Best College Programs in Illinois

quote:

Originally posted by soxnole:
At least in the Missouri Valley Conference, the opportunity for a Super Regional and a trip to Omaha is real.

Wasn't Michigan the last Super Regional team from the Big 10/MVC?

quote:

Originally posted by soxnole:
That is the difference between an over-rated Big 10 school and a true "top program" that knows to recruit pitching first and foremost.

To be fair, you are an FSU guy ...

OSU also had a slew of pitchers get hurt along the way and had 2 of the best in NCAA last year (Wimmers and Hale) on their staff.

But, as you pointed out, that was game 4 after fighting through the consolation bracket of both the WS regional and the Big 10 tournament.

In my limited experience with that program, it seems that a lot of the feedback after the FSU game was that Coach Todd had issues handling a staff and keeping them healthy.

Corvallis, OR (home of Oregon State) isn't exactly the hottest place on the planet, and they still managed to win 2 WS Titles in the last 4 years.

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From some tree hugger blog known as COHO Ecovillage...

Weather in Corvallis is mild throughout the year.

Despite Oregon's reputation for rain, Corvallis has an annual rainfall of only forty inches--less than New York, Chicago and even Miami!

Summer days are pleasantly warm, with an average maximum temperature of 80 degrees from July through August.

On those rare days when the mercury climbs above 90 degrees, a cool breeze usually wafts in from the Pacific Ocean to cool things off before nightfall.

Winter temperatures hover around the 40's-50's.

Occasionally Corvallis will get a dusting of snow and it rarely lasts longer than a day.

GO BEAVS!


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US Weather Service Data

February ave high temps:
Eugene, OR 50.7
Salem, OR 51.2
Grand Rapids, Michigan 32.6
Columbus, OH 40.5
South Bend, IN 35.5

Not sure I would exactly classify OSU as a cold weather climate. Not to mention, most of the Pac 10 schools are South.

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I think Ratboy was referring to the social scene in Corvallis.

And that may very well explain their two CWS Championships!




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Gotwood-

Do you work for the Corvalis Chamber of Commerce? You have me wanting to move there now!

Oregon = trees. No wonder you know so much!!!

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I woodn't mind the move myself right now considering the lumber business around here. It's so awfully slow that the only thing I see sprinting ahead of me is a banana slug and a jar of grandma's molasses...and oh, an amputee centipede with only 17 legs!




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quote:

Originally posted by soxnole:
Tuzigoot,

Would you rather win the ACC/SEC and go to Omaha or finish your season in May?

At least in the Missouri Valley Conference, the opportunity for a Super Regional and a trip to Omaha is real.

I'd rather drive the bus instead of riding in the back most of the time.

Tuzi...to each his own!

CPLZ..NO...it was Wichita State in 08.

For the record:

Since Super Regional play was introduced in 1999, by appearance:

ACC 29
SEC 25
Big Ten 4 (2 OSU and 1 each by Mich and Minn)
MVC 3 (All 3 by Wichita St.)

Soxnole,
Have we then at a minimum, debunked the MVC is superior to the Big 10 theory?

CPLZ,

In my opinion the MVC is a superior conference if only because Wichita State is so much more dominant over time than any Big 10 team.

The coach is top 10 all time. The program has won a NC in 88 and they have been in 3 of 11 SR's. Additionally Creighton, though weaker lately had great success in the 90's and has been pretty solid since.

The Big 10 was a truly great conference from 1950-67 but mostly irrelevant since. Though they have been about even since 2000, the MVC was light years ahead of the Big 10 in the 70's,80's and 90's.

Soxnole,
That doesn't make the conference more dominant, only a team. Just because the Big10 had more SR appearances spread over more teams, doesn't mean they have the weaker conference. To the contrary, it would indicate more high level teams.

And citing 1988, a generation ago, is not germain to your point about a student having a better chance going to the WS by playing in the MVC now.

Maybe if you want to compare talent, see how many kids were drafted from each conference.

IMO....

7 SR appearances total in 11 years (5 of them by 2 teams) by these Conferences tells the real sad story.

If you took the Shockers out of the MVC and put them in the Big 10 you would have to put OSU, Minnesota and Michigan in the MVC to compensate.

Wichita States program is so much better than any in the Big 10 that there IS NO comparison.

CPLZ, using your own "generation" theory, the Big 10 has been D1 irrelevant since at least 1970.

Wichita has barely missed a beat by comparison while Creighton has had much more to brag about since 1970 than the entire Big Ten.

In the end both conferences are middle muddles that have been blown by in recent years by Conferences from the south and west and even lately, the East! They both depend heavily on their top 2 or 3 teams to get any recognition at all. The one team with recognition that does come to the fore is the Shocker's.

The only way either conference (outside of WSU) will ever get back in the D1 limelight is if they move the season to summer. That would be fair but it's not going to happen.

Expecting northern schools to be competitive at baseball is like expecting southern schools to be competitive at hockey. It isn't going to happen. Maybe an occasional team that makes a run, but not very often. Plus I've got a feeling that the Big Ten just doesn't think baseball is important.

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"Expecting northern schools to be competitive at baseball is like expecting southern schools to be competitive at hockey."

COLD HOT STEEL ON ICE SAND!




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Below are 5-yr RPI averages by conference from www.warrennolan.com. The Mid-Con and Summit League I didn't put on the list as neither had 5 data points from the 2005 thru 2009 seasons.

I won't bore you with the detailed statistics. But if you'd grouped them by relative strength thru the Big 10 it would break down like this:

1 - 3
4
5 - 6
7 - 12

Wichita St. has dominated their conference, and has moved thru the regionals, supers and WS appearance more than any program in either the MVC or Big 10 conferences. But the assertion that the MVC is way ahead of the Big 10 from a conference standpoint is pie in the sky.

In God I trust, all others show me the data.

RANK, CONF, 5-YR AVE
1, SEC, .5702
2, ACC, .5678
3, BIG 12, .5669
4, PAC 10, .5519
5, CONF USA, .5396
6, BIG WEST, .5333
7, WEST COAST, .5189
8, SUN BELT, .5152
9, SOUTHERN, .5144
10, BIG EAST, .5141
11, MO VALLEY, .5128
12, BIG 10, .5089
13, COLONIAL ATH, .5030
14, ATL SUN, .5027
15, WEST ATH, .5007
16, BIG SOUTH, .4994
17, SOUTHLAND, .4973
18, MTN WEST, .4909
19, MID AMER, .4848
20, ATL 10, .4703
21, PATRIOT LEAGUE, .4693
22, OHIO VALLEY, .4643
23, AMER EAST, .4593
24, HORIZON, .4571
25, MACC, .4520
26, IVY, 4515
27, INDEPENDENT, .4418
28, NORTHEAST, .4406
29, SWAC, .4130
30, MEAC, .4105

Thanks Tuzi.

That about sums up the state of both Conferences.

From 11 to 17 for the MVC over that 5 year period.

From 12 to 15 for the Big Ten.

Imo, they will be in the bottom half of the D1's 294 teams for years to come.

Sad but true.

Once again, hats off to EIU for bucking the trend.

Any opinions on North Park University-Program, staff, facilities, & academics(grad programs)? Saw a GA position available for them...

Thanks