Could the Chippewas be a bit overlooked?....

[thekimmer]

CMU hasn't lost a game since april. Now for sure their SOS is garbage (275) and they are 1-2 vs Q1 but still could argue that they are a hot team. It would be fantastic if they could take one from miami on friday night.

 

[messageboardsuperhero]

I’m not saying CMU is trash, but they have basically played a SWAC caliber schedule. Three games all season against teams in the top 100 and they lost two of them.

CMU beating Miami Friday night would be great.

 

[Drebin]

They are not battle tested in any way. They can swing the bats but I don't think they've seen the caliber of pitching they are about to see. Their schedule has been hot garbage.

I doubt they give Miami much trouble. I just hope Miami throws their ace in that game and he has to work hard.

 

[MSUDC11]

I have no clue what to expect from them just because their SOS is so terrible. Still, to go 43-11 they’re obviously not bad. Also hitting over .300 as a team and have 5 or 6 pitchers with impressive numbers, too.

I wonder if Miami uses their ace against them or tries to save him for Game 2. I don’t think it would be a huge upset if CMU won on Friday.

 

[thekimmer]

They are not battle tested in any way. They can swing the bats but I don't think they've seen the caliber of pitching they are about to see. Their schedule has been hot garbage.

I doubt they give Miami much trouble. I just hope Miami throws their ace in that game and he has to work hard.

Therein lies the dilemma for Miami. Your #1 gives you the best chance to win game 1 but what is the best strategy to win the tournament?

 

[DAWGS1.sixpack]

I’d just rather Miami beat CM and we beat Miami Saturday night.

 

[615dawg]

Central Michigan is good enough that Miami will have to throw their ace.

 

[boatsandhoes]

Hopefully, lemons is preparing the team for these guys to play up. They’re going to play hard. When these small conference guys get in, this is like playing at Yankee stadium for those dudes. They’re gonna shi* a few diamonds. cue some RAT’s.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

I fear the Chippewas and their legends. Thank God it'll be June and not November.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vST6hVRj2A

 

[Go Budaw]

Central Michigan is good enough that Miami will have to throw their ace.

They very well might, but I might not if I was them. The goal is to win the first two games to maximize your chances of winning the regional. Neither one is more important than the other. Winning the first / losing the 2nd puts you in the exact same position as the reverse of that. Only if their #2 guy is extremely mediocre would I consider throwing the ace against the 3-seed.

 

[Dawgbite]

Hopefully the Chippewas won't haunt us like the late Choctaws are apt to on occasion.....

 

[thekimmer]

They very well might, but I might not if I was them. The goal is to win the first two games to maximize your chances of winning the regional. Neither one is more important than the other. Winning the first / losing the 2nd puts you in the exact same position as the reverse of that. Only if their #2 guy is extremely mediocre would I consider throwing the ace against the 3-seed.

If my goal is to win the first two games and my #2 is extremely mediocre I think I'd be even less likely to throw my ace against the 3 seed. Again, what gives me the best chance to win BOTH games. If I don't believe my #2 can beat the 3 seed how in the heck is the same guy going to beat the 1 seed throwing their ace the next day?

Again, this is predicated on a legitimate strategy to win the tournament. If your pitching depth is so shallow that you know don't have a chinaman's chance to win it then you try to win what you can & start your best in game 1.

 

[PineGroveBully]

Who? ***

 

[maroonmania]

Hopefully the Chippewas won't haunt us like the late Choctaws are apt to on occasion.....

That's what I was thinking. I hope the Chippewas and Choctaws weren't tribal allies. Don't want any stirrings of the old Indian curse.

 

[ScoobaDawg]

I have no clue what to expect from them just because their SOS is so terrible. Still, to go 43-11 they’re obviously not bad. Also hitting over .300 as a team and have 5 or 6 pitchers with impressive numbers, too.

I wonder if Miami uses their ace against them or tries to save him for Game 2. I don’t think it would be a huge upset if CMU won on Friday.

Miami's ace - Brian Van Belle - RS Jr - 3.30 era, 9-2, 15 starts, 87.1 IP, 76K, 23BB, 83 Hits, .247 BAA
2nd - Slade Cecconi - FR - 4.09 era, 5-3, 12 starts, 70.1 IP, 79 K, 18 BB, 70 hits, .249 BAA
Both RHP.

 

[Go Budaw]

If my goal is to win the first two games and my #2 is extremely mediocre I think I'd be even less likely to throw my ace against the 3 seed. Again, what gives me the best chance to win BOTH games. If I don't believe my #2 can beat the 3 seed how in the heck is the same guy going to beat the 1 seed throwing their ace the next day?

Again, this is predicated on a legitimate strategy to win the tournament. If your pitching depth is so shallow that you know don't have a chinaman's chance to win it then you try to win what you can & start your best in game 1.

I get what you are saying. I guess a better way to say it would be if there is a big drop-off between your #1 and #2, maybe you start the #1 against the 3-seed. The reason why is the bullpen. Even if your #2 struggles the next day, you could have the whole pen available if your ace starts and goes deep in Game 1. A couple of relievers that can keep a good hitting team off-balance is all it might take. Think about what we had in 2013 with Mitchell and Girodo, for example.

All that being said, without doing any research on Miami’s club I would say they probably didn’t get to be a borderline host team with only one good weekend rotation guy. So if they have an equivalent to a Plumlee (for instance) as their Saturday guy, I’d strongly consider putting him out there against the 3-seed.