We're still in the Top 20 in attendance, but our average has now slipped below the 3,000 mark. Hopefully, with the increasingly warmer weather, we can level off and maintain attendance above the 2,800 mark.

Also #8 in USAT coaches poll. TCU at 1 and A&M at 4.

(03-16-2015 02:39 PM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  Also #8 in USAT coaches poll. TCU at 1 and A&M at 4.

At 20 - 0, the Aggies deserve it, despite playing an extreme home-baked, powderpuff schedule. Should be interesting to see how they fare this coming weekend in their very first road test at Alabama. The Tide may not be great (they're currently 8-7), but they're at least a quality Top 35 - 50 level team.

(03-16-2015 10:41 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  The newbies at Perfect Game jumped us 2 spots all the way up to #22. Wow. UH at 13-7 with a much lower RPI and SOS is still ahead of us, as is FAU, UT, UCF (stayed at #15 after a 3-2 week), Tx Tech (actually climbed 4 spots to #14, despite having yet to face a team with a pulse), and the list goes on and on...

http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...icle=10981

Well, PG accepted my chat question questioning their ranking logic since it differs dramatically from just about every other weekly poll out there. I questioned whether they were taking road games and SoS into account, as it certainly doesn't appear to be factored in.

The writers moved us up two slots to #8...
http://www.sportswriters.net/ncbwa/news/...50316.html

Heck, even Brian Foley an College Baseball Daily moved us up one slot to #7...
http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2015...-march-16/

Perfect Game is the very clear outlier.

Fun Fact: Aggies are 21-0. The D1 record for consecutive wins is 34 straight (held by Texas and FAU). In the unlikely event that the Aggies can stay perfect for the next few weeks -- and assuming no rainouts over that period -- guess who their record-tying game would be against?

Some team that started 30-0 one year, I would guess.

So if I'm counting correctly, 8 different college baseball polls are tracked here every week:

D1 Baseball
Baseball America
USA Today Coaches' Poll
National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA)
College Baseball Central
College Baseball Daily
Collegiate Baseball
Perfect Game

Which do you consider the most important, most accurate, best thought out, etc., and why?

I suppose my top three are D1 Baseball, USA Today Coaches' Poll and NCBWA because they all appear to have multiple "voters" who truly follow the game. Interestingly enough, all 3 have the Owls at #8 this week.

(03-16-2015 03:52 PM)sts60 Wrote:  Some team that started 30-0 one year, I would guess.

I would love to repeat the score vs. the Aggies from that year. IIRC, 10-0 Owls.

But there is a lot of baseball to be played between now and then.

Minor point, but we didn't start 30-0 in 2003. We lost a tough, one-run game on Sunday afternoon at MMP to Alabama, which dropped us IIRC to 3-1. Then went on a 30-game streak.

Pfft. Oh, facts. You can prove anything with facts. (Rolls eyes.)

Here's the Perfect Game response to my question in which they did everything but answer my question. Appears their logic is that they're sticking to their preseason rankings until they have no choice but to alter them. Little difference with the other polls? You're kidding, right? There are HUGE and frequent differences with the other polls, and not just concerning Rice. All Texas teams save for TCU have laid down duds? What bad team did Rice lose to? He even thinks LaTech was a better team last year than this year. He lost any credibility he had...

Quote:Comment From Guest
Please explain the logic in the PG rankings as they differ dramatically from almost every other weekly college baseball poll. Doesn't appear you're taking into account those teams that have played on the road vs. those with almost exclusively home-baked schedules so far. Nor does it appear your factoring in SoS of teams played so far. For example, other than have them ranked higher in your preseason poll, it's a head scratcher how teams such as Texas, and especially Houston and Texas Tech, are ranked higher than Rice. You do realize Tech has hardly played anyone with a pulse all season, save for getting taken to lunch by Cal St.-Fullerton, who have otherwise been struggling this year? Houston has played a whopping on road game so far this season, and have a number of really bad losses, having lost 6 of 9 games during one recent stretch.

Patrick Ebert:
First of all, we don't spend a lot of time looking at the other national polls. The question did prompt us to look at how some other sites have in their top 25, and to be honest, we didn't see that big of a difference outside of a few schools that we obviously differ with.

That said, we do take in all of the factors you bring up, particularly strength of schedule, which is a big reason why Indiana squeezed into the top 25 this week. After they took 2 of 3 from Stanford opening weekend it caused myself at least to wonder if we had overlooked them a little despite all of the losses they suffered, including their Head Coach.

All of the Texas teams are on our "watch" list, as they've laid some duds in recent weeks. Texas Tech did rebound after their sweep to Fullerton to take 2 of 3 from a strong SDSU program. They obviously have some key series coming up, beginning this weekend at Oklahoma, with Kansas and TCU following that.

But really, you could argue that a lot of the top teams haven't faced significant opposition so far. We still like the talent that both Texas Tech and Houston have, and you can throw the Longhorns into that mix as well.

Rice obviously did a nice job sweeping Louisiana Tech, but they're not the same Tech team from a year ago that lost a significant amount of talent. And aside from a few big mid-week contests, their next big series comes in early May against FAU.

So that's a long answer, but we do put a lot of time into our rankings and do weigh all of the things you brought up. This year has been a little more interesting since aside from a few teams very few are dominating their competition.

