Big Ten basketball season starts up this week and it looks to be another fun year. So far, however, the Big Ten has been slightly disappointing. Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois were all ranked pre-season but have fallen out of the polls quickly with 6-5, 9-3, and 8-4 records respectively. Purdue leads the pack with a #4 ranking in the AP poll. The other ranked teams are Michigan State at #11 and Ohio State at #15, while Wisconsin and Northwestern are just outside receiving votes (Update: Wisconsin and Northwestern are now in the rankings at #23 and #25 respectively). Here is a team-by-team breakdown of what to expect this season. Teams are listed in reverse order of expected finish:
Iowa
Record: 5-7
Good Wins: None
Bad Losses: Texas-San Antonio, Duquesne, Northern Iowa
The season started off terribly with back-to-back losses at home to Texas-San Antonio and Duquesne in a span of two days. There is simply not enough talent on the team at the moment and they have just lost Anthony Tucker, their second leading scorer, to his second public intoxication arrest in as many years. They have a legitimate shot at not winning a game all season, and things start off as hard as possible with a home match-up against Purdue on Tuesday.
Indiana
Record: 5-6
Good Wins: Pittsburgh…but that is a stretch.
Bad Losses: Boston University, Loyola-Maryland
Indiana has some good young talent but this is still a rebuilding year for the Hoosiers. They are led in scoring by freshmen Maurice Creek (17.6 pts, 4.0 reb per game) and Christian Watford (12.2 pts, 5.7 reb per game). Sophomore Verdell Jones III is right behind with 11.5 points per game. Expect Indiana to improve as Big Ten play progresses and the young players learn, but don’t expect them to be a factor in the Big Ten.
Penn State
Record: 8-4
Good Wins: at Virginia? Maybe.
Bad Losses: UNC-Wilmington, Tulane
The Talor Battle-led Nittany Lions had back-to-back losses to UNC-Wilmington and Tulane early in the year. They have played a fairly weak schedule and probably hoped to get out of it with two losses at most. Talor Battle is having a decent season, averaging 18.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. However, nobody else seems to want to step up and be his sidekick, as 6 players are averaging between 6.8 and 8.0 points per game. They had some decent pre-season expectations after winning the NIT last season, and they have a chance to fulfill those expectations with a strong Big Ten showing.
Michigan
Record: 6-5
Good Wins: None
Bad Losses: Boston College, Utah
Michigan is a team that like many Big Ten squads had high expectations coming into the season and have not lived up to them. They were even ranked #15 coming into the season but a mildly difficult schedule has exposed them as frauds. They are led by pre-season all-Big Ten guard Manny Harris and forward DeShawn Sims. Harris is averaging 20.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, while Sims averages 16.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. However, these two are shooting a combined 29.3% from three-point range. There is virtually no supporting cast for the two stars, as the third highest scorer is Laval Lucas-Perry at 7.2 points per game. Michigan is being out-rebounded by 4 rebounds per game and as a team is shooting 29.0% from three point range and 42.2% overall. They will be in for a difficult season if the rest of the team does not step it up soon.
Minnesota
Record: 9-3
Good Wins: Butler
Bad Losses: Portland
Minnesota is a program with disciplinary problems as freshmen Royce White and Trevor Mbakwe are both suspended with a shoplifting charge and assault charge respectively. Royce White appears to have left the program but Tubby Smith claims he has not. Royce White was ranked as the #19 player in the nation coming out of high school and would be a key contributor if he were able to play for the Gophers. The Gophers have a balanced scoring attack, with five players averaging more than 8.4 points, led by Lawrence Westbrook who has 12.9 points per game and is shooting 40% from long distance. Junior guard Blake Hoffarber is shooting a fantastic 49.3% from three point land and three-quarters of his shots are taken from that range. Minnesota is still a solid team and had a solid early win against Butler in California, so if they can somehow sort out their problems, they will be a force in the Big Ten.
