The American Collegiate Baseball Association

[luckymann]

Things at the top have closed right up again. A 2-1 Illinois loss on Sunday combined with a Navy win by the same scoreline to cap off a 4-0 week means the two teams are now separated by just 0.14 ratings points. But the Illini hold onto top spot for the ninth week running. The composition of the Top 10 remains unchanged apart from some movement within, while the three new entrants into the Top 25 are Stetson, Louisville and Texas A&M. Vandy is the biggest upward mover of the week, jumping from #71 to #49, while ORU’s fall from #45 to #67 was the most of all the chutes. The Huskers’ lock on bottom spot continues, and they now trail #99 Baylor by nearly 5 points.

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[luckymann]

Thursday May 11, 1950

BOX SCORES

• Hofstra absolutely demolishes Indi 21-3 on the road, led by OF Bill Galietti’s 5 for 7 game with an ACBA record-equalling 4 doubles as well as 7 ribbies.
• Army’s Al Pratt allows just 6 hits in a 3-1 complete game win v Virginia.
• Navy needs 14 to get past Western Mich 8-7, walking it off on a Jason Brown solo HR [5].
• Cincy leave it late, scoring 4 in the bottom 9th to pinch one from Columbia 5-4, ruining an excellent outing from Lions starter Tyler Grover (8 IP / 4 H / 1 ER / 10 K).
• A top-ten clash between the visiting Harvard and Ohio State sees the Crimson win 5-1 behind Jack Sharrott’s three-hit CG performance. They repeat the dose Friday with a 7-3 result as Johnny Broaca picks up his 8th win of the season.
• A homer and 5 RBI by SS Tim Pickett, along with 3B Corey Trudeau’s 4 ribbies, helps Michigan State ease past Berkeley 18-12 at home.
• Virginia Tech’s Joe Morrison allows just 4 hits over 9+ but loses it in the 10th to a walkoff solo shot by Ohio catcher Jim Wiese.
• Michigan’s Emil Yde is at the top of his game, allowing just 5 hits and fanning 11 in a 6-0 shutout of Villanova.
• Kent State outfielder Danny Hoffman goes yard twice [14] and knocks in all the runs to power the Golden Flashes to a 7-4 road win over Kansas. Their 11-4 Friday victory runs the win streak to 8.
• Kai Parks slugs two homers [11] and drives in all 3 runs to get the Northern Colorado Bears a dogged one-run win at home over KSU, with SP Mike Morrison striking out 14.
• Dave Sturm pitches 8 shutout innings, giving up just 3 hits and striking out 12, as USC wins at home 3-0 over Miami.
• 5 hits with a double and a ribster by 2B Ferrer Stillings helps Clemson sneak past TCU 4-3 at home.
• Duke overcome a 3-run 9th by Florida with 3 of their own in the bottom half, walking it off 4-3 thanks to a 2-run double by second-baseman Curt Burke.
• Nevada slump to their sixth loss in a row, falling 7-3 away to North Carolina as Billy Patton’s hit streak comes to an end at 31. They snap it the next day thanks to an Adam Duvall slam in the top 11th as they take a much-needed 6-2 win, but lose gun first-baseman Pete Tardif for 6 weeks to a fractured hand in the process.
• A wild one at College Station in the “Battle of the Aggies” sees NM State score 3 in the top 13th, only to give up a walkoff grand slam to A&M left-fielder Owen Williquette and lose it 13-12. Texas 1B George Burns has a big night, going 4-for-7 with 2 HR [14] and 3 RBI. New Mexico 2B Jonathan Blandford has an arguably bigger one, racking up a JDL record 7 hits in 8 at-bats, including his home run of the season while driving in 3. Round 2 is another cracker, with the home side sneaking home 9-8 as Davis goes yard again.
• First-baseman Taylor Wood has a double and a dinger [8], driving in 5, to help Oklahoma lock down a 9-3 road win over Auburn and make it 4 straight for the Sooners.
• Shortstop Aaron Wall hits 2 taters [9] and drives in 5, countering Brian Keenan’s 5 ribbie effort as Houston pips Northridge 7-6 at Schroeder Park.
• Fresno starter Andy Dietz stars with both bat and ball, pitching 8 strong innings and knocking in 3 runs as the Bulldogs take down New Mexico at home by a score of 11 to 2. An 11-1 win the next day completes the rout for the Bulldogs.
• Two round-trippers [19] and 3 RBI by pivot John Knight can’t stop AZ State lose 12-7 at home to FSU.
• Pepperdine’s Frank Smith pitches a complete game allowing just one run on 3 hits while fanning 8 as the Waves win by a bunch v Texas Tech to move to 28-13 and 4 games clear in the West Conference. TTU get their own back the following day, scoring 3 in the top 9th to pinch it by a run.


Friday May 12, 1950

BOX SCORES

• Wazzu take 14 innings to get past a concerted Richmond outfit 4-3, with 2B Pete Coley’s 5 hits and Frank Hoffman’s 8+ strong innings both playing a part.
• 4 hits and 4 ribbies from left-fielder John Kozik help V-Tech get an away 10-6 win over Ohio.
• Michigan pitcher Emil Yde, fresh off his triumph on the mound the previous game, showed he can pretty much do it all as he comes off the bench and delivers a 3-run HR to let the Wolverines walk it off in 11 against Villanova.
• Tony Baker pitches a 5-hit shutout with 5 Ks as GWU beats Minnesota 4-0 to make it 4 straight for the Colonials and keep them in the Atlantic Conference mix.
• Another heavyweight clash sees the points shared as #7 Lafa bounce back from a disappointing 9-2 loss Thursday to knock off #1 Illinois at home by 7 to 4, with Mark Winston allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits over 7 to get the decision.
• Bobby Vachon hits 2 homers [7] and drives in 5 as the Oregon State bandwagon rolls on with a 14-6 drubbing of Mizzou.
• After a rare win on Thursday, Nebraska again push Purdue to the brink. It takes 4 runs by the Boilermakers in the top 11th to finally put the Huskers away, with a Chris Dunn grand slam the coup de grace.
• A homer [3] and 5 RBI by 2B Ethan Smith powers Miami to a comfortable 11-2 away win at USC, with George Hutson pitching well for the Redhawks.
• Shortstop Brian Bennett’s first 2 dingers of the campaign and 4 RBI aren’t enough to stop Duke dropping a 10-8 home loss to Florida.
• Baylor’s horror season continues as they are destroyed 12-4 and 16-2 by UNLV. Rebels 1B Zach Alvarez goes deep twice [13] and brings 7 home in the Friday game. The loss leaves the Bears with an ugly 12-30 record, 6 adrift of their nearest rival at the foot of the Southwest Conference.
• MSU hurler Rob D’Arbonne goes all 9 allowing just one run on 4 hits and fanning 7 to overpower Wake Forest 3-1.
• ORU overcomes a spirited 2 HR [7] / 3 RBI performance by Georgia CF Jason Whaley to slip past the Bulldogs 10-6 at Johnson Stadium.
• Leonidas Guillot gives Vandy 8 scoreless innings allowing just 4 hits as the Commodores whitewash Texas 7-0.
• A masterful 11 K one-hitter by FSU ace Egyptian Healy takes care of AZ State 5-0. At the halfway mark, Healy is 9-3 with an astounding 1.17 ERA, 128 strikeouts and an ACBA-best 4.6 WAR.
• Another one-hitter as Gabriel Caperton of Arizona masters Tennessee, whose starter Jon Roepcke (8 IP / 3 H / 1 ER / 4 K) is the unluckiest of 1-0 losers.
• Santa Clara’s Brad Pope shuts out the hapless Ole Miss, who muster only 4 hits in a 10-0 romp.
• One of the more amazing comeback wins in the ACBA so far sees San Diego score 8 in the final two innings to walk it off 10-9 v NC State. 2B Aaron Bogart’s second double of the game plates the winner for the Toreros.

