Tweaking College Baseball Postseason

#2
#2
#3
#3
BruinVol said:
I disagree. Number 3 is a terrible idea imo. It would destroy the atmosphere of a super regional. Very poor crowds would attend. Nothing beats the atmosphere at a school like LSU in the supers.
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Agreed, College baseball is not at the point where you can do this yet. As it grows, I think we can start to talk about moving to neutral sites.
 
#4
#4
I love the college baseball post season. One of my fondest memories is attending all of the regional games the last time we hosted one. I have been waiting for years for us to have a team worthy of hosting again. I would just like for them to put a little bit of "pop" back into the bats or something. I think they took that way too far.
 
#5
#5
Part of #4 would not work. Reseeding the teams in Omaha is fine, but if they played a best of three series for every round, they would be playing for up to 18 days in Omaha. They only play two games per day in Omaha now. So, it would take six days, including the if-necessary days, to complete one round. That is, unless they start playing at something like 9am and cram all four games into one session. That sounds like a mess though, and extra innings and rain would really make the loaded schedule difficult.
 
#6
#6
BruinVol said:
I disagree. Number 3 is a terrible idea imo. It would destroy the atmosphere of a super regional. Very poor crowds would attend. Nothing beats the atmosphere at a school like LSU in the supers.
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BigOrange51 said:
Agreed, College baseball is not at the point where you can do this yet. As it grows, I think we can start to talk about moving to neutral sites.
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Ya'll bunch of traditionalist fuddie duddies :). Every kid's dream is to play in a Major League ball park. That would be great. I haven't even watched MLB since the 70's back when the theme song for the Pirates was "We Are Family"...as a fan, UT playing at a MLB park is probably the only reason I'd ever think to go to one...like a bowl game in football but better. I see yer points, just think it would be so much more cool than going to a college site.
 
#7
#7
vol66 said:
Ya'll bunch of traditionalist fuddie duddies :). I see yer points, just think it would be so much more cool than going to a college site.
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66

You are a huge college baseball fan. Have you ever been to Baton Rouge or Starkville for a super regional?? If not you should put it on your bucket list. It's better than any MLB venue could possibly offer. It's really a special thing to see
 
#8
#8
vol66 said:
Ya'll bunch of traditionalist fuddie duddies :). Every kid's dream is to play in a Major League ball park. That would be great. I haven't even watched MLB since the 70's back when the theme song for the Pirates was "We Are Family"...as a fan, UT playing at a MLB park is probably the only reason I'd ever think to go to one...like a bowl game in football but better. I see yer points, just think it would be so much more cool than going to a college site.
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I would love to see the Vols play in a Super Regional if at some point they can build up to being good enough to earn that right.

That being said, in the case of UTK specifically, the nearest MLB sites to Knoxville are Cincinnati and Atlanta.

Just driving through the heart of downtown Atlanta on I-75 can be a pain at the best of times, and Cincinnati would require a weekend trip to see even one game.

I'd rather such a series be hosted in Knoxville. Less travel, and more money I can spend locally if I don't have to burn money on gas just getting there.
 
#9
#9
This may be a hidden way to get more regionals in west.

Although talented, a lot of California teams can't host a region or super region because of subpar facilities and poor attendance.

This sounds like a shot at southern teams (SEC/ACC/Big 12) and the complainers in north and California trying to level the playing field but playing games in 1/2 empty major league stadiums.
 
#10
#10
fryeguy93 said:
This may be a hidden way to get more regionals in west.

Although talented, a lot of California teams can't host a region or super region because of subpar facilities and poor attendance.

This sounds like a shot at southern teams (SEC/ACC/Big 12) and the complainers in north and California trying to level the playing field but playing games in 1/2 empty major league stadiums.
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At this point in the popularity of the sport, I think Texas is the only possible location where this is feasible. I think the PAC will slowly get better attendance-wise, but we will never see 10,000 seats filled for less than a super in Cali in our lifetimes IMO.

We will never see any part of the tournament played in MLB stadiums. It just will never get to that level of popularity across the board. Neutral sites will be minor league stadiums, once there is a following enough to fill them universally.
 
#11
#11
I don't like the idea of best 2 of 3 series all the way through because that gives subpar teams that ride their top two aces more of a chance than they deserve against more balanced teams.

You have to win either three or four games to win a regional. That knocks out a lot of the cindarellas and pretenders. Then the super-regionals are 2 out of 3 matchups between two balanced regional champions.

To get to Omaha, you have to be able to win in both formats. You have to have great starting pitching, great depth, and great balance.

Then to win at Omaha, you have to win each format again.

It's a great tournament structure. And the champions who emerge deserve it.
 
