Bogus Smith Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Mid-Con, Big 12 Tournaments: A perfect 10 by: Staff Reports 5/27/2007 3:00 AM Golden Eagles nab 10th straight title MACOMB, Ill. -- Oral Roberts University's annual coronation as ruler of the Mid-Continent Conference was seemingly inevitable. The Golden Eagles' Mid-Con domination continued into double digits Saturday, running their streak of consecutive conference championships to 10 with a 9-1 victory over Centenary in the Mid-Con Tournament championship game. "I'm really glad I could be a part of it," said senior left fielder Pat Warfle, who blasted a three-run home run Saturday. The 10 straight titles ties Texas for the third-longest reign in NCAA Division I history. Oklahoma State won 16 consecutive Big Eight crowns from 1981-96, and Wichita State won 14 Missouri Valley titles in a row from 1987-2000. Texas won 10 straight Southwest Conference championships on two occasions. "Any time you can put a streak together like that, it's definitely special," said ORU coach Rob Walton, a part of two of those five streaks (and 13 conference crowns) as an OSU player and ORU coach. "Injuries can happen. The ball can bounce the wrong way. There's a lot of things that can happen. So it's a good moment for our team and a proud moment for our program and our university." ORU also for the 10th time earns the Mid-Con's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles go into regional play at 40-15 -- their 10th straight season with 40 wins. ORU has won 16 games in a row and 24 of its last 25, and is now 33-1 all-time in Mid-Con tournament play. Regional sites will be announced Sunday, and the 64-team NCAA field will be revealed Monday. Most projections show ORU as a 3-seed. Saturday's game at Western Illinois' Alfred D. Boyer Stadium was completed after heavy rain fell and interrupted things for two hours in the bottom of the ninth with no outs and a Centenary runner at second base. ORU wrapped up the regular season last week at Western Illinois, the start of a 12-days road trip. So the rain delay put a serious damper on things. "We weren't going to celebrate. We don't really do that. It's kind of like disrespecting the other team," said tournament MVP Chad Rothford. "We just wanted to get the game over with and get out of there and go home." ORU starting pitchers threw 26 of the 27 innings in the tournament and did not allow an earned run. Saturday's hero was freshman Jerry Sullivan (5-0), who needed just 89 pitches to finish eight shutout innings, struck out a career-high eight and didn't walk anyone. Sullivan never allowed more than one base runner in an inning, allowed just two runners to reach second base (none got to third) and from the third inning through the eighth, he retired 15 of 17 batters faced. Walton said Sullivan's fastball was consistently 92 mph, his changeup was as good as ever and his slider was working for the first time this season. "Sullivan was just absolutely lights out today," Walton said. "He really didn't give 'em a chance to do anything." Sullivan turned in ORU's most dominating performance of the weekend despite being a little nervous about his first postseason start. "I was a little shaky before the game, a little excited," he said. "I just took deep breaths and knew I had to bear down and get things done for our team. "My first taste of what it's like to move on in the playoffs." After scuffling much of the season, ORU's bats came to life in the tournament. In three games, Golden Eagle hitters struck out just nine times in 133 plate appearances (four by one player), batted .383 and drove in 31 of ORU's 33 runs. Rothford hit .429 with two home runs and eight RBIs, shortstop Adam Younger hit .538 with a home run and three doubles, and right fielder Brendan Duffy batted .462. Saturday, though, Warfle produced the big bop, a three-run shot in the third inning that put ORU ahead 5-0. "I think guys are focused and playing better," Walton said. "We're still a little banged up, but guys believe they can play well and they can win." MID-CON SCHEDULE At Macomb, Ill. THURSDAY Game 1: No. 1 Oral Roberts 20, No. 4 Centenary 0 Game 2: No. 3 Valparaiso 13, No. 2 W. Illinois 10 FRIDAY Game 3: Centenary 9, W. Illinois 3 Game 4: Oral Roberts 4, Valparaiso 2 Game 5: Centenary 6, Valparaiso 1 SATURDAY Game 6: Oral Roberts 9, Centenary 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oral Roberts 9, Centenary 1 ORAL ROBERTS CENTENARY ab r h bi ab r h bi Duffy,rf 4 2 2 0 Saenz,3b 4 0 1 0 Minissale,cf 6 2 2 1 Sanchez,lf 3 0 2 0 Kahaulelio,2b 3 1 0 1 Darr,dh 4 0 0 0 Rothford,1b 4 1 1 2 Webb,rf 4 1 1 0 Van Kirk,dh 3 0 1 1 Penney,1b 4 0 2 0 Warfle,lf 5 1 2 3 Maldonado,c 4 0 1 1 McQuigg,3b 4 0 1 0 Huff,cf 4 0 0 0 Genao,c 4 2 2 0 Santiago,ss 3 0 0 0 Younger,ss 4 0 1 0 DeRooy,2b 3 0 0 0 Totals 37 9 12 8 Totals 33 1 7 1 Oral Roberts 104 003 100 -- 9 Centenary 000 000 001 -- 1 E: Saenz 2(23), Maldonado (6). DP: CC 1. LOB: ORU 11; CC 6. 2B: Younger (10), Webb (15), Penney (10). HR: Warfle (3). SH: Kahaulelio (8 ), Younger (4), Sanchez (14). SF: Kahaulelio (5), Van Kirk (4). SB: Duffy (21), McQuigg (4). Oral Roberts IP H R ER BB SO Sullivan W,5-0 8 6 0 0 0 8 Ashman 0 1 1 1 0 0 Crichton 1 0 0 0 0 1 Centenary Noland L,2-7 5.1 5 7 4 6 2 Bronson 1 4 2 1 0 1 Fulenchek 2.2 3 0 0 0 1 WP: Noland (8 ). T: 3:58. A: 209. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogus Smith Posted May 27, 2007 Author Share Posted May 27, 2007 I will make the prediction now that, if Jerry Sullivan stays healthy (which he should with the surgery over and complete) is going to be a top 5 round pick again (he was out of high school) when he's eligible for the draft (which I believe will be next season). That means that he would be dominating next season and I believe that he will be a much more dominant pitcher than he has shown this season. Sullivan may be the best pitcher at ORU since Mike Moore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Blevins Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Jerry went undrafted out of high school. He did not pitch his senior year due to injury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogus Smith Posted May 27, 2007 Author Share Posted May 27, 2007 Jerry went undrafted out of high school. He did not pitch his senior year due to injury. Wow! Then I certainly got some bad information somewhere. My bad... ...but I will still be so bold as to stand by what I said. Jerry Sullivan could be our best pitcher since Mike Moore. He has the build and the velocity (which continues to get better) to make an impact for ORU for the next 1 - 3 years (after this season!!). A lot of it will depend on what he does with himself in the offseason and whether he's allergic to hard work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlue82 Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 The number in the box score that jumps out to me is A:209. I've seen more people at J.L. Johnson in an early March game with a wind chill in the 30's. Absolutely embarrassing for the final Mid-Con event. Hope things improve in the Summit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 That number undoubtedly includes all-tournament tickets that were sold but weren't used, with WIU out. The shots I saw of the stands on "Rockyvision" looked like there were 50 or less there. Very small crowd for the final game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Minyard Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 The number in the box score that jumps out to me is A:209. I've seen more people at J.L. Johnson in an early March game with a wind chill in the 30's. Absolutely embarrassing for the final Mid-Con event. Hope things improve in the Summit! Let's not kid ourselves though. How many people would be at Valpo vs. WIU at J.L. Johnson Stadium? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 About the same - although we would have sold more all-session passes ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 It would never happen.... at least in a Championship game. ORU is always a participant. The pertinent question is: how many WIU fans showed up when they were playing their two (losing) games? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Let's face it: WIU and the conference office would both rather take a bath financially than give ORU any so-called competitive advantage by hosting. Worked wonders, didn't it? WIU went "2-and-barbecue" and the entire tournament field scored ONE earned run against ORU over three games. Way to level that ol' playing field, guys! The same thing is going to happen when they move the 2009 basketball tournament to Fargo. Reduced revenues and smaller crowds, all for the sake of hamstringing ORU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 It would never happen.... at least in a Championship game. ORU is always a participant. The pertinent question is: how many WIU fans showed up when they were playing their two (losing) games? Man, that was an easy question, Terry: First game (Western/Valpo): 342 Second game (Western/Centenary): 318 Given those numbers, I think the 209 wasn't half bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 By comparison, in last year's Mid-Con Tournament at ORU's three games we had the following attendance: Game 1 - 683 Game 2 - 599 Game 3 - 764 Better, but still not stellar for us, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaseballMom Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 You had good information, Bogus. Jerry Sullivan was indeed considered a top 5 round pick for the draft but then did not enter the draft due to his surgery which did, in fact, bench him for his senior year of high school. He did not enter the draft due to the surgery. Looks like he has a good work ethic and an excellent coach to see him through his rehab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogus Smith Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 You had good information, Bogus. Jerry Sullivan was indeed considered a top 5 round pick for the draft but then did not enter the draft due to his surgery which did, in fact, bench him for his senior year of high school. He did not enter the draft due to the surgery. Looks like he has a good work ethic and an excellent coach to see him through his rehab. Thanks for some comfort that I might not be losing my mind, Mom. I knew that I had read something about his prospects for a pro career, but the information was not readily available when I went looking for it. I really wasn't trying to make stuff up...but then again, as everyone knows, all of my post are bogus!! (However, I'm still high on Jerry's capabilities). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogus Smith Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 By comparison, in last year's Mid-Con Tournament at ORU's three games we had the following attendance: Game 1 - 683 Game 2 - 599 Game 3 - 764 Better, but still not stellar for us, either. You're right, TMH, it was not be stellar for us either, but it was 2x - 4x more than what the second place team in the Conference was able to generate. Thanks for taking the time to research the answers to the "question of the day". I'm sure that took some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Minyard Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 The big question in the debate would be the operations and revenue of the tournament. Does the league make a considerable amount of more money in Tulsa compared to Macomb? Did Tulsa bring in more sponsorship dollars? Ticket revenue? Did the Macomb media cover the tournament? We know that the Tulsa World and local TV stations historically have covered the tournament surprisingly very well. The TW made a pretty big deal about the tournament. That type of coverage gets the names of the four schools out there to the general public. It publicizes the institutions to people that may never consider going to the schools. Did the local hotels provide a high quality stay? Was travel convenient for the teams, parents, fans, etc.? Was the athletic department completely behind the operations of the tournament? The most important questions (already been stated somewhere by someone else)... Did the conference do everything possible to insure the most memorable experience our students-athletes could have at the tournament? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.