Here's Rhodes with Mike Reis talking all things 2022 Salukis including scheduling, Dallas Baptist, and the program's future:
Lance agrees with me, of course. LOL Tough to see a DBU team that had high rpi wins 1st couple of weeks of the season but was 3rd in the MVC and went 1 - 3 against us get our bid (or Rutgers UTSA's bid).
Also mentioned shifting some games from Away to Home due to weather lowered our rpi 9 points.
Also mentioned that he contacts a lot of power 5 schools that are turning us down (Bruce Weber when he coached Illinois basketball), because they know we're no longer a pushover - don't want us to beat them.
This year's schedule was made a couple of years ago.
Wants to improve the pitching staff and have that lead our team rather than hitting, which can be capricious! Good idea there!
NC state was a national runner up last season and just got left out with a 32 rpi. UTSA was 37, Rutgers 42.
SIU was pretty far back at 65. They were as fringe as it gets for consideration...the only mention of a SIU snub I could find was in the Southern. The head to head thing is nice and good but we just plain got killed on SOS.
The good news is we recognize the problem and it will be better going forward. Our day is coming.
Bluster and barbeque don't win championships.
Lance mentioned other teams that got left out that were deserving, Rutgers, UTSA.
NC State was only 14 - 15 in the overrated ACC conference (but they did make the championship game and lost.) Ole Miss got in with a sub.500 conference record.
All depends if you think those computer ratings are accurate. I don't. Code like that has to start out with a bunch of assumptions. (like every SEC team is better than 200 other teams in the country) Committee showed a real lack of respect for the MVC. (The Ind. St AD was on the committee - sure like to know if he advocated for us instead of the 3rd place team leaving the conference.)
Doing a little research on the committee, they evidently put a greater emphasis on non-conference schedule than was done in the past. Kind of stupid in my opinion since most of those games are early in the season. The one thing they get right (sometimes) in basketball selection is emphasis on late season games. Doesn't appear they gave that much mind in baseball.
"This year, the committee broke precedent with its decisions."
As Lance said, he's called a lot of Power 5 schools and they don't want to play us. (We have personnel connections with Illinois and are close. We played Purdue a few years ago.) We had that problem when we were good in basketball. Central Arkansas was a 38 win team when he scheduled them two years ago - not very good this year. Mid week games almost require teams within a few hours drive.
He's working on it.
eh, he has to advocate for his program I get it.
If scheduling a p5 is that hard there are plenty of mid-majors he can hit up for advice. One of them is his alma mater down the road. 🙂
Bluster and barbeque don't win championships.
If I am not mistaken when a school from your conference comes up for discussion you have to excuse yourself from deliberations as not to unfairly influence the committee
eh, he has to advocate for his program I get it.
If scheduling a p5 is that hard there are plenty of mid-majors he can hit up for advice. One of them is his alma mater down the road. 🙂
Yeh Lance is just blowin' smoke - advocating for his team - bitching about the 3rd place MVC team we beat 3 of 4 getting our bid!
SEMO played one game at Ole Miss (sub .500 SEC team that should not have received a bid), one game at Mizzou, and 3 at Ok. State - all away which boosts your strength of schedule. Otherwise, they played Ark. St., some MVC teams, and conference games. They won 2 of 3 at your pick DBU. SEMO won their conference tournament two years in a row to get in.
We played 3 against Illinois, 2 against Northwestern (supposed to be at Butler but moved here because of weather - cost us 9 pts rpi). Won 2 of 3 at DBU. Played OVC teams, beat SEMO twice, Ark. St., a couple of southern teams, and MVC teams. Very little difference.
very little difference? Come on. 😀
This is pointless. The big 10 doesn’t even crack the top 10 in conference rpi. Those are middle of the road opponents that’ll get you more credibility than loading up on the Southland, MAC and OVC. That’s it.
SEC, big 12, and ACC run the college baseball landscape, and all have programs within a very reasonable drive.
We can accept that, and start calling them, like the serious mid-majors all do. Or we can stomp our feet and have this same conversation next season.
Bluster and barbeque don't win championships.
What Power 5 schools could Southern play in a mid-week game?
Illinois?
Mizzou?
Indiana/Purdue?
Kentucky?
Ole Miss/Miss St.?
Maybe Arkansas?
What Power 5 schools could Southern play in a mid-week game?
Illinois?
Mizzou?
Indiana/Purdue?
Kentucky?
Ole Miss/Miss St.?
Maybe Arkansas?
Vanderbilt, Louisville
What Power 5 schools could Southern play in a mid-week game?
Illinois?
Mizzou?
Indiana/Purdue?
Kentucky?
Ole Miss/Miss St.?
Maybe Arkansas?
Vanderbilt, Louisville
On second thought, Arkansas might be a bit too far. But those 2 would work.
Congrats to Kaeber. Sure sounds like Rhodes doesn't expect him back next year but SIU starting to send players to MILB/MLB would be awesome
very little difference? Come on. 😀
This is pointless. The big 10 doesn’t even crack the top 10 in conference rpi. Those are middle of the road opponents that’ll get you more credibility than loading up on the Southland, MAC and OVC. That’s it.
SEC, big 12, and ACC run the college baseball landscape, and all have programs within a very reasonable drive.
We can accept that, and start calling them, like the serious mid-majors all do. Or we can stomp our feet and have this same conversation next season.
Illinois came in 2nd in the Big 10. I wouldn't call that middle of the road. They have a good program. Ole Miss finished under .500 in an admittedly good conference. SEMO won that game, the SEMO that lost twice to us. As Lance says, if that NU, Butler weekend had been at Butler instead of here, our RPI would have been in the 50s.
I watched DBU's rpi all season. Couldn't understand why it wasn't dropping like a rock after losing series to ISU and Redturd State. The RPI is a very imperfect measure.
We don't know that Lance hasn't called them - he says he has called Power 5 schools and they don't want to play us. Maybe he'll try harder.
We have played Kentucky and Purdue in the past. Think we swept Purdue a couple of years ago. If you believe Lance, and I do, these Power 5 games are not just a phone call away - tough to get.
Indiana should be doable if they'll play us - doubt they want to play us in football any time soon. Vanderbilt and Arkansas are power programs - I believe they would be a tough series to get. Mo St plays Arkansas -an easy bus ride.
Northwestern whipped us this year - that would be a good series to get. Long bus ride - even longer than UIC.
These games are probably booked a year or two ahead of time, as was SIU's schedule this year.
I looked that game up. It was sandwiched between 3 at South Carolina and 4 with Mississippi State. Guessing Ole Miss wasn't terribly focused, three errors.
In any event, good for SEMO that's a great win. The SEC got 67 guys drafted last year, 31 of them in rounds 1-5. ACC not far behind with 63. Any time you can get a win there you've accomplished something.
Bluster and barbeque don't win championships.
Evansville is another team like SEMO who keeps landing these big games. 3 at NC state, at vandy, at kentucky, 4 at tulane who was #18 at the time. 3 at northwestern, 4 at indiana, 3 at home with michigan state, another with indaina at home, at purdue.
If you consider SEMO and Evansville to be programs similar to SIU in location and stature, which they clearly are, this is doable.
Bluster and barbeque don't win championships.
