David Hughes

On the “teams with 40 wins getting excluded”, Google disagrees. Only happened twice, both were Mercer. And it’s also only happened twice that a top 30 RPI team got excluded. (I realize my whining changes nothing but it’s clear that a team with Mercer’s RPI getting shafted is definitely NOT the norm.)

@jonesborobb @davidghugh Is it? Lol apparently not and the socon has routinely had schools with 40+ wins not get an at large bid.

Can someone explain how Mercer is #28 in RPI yet exclude from the NCAA Baseball Championship? Never been a top 30 RPI team get left out. They won the SOCON, won 44 games, beat GT. Yeah, stumbled in the conf tourney. But if RPI is the ultimate determinant, how are they excluded?

@GeneEgdorf FWIW, this is what Google said on that. (Shrug). Maybe it coulda been the difference. Who knows.

@davidghugh Maybe dont cancel a series with Kentucky and beat them you get in over Kentucky. These schools complain they dont get to play big schools - so when you have a shot play.

Again, u can critique the schedule all ya want. RPI accounts for strength of schedule and they came up with #28 RPI. So that SOS argument doesn’t hold water. Teams like Troy, who Mercer beat twice had 29 losses - twice as many as Mercer. Troy somehow gets elevated bc they scheduled “better” teams and apparently lost almost every one of them? That doesn’t make much sense to me.

@davidghugh I’d have them in, but let’s not pretend this resume is amazing. The only specific win you mentioned was one midweek game. What was their second or third best win? They beat up on a lot of bad teams.

@TheDeizzle “mathematical formula used to comparatively rank teams based on their win-loss record and their overall strength of schedule”

@davidghugh What the hell is RPI David

@pkstory_esq @Tmichael26 I stand corrected. Regardless…. it ain’t the norm.

@davidghugh @Tmichael26 That’s not correct. The highest left out was 19 by UNC in 2016. The next highest was 21 by Missouri State in 2006.

KY benefits bc they’re in the SEC, a league they weren’t even .500 in. Sorry but if you can’t go .500 in your league, u shouldn’t get a bid to a regional. The 13th best team in their conference (THIRTEENTH!) out of 16 and they got rewarded? 13 SEC teams getting in is absurd. The divide between the big conference and little conferences just got bigger. What a joke.

@cougian @davidghugh I understand that but does who you play (and beat) matter? Mercer accumulated half their wins against Q4 teams. Mercer best W is GT, UK was 5-4 (basically 3 series) against top8 seeds…thats stronger than any other bubble team and it’s not even close. NcSt/TxSt I could listen to

@danielb31841318 @nonsenseballer Right, just 13 out of 16 sec teams got a trophy this year. KY didn’t even go .500 in the league and they’re getting rewarded for that? Come on. That’s weak.

@davidghugh @nonsenseballer Not everybody in the SEC gets a trophy. However, it has been 8 years since a non-SEC team has won the title with only LSU repeating.

Multiple teams from SOCON have gotten in the NCAA tourney several times in the past. If there was a year that 2 SOCON teams should be considered, this is clearly one based on a conf championship and RPI of 28. Historical precedent should matter and no top 30 RPI team has ever been excluded. Until now. That ain’t right. U disagree? Good for you.

@davidghugh @HairlineSports @LFGDevils @nonsenseballer Their message is they don’t feel the SOCON is a 2 bid league.

@trespac502 @HairlineSports @LFGDevils @nonsenseballer SOS is accounted for in RPI and Mercer’s RPI of 28 was good enough to get a bid. Never had a top 30 RPI team excluded in the past. Until now. Whats the message there? RPI doesn’t matter….if you’re a mid major.

@HairlineSports @LFGDevils @davidghugh @nonsenseballer 116 SOS is embarrassing

@NHseminole “Come to the SEC, where u can have a sub .500 conference record placing you 13th out of 16 teams and STILL get a bid to the NCAA tourney. The SEC! Everybody gets a trophy!” (I’m just mad, but where’s the lie? Stating actual facts here and it is absurd.)

@davidghugh There is this thing called the SEC.

@rdnelson3 Agreed. If they’re gonna start penalizing mid majors bc they don’t schedule SEC teams with every non conference opportunity, I guess that makes the most sense. RPI is clearly meaningless in this case, which ain’t supposed to be the case.

@davidghugh Maybe it’s time for mid majors to have their own baseball championship. NCAA football does it with FCS. Maybe have mid major championships for small d1 schools

@dogfan1987 @Rosen1578 @JacobRudner At large

@davidghugh @Rosen1578 @JacobRudner Is Troy at large or did they win their conference?

Mercer missing the field is bad for college baseball. If a mid-major can win 44 games, finish top 30 in RPI, rank among the national leaders in homers and still miss, what exactly is the path supposed to be outside the power conferences? Column: baseballamerica.com/stories/ncaa-s…

@BBNdey0 @nonsenseballer FWIW, per “the Google”, that was at KY’s behest.

@davidghugh @nonsenseballer Mercer cancelled a series vs Kentucky this year.

@Gcharlesto90561 @Tmichael26 The SOS is supposedly factored into the #28 RPI ranking.

@davidghugh @Tmichael26 118 in SOS

@Tmichael26 And their reasoning was essentially strength of schedule, which is factored into RPI. Mercer’s RPI was #28 and a top 30 RPI has never been left out. Until now.

@davidghugh They explained their reasoning.. a few teams get left out every year

@david_craw14 Sorry David, they won’t see it once I hide your response. (I give you guys a nod and you act like that. Classy.)

I’m aware they won the tourney and did great. This isn’t about Citadel. Socon has had multiple teams in the tourney before, though it’s not typical. But If ever there was a year to consider another socon team, this is it. U don’t have to agree, their 44 wins, #28 RPI ranking, season conf championship, defeat of Ga Tech….all support such notion.

@LFGDevils @coenbroscowpoke @Blain_Crain SOS is factored into RPI. If it’s such a weak schedule, then why is the RPI #28? The math isn’t mathing if it’s such a comparatively weak schedule.

@davidghugh @coenbroscowpoke @Blain_Crain Buddy they schedule IVY league schools for their early season weekends and only had 1 Q1 win all season. If you’re gonna do that you have to win your conference tournament. Simple as that.

Who got screwed the most in the bracket?

SOS is accounted for in RPI. The RPI is the primary determinant that is pointed to for the entire year for getting into the tourney and they said “meh!” They tossed aside RPI and pointed to weak out of conf schedule (they scheduled Georgia Tech (beat), Or St, FSU, Troy (who they beat twice). It’s a complete joke. Never been a top 30 RPI excluded. Until now.

@coenbroscowpoke @Blain_Crain Mercer’s SOS was 118. I can see why they were left out.

@Rosen1578 @JacobRudner Mercer beat Troy twice. Troy also had 29 losses. TWENTY NINE. Troy also had a lower RPI. In no world did Troy deserve a bid over Mercer.

@JacobRudner 3 of the last 4 in were mid majors. I’m sorry, but a team that played 5 Q1 games all year and won 1 of them needs to win its conference tournament. They had their chance and didn’t get it done. Not sure which team in the field you would replace with them.