How Important Is Pitching?

We have reached the final week of the Big East Baseball season and the conference race is almost to close to call using political terms.  Every Team has a pitcher and when we say pitcher he is the one that can control of his fastball which is fast enough he can throw it by most hitters.  He has a a curve that he can get over the plate and if he is really good can slow a change up and make batters miss by a mile.

Then everyone has players that are used because in practice they are the best of the rest that can get the ball across the plate.  Some can't throw the ball hard enough to break glass which means the only outs they  get are the ones that hit the ball straight at players in the field.

Now let's compare a pitcher and the rest when we look at the 2016 Rocky Mount Gryphons.  Their ace David Harrison has pitched in four conference games.  He has won three of them and when he left the game after six in the other he was ahead 4-2 but the Gryphons lost the game.

Opening night in conference play Harrison on the road lead The Nash Central Bulldogs 4-2 after six innings but once out of the game the other pitchers gave up two runs. In the seventh and lost three innings later 5-4.

The next week against Hunt he pitched a shutout beating the Warriors 1-0.  The following week beat Northern Nash 8-3 and Fike pitched another shutout 1-0.  So far the four games that Harrison did not pitch the  Gryphons Lost 5-4, won 17-0, lost 16-7 and lost 9-1.

The four conference games when Harrison pitched the Gryphons have scored  14 runs that is about 3.5 runs per game.  Yet the Gryphon won three and the one they lost he was already out of the game. Those games Harrison pitch the Gryphons gave up five runs in the innings Harrison has been on the mound.  He has faced every time out the best pitcher the other team had and against the other conference members best the Gryphons won three and had the fourth won while Harrison was on the mound.  Harrison has proven to be the best pitcher in the Big East.

The four games when Harrison played the field and another pitcher pitched, The Gryphons scored in those four games 28 runs and yet won only one of the four because without Harrison on the mound  the Gryphons have allowed 30 losing three of the four.

If I had to make any predictions the upcoming conference tournament and the state playoffs the Gryphons have a good chance to win one game and a crap shoot in the other.  Here is one bad thing how ever in the first game of the playoffs.  Whoever the Gryphons draw they will be facing the best that team has so the first round game will not be a gimme and it will not be a gimme for any team in our league.

Weather Will Be A Factor

There is one week left in the regular season of Big East Baseball.  Fike and Northern Nash as we head down the stretch to the finish line are neck and neck at 5-3 in the standings.  One length behind are Nash Central and Rocky Mount at 4-4.   Due to their game getting rained out on Friday Hunt trails by a length and a half 3-4 and Southern Nash trails the field at 2-5.  Southern no longer can win or tie for first place because the two leaders Fike and Northern play each other Tuesday so one must win and at worse will finish the season with four losses.

Hunt however is still in the mix and if they win the make up game with Southern Nash Monday 7pm they would be 4-4 and win both of their scheduled games this week they are not dead yet from tying for first but it is a long shot concidering no team in this league has three pitchers to walk out on the mound  and expect to win every time out.  So winning three times this week is a long shot.

Southern travels to Hunt Monday.  Go to Rocky Mount Tuesday and host Nash Central Friday.  All three that they will play can still win or tie for first which is only good for the seedings in the Big East baseball Tournament starting May 2nd. The Firebirds can spoil any of those teams hopes as they fight for first.  A five game conference losing streak  would make you believe any of the three teams playing for first the Southern game is the easy game of the week.  It had better be if either Hunt, Rocky Mount or Nash Central have intentions on a regular season title.

Hunt host Nash Central Tuesday and if Hunt knocks off Southern Monday this will give one or the other five losses and one will be out of any possible first place talk come Friday.  Hunt finishes Friday at Fike.

Should Nash Central beat Hunt Tuesday they may have a shot at tying for first Friday as they travel to Southern Nash who will be having senior night.  Should Southern win all three of their games this week they will pass somebody and get out of the cellar.

Rocky Mount has a real quandary.  They need to hope Northern beats Fike and on Friday they  beat Northern which would give every team with at least  four losses and Rocky Mount being one of them.            
Who do you pitch Tuesday against Southern?  Pat Smith has been pitching David Harrison on Tuesday's and the last time they played Southern Zack Keeter started against The Firebirds and since
Keeter didn't pitch Friday against Fike I'd bet money they save David Harrison for Friday.

Both Fike and Northern Nash control their own destiny.  The winner of that game can win the regular season Friday.  If Fike wins over Northern then a victory of Hunt  secures the top spot.  If Northern wins and then a victory over Rocky Mount grants them the title.

It is a jumble  mess isn't it?

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