(04-25-2018 06:43 AM)odu09 Wrote:  

(04-24-2018 09:56 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  What sucks is that we are basically being forced to sweep every remaining series except La Tech because the others' RPIs are so crappy. We lose one of those games to ODU, UAB, or Marshall (our bullpen is due an implosion) and our RPI probably drops by 30 or so spots. Hell, our RPI is going to drop even if we sweep every series and outscore them 45-0. That just sucks.

Would it be allowed/possible to have a dynamic schedule to try to avoid this scenario? Have the back half of the CUSA schedule of the top teams playing each other more and get the lower schools that would drag down RPI off their schedule? People will cry logistics, but would it be worth it?

Perhaps, but it's just a down-year for the conference in baseball.

I also realize that while I am complaining about this situation in baseball we are the "low RPI must win and if you lose to us woe be it to you (think MTSU)" in basketball.

(04-25-2018 08:02 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 06:43 AM)odu09 Wrote:  

(04-24-2018 09:56 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  What sucks is that we are basically being forced to sweep every remaining series except La Tech because the others' RPIs are so crappy. We lose one of those games to ODU, UAB, or Marshall (our bullpen is due an implosion) and our RPI probably drops by 30 or so spots. Hell, our RPI is going to drop even if we sweep every series and outscore them 45-0. That just sucks.

Would it be allowed/possible to have a dynamic schedule to try to avoid this scenario? Have the back half of the CUSA schedule of the top teams playing each other more and get the lower schools that would drag down RPI off their schedule? People will cry logistics, but would it be worth it?

Perhaps, but it's just a down-year for the conference in baseball.

I also realize that while I am complaining about this situation in baseball we are the "low RPI must win and if you lose to us woe be it to you (think MTSU)" in basketball.

I think it's a problem in every sport really. Our conference has so many teams that it's likely there will be teams with off years that drag the overall numbers down. I wonder if it would be such a big deal to be able to shift the schedule around for sports where the strength of schedule matters for postseason.

(04-25-2018 06:43 AM)odu09 Wrote:  

(04-24-2018 09:56 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  What sucks is that we are basically being forced to sweep every remaining series except La Tech because the others' RPIs are so crappy. We lose one of those games to ODU, UAB, or Marshall (our bullpen is due an implosion) and our RPI probably drops by 30 or so spots. Hell, our RPI is going to drop even if we sweep every series and outscore them 45-0. That just sucks.

Would it be allowed/possible to have a dynamic schedule to try to avoid this scenario? Have the back half of the CUSA schedule of the top teams playing each other more and get the lower schools that would drag down RPI off their schedule? People will cry logistics, but would it be worth it?

One of the biggest things dragging down CUSA's RPI is our current records vs the top 50 in OOC games. At least we are playing some in OOC action but like basketball unless we start winning a few more our RPIs will continue to drag.

MT: 2-3
FIU: 1-4
ODU: 1-4
Rice: 1-5
UAB: 1-6
Charlotte: 1-8
Marshall: 0-1
FAU: 0-2
UTSA: 0-4
WKU: 0-8
Combined record: 7-45

LT (1-1) and USM (4-4) are the only 2 at .500 or better

(04-24-2018 04:47 PM)nastybunch Wrote:  That is why RPI was created for the high resource teams.

.... which is why there are more mid-majors in the RPI top 25 than there are in the human polls.

Everything is a conspiracy in USMland.

(04-25-2018 06:43 AM)odu09 Wrote:  Would it be allowed/possible to have a dynamic schedule to try to avoid this scenario? Have the back half of the CUSA schedule of the top teams playing each other more and get the lower schools that would drag down RPI off their schedule? People will cry logistics, but would it be worth it?

I don't think that would work.

The solution would be for league schools to play good teams on the road in the non-con (like the top teams in the Sun Belt, AAC, and Big West do) or at the very least in a decent tournament at a neutral site. Several schools in this league didn't even play a true road series OOC (USM included).

It'd give schools a nice boost in the RPI and would lead to fewer teams in the 150-250 range.

Beagle, I will continue to disagree with you on playing road series prostitution style. USM has worked hard for years to get where they are and reverting to playing roads series would be a giant step backwards financially and persectively in baseball.

(04-27-2018 12:07 PM)nastybunch Wrote:  Beagle, I will continue to disagree with you on playing road series prostitution style. USM has worked hard for years to get where they are and reverting to playing roads series would be a giant step backwards financially and persectively in baseball.

I don't understand this.

You don't get paid anything meaningful for a road baseball series. It can't be prostitution. We would be going on the road not for money but because we want better competition.