Saturday May 13, 1950

BOX SCORES

• Jeff DiFranco pitches 8 scoreless innings and gives up just 6 hits while striking out 8 as Yale gets a 2-0 shutout win at Penn.
• A monstrous game by SS Kelly Bailey in which he goes 4-for-5 with a double, a triple and 6 RBI helps Ohio State beat Villanova 14-7 at Bill Davis Stadium.
• Orlando Cruz allows just a run on three hits over 8 as Ball State gets past Lafa 2-1 in 10.
• Navy CF Harry Stovey has a double, a dinger [14], and 5 RBI as Navy sneaks past KSU 6-5 for their 9th in a row.
• John Kane bashes 2 HR [7] with 4 RBI and Ralph Birkofer pitches a 4-hitter as Cornell humiliate Army 9-0 in front of their home fans.
• Mike Godwin outpitches Toad Ramsay as Virginia easily accounts for Kansas 9-1. While Godwin goes the distance and allowed a run on just 3 hits, Ramsay both walks and whiffs 10 over 6+ innings to record his first loss of the year.
• 3B Mike Basti gets his first homer of the year and drives in 5 as Oregon State puts away Nebraska 10-4, running his consecutive hit streak to 20 games in the process. It stops there, however, as he goes 0-for-4 the next day.
• A pitching duel of the highest order between Mizzou’s George Meakim and Notre Dame’s Jesse Banks sees the game still scoreless after 9. Mizzou walks it off in the 10th on a double by Dan Borchard. Meakim hurls all 10 for the Tigers, allowing 3 hits and fanning 13 in an extraordinary performance.
• Northern Colorado starter Larry McKeon has a somewhat forgettable night on the mound, but a memorable one at the plate as he goes 4-for-4 with a double and a homer [1] while knocking in 4 as his Bears whip Washington 17-8.
• Another day, another good win for the charging Kent State, this time shutting out UCLA 8-0 behind Peek-A-Boo Veach’s 4-hitter to make it 10 on the trot. Veach also goes solo yard [2], while 3B Justin Lindquist has 4 hits including his third dinger of the year and 3 ribbies.
• A big rivalry series in the Carolinas as the Tar Heels hold off a determined Wolfpack 7-5 at home, despite Danny Litwhiler going deep twice to take his season total to 18, third in the JDL. They repeat the dose in the Sunday game with a 13-5 breeze. RF Ganan Dahlquist plays a big part in this, going 3-for-5 with a double, a dinger [4], and 4 batted in.
• On top of dropping the game 3-0 to an in-form Stetson unit, Oklahoma loses ace Carl Lundgren for six weeks to a back injury.
• In front of a raucous home crowd, lowly Baylor gives OSU one hell of a scare, as the Cowboys score two in the top 9th on a Nick Amelio single and hang on 7 to 6. They go one better on Sunday, knocking off the Cowboys 6-2 as 1B Jerrod McGinty goes deep twice [9] and drives in 3.
• Seven scoreless innings by southpaw Sam O’Donnell helps Houston lock down a 4-0 home win over TCU.
• In the first instalment of what has been coined the Sunset series due to a controversial statue of Will Rogers, Texas Tech upsets A&M 8-2 at Olsen Field. Jamir Bunker allows just three hits over 8+ for the visitors, while Ismael Melendez drives in 4. The Red Raiders complete the sweep the following day with a 7-4 win.
• Yet another big local derby, this time in New Mexico, sees the Aggies draw first blood with a 6-4 away win over the Lobos. The win came thanks in a big way to third-baseman Justin Hofstetter’s 4 RBI, 3 of which came via his first round-tripper of the season. That’s 20 games in a row in which Hofstetter has collected a hit. He gets two more on Sunday as the Aggies crush the home side 14-6, with CF Julio Castaneda and 1B Steve Cleland each driving in 4 and Stert Gronvall giving the visitors 8 solid innings.
• Madness at Phoenix Municipal Stadium as UNLV score 5 in the 1st and 4 in the 9th but AZ State post 2 in the 8th and 5 in the 9th to make them earn their 11-8 win. SS John Knight is fantastic in a losing cause for the Sun Devils, knocking in 4 with 2 doubles and his 20th HR of the year.
• CF Stewie Afshari pretty much does it all himself with 2 dingers [9] and 4 RBI as Santa Clara pips Utah 5-4.
• Pepperdine consolidates its spot atop the West Conference with a strong 5-0 win over FSU behind JD Turman’s three-hit shutout. Turman, who strikes out 10 Seminoles, moves to 6-1 on the year.

Sunday May 14, 1950

BOX SCORES

• 3B Joe Hawthorne’s 2 HR / 7 RBI game powers GWU to a 15-8 thrashing of Louisville.
• Third baseman Kyle Kayne has 5 hits and LF Chris Roundy drives in 4 and bombs out his 9th round-tripper of the year as Miami beats Maryland at home by 12 to 6.
• LJ Kauffman homers twice [4] and Bobby Doerr walks it off with an RBI single in a tight 6-5 win for Cincy over Minnesota.
• Navy locks down the #1 ranking with an emphatic 13-2 home win over KSU. Brian Pruett has 4 rib-eyes, while Harry Stovey, Jason Brown and Cory Cadieux knock in 3 apiece, and Tim Keefe gives a strong CG performance allowing just 4 hits and fanning 16. Harvard’s 5-3 stumble at Dartmouth also gives the Midshipmen sole possession of top place in the Northeast Conference.
• A big game for Corey Trudeau sees the cornerman double and homer twice [6] while driving in 6 as Michigan State easily account for Western Mich.
• A “Sunday Funday” special at Ohio sees the Bobcats beat the Lions 18-11, led by Harry Lumley’s 4-5 / 2B / HR [16] / 5 RBI performance.
• Chad Yenna drives in 5 and Bobby Voccio pitches a 4-hit complete game as Kansas takes down Virginia 7-1.
• An excellent 8 IP / 4 H / 1 ER / 7 k by David Cearley and a 4-1 home win over Iowa can’t stop the Illini from dropping out of the top ranking for the first time since Week 1.
• LF Ben Haas goes yard twice [9] and has 4 RBI as Northern Colorado beat Washington 7-2.
• Hal Mauck gives up just 3 hits over 8 innings as Kent State sneaks past UCLA on the road by 3 to 1.
• He has a bit of a shocker on the mound, but Jonathan Caisse makes up for it with bat in hand, slugging 2 solo HR [2] in a 9-6 road win for Berkeley over Stanford.
• A massive game by catcher Lee Fisher, who has 5 hits and 5 RBI, helps the visiting Demon Deacons take care of The Citadel 10-2.
• First baseman Joe Hauser leads Florida to a comfortable 12-5 win over SJ State with 2 HR [14] and 4 RBI for the game. They do so despite Montrel Cespedes walking a JDL-record 10 Spartans.
• Brad Velazquez has two doubles and 5 ribbies as the visiting Santa Barbara Gauchos knock off San Diego 8-5.

HML Player of the Week: Caleb Dye (Hofstra) .647 / 1 HR / 8 RBI.

JDL Player of the Week: Kenny Ferguson (Vanderbilt) .611 / 1 HR / 8 RBI.

Some more injury news from around the league:

• Notre Dame SP William Horseman does his UCL and will miss a year.
• Mississippi State SP Mike Piccione will be out for the season after suffering a torn flexor tenson in his elbow.
• A torn quad will keep UNLV CF Marc Loose out of action for about 5 weeks.
• Louisville LF Pat Ernst suffers a hamstring strain that will keep him on ice for 6 weeks.
• Elbow reconstructive surgery will keep Auburn hurler Stephen Robinson off the field for the better part of a year.
• Dartmouth pitcher Adam Schupbach will be forced to sit out about 6 weeks after herniating a disc in his neck.

Finally, word has filtered through from the Babe Ruth League, one of the numerous feeders into the ACBA, that Damien Lucas of the Tech Boston Bears pitched a perfect game against the O’Bryant Tigers. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for him in the ACBA in a couple of years’ time!

OOML POST

[luckymann]

The King is dead! Long live the King! It’s not that Illinois did too much wrong, going 3-1 for the week, but Navy went on an absolute tear and the Illini have lost the top ranking for the first time since Week 2. Harvard continued its upward trajectory to move to #3, with Bradley and Kent State also pushing northwards. The majority of the other teams in the Top 25 seem to mark time, with some jockeying for position the only evidence of the week having come and gone. GWU is one of the strongest upward movers, jumping from #33 to #17 thanks to a 4-0 week, and Houston and Arizona are also seemingly headed in the right direction, although at 59 and 64 respectively both are still some way from featuring on the official list. The two Washington teams were among the big losers this week, dropping a combined 44 spots. They, like all other teams, have a week off to regroup before the second half of the season begins on May 25th. Nebraska, sorry to tell you Huskers fans, remains at #100.

Top 25 teams as at end of ACBA Season 1950, Week 11 (Record / Points / Previous week’s ranking)

1. Navy Midshipmen 32-12; 32.43 (2)
2. Illinois Fighting Illini 31-13; 31.50 (1)
3. Harvard Crimson 31-13; 29.06 (3)
4. Ohio State Buckeyes 30-14; 28.55 (3)
5. Pepperdine Waves 29-15; 27.94 (4)
6. Oregon State Beavers 29-15; 27.71 (6)
7. Bradley Braves 28-16; 25.68 (10)
8. Lafayette Leopards 28-16; 25.61 (7)
9. Kent State Golden Flashes 28-16; 25.42 (15)
10. Michigan Wolverines 27-17; 24.72 (12)
11. Brigham Young Cougars 28-16; 24.65 (8)
12. Hofstra Flying Dutchmen 27-17; 24.62 (13)
13. Oklahoma State Cowboys 27-17; 23.28 (9)
14. UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 26-18; 22.41 (16)
15. Tulane Green Wave 26-18; 22.25 (11)
16. San Jose State Spartans 25-19; 21.18 (14)
17. George Washington Colonials 25-19; 21.13 (33)
18. Cal Poly Mustangs 24-20; 21.12 (22)
19. Florida State Seminoles 25-19; 20.84 (26)
20. Wake Forest Demon Deacons 24-20; 20.46 (21)
21. Tennessee Volunteers 25-19; 20.43 (19)
22. Stetson Hatters 26-18; 20.18 (18)
23. Michigan State Spartans 25-19; 19.65 (31)
24. Cal State Northridge Matadors 24-20; 19.25 (20)
25. Missouri Tigers 26-18; 19.03 (28)

OOML POST

[luckymann]

The halfway mark of the season is upon us. Here’s all the news from the All-Star Game and a summary of what’s happening around the conferences.