Illinois
Record: 8-4
Good Wins: at Clemson
Bad Losses: Utah, Bradley, Georgia
Illinois is a team that is somewhat difficult to figure out. They lost back-to-back games against Utah and Bradley and followed that up with a stunning comeback win at then 19th ranked Clemson. Currently they have lost two straight at Georgia and against Missouri and open up Big Ten play Wednesday against Northwestern. On January 2 they will host Gonzaga in a difficult tune up for the rest of the season. They are another team with a balanced scoring attack, with 5 players averaging more than 10.4 points per game. Junior guard Demetri McCamey leads the way with 14.1 points and 5.4 assists per game, while junior forward Mike Davis is right behind with 12.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Coach Bruce Weber has been hot on the recruiting trail lately and it is paying off with freshmen guards DJ Richardson and Brandon Paul getting significant minutes every game and both averaging more than 10 points per game. Illinois is a good team having a tough year, but they will improve as the inexperienced backcourt improves. They will be a significant force next year in the Big Ten.
#25 Northwestern
Record: 10-1
Good Wins: Notre Dame, North Carolina State
Bad Losses: None
When Northwestern lost senior forward Kevin Coble for the year, most people wrote Northwestern off. Instead they have gone on a 10-1 run to start the season and are barely outside of the AP top 25 rankings. Sophomore forward John Shurna has stepped up in Coble’s absence, averaging 15.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, making him one of the most valuable players in the Big Ten. Northwestern’s lone loss came against now-20th ranked Butler. Junior guard Michael Thompson leads the scoring with 16.7 points per game along with shooting 42.5% from three-point range. As a team they are shooting 36.5% on the season from long range and that will be a key to their continued success. Northwestern is still missing Coble on the boards as they are being out-rebounded this season, but the more they keep winning without him, the more confident they will be going into the heart of Big Ten season. Expect them to be in the running for an NCAA tournament spot at the end of the season.
#23 Wisconsin
Record: 10-2
Good Wins: Duke
Bad Losses: Wisconsin-Green Bay
The highlight of the season for Wisconsin has without a doubt been the massive win at home against then 6th-ranked Duke that won the Big Ten/ACC challenge for the Big Ten. Still, they are a mercurial team as proven by their overtime loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay just one week later. The Sagarin Ratings have Wisconsin as the 17th ranked team in the nation, while they are just outside the Top 25 in the AP Poll. The Badgers are led by junior forward Jon Leuer, who is averaging 17.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Senior guard Trevon Hughes is right behind with 16.4 points per game and he is shooting 41.1% from three-point range. Wisconsin is 8-0 this year and it looks like the Kohl Center will once again be a difficult place for opponents to play.
#15 Ohio State
Record: 10-2
Good Wins: Florida State, California
Bad Losses: None
The undisputed leader of Ohio State and the best all around player in the conference is junior forward Evan Turner. Unfortunately for Ohio State he has a back injury and has missed the last four games including a loss to Butler. He will be out for a couple more weeks, and may not be back in time for their first big test of the conference season, January 12th at Purdue. When healthy, Turner got two early season triple-doubles and was averaging 18.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, to go with 5.9 assists per game. In his absence, William Buford is averaging 15.5 points per game and David Lighty is averaging 19.5 points per game, an increase of a combined 12 points per game on their season averages before his injury. As long as Evan Turner is back in time for the second half of the season and the tournaments, Ohio State will be a team everyone will want to avoid come March.
#11 Michigan State
Record: 9-3
Good Wins: None
Bad Losses: Florida
Michigan State was the preseason #2 in the nation in the AP Poll and has not had the ideal start to the season they may have hoped for. The Spartans certainly gave themselves a difficult schedule with Florida, North Carolina and Texas, but they will have expected to win at least two of those coming into the season. Still, they are a popular pick to win the Big Ten and are led by junior point guard Kalin Lucas, who is averaging 15.7 points and 4.3 assists per game to go with a 40% clip from three-point range. After Lucas there is a great supporting cast of 4 players averaging 10.3-10.5 points and Delvon Roe just behind with 8.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. As a team, Michigan State is out-rebounding their opponents 41 to 31 per game, and is shooting over 50% as a team from the field. However, they have yet to prove themselves against a quality opponent and will have to wait until February for the highly anticipated match-ups against Purdue.
