How about Rhode Island's schedule the first 8 games....

[CadaverDawg]

3 games AT Florida State
3 games AT Ole Miss
2 games AT Mississippi State

They leave Starkville and head to North Carolina to play Virginia Tech, Ohio, and Notre Dame in a tournament this weekend.

Brutal.

 

[esplanade91]

Don't feel bad for them. Sweeps by all 3 teams they lost to in one season isn't too bad. It sucks that it happened in the matter of 2 weeks, but depending on how they do in their own league and in the rest of their OCC their strength of schedule could get them into a better seed in a regional should they make one.

 

[KurtRambis4]

I think

they make up for it once they get into conference play...

 

[CadaverDawg]

Don't feel bad for them. Sweeps by all 3 teams they lost to in one season isn't too bad. It sucks that it happened in the matter of 2 weeks, but depending on how they do in this own league and in the rest of their OCC their strength of schedule could get them into a better seed in a regional should they make one.

Oh I agree. It's brutal, but I give them props for scheduling this tough. Smaller schools really benefit from a schedule like that come tourney time...you're exactly right.

 

[DAWG61]

Why are those 4 teams playing in a tourney in NC?

 

[patdog]

Not really much fun playing baseball in the North in February. Those schools always take long southern road trips to start the season. Sometimes they play teams from the South. Sometimes they play other teams from the North. There are plenty of other tournaments like that one in Florida.

 

[PiedmontDawg]

had to do a little digging...

Why are those 4 teams playing in a tourney in NC?

to find out, but, it's a tournament hosted by Notre Dame (WTF?) in Cary including UT, ND, Va Tech, etc... this weekend. Guess South Bend is too cold to host baseball tourney this early (although we're supposed to have a cold weekend in NC).

 

[State82]

Weather is not going to be any better in Starkville Sat. High of 42, north winds, cloudy, 30% chance of rain and snow showers. Nice. But I'll be there anyway.

 

[RocketDawg]

February isn't all that great in north Mississippi and most of North Carolina ... not sure where Cary is in NC. Never really understood college baseball starting so early, unless it's to get in the required number of games during the school year.

When MLB starts in early April, it's often too cold in some of the cities to play (Chicago comes to mind). But even in the not-so-cold northern towns it can be really cold. I remember going to a Phillies game one night when the temperature was in the 40s but the wind would virtually knock you down. It was really, really cold that night. Might've been better on the field but we were sitting near an exit opening (in the old Vet).

 

[patdog]

It's a hell of a lot better in Mississippi and North Carolina than it is in Rhode Island in February. You said yourself that even early April it's too cold to play in some northern cities. It's worse in February.

 

[RocketDawg]

Absolutely. But it's really too cold in N. Miss. and most of NC to play in February ... not to mention places like Nashville and Lexington ... and maybe Fayetteville.

 

[patdog]

Are we discussing why the college baseball season starts so early or why Rhode Island is playing games in places like Florida, Mississippi and North Carolina? I agree. The season starts too early. But that's the only way to get all the games in in time for the major league draft (even then the draft is a week before the CWS even starts). I think they should start 2 weeks later and play 2 mid-week games per week, but I don't see that happening. As for it being cold in Mississippi and North Carolina, if you've been in Rhode Island all winter, highs in the 50s and 60s is pretty warm.

 

[esplanade91]

It's a hell of a lot better in Mississippi and North Carolina than it is in Rhode Island in February. You said yourself that even early April it's too cold to play in some northern cities. It's worse in February.

My whole family lives in Long Island, NY. It's either snowing there or several degrees warmer than it is in Stark. I checked for ***** and gigs this morning and it was 12 degrees warmer.

 

[patdog]

Of course there will be some days a northern city is warmer than a southern one. But the average high in Providence, RI in Feb is 40. In Starkville, it's 58. Where would you rather play on a random day in Feb?

 

[DerHntr]

The odds are pretty high that it will be much colder in South Bend...

to find out, but, it's a tournament hosted by Notre Dame (WTF?) in Cary including UT, ND, Va Tech, etc... this weekend. Guess South Bend is too cold to host baseball tourney this early (although we're supposed to have a cold weekend in NC).

on any given day in February than Cary, IN. The average HIGH in South Bend in Feb is 35 and the average LOW in Cary is 32.

Now I can see the argument that they should go even further south, but Cary is definitely better than playing at home for ND.