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[jasg224]

Hope to see more Billikens in future editions of the ASG

[luckymann]

As the big series against Illinois loomed, Murphy McCormack seemed to be feeling the pinch more than his young charges.

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[luckymann]

Originally Posted by jasg224

Hope to see more Billikens in future editions of the ASG

Sorry bud, we don't meet them this year and they are only playing roughly .500 ball without any real standout performances, so they haven't been on my radar either as Murphy the Coach or Me the Commish / Beat Reporter.

Here's a short summary of what's been happening in Billiken Land.

A 21-23 record sees them mid-table in the Atlantic Conference, 5 games back of Mizzou and certainly not out of it.

They have a really solid rotation that projects to get even better - Red Ruffing and Quinn Reynolds in particular - but it has struggled for consistency a bit so far. Starter ERA is 4.81 (19th) while the bullpen has been solid (3.08 / 6th).

The main thing holding the Billikens back in 1950 has been an abject lack of power. In the 44 games to this point they have dinged out an HML-lowest 16 homers. That wouldn't hurt so much if they were hitting for average, but at .270 their team BA is 33rd of 50. All of which means they are ranked 38th in runs scored with 210.

Their defence is also costing them big-time. Not that they are committing many errors, in fact they are the 7th best side in that category. But their range and efficiency metrics indicate they don't cover much ground out there.

It's going to be tough for them to compete this season, they just don't have any real impact players aside from catcher Jacob Hardy. But all 4 of their starters are Juniors, so they've got them for three more years. So if they can recruit a couple of gun position players in the next season or two they should improve exponentially.

Here's their S+ page in case you want to go a-divin'!

Will try to make sure they feature a bit more from here on in, regardless of results.

Thanks for your interest.

G

PS they are currently ranked #55, having moved up 11 spots last week - so they seem headed in the right direction!

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by jasg224

Hope to see more Billikens in future editions of the ASG

Just realised I completely misread this - thought you were saying you'd like more coverage!

Anyhoo, you got a free update.

FYI I have set the ASG up so popularity plays no part so players are selected for on-field performance. There were 33 in this year's teams but I have reduced that to 25 from this point on. I want it to be a true showcase of the absolute guns in the league.

We Dutchies didn't get a player in either.

[jasg224]

Hey, thanks for the update/analysis! I'm following along as much as I can anyway lol

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by jasg224

Hey, thanks for the update/analysis! I'm following along as much as I can anyway lol

Easier said than done - there is so much that goes on in this league. Lord help us when it hits 280 teams! If it ever makes it there, that is.

[luckymann]

Thursday May 25th, 1950

BOX SCORES

• A marquee match-up sees Illinois travel to Hofstra and the first game doesn’t disappoint, as Bob Feller gives the Dutchmen 6+ solid innings but then flags as the Illini get it back from 4-0 to 4-3. The Hofstra bullpen hangs on for a vital win, but it costs them big time with 2B Seth Ross out for the season after suffering a broken elbow from an errant pitch. The Dutchmen do it again the next night by the same scoreline as RF Jake Gettman bombs out his second first-inning 2-run HR of the series [14] and Hal Carlson gives them 7 gutsy innings.
• Villanova score 5 in the bottom 8th to pinch one from Army 7-5, with a 3-run double from 2B Tom Beckham the telling blow.
• A dominant performance by All-Star Noodles Hahn, who shuts out Cornell on 4 hits and fans 17 to get the Quakers a 5-0 win. The Big Red turn the tables on Friday with a 3-0 win behind a magnificent Nate Martignetti two-hitter, fanning 12 along the way.
• Nebraska’s horror season plumbs new depths as they are ravaged 21-4 by Western Michigan, with unsung 2B Harry Howard hitting for the cycle [2] and driving in 5. A 5-hit game by CF Dom DiMaggio the next day can’t stop the Huskers from evening the series with a strong 12-5 victory.
• GWU continued their strong recent form, downing Yale at home 8-0 behind a one-hitter by Nick Berg. The Colonials make it 8 straight the following day with a 10-5 win.
• Another key game sees Ohio State get out of jail against Lafa, scoring all of their runs in the 8th and 9th in a 5-3 win, wasting an excellent effort from Leopards starter Brayson Davis. The Buckeyes win another tight one in the Friday game as well by 6 to 5.
• More daylight robbery as Holy Cross come back from being 8-1 down to Michigan State in the middle 8th to win it 10-9, walking it off thanks to a solo shot [6] by left-fielder John Chojnacki.
• Emil Yde helps his own cause with 2 solo homers [3] as Michigan takes down Minnesota at home by 5 to 4 in 10. A big game on Friday by Travis Feese gives the Wolverines the sweep, with the catcher going 3-for-5 with a triple, two homers [3] and 5 RBI in a 12-2 drubbing.
• Hoosiers first-baseman Kyle Durbin does all he can with 2 solo dingers [6], but still Indi fall to Iowa 6-5 in 10 on a walkoff home run [11] by Frankie Frisch. The Hawkeyes pounce late again in the Friday game to win it by the same score.
• A huge game by LF Jaylen Jackson helps Oregon State easily account for USC 12-3. Jackson goes 3-for-4 with a homer [11] and 5 ribbies in the win, the Beavers’ 30th of the season. They get their 31st the next day 7-0 thanks to a Brad McGary shutout and a big offensive showing by RF Bobby Vachon, who goes yard twice [9] and bangs in 6.
• NC State RF Gary White has 4 hits including a double and two dingers [6], and drives in all of his team’s runs in a 7-6 road win over AZ State.
• TTU starter Zach Dye spins a three-hit shutout and strikes out 12 in a 4-0 win at home to Arizona.
• A top-of-the-table clash in the South Conference sees Tulane grab a tough 5-3 home win behind Roberto De Leon in the first game but Stetson cream them 13-0 in the second as Jimmy Krenek pitches a 5-hit gem. The split leaves the two sides equal at 27-19.
• Left-fielder Eric Layton goes yard twice [8], driving in 3, as the Horned Frogs beat the Longhorns 8-5 in another Texas derby. The visiting UT boys get their own back the next day with a commanding 14-4 win led by RF Jason Diaz (3-5 / HR [17] / 5 RBI) and CF Mike Moore (4-5 / 3B / HR [3] / 3 RBI).
• BYU CF Al Simmons has three hits including his 11th homer of the season and drives in 5 as the Cougars prove too strong for New Mexico in a 6-2 home win. But they lose starter Luke McConnell for a year to a torn UCL.
• A Frank Smith 4-hit shutout gets Pepperdine a steadying 3-0 win at SD State. The Waves then score one in the 9th to take the Friday game 2-1, with Jeff Erickson giving them 8 strong innings for his 8th win of the campaign.
• A classic pitchers’ duel sees SJ State’s Jordan Rodriguez go the distance to get a 1-0 shutout road win over Al Benton and the UNLV Rebels. Another one between Clemson’s Matt Kilroy and UCSB’s Hank Borowy goes into extras still scoreless, before the Gauchos walk it off on a solo jack by catcher Rob Schreck.

Friday May 26th, 1950

BOX SCORES

• A Jon Evans two-hit shutout and a HR [12] plus 5 ribbies by right-fielder Tom Mask power Northern Colorado to a 7-0 whitewash at Notre Dame.
• Kent State, the hottest team in the league at the moment, overcome a 2 HR [12] / 4 RBI performance by Terrapin catcher Ted Easterly to record their 12th straight win, 10-5 at home. First-baseman Kyle Ruth homers [7] and knocks in three for the Golden Flashes. A home loss to Indiana on Sunday sees the streak end at 13.
• A home run [6] and 5 RBI by All-Star 2B Ethan Smith helps Miami see off Kansas 14-6 at home. Shortstop Alberto Sandoval has 4 hits including a homer [3] and 2 ribbies for the Redhawks.
• A 7-hit shutout with 10 Ks by Joe Morrison leads Virginia Tech to a 5-0 home win over Bradley.
• South Carolina beats Georgia 10-5 on the road despite Bulldogs CF Jason Whaley bombing out 2 dingdongs [10] and collecting 4 RBI.
• Mississippi State score all of their runs in a wild top 9th to win 7-2 at Tennessee. A 3-run pinch-hit homer [2] by Justin Wingard does most of the damage.
• A 16 strikeout, 7-hit shutout by Bob Groom along with 2 home runs [17] and 4 RBI by 1B Dale Alexander lead Auburn to a 9-0 cakewalk on the road at Rice.
• Utah scores 2 in the 8th to tie the game and then walk it off via a 2-run blast by 3B Link Weiner to get past the Tide 8-6.
• SJ State catcher Patsy Dougherty goes 5-for-5 with 3 doubles and 3 ribbies to give the Spartans an away sweep over UNLV by 11 to 7.
• Houston starter Mike Rafferty blanks LMU on 4 hits as the Cougars beat the Lions at home 3-0.