#4 Purdue
Record: 11-0
Good Wins: Wake Forest, Tennessee
Bad Losses: None
As a Purdue student, I of course have no choice but to put Purdue in the top spot in the conference, a spot which I think they completely deserve. They have navigated a fairly easy early season schedule, with good wins against Tennessee in the Virgin Islands, at home against Wake Forest, and at Alabama, a game in which they were down 16 at one point but came back on the heels of their incredible defense. Offensively, Purdue is led by juniors E’Twaun Moore, Robbie Hummel, and JaJuan Johnson, who combine for 45.2 points per game. Hummel and Johnson average 6.6 and 6.8 rebounds per game, are constant double-double threats and are the key components of Purdue’s somewhat shallow frontcourt. Freshman Sandi Marcius will (hopefully) be back soon from a foot injury, and his return would add much-needed frontcourt depth for the physical Big Ten season. The three point shooting for Purdue has been somewhat down this season, as they are shooting 30.8% as a team and Hummel is shooting just 28.6% from long distance. Still, they are a team that can get hot at any time and beat you from long range. The calling card of Purdue is still their defense, which is led by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Chris Kramer, who has 20 steals on the season including several key plays at the end of the Alabama game. The Boilermaker defense allows just 59.9 points per game and forces 20.9 turnovers per game. When Lewis Jackson and Sandi Marcius return from injuries, it will only improve the depth of this already deep Purdue team, which has a very good chance at making a Final Four run to Indianapolis this season. Purdue opens up with an easy test at Iowa on Tuesday, and on New Year's day #6 West Virginia comes to town for what will be a massive final non-conference game.
Showing posts with label Purdue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Purdue. Show all posts
Monday, December 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Big Ten Tournament Preview (Baseball)
Today begins the Big Ten Tournament for baseball. All games will be shown on Big Ten Network and the action has already started with the Illinois-Michigan State game (6-4 Illinois, bottom of the 4th), and continues later when rivals Purdue and Indiana square off at 2:30 CT. It is one of the weirdest brackets of a tournament you can have, as it is six teams and double elimination, but it can be found here. While the Big Ten is by no means a baseball conference and will likely only get a couple teams at most to the NCAA tournament, the tournament is still deserving of a preview.
#1 Ohio State (39-15, 18-6)
The de facto hosts of the tournament, as it is being played at a minor league park in Columbus. The Buckeyes are ranked #23 in the country and come into the tournament off of a three-game sweep of lowly Iowa. Ohio State is led by starting pitcher Alex Wimmers, who is 9-1 with a 2.58 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 94.1 IP. Wimmers threw a no-hitter against Michigan on May 2, helping dash Michigan's hopes at making the BTT this season. They have Jake Hale coming out of the bullpen, with an astounding 1.19 ERA in 45.1 IP, and hitters have a .175 average against him. As a team, Ohio State hits .329/.397/.505, led by Ryan Dew, who has a .395 average with an OBP of .441. These three players along with catcher Dan Burkhart (.362/.435/.611 with 9 HR and 57 RBI) were all chosen to be on the All-Big Ten first team. Burkhart was picked to be the Player of the Year and Alex Wimmers was co-Pitcher of the Year.
#2 Minnesota (35-15, 17-6)
Something of a surprise this year, as Minnesota finished 20-35 last year while finishing 9th in the 10-team baseball conference. Minnesota has a solid rotation of Tom Buske (8-3, 3.40 ERA), Chauncy Handran (7-2, 3.81), and Seth Rosen (6-1, 4.02). They are also a solid team at the plate, where they hit .316 as a team, led by All-Big Ten first team selection Derek McCallum, who hit .401 with 15 HR and 72 RBI in 50 games this year. Minnesota also has a star receiver from their football team, Eric Decker, roaming center field.
#3 Indiana (28-25, 16-7)
Indiana hit their stride in the Big Ten season, after early losses to teams such as Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Indiana State, Jacksonville State, Northern Iowa, Stetson (you get the idea). Indiana is led by star pitcher Eric Arnett (who you can read about here, who was a unanimous All-Big Ten first team selection after going 11-1 with a 2.78 ERA in 12 starts this season. Their other first team selections were outfielder Kipp Schutz, who hit .368/.429/.516, and catcher Josh Phegley, who hit .354/.470/.672 with 17 HR and 62 RBI. Indiana is very much a hitting-oriented team after Eric Arnett, as they have a .322 team average with 59 HR and a 5.32 team ERA, with teams hitting .289 against them.
