Big East Baseball: It's Terrible

[GoMuskies]

This should not come as a surprise to anyone given the geography, but the Big East is just a godawful terrible baseball conference. And for Xavier, that's probably not a bad thing. Here are the current records and RPIs of the conference members according to Boyd's World.

21 Creighton 11-6
67 Seton Hall 15-4
92 Xavier 21-11
95 St. John's 14-10
155 Georgetown 9-12
269 Butler 9-13
273 Villanova 7-14

Xavier will definitely have their chances to play their way into the NCAA Tournament over the years facing off against this bunch (assuming Creighton isn't able to put together a powerhouse).

[bobbiemcgee]

A-10 not looking any better:

VCU 20 - 3
Saint Louis 14 - 8
George Mason 13 - 8
Saint Joseph's 10 - 7
Dayton 6 - 13
Massachusetts 3 - 13
Richmond 8 - 12
George Wash 7 - 13
La Salle 4 - 18
Fordham 8 - 12
St. Bonaventure 4 - 13
Rhode Island 4 - 16

[xu95]

Xavier has a baseball team?

[GoMuskies]

The A-10 was certainly hurt by losing Charlotte (and to a much lesser extent, Xavier).

Although Charlotte is 4-16 this year. Ouch.

Although it is terrible for everything else, C-USA (where Charlotte plays now) is a top notch baseball league.

[QueensbridgeMF]

Conference Tourney in Coney Island this year I think I heard during the BET.

[GoMuskies]

RPI actually has Big East as the #14 conference, which is not as bad as I suspected. The A-10 is something like #26 this year. Yikes.

[throwbackmuskie]

The A-10 was certainly hurt by losing Charlotte (and to a much lesser extent, Xavier).

Although Charlotte is 4-16 this year. Ouch.

Although it is terrible for everything else, C-USA (where Charlotte plays now) is a top notch baseball league.

They are middle of the pack. They have Rice and FIU but that is about it. Tulane use to be decent.

To the BE, St Jon's use to have a real good program. Creighton and Xavier have a realy chance to own the league for a long time. Cincinnati always has good HS talent, just need to try and keep more of it home. The top kids will always go south or pro, it's the 2nd tier kids they need to keep and steal a top tier here and there.

[xubrew]

CUSA is pretty awful this year. They should just rename it Rice & CO.

[GoMuskies]

CUSA is pretty awful this year.

Fair enough, but every one of East Carolina, Tulane, Southern Miss, FAU and Charlotte have good programs. It's interesting that they're all down at the same time.

[throwbackmuskie]

Something to remember the BE only have 7 schools playing baseball

[Masterofreality]

Something to remember the BE only have 7 schools playing baseball

Yeah, wow. No Marquette, Providence or DePaul.

[throwbackmuskie]

Yeah, wow. No Marquette, Providence or DePaul.

Providence was a Title IV subtraction.

[GoMuskies]

As for Marquette, below is the baseball schedule of cross-town "rival" UW-Milwaukee. You will note that the season is a month and a half old, and UW-M is still a week away from their first schedule home game.

Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result

02/14/14 at CSU Bakersfield Bakersfield, Calif. L, 8-4
02/15/14 at CSU Bakersfield Bakersfield, Calif. L, 8-3
02/16/14 at CSU Bakersfield Bakersfield, Calif. L, 9-3
Snowbird Classic (Port Charlotte, Fla.)
02/21/14 vs. Omaha Port Charlotte, Fla. W, 5-4
vs. Ball State Port Charlotte, Fla. L, 3-1
02/22/14 vs. Kansas Port Charlotte, Fla. L, 9-8
02/23/14 vs. St. Bonaventure Port Charlotte, Fla. W, 14-3



