[CajunAmos]

We are going to be the #1, #2, or #3 seed in the West. If we keep pace with Little Rock today, we are guaranteed no worse than the #2 seed. If we gain on UTA today (we win, they lose), we are the #1 seed. Probability is that the seeds remain where they are ... but the Cajuns can still be the #1 or #3 seed.

Meanwhile as I write this, Little Rock has jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Georgia State 3-0 in the B1st. And so the probabilities are adjusting in real time.

Brian

Thanks Brian

[ZoomZoom]

What brain trust came up with this format?

[CajunAmos]

Who said brains had anything to do with it?

[Grantvb]

USA 13 APP 3 T6
LR 3 GSU B3
ULM 0 ASU 0 T1
TxSt 0 CCU 0 T1
UTA 0 GSO 0 B1

[Grantvb]

USA 13 APP 3 Final
LR 5 GSU 7 M4
ULM 5 ASU 0 T3
TXST 0 CCU 0 T3
UTA 2 GSO 3 T3

[Grantvb]

LR 9 GSU 9 T6
ULM 5 ASU 2 T6
TXST 1 CCU 1 B4
UTA 2 GSO 4 B5

[Grantvb]

LR 9 GSU 9 T7
ULM 6 ASU 2 T7
TXST 1 CCU 6 T5
UTA 2 GSO 6 B6

[Grantvb]

LR 9 GSU 11 T8
ULM 6 ASU 4 T8
TXST 2 CCU 6 B6
UTA 3 GSO 6 T8

[Turbine]

Who said brains had anything to do with it?

trust me, they don't