BTW, I'm convinced Perfect Game is simply looking at record. That "strong" San Diego State team that Tech just played may be 15 - 5, but they've play 10 games (50% of their games) against teams with RPI higher than #220.

(03-16-2015 10:33 PM)interwebowl Wrote:  Rice obviously did a nice job sweeping Louisiana Tech, but they're not the same Tech team from a year ago that lost a significant amount of talent. And aside from a few big mid-week contests, their next big series comes in early May against FAU.


These people are dumb as a box a rocks if they think last year's La Tech team had any talent at all. Seriously, how hard is it to look at last years records?

Yup, I believe they're confusing LaTech with ULaLa. Having said that, there were at least 3 - 4 erroneous statements in their one answer to me.

Don't be too hard on them. Let us see what happens after the UH game.

(03-16-2015 10:38 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-16-2015 10:33 PM)interwebowl Wrote:  Rice obviously did a nice job sweeping Louisiana Tech, but they're not the same Tech team from a year ago that lost a significant amount of talent. And aside from a few big mid-week contests, their next big series comes in early May against FAU.


These people are dumb as a box a rocks if they think last year's La Tech team had any talent at all. Seriously, how hard is it to look at last years records?

Yup, I believe they're confusing LaTech with ULaLa. Having said that, there were at least 3 - 4 erroneous statements in their one answer to me.

(03-17-2015 08:56 AM)OldOwl Wrote:  Don't be too hard on them. Let us see what happens after the UH game.

(03-16-2015 10:38 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-16-2015 10:33 PM)interwebowl Wrote:  Rice obviously did a nice job sweeping Louisiana Tech, but they're not the same Tech team from a year ago that lost a significant amount of talent. And aside from a few big mid-week contests, their next big series comes in early May against FAU.


These people are dumb as a box a rocks if they think last year's La Tech team had any talent at all. Seriously, how hard is it to look at last years records?

Yup, I believe they're confusing LaTech with ULaLa. Having said that, there were at least 3 - 4 erroneous statements in their one answer to me.

Why would the UH game make a difference? It is very clear from their response that they have no respect for our schedule, and have totally discounted our tough early OOC schedule. They ranked us toward the bottom of their preseason Top 25, and they appear to be intent on keeping us there....unless teams in front of us fall apart. How UH or Tech can be ranked ahead of us based on our respective bodies of work so far this season is beyond comprehension.

(03-17-2015 09:06 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-17-2015 08:56 AM)OldOwl Wrote:  Don't be too hard on them. Let us see what happens after the UH game.

(03-16-2015 10:38 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-16-2015 10:33 PM)interwebowl Wrote:  Rice obviously did a nice job sweeping Louisiana Tech, but they're not the same Tech team from a year ago that lost a significant amount of talent. And aside from a few big mid-week contests, their next big series comes in early May against FAU.


These people are dumb as a box a rocks if they think last year's La Tech team had any talent at all. Seriously, how hard is it to look at last years records?

Yup, I believe they're confusing LaTech with ULaLa. Having said that, there were at least 3 - 4 erroneous statements in their one answer to me.

Why would the UH game make a difference? It is very clear from their response that they have no respect for our schedule, and have totally discounted our tough early OOC schedule. They ranked us toward the bottom of their preseason Top 25, and they appear to be intent on keeping us there....unless teams in front of us fall apart. How UH or Tech can be ranked ahead of us based on our respective bodies of work so far this season is beyond comprehension.

I agree. They are pretty much trolling us. That "dud" comment. What dud? We haven't lost since TCU and are on a winning streak. To say they are even looking at the schedule is too generous.

(03-17-2015 09:39 AM)owl95 Wrote:  

(03-17-2015 09:06 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-17-2015 08:56 AM)OldOwl Wrote:  Don't be too hard on them. Let us see what happens after the UH game.

(03-16-2015 10:38 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-16-2015 10:33 PM)interwebowl Wrote:  Rice obviously did a nice job sweeping Louisiana Tech, but they're not the same Tech team from a year ago that lost a significant amount of talent. And aside from a few big mid-week contests, their next big series comes in early May against FAU.


These people are dumb as a box a rocks if they think last year's La Tech team had any talent at all. Seriously, how hard is it to look at last years records?

Yup, I believe they're confusing LaTech with ULaLa. Having said that, there were at least 3 - 4 erroneous statements in their one answer to me.

Why would the UH game make a difference? It is very clear from their response that they have no respect for our schedule, and have totally discounted our tough early OOC schedule. They ranked us toward the bottom of their preseason Top 25, and they appear to be intent on keeping us there....unless teams in front of us fall apart. How UH or Tech can be ranked ahead of us based on our respective bodies of work so far this season is beyond comprehension.

I agree. They are pretty much trolling us. That "dud" comment. What dud? We haven't lost since TCU and are on a winning streak. To say they are even looking at the schedule is too generous.

Unlike the other non-TCU Texas schools, we don't have a "dud" loss. Our losses are to UT (spit series), Stanford (split series before Quantrill was injured), at Arizona (to weekend series) and at TCU. Not a dud in the list.

(03-17-2015 09:58 AM)interwebowl Wrote:  Walt-
Thanks for keeping them honest even if they don't know that is what you are doing.

Actually, I'm done with them. I'm only sorry I paid for the premium package for this year (before Kendall revealed that he was leaving and joining D1baseball).

Regardless, beat UH today! That will send a message.