It'll be interesting to see where Louisville, Pitt and Notre Dame fit into the ACC baseball landscape. I really believe UofL will come right in and be competitive for ACC titles right away. I'm not sayin' they will be the best team, but they'll be part of the ACC elite teams, in my opinion.

The ACC is a meat grinder of a conference. I would be surprised if any of the newbies win an ACC baseball title anytime soon. That's not meant as a slam just stating facts that the ACC is going to be a much tougher row to hoe than those teams are used to.

Out of the 3, UL would probably have the best chance. Pitt will finally start to fully fund their baseball team next season, but they'll have a long way to go before they can be competitive.

Q: if ACC baseball was moved to ESPN/ACC on a sports tier, do you think many in your area would realistically get the sports channels just so they could watch those games?

Here in Upstate SC* I think there would definitely be some who would - may 5% of the locals.

*did we ever explain that "Upstate SC" is the NW corner of the state, from about Columbia?

(05-10-2013 05:38 PM)ej6687 Wrote:  Out of the 3, UL would probably have the best chance. Pitt will finally start to fully fund their baseball team next season, but they'll have a long way to go before they can be competitive.

Pitt is ranked #17/#24 in the nation right now and sitting alone in first in the Big East. They may be competitive more quickly than you think.

(05-10-2013 05:58 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(05-10-2013 05:38 PM)ej6687 Wrote:  Out of the 3, UL would probably have the best chance. Pitt will finally start to fully fund their baseball team next season, but they'll have a long way to go before they can be competitive.

Pitt is ranked #17/#24 in the nation right now and sitting alone in first in the Big East. They may be competitive more quickly than you think.

SOS
Pitt 207
UNC 27
VT 2
Miami 3
UL 122

I'm very happy that Pitt is having a great year, but I'm not going to start calling them ACC competitive until they start playing a schedule that they'll face next season. They just haven't played very many good teams this season.

Current NCAA RPI rankings
1 UNC
3 UVA
5 FSU
7 NCSU
13 VT
14 Clemson
18 Miami
21 Maryland
23 Louisville
25 GT
31 ND
38 Wake
44 Pitt
70 Duke
164 BC

My work here is done.

(05-10-2013 02:01 PM)army56mike Wrote:  It'll be interesting to see where Louisville, Pitt and Notre Dame fit into the ACC baseball landscape.

UL - top half
ND - middle half
Pitt - bottom 1/3 or 1/4

(05-10-2013 02:01 PM)army56mike Wrote:  I really believe UofL will come right in and be competitive for ACC titles right away.

No.

I'm talking regular season here, as a team can get hot and make a run in a tournament and win it. But I don't see UL being consistently better than at least half of FSU, UM, GT, Clemson, UNC and UVA. Honestly, NC State who is up and down year-to-year, may be a decent comparison.

(05-10-2013 08:36 PM)Wolfman Wrote:  Current NCAA RPI rankings
1 UNC
3 UVA
5 FSU
7 NCSU
13 VT
14 Clemson
18 Miami
21 Maryland
23 Louisville
25 GT
31 ND
38 Wake
44 Pitt
70 Duke
164 BC

My work here is done.

Pitt has been operating, including this year, on 9.3 scholarships and prior to last year, played in arguably the worst facility in all of D1. Despite that, in the last decade they've been annually scrappy, have had school record number of draft picks, and have breached the national rankings for the first times in program history while playing in a mid-major conference. The coaching staff is better than the program deserves. The program is characterized by big bats and aggressive base running, but has been held back by scholarship-limited pitching depth and a particularly a weak bullpen that has cost Pitt, including this year, RPI-devastating midweek clunkers. Starting weekend pitching this year is pretty decent but it is thin thereafter. Starting next year scholarships will be fully funded and the incoming recruiting class is ranked (by Perfect Game) for the first time in school history.

