With the Sun Belt Tournament beginning Wednesday at M. L. "Tigue" Moore Field, here's a capsule look at the teams, beginning with bracket one.
1. ULM (33-22) (20-10) Jeff Schexnayder, 2nd full season
If I were to put all the Sun Belt Players in one pool and you gave me first pick to start a team, the first guy I'd pick is Kyle Suire. The ULM second baseman arrives at the ball park with a chip on his shoulder and his leadership is infectious to the rest of the offense. He and Ben Soignier give ULM a solid middle infield. Add A. J. Siggers and Dexter Fontenot to the lineup and you get the core of a lineup that led the Sun Belt in hitting. The Warhawks are solid defensively They don't run a lot, but they have some guys who are capable. ULM's biggest flaw is the depth of their pitching staff. Their RPI is what it is for a reason. A win over Southern MIss is their only out of conference win of merit. Jennings has done a nice job for them, but the rest of the starters don't strike fear in the opposition. They've got two guys in Ward and Soignier who are good in the late innings, but really, that staff isn't very deep at all. ULM's biggest challenge will come later in the tournament when other teams are as capable of scoring as they are. They deserve props for winning the league after being picked eighth, but they're going to have to play a lot better than they did the last three weeks (3-7 in May) if they're going to get through the bracket.
8. Middle Tennessee (27-27-1) (13-16) Steve Peterson, 20th season
When you look at their lineup, you have to be impressed. Bryce Brentz has to be the Freshman of the Year in the league, with eighteen bombs. Add Bishop and HInes and you have three guys who can swing it with anyone in the league. Middle has hit 86 home runs this year and their hitters are capable of putting runs on the board in bunches. They're alright defensively. They have some speed at the top, but don't run a lot. Their problem is on the mound and there are big problems there. Brentz isn't pitching because of an injury and they miss him a lot. Their starters have struggled against just about everyone. Smalley and Stanley have been pretty good in the pen, but neither guy is an automatic shut down of the opponent. Whihle they've hit more than 80 home runs, their staff has also given up that many, although they do play in a hitters park. But what usually happens this time of year is that they have a pitcher or two step up and they always manage to jump up and bite someone during the tournament. Peterson always seems to have his team ready to go at tourney time and the team that makes the mistake of overlooking them pays the price. Don't be surprised if it happens again this year, although there are a lot of teams that hit as good or better than the Raiders this year. Note to the other teams in the bracket: Be careful.
4. Florida Atlantic (29-25-1) (15-12-1) Kevin Cooney (21st season)
You gotta love their lineup. McKenna, Ozga, Block and Arata all have double digit home runs and their hitting philosophy can best be called "controlled agression." They have some plate discipline despite their power totals. They hit well throughout the lineup and they have the kind of team that feeds off one another offensively. They're pretty good, not great, on defense. They don't have a ton of team speed and as a result, play a lot of station to station baseball. But I just cringe when I look at that pitching staff. Storey hasn't been the same since his injury. O"Bradovich can be very good or very not so good, and Belliveau, who might have some of the best stuff in the league, is the Sun Belt's version of Nuke LaLoosh. He's all over the place with more walks than innings pitched. Their bullpen is not very good. There's not a single guy there that you can feel good about. FAU wins when they get good starting pitching. The problem is that all three starters can be lights out one night and lit up the next. Kevin Cooney has announced his retirement after the season. He's such a class guy that you know his team will be motivated to extend the season as much as they can. How far they get will depend on their starters, because everyone in their bracket can really swing it.
5. Western Kentucky (29-24) (16-14) Chris Finwood 3rd season
Finwood has gotten this team to the verge in just his third season. They don't have quite as much power as ULM, MIddle and UNO, but they swing it well. Chad Cregar is really really tough from the left side, and Gaynor and Dayleg compliment him in the lineup. They can run, and their not afraid to do it. Defensively, they're the best the league has to offer. They just don't beat themselves, ever. Ridings is very tough on the mound as a starter. They do bullpen by committee and they have a lot of guys with a lot of appearances. I like the freshman Rye Davis a lot. He's going to be a good one. Don't be surprised if Finwood gives him a start in the tournament. I think their key is Bart Carter. Last year's freshman of the Year just hasn't gotten it together, but has pitched better the last couple of starts. If Finney can get one good start out of him in the tournament, they have a good chance to be playing on Saturday. You might be able to slow them down if you throw a lefty at them. In the tournament, it often comes down to who makes the fewest mistakes, Down the stretch, they're playing the best of any team on this side of the bracket, and they're my pick in the bracket this week.