Saturday May 27th, 1950

BOX SCORES

• Ball State pile on 20 hits and Orlando Cruz throws a four-hitter as Ball State embarrass Purdue at home 12-0. The Boilermakers bounce back for an 8-3 win on Sunday, thanks in part to RF Nick Hoffman’s 4 ribbies.
• Cornell get a walkoff 1-0 home win against Saint Louis behind a four-hit, 11 K shutout by Ralph Birkofer.
• 8+ strong innings by Jeff DiFranco and homers to Randy Rosati and Wally Berger earn Yale a tight 4-2 home win over Dartmouth.
• A Jesse Banks 6-hit shutout gives the Irish an upset 5-0 win over Navy, the Midshipmen’s first loss in 13 games. The Navy boys right the ship the next day, with Tim Keefe pitching a sparkling four-hitter in a 4-0 win.
• An epic 15-inning battle sees USC finally get past hosts Holy Cross by 5 to 4 on a Jonathan McInnis single, his fourth hit of the game. The Trojans get another tight win on Sunday, posting two in the top 9th via an Andy Ingram single and hanging on for a 5-3 victory.
• KSU travel to KU for a Kansas derby, with the visitors taking the opener 6-3 despite 2B Aaron Johnson going deep twice [6] for the hosts. Gun Jayhawks SP Toad Ramsey adds another 18 strikeouts to his season tally, putting him at 195. The Sunday game is a classic, with the visitors again coming away with the spoils by scoring 3 in the 10th for a 5-2 win.
• Stanford CF Zachary Duren goes 5-for-5 with two doubles and a ribbie while scoring 4 runs to help the Cardinal take down Wazzu at home 11-4. The Cougars blow back with a big 14-0 win on Sunday as Milt Shoffner shuts them out on three hits and the offence bangs out 19 hits and SS Josh Magnum drives in 4.
• Washington needs 12 to get past a dogged Nebraska 1-0, with Jesse Wolff giving the Huskies 8 shutout innings and mowing down 11 Huskers. But the inconsistent form that has plagued UW all season continues as they lose the Sunday game 3-2.
• A matchup between two of the high-flying OSU sides sees Ohio State beat hosts Oregon State 4-3 in 11 on the Saturday game, with a Mike Black solo HR [3] the game-winner. The home side earns a split with a 7-1 win the following day, as Brett Bullock goes the distance in a strong performance.
• Sadie McMahon allows just one run on 3 hits as Georgia Tech cruise to a 6-1 home win over Texas A&M.
• RF Malik Owens hits two taters [3] and drives in 4 to power the Wake Forest offence in a 10-7 win at home over North Carolina. Owens goes yard again in the Sunday game, but the Tar Heels get the split with a hard-fought 7-6 win.
• 5 RBI by RF Mark Wells along with 4 and a HR [6] to 1B Eric Fraide lead SJ State past Ole Miss 11-6 at Swayze Field.
• A six-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts by Jared Rowton sees the JDL’s OSU – Oklahoma State – get a 3-0 home victory over Santa Clara.
• 2 homers by third-baseman Fred Thomas [15] do just enough to get Arizona a 3-2 road win at UNLV. He bangs out another one in the Sunday game as the Wildcats get the away sweep with a 7-5 win.

Sunday May 28th, 1950

BOX SCORES

• Hofstra overcomes 2 homers [11] by Dave Bancroft and a horror start that at one point leaves them trailing by 4 to power past Cincinnati 11-7 in an epic game at University Field, with a Luke Surles grand slam [5] sparking the comeback.
• 1B Bobby Healy has a double and a homer [7] and drives in 6 as Brown smashes Columbia at home by 18 to 6.
• A 5-RBI game by left-fielder Roberto Vazquez powers GWU to another win, this time on the road against Virginia by 10 to 3.
• 1B Jason Brooks goes 5-for-5 with an RBI as Richmond gets a narrow 7-5 win at Iowa.
• Alabama follow up a 6-1 road win on Saturday with a 16-3 shellacking of Tennessee. Both SS Brett Chilman [3] and LF Eric McClintock [10] go deep twice and drive in 5 for the Tide.
• Centerfielder Adrian Mazur doubles, homers [4], and knocks in 5 as Pepperdine roll over NC State 10-4 for their 4thstraight win.
• Two solo shots [6] by 3B Rick Allen help Auburn complete a road sweep of Florida with a comfortable 13-3 win.
• A 2-dinger [5], 4-ribbie performance by shortstop Jaime Doster gives San Diego a 6-1 win over Georgia at Foley Field.
• 1B Jay Nelson has 4 hits including a home run [4] and 4 RBI as Duke accounts for FSU by 10-3.
• A Sunday Funday special at Ole Miss as the Rebs and SJ State slug it out in a 13-inning marathon. The two teams combine for 42 hits before the home side gets a 16-15 win. The result notwithstanding, 3B Matt Schilling has a game to remember for the vanquished Spartans as he hits for the cycle including his 9th tater of the season and has 5 ribsters, while catcher Chris Green also goes deep [1] and drives in 4. But a pinch single by Jon DiFranco walks it off for the hosts who improve to 18-30 and have now won 6 of their last 8.
• Josh McClure shuts out Oklahoma on 6 hits with 5 strikeouts to give his Houston side a 1-0 road win.

HML Player of the Week: Bobby Vachon (Oregon State) .800 / 3 HR / 7 RBI.

JDL Player of the Week: Gary White (North Carolina State) .611 / 3 HR / 9 RBI.

HML Batter of the Month: David Segarriza (GWU) .529 / 3 HR / 20 RBI.

HML Pitcher of the Week: Philip Palmer (Navy) 3-0 / 0.37 / 23 K / 24.1 IP.

JDL Batter of the Week: Mark Wells (San Jose State) .431 / 3 HR / 20 RBI.

JDL Pitcher of the Week: Nick Anton (Cal State Northridge) 3-0 / 0.75 / 25 K / 24 IP.

Some other important injury news from around the league:

• G-tech hurler John Woodings will miss the rest of the season with shoulder inflammation.
• High-flying Harvard will have to do without ace SP Jack Sharrott for the next 5-6 weeks after he strains his hamstring running the bases.
• A rotator-cuff injury will sideline Nevada pitcher Jim Plante for 7 weeks.
• A fractured finger suffered after being HBP means Columbia first-baseman Caleb Johnson will be out for a month or more.
• Purdue loses SP Harry Mitchell for 6 weeks to a triceps strain.
• A setback in his recover from a ruptured tendon in his finger will keep Holy Cross SP Vince Fiveash off the mound until next year.

OOML POST

ACBA REPORTS HOME PAGE

[luckymann]

Despite dropping their first game in 13, Navy has held onto the top spot for another week, while a 4-0 week has Harvard breathing down Illinois’ neck for the #2 position. In fact there was little movement in the Top 25 apart from down toward the cusp. Lafa and Michigan were replaced in the Top 10 by Kent State and Hofstra, but that section remains extremely congested, with barely a ratings point covering teams 10 thru 15. Alabama, South Carolina, Kansas, Columbia and Washington all moved up nicely this week, while Yale, UNLV, Tennessee and Florida each had a week they’d rather forget. And for all you Huskers fans out there, a 2-2 week didn’t get your boys out of the cellar, but it did allow them to close the gap a little on #99 Minnesota. Where there’s weeks left, there’s hope!