Will Pitt compete for ACC titles? No. Will they struggle at first? Most likely. However, I certainly don't expect them to be embarrassed and within a few recruiting classes, now that the university is supporting the program, they could be competing for ACC tournament slots solely based on the way the staff has had the program playing over its head against nationally ranked teams in the recent past. I am frankly excited to see what this staff can do with with full scholarship funding, a facility that isn't flat out embarrassing, and membership in a power conference.

Here are some articles from non-biased college baseball news sites if you want information from a non-Pitt source.

College Baseball Daily: http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2012...t-chapter/

Perfect Game: http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...ticle=8297

(05-10-2013 08:36 PM)Wolfman Wrote:  Current NCAA RPI rankings
1 UNC
3 UVA
5 FSU
7 NCSU
13 VT
14 Clemson
18 Miami
21 Maryland
23 Louisville
25 GT
31 ND
38 Wake
44 Pitt
70 Duke
164 BC

My work here is done.

Next weekend series UVa vs UNC. I'll be there for probably the best baseball anyone could except for the CWS finals. Can't wait.

Miami will be good again next year. The boys coming in and up are gonna be good...

(05-10-2013 08:53 PM)Marge Schott Wrote:  UL - top half
ND - middle half
Pitt - bottom 1/3 or 1/4

Pitt swept ND this year by a combined 20-5 score despite having over a two scholarship deficit. In the last 6 years they've played, Pitt is 10-6 in games and is 4-1-1 in series against the Irish.

Next weekend Pitt and Louisville will probably be playing for a conference championship. We'll see where Pitt stands. I'm certainly not confident in taking the series against UL at their place.

Pitt is going to lose a lot off of this team so it certainly might struggle in the ACC next year.

JMO but it seems like the ACC has 2 of the 4 best college baseball teams (the SEC has the other 2).
In no particular order: Vanderbilt, LSU, UNC, and that other school from Virginia.

(I know, UVA is ranked #8 currently)

(05-10-2013 10:12 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  JMO but it seems like the ACC has 2 of the 4 best college baseball teams (the SEC has the other 2).
In no particular order: Vanderbilt, LSU, UNC, and that other school from Virginia.

(I know, UVA is ranked #8 currently)

I would think you would include NCSU in there somewhere. They've won 20 of their last 21 and are ranked 5th in the country.

(05-10-2013 10:44 PM)dawgitall Wrote:  

(05-10-2013 10:12 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  JMO but it seems like the ACC has 2 of the 4 best college baseball teams (the SEC has the other 2).
In no particular order: Vanderbilt, LSU, UNC, and that other school from Virginia.

(I know, UVA is ranked #8 currently)

I would think you would include NCSU in there somewhere. They've won 20 of their last 21 and are ranked 5th in the country.

fair enough. UVa & NCSU are going in opposite directions at the moment.

(05-10-2013 09:40 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(05-10-2013 08:36 PM)Wolfman Wrote:  Current NCAA RPI rankings
1 UNC
3 UVA
5 FSU
7 NCSU
13 VT
14 Clemson
18 Miami
21 Maryland
23 Louisville
25 GT
31 ND
38 Wake
44 Pitt
70 Duke
164 BC

My work here is done.

Pitt has been operating, including this year, on 9.3 scholarships and prior to last year, played in arguably the worst facility in all of D1. Despite that, in the last decade they've been annually scrappy, have had school record number of draft picks, and have breached the national rankings for the first times in program history while playing in a mid-major conference. The coaching staff is better than the program deserves. The program is characterized by big bats and aggressive base running, but has been held back by scholarship-limited pitching depth and a particularly a weak bullpen that has cost Pitt, including this year, RPI-devastating midweek clunkers. Starting weekend pitching this year is pretty decent but it is thin thereafter. Starting next year scholarships will be fully funded and the incoming recruiting class is ranked (by Perfect Game) for the first time in school history.