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#12
#12
ShowmeVols said:
I don't like the idea of best 2 of 3 series all the way through because that gives subpar teams that ride their top two aces more of a chance than they deserve against more balanced teams.

You have to win either three or four games to win a regional. That knocks out a lot of the cindarellas and pretenders. Then the super-regionals are 2 out of 3 matchups between two balanced regional champions.

To get to Omaha, you have to be able to win in both formats. You have to have great starting pitching, great depth, and great balance.

Then to win at Omaha, you have to win each format again.

It's a great tournament structure. And the champions who emerge deserve it.
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Since 1990 there have been several teams to win the CWS with shallow talent, especially pitching.

UGA in 1990 became the first SEC title winner using only 2-pitchers.

Pepperdine, both Oregon State teams, Rice and even Texas have not had deep pitching.

However, the key is avoiding loser brackets at all costs. Even a 3-game series would not prevent this as a team only has to win twice.
 
#14
#14
Yeah, I know there have been college coaches who threw guys Friday and Monday to get through a regional with only two arms, but my point was that unlike college basketball, where one streaky shooter can get hot and take a mediocre team to the Sweet 16 or even deeper, college baseball's alternating between four-team double eliminations and best of three series helps the cream rise to the top. Baseball being the game of small differences over the long haul, strange things can still happen. But I like the format.
 
#15
#15
BruinVol said:
66

You are a huge college baseball fan. Have you ever been to Baton Rouge or Starkville for a super regional?? If not you should put it on your bucket list. It's better than any MLB venue could possibly offer. It's really a special thing to see
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I haven't been to A&M or Mizzou yet, but I've been to the rest of the SEC schools, mostly for football though. I have not been to a regional, but if UT goes, I'll go.
 
#16
#16
VolBuck86 said:
I would love to see the Vols play in a Super Regional if at some point they can build up to being good enough to earn that right.

That being said, in the case of UTK specifically, the nearest MLB sites to Knoxville are Cincinnati and Atlanta.

Just driving through the heart of downtown Atlanta on I-75 can be a pain at the best of times, and Cincinnati would require a weekend trip to see even one game.

I'd rather such a series be hosted in Knoxville. Less travel, and more money I can spend locally if I don't have to burn money on gas just getting there.
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I guess I'm kind of looking at it like a college bowl game. In that scenario, I don't mind the trip or the overnight stay...it's just an every now and again type thing. Of course, if the Vols could host I wouldn't want to take away the home field advantage.:)

I don't have much to say on it, but i THOUGHT it might get some people a talkin' in the baseball forum:p
 
#17
#17
I've been to regionals in Knoxville and Clemson and Super Regionals in Knoxville and Atlanta. Was trying to go to Super in Kinston, NC but ECU was playing cutesy games with tickets.

Always a great atmosphere, even on road.

I miss the 8-team regionals where you could take off and watch several good games a day
 
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#18
#18
I would like to tweak the four-team regional format. Right now, you can win your first game, then lose your second game, and then find yourself in an elimination game against a team you already beat. If you lose, you will have split two games against the team that just eliminated you, with your other game having come against a team that won its first game, and their other game having come against a team that lost its first game.

Current Format:
Game 1: A vs B
Game 2: C vs D
Game 3: Wgm1 vs Wgm2
Game 4: Lgm1 vs Lgm2
Game 5: Lgm3 vs Wgm4
Game 6: Wgm3 vs Wgm5 (Wgm5 must win twice)
Game 7: if Wgm5 wins Game 6

Suppose A and C win the opening games. Theoretically, A could then lose to C and then have to defeat B a second time to stay in it. If B wins the rematch, then A and B will have split, A will have the tougher strength of schedule at that point because they had to play C, and A is out.

I suggest:
Game 1: A vs B
Game 2: C vs D
Game 3: Wgm1 vs Lgm2 (Lgm2 must win twice)
Game 4: Wgm2 vs Lgm1 (Lgm1 must win twice)
Games 5-7: If Lgm1 or Lgm2 win in Games 3-4, they will play again. If neither if-necessary game happens, then Games 5-7 are a best 2 of 3 Final. If just one if-necessary game happens, then Game 6 is the Final, with Game 7 played if the undefeated team loses Game 6. If both if-necessary games happen, then Game 7 is a one-game Final.
 
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#19
#19
I just think the superregional idea was just a way to make more money and get more teams excited to host postseason baseball.

I was wrong before when I said 8-team regions. They were 6-team regionals because the tourney then was only 48-teams. I think this system was replaced in 2001

An 8-team regional would work even better without the unduly complicated bracket of a 6-team model.

PLUS. An 8-team tourney would be more likely to succeed at neutral or semi-neutral sites (mainly minor league stadiums seating over 7,000 people.)
 
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