Top 25 teams as at end of ACBA Season 1950, Week 12 (Record / Points / Previous week’s ranking)

1. Navy Midshipmen 35-13; 33.51 (1)
2. Illinois Fighting Illini 33-15; 31.45 (2)
3. Harvard Crimson 35-13; 31.05 (3)
4. Pepperdine Waves 33-15; 30.59 (5)
5. Oregon State Beavers 32-16; 29.27 (6)
6. Ohio State Buckeyes 33-15; 29.25 (4)
7. Bradley Braves 31-17; 26.57 (7)
8. Kent State Golden Flashes 31-17; 26.46 (9)
9. Brigham Young Cougars 31-17; 25.48 (11)
10. Hofstra Flying Dutchmen 30-18; 25.25 (12)
11. UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 30-18; 24.86 (14)
12. Oklahoma State Cowboys 30-18; 24.55 (13)
13. Michigan Wolverines 29-19; 24.55 (10)
14. Lafayette Leopards 29-19; 24.23 (8)
15. George Washington Colonials 29-19; 24.22 (17)
16. Cal Poly Mustangs 27-21; 22.82 (18)
17. Michigan State Spartans 29-19; 22.76 (23)
18. San Jose State Spartans 28-20; 22.48 (16)
19. Fresno State Bulldogs 27-21; 21.21 (28)
20. Cal State Northridge Matadors 27-21; 21.04 (24)
21. Stetson Hatters 28-20; 20.93 (22)
22. Mississippi State Bulldogs 28-20; 20.70 (26)
23. Auburn Tigers 27-21; 20.58 (31)
24. Florida State Seminoles 27-21; 20.39 (19)
25. Texas Tech Red Raiders 26-22; 20.30 (32)

OOML POST

[luckymann]

Thursday June 1st, 1950

BOX SCORES

• Hofstra flamethrower Bob Feller one-hits Minnesota and sets a new club strikeout mark with 17 in a 3-0 home win.
• 8 shutout innings by southpaw Brayson Davis helps Lafa to their 30th win of the season, 5-0 on the road at Richmond.
• Kent State gives up 2 runs in the top 9th against Purdue to fall behind, but then walk it off 6-5 on a 2-run single by Justin Lindquist, who goes 3-for-5 in the game with 4 RBI. The Boilermakers get the split with a 4-0 win on Friday behind an excellent Lee Vlau 7-hitter with 11 strikeouts.
• Michigan star pitcher Emil Yde hurls a complete game and bangs out his fourth homer of the year as the Wolverines beat Cornell 6-2.
• V-Tech hands #3 Harvard just their second loss in the last 8 as 1B Jim Cushing goes deep twice [3] to give the Hokies a 5-3 home victory. Fortunately for the Crimson, conference leader Navy also drops their home game against Oregon State by 5 to 2. Another loss on Friday for Harvard goes similarly unpunished as Army lose again as well.
• Illinois ends GWU’s win streak at 10 and stake a claim to take back the top ranking with a 9-5 win at Illinois Field. All-star second-baseman Garrett Carter leads the way for the Illini with 4 hits including 2 doubles while driving in 3. The Illini do it again on Friday in a 7-6 thriller despite GWU 2B David Segarriza’s 15th round-tripper of the season.
• Oregon wipes the floor with Washington in an 18-2 demolition job. LF Jim Hewitt homers, while he and third-baseman Mike Simpson each drive in 4. The Huskies win an epic Friday game 12-10 in 12 innings to earn the split, despite another huge game from Hewitt, who goes 4-for-7 with two doubles and another homer [7] and drives in 4, and Simpson, who has 4 hits and an RBI.
• Shortstop Josh Mangum goes 5-for-5 with a double and two ribbies as Wazzu knocks off Iowa 8 to 2. He stars again on Friday with three more hits and two RBI as the Cougars blank the Hawkeyes 9-0 behind a 4-hit shutout by Frank Hoffman.
• NC State piles on 6 in the top 10th to beat TTU 9-3. SS Ryan Pendergast drives in 4 for the Wolfpack, while left-fielder Danny Litwhiler gets his 20th homer of the campaign. He goes yard again on Friday as the Pack get the sweep with a 6-3 win.
• Tim Cannon gives up just two hits and an unearned run while fanning 7 in 8 strong innings to help New Mexico get past Baylor 4-1 at Santa Ana Star Field. All sorts of madness the next day as the Lobos win 25-11. 3B Nate Nix is just a single shy of the cycle and drives in 7, 1B Andy Watson has 5 ribbies, while outfielders David Wyatt and Rocky Davis each have 4.
• A dominant performance by Frank Smith, who concedes just 2 hits and strikes out 13, leads Pepperdine past Nevada 5-1. The Waves go on to make it two from two with a convincing 15-8 win the next day, with RF Jaden Lambert going yard twice [10] while driving in 4.
• LF Eric McClintock has 4 hits and three ribbies including what proves to be the game winner, as Alabama get a 5-4 10-inning road win at Long Beach. A 6-3 Friday loss for the 49ers is made all the worse when they lose SP Steve Garcia for a year to a torn UCL.

Friday June 2nd, 1950

BOX SCORES

• Two dingers [3] and 4 ribsters from catcher Kyle Mayo help Nebraska to an all-too-rare win, 9-2 at Maryland.
• CF Wally Berger goes yard three times [17] while driving in 4 as Yale account for Miami 9-5.
• Morgan Upton gives Brown 8 scoreless innings as the Bears follow up a 2-0 Friday win with another shutout of Penn, this time by 4 to 0.
• Jerry Nops shuts out Virginia on 7 hits and Darnell Hughes hits 2 HR [10] and drives in all his side’s runs in a 3-0 win for Kansas State.
• Army shortstop Mark Raines hits for the cycle including his 9th homer of the year and drives in a deuce as the Black Knights beat Mizzou on the road 6-3.
• A crazy game at David F. Couch Ballpark. Home side Wake Forest lead 6-3 after 8 but give up 4 to LMU in the top 9th to fall behind 7-6. They knot the game with a run in the home half to send it into extra innings, then the Lions score 2 in the top 10th to look home and hosed, only to then see the Demon Deacons rally once more and walk it off on a Mike McKenney 2-run double. Catcher Lee Fisher has four hits and four ribbies for the hosts, who move to 27-23 with the win.
• Tulane complete a crucial road sweep of FSU with a 6-0 win thanks mainly to Mike Rienoehl’s two-hit gem. Interestingly, Rienoehl doesn’t strike out a single Seminole.
• 8 strong shutout innings by Paul Hamilton give LSU a 2-0 win over Arizona. RF Roger Velasco’s 2-run HR [11] is all the runs they get and all they end up needing.
• CF Brian Dailey hits 2 dingdongs [11] and drives in 6 to power Vandy to a 10-3 home win versus New Mexico State.

Saturday June 3rd, 1950

BOX SCORES

• The bats dominate in a memorable 10-inning game as Ohio State travel to Western Michigan. 31 hits all up including 6 home runs, with Buckeyes CF Fred Clark going 4-for-6 with a triple, two dingers [5], and 6 RBI. That doesn’t stop the Broncos walking it off 12-11 thanks to third-baseman Ben Minard’s 11th round-tripper of the season.
• A 5-hit effort by LF Roberto Vazquez helps GWU to an 11-8 road win at Richmond. They get the sweep on Sunday with a 10-7 win as shortstop Ben Fretheim has 4 hits and 4 ribbies and 2B David Segarriza hits his 16th HR of the season and also drives in 4.
• The first “Armed Forces Derby” in the ACBA sees Army get an upset 3-1 win at Navy, with Black Knights 1B Matt Mitchell’s 2-4 / double / HR [9] / 2 RBI game a difference-maker. Navy bounces back with a 7-1 win on Sunday as Tim Keefe allows just three hits and fans 11 in a splendid CG performance.
• Indiana’s Samual Campopiano pitches a 6-hit CG shutout to lead the Hoosiers past Louisville 2-0. They repeat the dose on Sunday with a 7-6 walkoff win in which 1B Kyle Durbin’s 3 hits and 4 RBI are key. The losses are made all that harder to bear for the Cardinals when SP Jaime Zell is ruled out for the season with biceps tendinitis.
• An absolute ripper between Holy Cross and Brown as the visiting Crusaders post 4 in the top 9th to take an 8-5 lead, then give up the same number in the home half to let the Bears walk it off 9-8 on an Edwin Bocanegra single. 1B Bobby Healy is instrumental in the win with three hits including a trip and a homer [9], as well as 3 RBI. The Crusaders win 4-2 on Sunday behind a strong CG by Jeff Carter to split the series.
• Another week, another Toad Ramsay gem, with the Kansas ace giving up a run on just 2 hits and fanning 17 as his Jayhawks squeak past Oregon state 2-1.
• Another shootout when Miami visit Kansas State, with 29 hits and 8 homers as the visitors win it 14-8. Redhawks left-fielder Chris Roundy has a huge game, going yard twice [12] and knocking in 6. Roundy continues his form into the next game, with his 4 hits, 4 runs and 3 RBI instrumental in Miami’s 12-6 win. Redhawks 3B Kyle Kayne drives in 4.
• Two solo shots [9] from CF John Kane aren’t enough to stop his Cornell outfit from losing 3-2 at Northern Colorado. He hits another on Sunday as the Big Red evens the series with a hard-fought 5-4 win.
• It certainly is a day for big finishes as Princeton steal one from Stanford 9-7. The Tigers score 4 in the visiting 9th and almost hand it back to the Cardinal, who post a 3-spot to just come up short. 1B Joel Maly belts 2 solo HR [8] for the vanquished hosts, who bounce back with a 6-4 Sunday win.
• Another instance of highway robbery as Clemson nicks one from Stetson with 4 in the top 9th to get the win, 6 to 4. The Hatters get their revenge the next day with a 10-7 win, despite Tigers CF Bill Lange bashing 2 homers [11] and driving in 4.
• 8 scoreless innings from Jonathan Powell lead FSU to a 1-0 home win over Ole Miss. Left-fielder Michael Pickett has 2 solo HR [5] in the Sunday game as the Seminoles complete the sweep to move to 29-23.
• Al Gerheauser shuts out Wake Forest on 6 hits as Santa Clara win 3-0 on the road. 3B Jamie Forbes has 4 hits including a double and a solo tater [10] for the Broncos. The hosts grab a 5-4 win on Sunday for a split, walking it off in the 10th on a sac fly by RF Malik Owens.
• LMU first-baseman Jay Busch goes 5-for-5 with a double and a homer [3] while driving in 3, but still his Lions fall 9-7 at Oklahoma.
• Shortstop Logan Neely’s 9th homer of the season – a grand slam – and 5 ribsters help Tulane beat LSU at Alex Box Stadium. He goes yard again on Sunday, but that can’t stop the sputtering Green Wave from falling 7-4.
• Bobby Mitchell pitches a complete game, allowing a run on 5 hits and fanning 18, as a resurgent Alabama win their 5thon the trot by 5 to 1 at Mississippi State. The streak ends there for the Tide, however, when they drop the Sunday game 4-2.
• Catcher Del Crandall bashes 2 HR [13] and drives in 3, and Rich Raymond pitches 8 strong innings as visiting Fresno thumps AZ State 12-1. Crandall goes deep again the following game and Tim Weaver pitches a 7-hit shutout with 13 K as the Bulldogs complete a road sweep with a 4-0 win.
• San Diego gun George Cuppy shuts out Utah on 5 hits and strikes out 8 as the Toreros win 3-0. A 10-0 Sunday loss completes a dark weekend for the Utes, who can only muster up 4 hits against Toreros starter Tim Dodson.
• TCU thumps Long Beach 13-0 behind a 4-hitter by All-Star Jack Stivetts. Horned Frogs 1B Robo Rodriguez stars on offence with 4 hits including a double and a homer [12], and knocks in 4 with Stivetts also helping his own cause with 2 ribbies. Another dinger by Rodriguez on Sunday doesn’t stop a 4-2 49ers win.
• Pepperdine shows they are a team to be reckoned with as they smash a quality Cal Poly unit 13 to 0. JD Turman goes the distance for the Waves, conceding just 5 hits, while RF Jaden Lambert has a grand slam [11] and adds 5 RBI to his total. Unfortunately for the Waves, they miss their chance to perhaps go #1 with a poor 9-2 loss on Sunday, with Mustangs catcher Jeff Brinkley starring with a homer [3] and 5 driven in.