#4 Illinois (33-18, 16-8)
Illinois had a chance to get the number one seed in this tournament up until the final weekend, when they lost two of three at Purdue. Illinois is led at the plate by two All-Big Ten first team selections, shortstop Brandon Wikoff and third baseman Dominic Altobelli. Wikoff hit .375/.432/.551 with 10 SB, and Altobelli hit .379/.450/.597 with 8 HR and 52 RBI. Like most Big Ten teams, they have weak pitching, with a team ERA of 5.16. However they do have a strong freshman pitcher, Will Strack, who was selected to the All Big Ten freshman team with a record of 6-0 and a 3.48 ERA in 8 starts.
#5 Michigan State (23-29, 13-11)
Michigan State had zero first, second, or third team All Big Ten selections, a testament to the even play of the entire team. They really have nobody who is very good or very bad, and they are much like Indiana in that up until the Big Ten season, they were not playing so well, with a 10-19 pre-Big Ten record. Catcher Eric Roof leads the way at the plate with his .339 average, and he hit a grand slam early in the first game of the tournament against Illinois. Freshman pitcher Tony Bucciferro had an impressive season, going 5-2 with a 3.15 ERA in 11 starts. The pitching staff as a whole has a 4.97 ERA, not bad for a Big Ten team, but they only have a .284 team average.
#6 Purdue (24-24, 11-12)
Purdue barely made the Big Ten Tournament, winning two of three against Illinois in the final weekend to squeak by Michigan, who had an extremely disappointing year. Still, they made the show, and they are able to be a dark horse in the tournament. Purdue has three regulars who hit over .390, led by unanimous all Big Ten selection Brandon Haveman, who hit .412/.457/.600 with 16 doubles, while maintaining a .984 fielding percentage in the outfield. First baseman John Cummins hit .404 this season and freshman second baseman Eric Charles hit .390 this year as both were selected to the third team All-Big Ten. Purdue also has catcher/first baseman/third baseman Dan Black, who was walked an astounding 59 times this year, making for a .510 OBP when his average was only .303, and he hit 14 HR. He should be drafted in the sixth to eighth round in the upcoming MLB draft. While Purdue has terrible pitching overall, it improved late in the season, led by senior Matt Bischoff, who went 3-3 with a 4.83 ERA in conference play.
The Verdict
This Big Ten Tournament is effectively wide-open. Four teams were in contention for the top spot going into the final weekend of the season, and the other two teams have the ability to make an impact. I predict an Ohio State-Indiana final, and if we are lucky we will see an Alex Wimmers-Eric Arnett matchup to decide everything. I pick Ohio State to come out on top. I don't think Minnesota will do all that well as they have somewhat over-achieved this year, and I see Purdue continuing their strong play as of late to reach the semifinals. Last year they made it to the finals, bowing out to a strong Michigan team, and this year, the Boilermakers took two of three from Indiana and hit Arnett fairly well, and while they got swept by Ohio State, every game was close. Don't count out those Boilermakers!
#1 Ohio State (39-15, 18-6)
The de facto hosts of the tournament, as it is being played at a minor league park in Columbus. The Buckeyes are ranked #23 in the country and come into the tournament off of a three-game sweep of lowly Iowa. Ohio State is led by starting pitcher Alex Wimmers, who is 9-1 with a 2.58 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 94.1 IP. Wimmers threw a no-hitter against Michigan on May 2, helping dash Michigan's hopes at making the BTT this season. They have Jake Hale coming out of the bullpen, with an astounding 1.19 ERA in 45.1 IP, and hitters have a .175 average against him. As a team, Ohio State hits .329/.397/.505, led by Ryan Dew, who has a .395 average with an OBP of .441. These three players along with catcher Dan Burkhart (.362/.435/.611 with 9 HR and 57 RBI) were all chosen to be on the All-Big Ten first team. Burkhart was picked to be the Player of the Year and Alex Wimmers was co-Pitcher of the Year.
