LSU head coach Paul Mainieri ignited the SEC baseball schedule conversation on Monday, saying during a radio interview that the league is strongly leaning toward a 40-game SEC schedule that would be four-game series consisting of a 9-inning game Friday, two 7-inning games on Saturday and a 9-inning game on Sunday. Obviously things could be adjusted for Thursday televised games, and there would be no midweek games once conference play begins.
I’ve talked to multiple people within the league’s baseball circle since then, and while this is an option on the table, and one supported by some of the coaches, it’s premature to call it the prohibitive favorite. Most expect a decision within a couple weeks, pointing toward an SEC conference call on January 7 as a possible date. I think there are more talks this week, as well.
The league’s baseball coaches are doing what every other sport has struggled with — being flexible and realizing some things simply can’t be solved two months out but don’t make the mistake of doing too much too soon and not being able to walk it back if the situation allows that. I haven’t talked to Mike Bianco yet to get his thoughts, but I will soon. Another coach in the league told me that Mike has been vocal about being patient and putting in a plan that promotes flexibility — citing that football teams got told a week in advance who they will play so it can and likely will happen to baseball, too. The goal is to play 56 games so essentially suck it up and roll with it.
The only consensus among the league’s coaches currently is to leave the schedule as normal as possible. We don’t know dates yet obviously, but the SEC opponents will be the same as last year’s schedule — at least as of now. Ole Miss wouldn’t play Tennessee, Kentucky or Mizzou if that's the case.
One SEC coach (not Mike) told me yesterday that he wants to play as many non-conference games as possible if the NCAA committee still factors RPI into the resume because otherwise there’s little way to differentiate between league teams with the computers. The goal would be to play most of the 16-26 (depending on schedule format) non-conference games on weekends because that helps with testing protocols and maximizing games once a team is in town. Getting midweek games in could be hell if testing and positivity rates are as they are now. Plus Ole Miss is currently set for a major RPI boost the opening weekend as the Rebels, Arkansas and Mississippi State are scheduled to represent the SEC in Arlington against TCU, Texas Tech and Texas. The Big 12 is leaning toward a normal schedule with 24 league games and 32 non-conference games.
Should the 40-game conference schedule happen, Ole Miss is one of the programs best suited to handle that type of workload on the mound. Even though four-game weeks and five-game weeks are common, it’s different when it’s an extra league game. Depth would be pivotal, and Ole Miss has an abundance of back-end options to weather things with its bullpen, as Max Cioffi, Austin Miller, Braden Forsyth, Taylor Broadway, Wes Burton and others all have experience in that area.
And with a potential extra league game each week, Greer Holston’s re-emergence becomes even more of a golden ticket. He has to prove he’s back in the spring, but he was dominant in the fall and looked as good as any point in his career. He was potentially already set to push Derek Diamond for a spot in the rotation, and he would be suited to fill that fourth-starter role, if necessary.
The ACC approved a 50-game schedule that includes 12 weekends and 36 total conference games. I expect smaller conferences to try to mimic what larger conferences around them do so that they can either play or not play midweek games based on opponent availability.
I’m still working on it, but that’s where it stands as of now.
Also this is cart before the horse, but should the NCAA decide to not factor in a lot of the computer metrics for selection, the committee will be tasked with an impossible eye test to determine postseason seeding. This year’s committee is as follows:
Bob Moosbrugger, Bowling Green (MW, Expiration: 2023) — Mid-American Conference
Desiree Reed-Francois, UNLV (W, Expiration: 2024) — Mountain West Conference
John Cohen, Mississippi State (S, Expiration: 2023) — Southeastern Conference
Kirby Hocutt, Texas Tech (SW, Expiration: 2023) — Big 12 Conference
Matthew Hogue, Coastal Carolina (S, Expiration: 2024) — Sun Belt Conference
Marianne Vydra, Oregon State (W, Expiration: 2022) — Pac 12 Conference
Mike Buddie, Army (N, Expiration: 2024) — Patriot League
James C. Cole, Mercer (S, Expiration: 2021) — Southern Conference
Jeff Altier, Stetson (S, Expiration: 2022) — Atlantic Sun Conference
Gregory Walter, Missouri Valley (MW, Expiration: 2024)
I’ve talked to multiple people within the league’s baseball circle since then, and while this is an option on the table, and one supported by some of the coaches, it’s premature to call it the prohibitive favorite. Most expect a decision within a couple weeks, pointing toward an SEC conference call on January 7 as a possible date. I think there are more talks this week, as well.