Will Pitt compete for ACC titles? No. Will they struggle at first? Most likely. However, I certainly don't expect them to be embarrassed and within a few recruiting classes, now that the university is supporting the program, they could be competing for ACC tournament slots solely based on the way the staff has had the program playing over its head against nationally ranked teams in the recent past. I am frankly excited to see what this staff can do with with full scholarship funding, a facility that isn't flat out embarrassing, and membership in a power conference.

Here are some articles from non-biased college baseball news sites if you want information from a non-Pitt source.

College Baseball Daily: http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2012...t-chapter/

Perfect Game: http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...ticle=8297

My post wasn't directed toward a specific school. The question was, "Where do Pitt, Louisville and Notre Dame fit in the ACC baseball landscape?" I think this is as reasonable of a WAG as any. It is the nature of college sports that next year will be very different. The only thing I am 100% on is that BC will finish ahead of SU in baseball next year. Well, make that 99%.

Ouch!
Ga. Tech beat the Heels last night (our 5th loss of the season).

(05-10-2013 02:01 PM)army56mike Wrote:  It'll be interesting to see where Louisville, Pitt and Notre Dame fit into the ACC baseball landscape.

Seeing how UofL does in the ACC is going to be interesting. On one hand, the university has a great coach in McDonnell and has put a lot of resources into the program (link). They've also had a fair bit of success over the past few years.

On the other hand, UofL does have some disadvantages. It is a cold weather program (tons of travel early in the year) that does not have a top notch local recruiting base or a well established history of success.

(05-10-2013 02:01 PM)army56mike Wrote:  I really believe UofL will come right in and be competitive for ACC titles right away.

I suppose anything is possible but ACC baseball is an entirely different animal than the Big East. The ACC is one of the elite college baseball conferences and has several programs with tons of tradition (e.g. look at the number of CWS appearances for schools like Miami, FSU, Clemson, UNC, etc). To use a baseball simile, moving to the ACC from the Big East is like being called up to the Big Leagues from a Class A franchise.

Time will tell, but I think UofL is probably going to struggle out of the gate for at least the first few years as it adjusts to the caliber of the new league.

(05-10-2013 10:11 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(05-10-2013 08:53 PM)Marge Schott Wrote:  UL - top half
ND - middle half
Pitt - bottom [half]

Pitt swept ND this year by a combined 20-5 score despite having over a two scholarship deficit. In the last 6 years they've played, Pitt is 10-6 in games and is 4-1-1 in series against the Irish.

Next weekend Pitt and Louisville will probably be playing for a conference championship. We'll see where Pitt stands. I'm certainly not confident in taking the series against UL at their place.

Pitt is going to lose a lot off of this team so it certainly might struggle in the ACC next year.

I don't care about one year. That's why I don't include NC State as a top tier ACC baseball program. Because they aren't.

Historically ND has been good. In recent years UL has been good. Pitt hasn't.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it. If switching Pitt to "bottom half" would appease you, then by all means allow me to change it to bottom half.

(05-11-2013 10:05 AM)Marge Schott Wrote:  

(05-10-2013 10:11 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(05-10-2013 08:53 PM)Marge Schott Wrote:  UL - top half
ND - middle half
Pitt - bottom [half]

Pitt swept ND this year by a combined 20-5 score despite having over a two scholarship deficit. In the last 6 years they've played, Pitt is 10-6 in games and is 4-1-1 in series against the Irish.

Next weekend Pitt and Louisville will probably be playing for a conference championship. We'll see where Pitt stands. I'm certainly not confident in taking the series against UL at their place.

Pitt is going to lose a lot off of this team so it certainly might struggle in the ACC next year.

I don't care about one year. That's why I don't include NC State as a top tier ACC baseball program. Because they aren't.
Historically ND has been good. In recent years UL has been good. Pitt hasn't.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it. If switching Pitt to "bottom half" would appease you, then by all means allow me to change it to bottom half.

I'm a little confused by that. NCSU over the last 10 years has been in 7 regionals and 2 super regionals.
Since they split into two divisions seven years ago they have finished 2nd three times, 3rd three times, and 4th the other time.