The NCAA baseball tournament uses a pod system similar to the one in its basketball tournament: It tries to keep participating teams close to home in the first round to save travel expenses and make it easier for fans to see the games.
The pod system didn’t work for the Charlotte 49ers on Monday, when they were sent to Tempe, Ariz., to face Arkansas in a first round game at 5 p.m. Friday.
“I’m disappointed for our fan base, which won’t be able to come watch us,” said Charlotte coach Loren Hibbs, whose team won the Atlantic 10 regular-season and tournament championships. “But it’s a good chance to keep developing our program.”
There were several other regionals that the 49ers could logically been expected to play in: Chapel Hill, Columbia, Clemson, S.C., Atlanta and Charlottesville, Va.
Instead, the 49ers (42-14) will be a No. 3 seed, facing the second-seed Razorbacks (38-20) in the double-elimination regional. The region’s other first-round game has No. 1 and host Arizona State (39-16) going against No. 4 New Mexico (20-39).
The winner of the Tempe regional will play in a super-regional next week in Austin, Texas.
“It was a surprise,” Hibbs said of Charlotte’s trip to the desert. “The pod system is supposed to make every regional as local as it can be. But I guess like they felt like they needed to sent us out west.”
The 49ers’ pitching staff has a 2.43 ERA, ranked third nationally. Arkansas’ team batting average of .270 ranked last in the SEC.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Hibbs is disappointed for fans
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13 comments:
Coach Hibbs, knock out those teams and there should be plenty of opportunities to play a Super regional close to home.
Chapel Hill gets an easy draw and we get sent out west.
Who cares about UNC- Choke Hill? Or any of the other local teams.
When the Charlotte 49ers (the Beast of the East) goes to the desert and beats the (Best of the West)we will strut our stuff and everyone in the USA will know we don't need NCAA crumbs like UNC or any of the other local teams to fulfill our destiny!
it sucks but it is a big country.
Go niners!
tyro niner said...
Chapel Hill gets an easy draw and we get sent out west.
3:35 PM
Chapel Hill gets an easy draw because they earned it.
don't complain about draw, just win baby. go niners. bring it back home.
"Chapel Hill gets an easy draw because they earned it."
lol. And guess who beat Chapel Hill?
Charlotte is 42-14 this season, ranked fourth in the nation in earned run average (2.43), fifth in opponent batting average against (.221) and total earned runs (131). The 49ers have posted 11 shutouts this season, tied for third-most in Division I.
And, they are not ranked. How is that? I guess it's lack of respect for the entire season and the A-10.
GO NINERS!
GO UNCC 49ers
When UNC is the only ranked team on the schedule and you're spending the rest of the year beating up on the St. Joe'ses and the UMasses of the world, a one-run home win ain't exactly all that impressive.
You are right! Beating North Carolina ain't that impressive. Now if it had been South Carolina that would have been impressive.
UNCC = UNC
(the charlotte sub-title nickname is temporary)
UNCC is extremely humble & proud considering it an eternal great honor to be a full integral fuzion with this highly acclaimed rich vintage historical famous traditional University of North Carolina namesake since 1789 as the oldest public university in America. Same system. Different schools. Deal with it.
In the near future as UNCC expands and adds the med & law school it will become known simply as UNC or The University of NC without the sub-title nickname.
The new colors will be green and blue.
Go UNC 49ers
move over rover and let jimi take over
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