The league’s baseball coaches are doing what every other sport has struggled with — being flexible and realizing some things simply can’t be solved two months out but don’t make the mistake of doing too much too soon and not being able to walk it back if the situation allows that. I haven’t talked to Mike Bianco yet to get his thoughts, but I will soon. Another coach in the league told me that Mike has been vocal about being patient and putting in a plan that promotes flexibility — citing that football teams got told a week in advance who they will play so it can and likely will happen to baseball, too. The goal is to play 56 games so essentially suck it up and roll with it.
The only consensus among the league’s coaches currently is to leave the schedule as normal as possible. We don’t know dates yet obviously, but the SEC opponents will be the same as last year’s schedule — at least as of now. Ole Miss wouldn’t play Tennessee, Kentucky or Mizzou if that's the case.
One SEC coach (not Mike) told me yesterday that he wants to play as many non-conference games as possible if the NCAA committee still factors RPI into the resume because otherwise there’s little way to differentiate between league teams with the computers. The goal would be to play most of the 16-26 (depending on schedule format) non-conference games on weekends because that helps with testing protocols and maximizing games once a team is in town. Getting midweek games in could be hell if testing and positivity rates are as they are now. Plus Ole Miss is currently set for a major RPI boost the opening weekend as the Rebels, Arkansas and Mississippi State are scheduled to represent the SEC in Arlington against TCU, Texas Tech and Texas. The Big 12 is leaning toward a normal schedule with 24 league games and 32 non-conference games.
Should the 40-game conference schedule happen, Ole Miss is one of the programs best suited to handle that type of workload on the mound. Even though four-game weeks and five-game weeks are common, it’s different when it’s an extra league game. Depth would be pivotal, and Ole Miss has an abundance of back-end options to weather things with its bullpen, as Max Cioffi, Austin Miller, Braden Forsyth, Taylor Broadway, Wes Burton and others all have experience in that area.
And with a potential extra league game each week, Greer Holston’s re-emergence becomes even more of a golden ticket. He has to prove he’s back in the spring, but he was dominant in the fall and looked as good as any point in his career. He was potentially already set to push Derek Diamond for a spot in the rotation, and he would be suited to fill that fourth-starter role, if necessary.
The ACC approved a 50-game schedule that includes 12 weekends and 36 total conference games. I expect smaller conferences to try to mimic what larger conferences around them do so that they can either play or not play midweek games based on opponent availability.
I’m still working on it, but that’s where it stands as of now.
Also this is cart before the horse, but should the NCAA decide to not factor in a lot of the computer metrics for selection, the committee will be tasked with an impossible eye test to determine postseason seeding. This year’s committee is as follows:
Bob Moosbrugger, Bowling Green (MW, Expiration: 2023) — Mid-American Conference
Desiree Reed-Francois, UNLV (W, Expiration: 2024) — Mountain West Conference
John Cohen, Mississippi State (S, Expiration: 2023) — Southeastern Conference
Kirby Hocutt, Texas Tech (SW, Expiration: 2023) — Big 12 Conference
Matthew Hogue, Coastal Carolina (S, Expiration: 2024) — Sun Belt Conference
Marianne Vydra, Oregon State (W, Expiration: 2022) — Pac 12 Conference
Mike Buddie, Army (N, Expiration: 2024) — Patriot League
James C. Cole, Mercer (S, Expiration: 2021) — Southern Conference
Jeff Altier, Stetson (S, Expiration: 2022) — Atlantic Sun Conference
Gregory Walter, Missouri Valley (MW, Expiration: 2024)