02/28/14 at Kansas State Manhattan, Kan. Cancelled
03/01/14 at Kansas State Manhattan, Kan. Cancelled
03/02/14 at Kansas State Manhattan, Kan. Cancelled
03/07/14 at UIC (March 7-9) Chicago, Ill. Cancelled
03/08/14 vs. Akron Clarksville, Tenn. W, 10-4
at Austin Peay Clarksville, Tenn. L, 5-4
03/09/14 vs. Akron Clarksville, Tenn. L, 13-5
at Austin Peay Clarksville, Tenn. L, 12-7
03/14/14 at Valparaiso* Valparaiso, Ind. Cancelled
03/15/14 at Valparaiso* Valparaiso, Ind. Cancelled
03/16/14 at Valparaiso* Valparaiso, Ind. Cancelled
03/18/14 at Missouri Columbia, Mo. L, 7-5
03/19/14 at Missouri Columbia, Mo. L, 4-3
03/21/14 at Youngstown State* Niles, Ohio Cancelled
03/22/14 at Youngstown State* Niles, Ohio Cancelled
03/23/14 at Youngstown State* Niles, Ohio Cancelled
03/26/14 vs. Edgewood (at Carthage) Kenosha, Wis. W, 4-1
03/29/14 at UIC* Chicago, Ill. 2:00 p.m. CT
03/30/14 at UIC* Chicago, Ill. 12:00 p.m. CT
at UIC* Chicago, Ill. 3:00 p.m. CT
04/01/14 at Chicago State Chicago, Ill. 3:00 p.m. CT
04/04/14 vs. Oakland* Henry Aaron Field 3:00 p.m. CT
04/05/14 vs. Oakland* Henry Aaron Field 1:00 p.m. CT
04/06/14 vs. Oakland* Henry Aaron Field 12:00 p.m. CT
04/08/14 vs. Cardinal Stritch Henry Aaron Field 3:00 p.m. CT
04/09/14 at Northern Illinois DeKalb, Ill. 3:05 p.m. CT
04/11/14 at Wright State* Dayton, Ohio 5:30 p.m. CT
04/12/14 at Wright State* Dayton, Ohio 1:00 p.m. CT
04/13/14 at Wright State* Dayton, Ohio 12:00 p.m. CT
04/15/14 at Northwestern Evanston, Ill. 3:00 p.m. CT
04/16/14 vs. Wisconsin Lutheran Henry Aaron Field 3:00 p.m. CT
04/17/14 vs. Valparaiso* Henry Aaron Field 3:00 p.m. CT
04/18/14 vs. Valparaiso* Henry Aaron Field 3:00 p.m. CT
04/19/14 vs. Valparaiso* Henry Aaron Field 1:00 p.m. CT
04/22/14 vs. Parkside (at Simmons Field) Kenosha, Wis. 6:00 p.m. CT
04/23/14 at Northern Illinois DeKalb, Ill. 3:05 p.m. CT
04/25/14 vs. Youngstown State* Henry Aaron Field 3:00 p.m. CT
04/26/14 vs. Youngstown State* Henry Aaron Field 1:00 p.m. CT
04/27/14 vs. Youngstown State* Henry Aaron Field 12:00 p.m. CT
04/29/14 at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 6:00 p.m. CT
05/02/14 at UIC* Chicago, Ill. 6:05 p.m. CT
05/03/14 at UIC* Chicago, Ill. 2:05 p.m. CT
05/04/14 at UIC* Chicago, Ill. 1:05 p.m. CT
05/06/14 vs. Chicago State (DH) Henry Aaron Field 3:00 p.m. CT
05/09/14 at Oakland* Rochester, Mich. 2:00 p.m. CT
05/10/14 at Oakland* Rochester, Mich. 12:00 p.m. CT
05/11/14 at Oakland* Rochester, Mich. 11:00 a.m. CT
05/13/14 vs. Northern Illinois (DH) Henry Aaron Field 3:00 p.m. CT
05/15/14 vs. Wright State* Miller Park 4:00 p.m. CT
05/16/14 vs. Wright State* Henry Aaron Field 4:00 p.m. CT
05/17/14 vs. Wright State* Henry Aaron Field 12:00 p.

[Masterofreality]

Looks like it's time for a Dome in Milwaukee...

Wait...they already have one...WTF?

Wouldn't they want to maximize useage? It's not like the taxpayers had anything at all to do with Miller Field. :nah::nah:

[GoMuskies]

UofMinnesota baseball will play in the Vikings new downtown stadium, so that would not be unprecedented.

[Masterofreality]

UofMinnesota baseball will play in the Vikings new downtown stadium, so that would not be unprecedented.

Miller Park is only 2 miles out I94 from Marquette, so it seems to fit too. A February/March schedule is wide open.

[xubrew]

Providence was a Title IV subtraction.

I believe they were a tournament team in their last season. It sucks they had to close up shop. Without football, I'm surprised they had to.

[bigdiggins]

Providence was a Title IV subtraction.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is Title IV?

[SM#24]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is Title IV?

Feminists trying to destroy college football.

[GoMuskies]

That's Title IX. Title IV relates to Federal Student Aid. It's also a type for Title IX.

[throwbackmuskie]

Yeah someone screwed up their Roman numerals

[GoMuskies]

That's Title IX. Title IV relates to Federal Student Aid. It's also a type for Title IX.

I'm just going to claim that my typo in this post was meant to be ironic.

[Roach]

I believe they were a tournament team in their last season. It sucks they had to close up shop. Without football, I'm surprised they had to.

Providence actually won the Big East in its final season, 1999, with the entire team knowing full well, from the outset, that it would be its last. A book was written about the sad, yet inspiring tale - Strike 9 (link (http://www.amazon.com/Strike-IX-Paul-Lonardo/dp/0741456907/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_4)). Give it a read if you have time. It's quick, well written, and completely exposes all of Title IX's absurdities.

The alumni outcry over PC's cancellation of baseball was severe, which you might think odd for a school in the Northeast which, previously, had had very little success on the diamond. However, the team was always very well supported. A quick glance at Providence's demographic composition should explain why (Italian Americans really love their baseball, don't they?). To this day, a large cross-section of alums refuse to donate to the school unless and until the program is reinstated.

Providence's Title IX issues, despite its lack of football, can be summed up in one word - hockey. In the hockey-crazed northeast, it's no surprise that baseball ultimately played second fiddle. Providence has always had a respectable hockey team, albeit not a national powerhouse, and frequently makes the NCAA tournament (they qualified this year). However, until very recently, they had no women's counterpart to the men's program, which created all sorts of compliance headaches (Note - Providence's women's team has been around since the 70s, but it did not become a scholarship sport until 2001). For a private school to devote so much of its meager athletic budget to its men's basketball and hockey programs, Title IX compliance understandably became a tightrope walk. It's a shame that a stupid feminist game of nickle and diming college and university athletics departments has led to the demise of many well supported men's teams throughout the country. But hey, don't we just LOVE the women's crew teams that have been popping up all over Division 1? Such a classic, thoroughly American sport that every young girl dreams of playing and which draws unbridled public support. Way, WAY more than men's baseball.

There is renewed hope that, given the eased budget constraints with women's hockey program, Providence can reestablish its baseball team. There's even a Facebook "cause" for it. It would be neat to see.

That said, I HATE Title IX.