1929 AIAA COLLEGE BASEBALL UPDATE
May 27, 1929
QUITE A FINAL WEEK AHEAD IN COLLEGE RANKS
With one week remaining in the college season there is still plenty that is undecided as only one of the 8 berths in the College World Championship Series have been spoken for. That spot belongs to the Rainier College Majestics, who made official what has been long expected by clinching the Western Collegiate Division title early in the week..
Opelika State should join the Majestics as the Wildcats magic number for winning the Southern Collegiate Division is down to 1 as they enjoy a 4 game lead on Tom Barrell and the Georgia Baptist Gators with 4 to play. On the off chance the Gators take 2 from Maryland State and the Wildcats lose both of their games at North Carolina Tech to start the week we could have a great weekend series in Athens where the Gators and Wildcats finish their season. That is the only hope of a playoff berth for the Gators as the wildcard is now out of their reach.
Central Ohio has won 14 of it's last 17 games to pull even with Chicago Poly in the Midwest Collegiate Division. The schedule makers did a terrific job of heightening the drama as those two teams will close out the season with a 2 game series in Columbus.
At 30-16 with 4 to play the loser of that division battle between the Aviators and the Panthers may still have a shot at the wildcard, which they currently trail Lubbock State by 1 game for. The Hawks have won 5 straight and look to be in good shape for a postseason berth.
So in the Continental we know Rainier College is in, we expect Opelika State will qualify and the field will be rounded out by two of the following three teams: Chicago Poly, Central Ohio and Lubbock State. Northern California and Georgia Baptist are still technically alive but realistically they are out.
Tne Northeast Conference on the other hand is a mess. Liberty College, at 30-16 and 2 games up on Commonwealth Catholic in the NE Division, should do no worst then earn one of the two wildcard spots and are likely going to win their division for the second consecutive year. Commonwealth Catholic is certainly not out of the race though, as the Knights host the Bells for two games beginning tomorrow and a sweep would leave the two schools tied for first place. Garden State and St. Patrick's are long shots for the division at 3 games back but are both still certainly in the wildcard mix.
The Academia Alliance is even tighter with George Fox holding a 1 game lead on Henry Hudson, with Ellery two games back and Brunswick 3 games off the pace. Even Dickson and Pierpont, at 4 games out, are not officially eliminated yet.
George Fox has 2 games left with both Ellery and Pierpont while Henry Hudson appears to be in the best shape, despite trailing the Reds by a game. The Explorers finish their season off with games against the bottom two teams in the division - Sadler and Grafton.
With two wildcard spots available all of the above mentioned teams still have a shot to play in the AIAA World Series.
STAT WATCHING
Vic Crawford hit 2 homers in 5 games last week giving the Commonwealth Catholic outfielder 30 on the season. Crawford needs two homers in his final four games to tie Calvin Dybas' 1913 single-season AIAA record of 32 round trippers. With 66 for his career, Crawford is also just 2 shy of Dybas' career homerun record as well. Crawford has already shattered the AIAA career and single season RBI marks and has 183 total including 81 on the season. The old record was 68 and it has also be topped by two other players this season. Will Bryant of Central Ohio has 72 rbi's so far while Whitney College's Bobby Many has 71.
The single season batting average of .531 set by Elmer Lambert of George Fox College in 1915 will not be broken but Central Ohio freshman 2B Freddie Jones (.506,5,38) is bidding to become just the second player in AIAA history to hit .500 or better in a season.
Here are the updated top 10 rankings:
Code:
TOP TEN RANKINGS REC LW
1- Rainier College Majestics 37-9 1
2- Liberty College Bells 30-16 2
3- Opelika State Wildcats 30-16 3
4- Central Ohio Aviators 30-16 6
5- Chicago Poly Panthers 30-16 5
6- Commonwealth Cath. Knights 28-18 7
7- Lubbock State Hawks 31-15 9
8- George Fox Reds 28-18 4
9 -Henry Hudson Explorers 27-19 8
10-Commonwealth Cath. Knights 28-18 NR
DROPPING OUT OF TOP 10
Georgia Baptist Gators 26-20 10