#2 Minnesota (35-15, 17-6)
Something of a surprise this year, as Minnesota finished 20-35 last year while finishing 9th in the 10-team baseball conference. Minnesota has a solid rotation of Tom Buske (8-3, 3.40 ERA), Chauncy Handran (7-2, 3.81), and Seth Rosen (6-1, 4.02). They are also a solid team at the plate, where they hit .316 as a team, led by All-Big Ten first team selection Derek McCallum, who hit .401 with 15 HR and 72 RBI in 50 games this year. Minnesota also has a star receiver from their football team, Eric Decker, roaming center field.
#3 Indiana (28-25, 16-7)
Indiana hit their stride in the Big Ten season, after early losses to teams such as Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Indiana State, Jacksonville State, Northern Iowa, Stetson (you get the idea). Indiana is led by star pitcher Eric Arnett (who you can read about here, who was a unanimous All-Big Ten first team selection after going 11-1 with a 2.78 ERA in 12 starts this season. Their other first team selections were outfielder Kipp Schutz, who hit .368/.429/.516, and catcher Josh Phegley, who hit .354/.470/.672 with 17 HR and 62 RBI. Indiana is very much a hitting-oriented team after Eric Arnett, as they have a .322 team average with 59 HR and a 5.32 team ERA, with teams hitting .289 against them.
#4 Illinois (33-18, 16-8)
Illinois had a chance to get the number one seed in this tournament up until the final weekend, when they lost two of three at Purdue. Illinois is led at the plate by two All-Big Ten first team selections, shortstop Brandon Wikoff and third baseman Dominic Altobelli. Wikoff hit .375/.432/.551 with 10 SB, and Altobelli hit .379/.450/.597 with 8 HR and 52 RBI. Like most Big Ten teams, they have weak pitching, with a team ERA of 5.16. However they do have a strong freshman pitcher, Will Strack, who was selected to the All Big Ten freshman team with a record of 6-0 and a 3.48 ERA in 8 starts.
#5 Michigan State (23-29, 13-11)
Michigan State had zero first, second, or third team All Big Ten selections, a testament to the even play of the entire team. They really have nobody who is very good or very bad, and they are much like Indiana in that up until the Big Ten season, they were not playing so well, with a 10-19 pre-Big Ten record. Catcher Eric Roof leads the way at the plate with his .339 average, and he hit a grand slam early in the first game of the tournament against Illinois. Freshman pitcher Tony Bucciferro had an impressive season, going 5-2 with a 3.15 ERA in 11 starts. The pitching staff as a whole has a 4.97 ERA, not bad for a Big Ten team, but they only have a .284 team average.
#6 Purdue (24-24, 11-12)
Purdue barely made the Big Ten Tournament, winning two of three against Illinois in the final weekend to squeak by Michigan, who had an extremely disappointing year. Still, they made the show, and they are able to be a dark horse in the tournament. Purdue has three regulars who hit over .390, led by unanimous all Big Ten selection Brandon Haveman, who hit .412/.457/.600 with 16 doubles, while maintaining a .984 fielding percentage in the outfield. First baseman John Cummins hit .404 this season and freshman second baseman Eric Charles hit .390 this year as both were selected to the third team All-Big Ten. Purdue also has catcher/first baseman/third baseman Dan Black, who was walked an astounding 59 times this year, making for a .510 OBP when his average was only .303, and he hit 14 HR. He should be drafted in the sixth to eighth round in the upcoming MLB draft. While Purdue has terrible pitching overall, it improved late in the season, led by senior Matt Bischoff, who went 3-3 with a 4.83 ERA in conference play.