Sunday June 4th, 1950

BOX SCORES

• A marquee match-up between two playoff hopefuls lives up to the hype and then some as Harvard travels to Hofstra. A 3-2 win to the visitors in 10 innings on Saturday is merely the warm-up act for an absolute Sunday Funday special. The Crimson take early control of the game to lead it 7-2 in the middle 5th, but the home team posts a 5-spot in their half of the inning to tie it up. The two sides exchange a pair of runs in the 7th, before the Dutchmen take the lead in the 8th on a solo HR by CF Luke Surles. The Hofstra bullpen, however, crumples again as Harvard score 2 in the top 9th to lead by a run. Enter right-fielder Jake Gettman. After Bobby Lara gets aboard with a pinch-hit single, Gettman crushes one to the opposite field for a dramatic 12-11 walkoff win.
• RF Danny Hoffman goes deep twice [17] and knocks in 3 to power Kent State past Iowa 8-1.
• Dartmouth shortstop Red Kress homers [5] and has 5 RBI as the Big Green follow up a 15-0 Saturday drubbing of Minnesota with another big win, 14 to 6. That’s 9 straight losses now for the Gophers.
• Bradley score 3 in the top 9th to extend their game at Michigan, only to lose it 12-11 in the 11th on an Inigo Babcock walkoff RBI triple. LF Rob Sedlacek has 2 home runs [12] and 5 ribsters for the Wolverines.
• Illinois is lucky to get past Purdue, winning it walkoff 9-8 in 12 on a Garrett Carter single. It’s the fifth RBI of the game for the Illini 2B, who also has 4 hits in a PotG showing.
• RF Ganan Dahlquist has a double, a triple, a home run [5] while driving in 5, and 3B Rogers Hornsby – the #1 rated prospect in the ACBA, playing just his fourth game – doubles and has 4 ribbies as North Carolina absolutely pummels UNLV 19-1.
• A day of mixed fortunes for Houston, who win their game at home to Georgia by 7 to 6, but lose star 2B Ricky Segura for 5 weeks to a fractured hand.
• On a day that feels like almost every game is drama-filled, TTU beats South Carolina 11-10 on a walkoff 2-run tater [4] by LF Kevin Bratta. Red Raiders 1B Ryan Salazar has 4 hits including 2 homers [15] and a double, driving in 6, while 2B Vince Pearlman has two doubles and two ribbies.
• ORU CF Sam Chapman has two homers [15] and 4 RBI as the Golden Eagles whitewash Tennessee 11-0, with Tony Quintero pitching a 7-hit shutout.
• New Mexico right-fielder David Wyatt has 2 homers and 5 ribsters as the Lobos account for San Diego State by 10 runs to 5.
• Two homers [10] and 5 RBI by right-fielder Gary White aren’t enough to stop NC State losing 9-8 on the road against BYU.

HML Player of the Week: Chris Roundy (Miami) .600 / 2 HR / 12 RBI.

JDL Player of the Week: Morgan Redman (Oklahoma State) .529 / 4 HR / 10 RBI.

Some more injury news from around the league:

• Santa Clara 2B Jesse Johnson, who fractures a rib in a basepath collision, will miss 3-4 weeks.
• Ohio State will be without 2B Marty Byrd for 6-7 weeks after he tears a ligament in his thumb.
• A torn hamstring will keep Cincinnati 2B Bobby Doerr out of action for 6 weeks.
• IOWA SP Larry French suffers a triceps strain that will see him sidelined for 5 weeks.
• Bradley LF Paul Ardry will miss 5-6 weeks with an edema in his wrist.
• Texas loses SP Johnny Gorsica for 6 weeks to a herniated back disc.

OOML POST

ACBA REPORTS HOME PAGE

[luckymann]

A fascinating week of results and, while it might not seem like there’s much change at the pointy end, there certainly has been a noticeable bunching up. Pepperdine looked set to take the top ranking but a Sunday loss put paid to that hope for at least one more week, and it is Navy who once again reign supreme. The composition of the Top 10 remains completely unchanged, with no team apart from Kent State moving more than one place up or down, but now less than half a ratings point separates the top 3 and just over two points separates spots 6 thru 10. Santa Barbara was the big loser in the official list, dropping 6 spots to 17, while Tulane re-enters at #19 and Vandy makes its first appearance in the Top 25 since week 4, moving up 6 to #22. The biggest ladder overall was UCLA, who jumped from #69 to #41, while Tennessee’s 27-spot fall to #65 was the largest in the wrong direction. And Nebraska continue to narrow the gap on Minnesota, now just a measly quarter-point adrift. One other interesting point of note is how correlated the Ratings have become with the unofficial Power Rankings released by BNN, which can be viewed on the ACBA S+ Home Page for anyone who’s interested.

Top 25 teams as at end of ACBA Season 1950, Week 13 (Record / Points / Previous week’s ranking)

1. Navy Midshipmen 36-16; 31.97 (1)
2. Illinois Fighting Illini 36-16; 31.75 (2)
3. Pepperdine Waves 36-16; 31.64 (4)
4. Harvard Crimson 36-16; 29.54 (3)
5. Oregon State Beavers 34-18; 29.23 (5)
6. Bradley Braves 34-18; 28.14 (7)
7. Ohio State Buckeyes 34-18; 27.90 (6)
8. Brigham Young Cougars 34-18; 26.49 (9)
9. Hofstra Flying Dutchmen 33-19; 26.18 (10)
10. Kent State Golden Flashes 33-19; 26.09 (8)
11. Oklahoma State Cowboys 33-19; 25.99 (12)
12. Lafayette Leopards 31-21; 24.43 (14)
13. Michigan Wolverines 31-21; 24.37 (13)
14. George Washington Colonials 31-21; 24.09 (15)
15. Cal Poly Mustangs 30-22; 23.75 (16)
16. Michigan State Spartans 32-20; 23.33 (17)
17. UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 31-21; 23.26 (11)
18. San Jose State Spartans 30-22; 22.35 (18)
19. Tulane Green Wave 30-22; 21.69 (26)
20. Fresno State Bulldogs 29-23; 21.39 (19)
21. Stetson Hatters 30-22; 20.73 (21)
22. Vanderbilt Commodores 30-22; 20.39 (28)
23. Florida State Seminoles 29-23; 20.26 (24)
24. Cal State Northridge Matadors 29-23; 20.20 (20)
25. Mississippi State Bulldogs 30-22; 20.11 (22)

OOML POST

[Jeff1787]

You must have put a bunch of time and effort into this...very impressive!! I wish I had the knowledge of the game set-up to do something similar.