"Worked hard to get where we are and reverting to road series would be a giant step backwards?" We've basically played the same out-of-conference schedule for the last 25 years. Road series are good for your team and we need strong opponents. Hell, if I were Berry, I would push to play a road series out West every year.

We need some marquee series at the beginning of the season. Some at home, some on the road. Get home-and-homes with USA, ULL, ECU, FGCU, DBU, etc.

This isn't football where we really do have to prostitute ourselves.

Just brainstorming here, but you could cut the number of league games from 30 to 24.

Basically, you could draw it up to where the top 3 or so teams don't play the bottom 3 or so teams. And then you would hope that the schools would challange themselves in their 2 extra weeks of OOC weekends.

It'd lead to an unbalanced conference schedule, but could improve RPIs, at least for the top tier of teams.

Every road weekend series we play on the road cuts considerably on the income we make for baseball. Not hard to understand at all. We depend on the Top Twenty Five attendance to make ends meet for baseball at USM. What are you going to replace it with?

(04-27-2018 12:54 PM)BeagleUSM Wrote:  Just brainstorming here, but you could cut the number of league games from 30 to 24.

Basically, you could draw it up to where the top 3 or so teams don't play the bottom 3 or so teams. And then you would hope that the schools would challange themselves in their 2 extra weeks of OOC weekends.

It'd lead to an unbalanced conference schedule, but could improve RPIs, at least for the top tier of teams.

Trying to make sense of the top and bottom teams can be a challenge in itself. Last year ODU finished 2nd in the league and currently they are tied for last. 2 years ago Marshall finished 2nd and currently they are tied for last place. The only constants (and not trying to stir the pot or create smack) is that MT, UAB and WKU none have made the CUSA tournament the 2 previous seasons but UAB and WKU are both tied for 5th right now while MT appears to be a longshot for this year's tourney as their remaining series are against teams 2, 3, 4 and one of the teams tied for 5th.

(04-27-2018 12:46 PM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  We need some marquee series at the beginning of the season. Some at home, some on the road. Get home-and-homes with USA, ULL, ECU, FGCU, DBU, etc.

This isn't football where we really do have to prostitute ourselves.

We should absolutely be playing some of those schools. However, I believe jxn’s point was that we need top 25 power conference programs on the schedule as well.

Try to get home and homes but if not, go on the road. It’s good for RPI.

(04-27-2018 12:57 PM)nastybunch Wrote:  Every road weekend series we play on the road cuts considerably on the income we make for baseball. Not hard to understand at all. We depend on the Top Twenty Five attendance to make ends meet for baseball at USM. What are you going to replace it with?

Last I checked South Alabama and ULL are doing OK without 30 home games. We’d have to find a way to make it work.

Would playing 2-3 fewer home games in baseball really kill us financially? If so, we’re more ****** with $$$ than I previously thought.

3 fewer home games combined with a marquee series at PTP (with 3800-4000+ actual in seats) to make up for it and we'd be fine.

(04-27-2018 01:25 PM)BeagleUSM Wrote:  

(04-27-2018 12:57 PM)nastybunch Wrote:  Every road weekend series we play on the road cuts considerably on the income we make for baseball. Not hard to understand at all. We depend on the Top Twenty Five attendance to make ends meet for baseball at USM. What are you going to replace it with?

Last I checked South Alabama and ULL are doing OK without 30 home games. We’d have to find a way to make it work.

Would playing 2-3 fewer home games in baseball really kill us financially? If so, we’re more ****** with $$$ than I previously thought.

Yes, ULL and USA are doing fine because they get some state money for athletics...we don’t

(04-27-2018 02:19 PM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(04-27-2018 01:25 PM)BeagleUSM Wrote:  

(04-27-2018 12:57 PM)nastybunch Wrote:  Every road weekend series we play on the road cuts considerably on the income we make for baseball. Not hard to understand at all. We depend on the Top Twenty Five attendance to make ends meet for baseball at USM. What are you going to replace it with?

Last I checked South Alabama and ULL are doing OK without 30 home games. We’d have to find a way to make it work.

Would playing 2-3 fewer home games in baseball really kill us financially? If so, we’re more ****** with $$$ than I previously thought.

Yes, ULL and USA are doing fine because they get some state money for athletics...we don’t

Those schools have similar budgets as us. Looking at the USA TODAY numbers. It takes into account subsidies. Louisiana Tech has a smaller budget than us and played a west coast series + plus a good tourney.

There’s really no excuse. It’s fine if you’d rather play cupcakes, but there’s nothing stopping USM from playing good teams early in the year.

No, I want to play at home as do the coaches who make the decision and know what the budget is. Yes they have similar budgets as us because they can get state money, and we can’t. Not hard to understand as do the coaches.