The Verdict
This Big Ten Tournament is effectively wide-open. Four teams were in contention for the top spot going into the final weekend of the season, and the other two teams have the ability to make an impact. I predict an Ohio State-Indiana final, and if we are lucky we will see an Alex Wimmers-Eric Arnett matchup to decide everything. I pick Ohio State to come out on top. I don't think Minnesota will do all that well as they have somewhat over-achieved this year, and I see Purdue continuing their strong play as of late to reach the semifinals. Last year they made it to the finals, bowing out to a strong Michigan team, and this year, the Boilermakers took two of three from Indiana and hit Arnett fairly well, and while they got swept by Ohio State, every game was close. Don't count out those Boilermakers!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Play Index and NCAA Picks
I need to write about a new incredible toy I have recently bought. It is the Play Index from Baseball-Reference.com. With the Play Index, you can literally find any stat you have ever dreamed of. You can find consecutive starts with a Game Score of over 70, number of times Albert Pujols has hit a home run in the 4th inning in his career, or the number of times the Red Sox hit a home run to left field at home in 1983. I cannot think of enough words to describe how incredible this service is, so I’ll just give some examples of why it is amazing. (Streak records go back to 1956).
-The record for longest streak of games with at least one extra base hit is held by Chipper Jones, who got an extra base hit in 14 straight games in 2006. This streak included 8 doubles, 1 triple and 7 home runs, and Jones had a .544 average, 1.088 slugging percentage, and 1.688 OPS. This streak raised his average from .283 to .329 from late June to early July.
-The record for most games in a row with a game score of at least 75 is 8, held by Fernando Venezuela, who did it to begin his legendary 1981 season. In total, he was 8-0 with a 0.50 ERA, with 68 K’s in 72 IP and a 0.83 WHIP. Again, this was done in his first 8 career starts!!!
-Five teams have won a game while getting no hits. The most recent happened on June 28, 2008, when the Angels no-hit the Dodgers, but lost 1-0 due to a couple errors, a steal, and a sacrifice fly. On July 1, 1990, the White Sox actually scored 4 runs while getting no hits, beating the Yankees 4-0.
-Of Mark Grace’s 173 home runs, 61 were hit with no outs, 56 with one out, and 56 with two outs. 39 were hit in three-pitch at bats, 38 were hit to right-center field, 9 were hit at Qualcomm Stadium, 67 were hit behind in the count, 25 were hit in the 6th inning, and 4 were walk-off home runs. He hit one home run to center field at Wrigley while he was ahead in the count and hitting clean-up.
-In 1969, the Chicago Cubs were 66-6 (.904) when leading after 6 innings, but 70-7 (.897) when leading after 7 innings.
-The record for most consecutive games where a team hit a home run is held by the Texas Rangers, who hit a home run in 27 consecutive games from August to September, 2002. They went 17-10 in that span with 55 total home runs, on their way to a 72-90 season record.
As you can see, the list of possible things you can look up is literally endless, and once I really figure out what to look for, it will be incredible. This service is a must-have for any serious baseball stathead.
NCAA Tournament Picks
First Round
Louisville (over Alabama State), Ohio State, Utah, Wake Forest, Dayton, North Dakota State, Boston College, Michigan State, Connecticut, BYU, Purdue, Washington, Utah State, Missouri, California, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Xavier, UCLA, Villanova, Texas, Duke, North Carolina, Butler, Illinois, Gonzaga, Arizona State, Syracuse, Michigan, Oklahoma
Second Round
Louisville, Wake Forest, Dayton, Michigan State, Connecticut, Purdue, Missouri, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Xavier, UCLA, Duke, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Michigan
Sweet Sixteen
Louisville, Michigan State, Purdue, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse
Elite Eight
Michigan State over Louisville, Purdue over Memphis, Duke over Pittsburgh, North Carolina over Syracuse
Final Four
Purdue over Michigan State, Duke over North Carolina
Championship Game
Purdue 68, Duke 63
I know it looks like I am being a homer here, but I think Purdue can pull this off. Having seen Purdue play in person 26 times this year, I know as well as anyone that if Purdue plays as well as it can, we can compete with any team in the nation. Purdue is finally completely healthy and hit its stride at the perfect time in the Big Ten Tournament. Purdue will need some breaks to fall their way, but any team does to win the National Championship, and it may as well be Purdue this year. That said, I do realize that realistically, Purdue will probably be knocked out around the Sweet Sixteen. But statistically speaking, this bracket is just as likely to happen as any other bracket out there, so I figure I may as well pick my team to go all the way.