When creating a huge game like this, which must take many hours, is there anyway to save it during the creation process?

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Jeff1787

You must have put a bunch of time and effort into this...very impressive!! I wish I had the knowledge of the game set-up to do something similar.

When creating a huge game like this, which must take many hours, is there anyway to save it during the creation process?

Thanks mate, appreciate the kind words.

This is by far the most complicated league I've ever done, mainly because of the way OOTP handles COL leagues v MLB, with regard to hierarchy. I won't bore you with the details; suffice to say my "manual" for this league is over 10 pages long and there are a bunch of procedures that need to be done each and every season to enable the leagues to run the way I want them to, particularly so the league "daisy-chain" works properly while still allowing each league to have a separate Draft. There are also specific requirements I have with my league that wouldn't necessarily form part of someone else's league, mainly concerning a storyline.

My usage of random rookies in the league complicated matters further, because of course their MLB debut age was often outside of the ages for college eligibility. So I have to change them manually every time a new bunch enters the league, so they get the full four years at college.

If you stripped out all of these idiosyncratic elements it wouldn't be anywhere near as complex.

But in my case, setting up this league to the point where I could start it with all unis and logos and parks etc took over 3 months.

As far as the setup process is concerned, it ended up being a trial and errors - plural - process for me. I think from memory I used templates to get each section right and then introduced them bit by bit, saving it at each stage of the build and ALWAYS backing up. I simmed extensively to debug / figure out the best (and sometimes only) to do / achieve something.

[Jeff1787]

Thanks for the reply, it sure was a lot of work, but probably very satisfying. I will be following along and maybe some day I can come up with something similar. I like the idea of high school, JuCo, and 4-year college leagues feeding into the minors and majors.

I still don't understand the process of saving it as you said it took you three months. Can you save during the creation process? Seems like it can only be saved after actually creating the game.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Jeff1787

Thanks for the reply, it sure was a lot of work, but probably very satisfying. I will be following along and maybe some day I can come up with something similar. I like the idea of high school, JuCo, and 4-year college leagues feeding into the minors and majors.

I still don't understand the process of saving it as you said it took you three months. Can you save during the creation process? Seems like it can only be saved after actually creating the game.

Sorry, didn't explain myself properly. You create each sub-level individually, then save it as a template. Then when you've got a template for each level, create a new custom league and add in each template one by one.

I took it one step further. When I added each new template I saved the combined templates as another template just to save some time if something went wrong in the "build" process. But never had to use them.

As far as I could figure out, that was the only way to "save" along the way. And, no, I don't believe it can be saved as a game until that game has been created.

Does that make sense?

[Jeff1787]

Makes perfect sense...Thanks!!

[luckymann]

Thursday June 8th, 1950

BOX SCORES

• Hofstra is certainly making a name for itself as the escape artists of the ACBA, and they pull another Houdini act at GWU by tying the game at 3 in the top 9th on another clutch home run by RF Jake Gettman off Colonials closer Warren Spahn, then winning it 5-3 in 12. Unsurprisingly, Gettman’s 4.83 Win Probabilty Added leads the ACBA by some margin.
• Right-fielder Tyler Korte has four hits including a triple and his 7th HR of the season, and also drives in 4 including the walkoff winner, as Princeton takes a 12-inning 6-5 win over Western Michigan. The Broncos get their own back on Friday, thrashing their hosts 13-1, with Dom DiMaggio’s 5 hits and 3 RBI leading the way.
• Bill Hill 3-hits Brown while striking out 13 to give Ohio State a comfortable 4-0 home win.
• In a key battle between the two teams dominating the Northeast Conference, #4 Harvard draws first blood over the visiting #1 Navy with a strong 6-1 win behind Johnny Broaca, who gives them 8 quality innings. The Midshipmen square the ledger on Friday with a tough 4-2 win. RF Nick Manco proves the difference with a double and a 3-run homer [8].
• Two dingers [9] by CF Ricky Gonzales and 8+ strong innings from Mike Morrison sees Northern Colorado get a 3-2 win at Michigan State.
• After giving up 3 runs in the top 9th to fall behind by a run, Virginia gets out of jail against Wazzu when Elias Helberg walks it off with a 2-run single. Isaiah Blue pitches 8 scoreless for the victors, fanning 10.
• An outstanding three-hit shutout by ace Noodles Hahn gives Penn a 3-0 win over Kansas. Hahn strikes out 13 and walks none in a consummate performance.
• Saint Louis right-fielder Rich Kirk goes yard twice [5] – the second a walkoff grand slam – while driving in 6 as the Billikens beat Cincinnati 12-8 in 11. The Bearcats bounce back to take the Friday game 5-3, as SS Dave Bancroft smashes 3 dingers [16] and drives in all his side’s runs.
• You really have to feel for Huskers fans, as their side – on the cusp of a memorable shutout home win over Kent State – manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by giving up 4 in the top 9th to lose by a run. Adding injury to insult, they lose LF Dan Eckhart for 5 weeks after he suffers a separated shoulder on a defensive play. The home side’s endeavour is rewarded with a 3-2 Friday win behind a strong outing by Josh Arrant.
• Struggling Stanford’s season plumbs new depths when they are humiliated 26 to 5 on the road by Oregon State. Beavers catcher Billy Thompson has 5 for their 28 hits, including a double and a homer [2], and drives in 6, while LF Jaylen Jackson also bangs one out [13] and has 5 ribbies. The Cardinal lose again Friday, albeit by a far more respectable 5-4.
• LF Neyzen Sureyya’s second solo shot of the game [6] earns USC a walkoff 4-3 win over Indiana.
• Pete Mills pitches The Citadel past Houston 4-0 with a superb 4-hitter, striking out 8. He also has two hits and drives in a run.
• Right-fielder Malik Owens continues his excellent recent form, getting 4 hits with two doubles and a triple and knocking in 5, as Wake Forest destroys Tennessee 17-1. The Vols turn the tables on Friday with a 10-2 win.
• Clemson shortstop Kyle Gorman has 5 RBI and Matt Kilroy strikes out a team record 15 Sooners as the Tigers cruise to an 11-2 home win. A tight 5-4 win on Friday evens the Tigers’ record at 27-27.
• An outstanding 3-for-5 / 2 HR [5] / 4 RBI performance by RF Nate DeYong can’t stop Northridge falling 7-5 to Alabama. He homers again on Friday to help the Matadors win 6-1, as Addie Joss allows just 3 hits in a strong CG performance for the visitors.
• A&M LF Owen Williquette’s fourth hit of the game – a 2-run single – walks it off 6-5 against AZ State. The Sun Devils overcome a 2 HR [11], 5 RBI game by Aggies CF Adam Shephard to win the Friday game 7-6.
• Roberto De Leon shuts out Utah on 7 hits in a 3-0 home win for Tulane.
• Florida wastes a 2 homer [18] / 4 ribbie game by 1B Joe Hauser as they lose to Arizona by 8 runs to 7.
• CF Homer Smoot goes yard twice [15] and drives in 3 as Auburn posts 4 in the top 10th and goes on to beat Santa Clara 9-6. A bad night for the Broncos is compounded when gun CF Stewie Afshari goes down with a sprained thumb that is expected to keep him out of action for 5 weeks. 2 dingers [3] and 3 RBI by catcher Jeff Santandrea on Friday earns the Tigers a 6-4 win that gets them within a game of MSU at the top of the Southeast Conference.
• Fresno catcher Del Crandall bashes his 15th home run of the year and drives in 6 as his Bulldogs beat Long Beach 11-4.

Friday June 9th, 1950

BOX SCORES

• 2 solo shots [11] by CF Devin Witt helps Notre Dame get past Richmond 5-3.
• It’s a case of Ball beats Ball with the ball as Columbia starter George Ball shuts out Ball State on 4 hits with 9 strikeouts in a convincing 8-0 away win for the Lions.
• Army’s John Ekramy prevails in a pitchers’ duel with Kansas State’s Jerry Nops, shutting the Wildcats out on 9 hits in a 1-0 home win.
• Fullerton comes up just short at South Carolina, tying the game with three runs in the 9th but then losing it 7-6 on a walkoff single by Gamecocks left-fielder Steve Donegan.
• RF Ryan Wade homers [7] and has 5 ribsters as his Georgia side beats LSU 8-1.
• The Mississippi Derby delivers a classic as, after a 4-1 win to MSU on Thursday, Ole Miss gets the split on Friday by walking it off 3-2 in the 11th. 3B Mike MacDonell’s third single of the game provides the winning run.