Interesting baseball fact of the day, if those other ones were not enough: In 1974, the last year Purdue won a postseason championship (The NIT), the Los Angeles Dodgers had the highest single-game total bases total. They had 48 TB in an 18-8 drubbing of the Cubs, with 4 doubles, a triple, and 6 home runs. The second highest single-game total was 36. The record since 1956 is 58, by the Montreal Expos against the Atlanta Braves on July 30, 1978.
-The record for longest streak of games with at least one extra base hit is held by Chipper Jones, who got an extra base hit in 14 straight games in 2006. This streak included 8 doubles, 1 triple and 7 home runs, and Jones had a .544 average, 1.088 slugging percentage, and 1.688 OPS. This streak raised his average from .283 to .329 from late June to early July.
-The record for most games in a row with a game score of at least 75 is 8, held by Fernando Venezuela, who did it to begin his legendary 1981 season. In total, he was 8-0 with a 0.50 ERA, with 68 K’s in 72 IP and a 0.83 WHIP. Again, this was done in his first 8 career starts!!!
-Five teams have won a game while getting no hits. The most recent happened on June 28, 2008, when the Angels no-hit the Dodgers, but lost 1-0 due to a couple errors, a steal, and a sacrifice fly. On July 1, 1990, the White Sox actually scored 4 runs while getting no hits, beating the Yankees 4-0.
-Of Mark Grace’s 173 home runs, 61 were hit with no outs, 56 with one out, and 56 with two outs. 39 were hit in three-pitch at bats, 38 were hit to right-center field, 9 were hit at Qualcomm Stadium, 67 were hit behind in the count, 25 were hit in the 6th inning, and 4 were walk-off home runs. He hit one home run to center field at Wrigley while he was ahead in the count and hitting clean-up.
-In 1969, the Chicago Cubs were 66-6 (.904) when leading after 6 innings, but 70-7 (.897) when leading after 7 innings.
-The record for most consecutive games where a team hit a home run is held by the Texas Rangers, who hit a home run in 27 consecutive games from August to September, 2002. They went 17-10 in that span with 55 total home runs, on their way to a 72-90 season record.
As you can see, the list of possible things you can look up is literally endless, and once I really figure out what to look for, it will be incredible. This service is a must-have for any serious baseball stathead.
NCAA Tournament Picks
First Round
Louisville (over Alabama State), Ohio State, Utah, Wake Forest, Dayton, North Dakota State, Boston College, Michigan State, Connecticut, BYU, Purdue, Washington, Utah State, Missouri, California, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Xavier, UCLA, Villanova, Texas, Duke, North Carolina, Butler, Illinois, Gonzaga, Arizona State, Syracuse, Michigan, Oklahoma
Second Round
Louisville, Wake Forest, Dayton, Michigan State, Connecticut, Purdue, Missouri, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Xavier, UCLA, Duke, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Michigan
Sweet Sixteen
Louisville, Michigan State, Purdue, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse
Elite Eight
Michigan State over Louisville, Purdue over Memphis, Duke over Pittsburgh, North Carolina over Syracuse
Final Four
Purdue over Michigan State, Duke over North Carolina
Championship Game
Purdue 68, Duke 63
I know it looks like I am being a homer here, but I think Purdue can pull this off. Having seen Purdue play in person 26 times this year, I know as well as anyone that if Purdue plays as well as it can, we can compete with any team in the nation. Purdue is finally completely healthy and hit its stride at the perfect time in the Big Ten Tournament. Purdue will need some breaks to fall their way, but any team does to win the National Championship, and it may as well be Purdue this year. That said, I do realize that realistically, Purdue will probably be knocked out around the Sweet Sixteen. But statistically speaking, this bracket is just as likely to happen as any other bracket out there, so I figure I may as well pick my team to go all the way.
Interesting baseball fact of the day, if those other ones were not enough: In 1974, the last year Purdue won a postseason championship (The NIT), the Los Angeles Dodgers had the highest single-game total bases total. They had 48 TB in an 18-8 drubbing of the Cubs, with 4 doubles, a triple, and 6 home runs. The second highest single-game total was 36. The record since 1956 is 58, by the Montreal Expos against the Atlanta Braves on July 30, 1978.
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