Saturday June 10th, 1950


BOX SCORES

• Justin Hammond silences the usually-potent Hofstra bats, shutting them out on 5 hits with 9 strikeouts in a 3-0 win for Holy Cross.
• 5 hits and 2 RBI from left-fielder Adiano Castro helps Penn sneak past Maryland 7-5.
• Princeton pulls one out of the fire at home to Kansas. With the score tied at 4 after 11, the Jayhawks look to have it won when they post a deuce in the top 12th. But the Tigers rally and eventually walk it off courtesy of a two-out 2-run single by Tyler Korte. They complete the sweep with a 7-4 Sunday win as LF Adrian Ellington homers twice [11] and knocks in 4.
• Army starter Jimmy Bakula shuts out Michigan on 6 hits with 12 strikeouts as the Black Knights take a 3-0 home win. Army takes the Sunday game 5-3 in 12 on a walkoff 2-run HR [10] by first-baseman Matt Mitchell, giving him 4 ribbies for the game.
• 8 shutout innings by Ben Toth and a 3-RBI performance from RF Ben Fleck get Dartmouth a 6-0 win on the road at Saint Louis. The Big Green win 4-3 the following day behind a strong start by Chris LaFontaine.
• The two Oregon sides meet, with hosts OSU taking the first game 8-5 and then sweeping the Ducks with a 9-1 Sunday win in which Brett Bullock goes the distance and allows just one hit.
• Utah first-baseman Ryan Irick goes 5-for-5 with a double and two ribbies as the Utes get a 9-6 road win at NC State. He has three more hits and 2 RBI on Sunday as Utah makes it 2-from-2 with an 8-1 win.
• Two teams heading in opposite directions, as Clemson gets its 8th win in 9 by beating San Jose State 10-3. It is the Spartans 4th straight loss and it leaves them 6 games adrift of BYU in the Pacific Conference. SJSU stems the tide Sunday with an important 2-1 victory behind an excellent CG effort from Jim Mollahan.
• RF Trevor O’Connor goes yard twice [8] and drives in 3 to help Florida to a 10-7 win away at Georgia. 3B Jeremy Crowley also homers [3] and helps himself to 3 ribsters.
• Mississippi State catcher David Alvardo hits for the cycle as the Bulldogs destroy Baylor at home by 18 to 2. He also drives in 3, with the homer being his first of the campaign. Steve Nettles allows just one hit and no earned runs over 8 on Sunday as the Bulldogs win that one 4-2.
• Fullerton left-fielder Steve Aker homers [4] and knocks in 6 runs in a 9-7 win at Tennessee. In the Sunday game, RF David Taylor goes ballistic with 6 hits including a double and a homer [5] and drives in 7, as the Titans sweep with a 13-7 win.
• Bobby Mitchell blanks Stetson on 6 hits while striking out 14 in a 4-0 Alabama win. The Tide do it again on Sunday by 2 to 1, with all 3 runs coming via solo home runs.
• An absolute purler in the Oklahoma Derby, as hosts OSU walk it off 5-4 in the 10th on a Josh Zambrano single. Honors are eventually shared, however, as OU wins the Sunday game 6-2, with Ian Foster giving the Sooners 8 solid innings.
• Nate DeYong’s torrid week continues as he adds 2 more dingdongs to his tally [8] and drives in 4 as Northridge slips by hosts Fresno by 6 to 4.
• An utterly disastrous day for BYU that may have nixed whatever playoff ambitions they hold. Not only do they fall 9-6 at Nevada, they lose two of their key players to long-term injuries. SP Tommy Clark does his UCL and will be out for the season, as will All-Star outfielder Mike Hedlund after he ruptures his Achilles. Baseball, the cruellest mistress of all. The Cougars show their heart with a thrilling 12-8 win on Sunday, however, stretching their lead in the Pacific Conference to 5 games.
• A beauty to finish off, as Auburn and UNLV need 11 to decide a winner. The Rebels manage to take it into extras with a last-gasp 9th-inning run, then recover from falling behind in the top 11th to win it walkoff 6-5 on a single by CF Tristan Damnjanovic.

Sunday June 11th, 1950

BOX SCORES

• LF Ray Demmitt doubles, hits his 18th and 19th HR of the season, and scores 4 runs to power Lafa to an 8-6 home win over Kent State.
• Harvard 1B Robby McCourtney goes 5-for-5 with a double and 4 ribbies as the Crimson continue on their merry way with an 11-7 home win over Western Michigan.
• A 2 HR / 3 RBI game by 2B Wip Sutthisa helps Michigan State cruise past Mizzou 8-1. Compounding the loss, the Tigers lose injury-prone SP Lefty Grove – who walks 8 before getting hurt – for a good part of what’s left of the season to a hamstring strain.
• Northern Colorado starter Dale Humes one-hits Minnesota, striking out 8, in an 11-0 whitewash.
• Tim Keefe fans 16 Huskers as Navy keeps pace with Harvard thanks to a 10-3 away win. He also has two hits and 3 RBI.
• Surging Bradley withstands a 2 HR [21] game by RF Harry Lumley to beat Ohio 9-4. Braves 2B Walt Bartunek stars for the winners, with a dinger [6] and 5 ribbies.
• Iowa thrashes Villanova 18-4, with 3B Frankie Frisch (4-for-4 / HR [14] / 4 RBI), SS Nate Kelley (HR [4] / 3 RBI), and 1B Taylor Thrasher (5 RBI) all instrumental in the win.
• RF Mat Davis smacks 2 dingers [11] and drives in 5 as Yale accounts for UC Berkeley 8-1.
• On what ultimately pans out to be a remarkably sedate Sunday, there is one Funday game between Wake Forest and Ole Miss at Swayze Field. The Demon Deacons look headed for a breezy win as they lead 9-3 in the middle 7th. The hosts get into the game with a 4-spot in the bottom half, but then Wake Forest kicks away again with 3 in the 8th. The Rebs rally again with one in the home 8th and 4 in the 9th to tie the game at 12, then walk it off in the 11th on a Dale Boyette single. Catcher Wilbert Robinson is fantastic for the home team, with 3 hits including a homer [5] – missing only a single for the cycle – and 4 driven in.
• OK then, two Sunday Funday games as Santa Barbara comes back from 0-4 down after 8 to put up a staggering 10 runs in the top 9th to beat NM State. A pinch-hit slam [6] by Elias Martin does most of the damage.

HML Player of the Week: Ricky Gonzalez (Northern Colorado) .529 / 3 HR / 10 RBI.

JDL Player of the Week: Nate DeYong (Cal State Northridge) .583 / 5 HR / 9 RBI.

Some more injury news from around the league:

• A thumb ligament injury will sideline New Mexico CF Candy Nelson for about 6 weeks.
• Cal Poly will be without CF Ken Mason for 5 weeks after he suffers a fractured finger.
• Santa Barbara pitcher Frank Shellenback succumbs to a forearm strain and will be out 6 weeks.
• Ball State 2B Donny Miller goes down with a hamstring strain that looks set to keep him out of action for about two months.
• FSU pitcher Jonathan Powell blows out his elbow, an injury that will require surgery and put him on ice until 1952.
• NM State third-baseman Justin Hofstetter will almost surely miss the rest of the season thanks to a fractured ankle.
• An intercostal strain will keep Wazzu 2B Pete Coley off the diamond for 5 weeks.
• Washington SP Red Munger will be forced to sit out the next 6-7 weeks due to elbow inflammation.
• There’s a real chance that Tulane pitcher and club captain Roberto De Leon may have thrown his last pitch in the ACBA, with the surgery he’ll need performed on his elbow usually a minimum 12-month recovery period.
• LSU pitcher Kevin Walker suffers radial nerve compression and his season is done.

Just 8 weeks / 32 games remaining in the inaugural ACBA season and there are still plenty of undecided races. Here are some hot and not teams over the past 10 games:

Horace Mann League

• Bradley Braves 9-1, lead North Conference by 1 game from Illinois
• Northern Colorado Bears 8-2, trail Oregon State by 7 in the Northwest
• Oregon State Beavers 7-3, lead the Northwest by 7
• GWU Colonials 7-3, lead Atlantic Conference by 3 from Mizzou
• Louisville Cardinals 3-7, trail GWU by 3 in the Atlantic
• Oregon Ducks 2-8, trail Oregon State by 10 in the Northwest

John Dewey League

• Pepperdine Waves 8-2, lead West by 6 from Santa Barbara and Cal Poly
• Cal Poly Mustangs 8-2, trail Pepperdine by 6 in the West
• Oklahoma State Cowboys 7-3, lead the Southwest by 3 games from Rice
• Oral Roberts 3-7, trail OSU by 8 in the Southwest
• Cal State Fullerton 2-8, trail Pepperdine by 11 games in the West

I’ll give more attention to the various other leagues down the stretch after the ACBA season is done, but wanted to mention Danny Figueroa, left-fielder for the Boise Hawks of the Rookie-level United Federal League. Danny just had his consecutive hit streak snapped at a remarkable 46 games, carrying over from the 1949 season. This is the longest such streak at any level of the Major League of Baseball, eclipsing the 44-game mark set back in 1911 by Wolashe Gitonga while playing for the Philadelphia A’s.

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