College Football: Bowl Predictions

By Craig Filazzola, WSOE Sports Director

The first two bowl games begin this Saturday, which gives us a chance to weigh in on what teams we think will win all of the bowls.

Here are the bowl predictions made by Craig Filazzola, Greg Brzozowski, Jacob Lang and Matt Curry.

Date/ time	Bowl	Over/Under	Craig	Greg	Jake	Matt
Sat., Dec. 19 2:30 p.m.	New Mexico Wyoming vs. Fresno State	55	Fresno State Over	Fresno State Under	Fresno State Under	Fresno State Under
Sat., Dec. 19 8 p.m.	St. Petersburg Rutgers vs. Central Florida	44.5	Rutgers Under	Rutgers Over	Rutgers Under	Rutgers Over
Sun., Dec. 20 8 p.m.	New Orleans Middle Tennessee vs. S. Mississippi	58	S. Mississippi Under	S. Mississippi Under	S. Mississippi Over	S. Mississippi Under
Tue., Dec. 22 8 p.m.	Las Vegas Brigham Young vs. Oregon State	60.5	Oregon State Under	Oregon State Under	Oregon State Over	Oregon State Over
Wed., Dec. 23 8 p.m.	Poinsettia Utah vs. California	53	Utah Under	Utah Over	California Under	Utah Over
Thu., Dec. 24 8 p.m.	Hawaii SMU vs. Nevada	73	Nevada Under	Nevada Under	Nevada Under	SMU Under
Sat., Dec. 26 1 p.m.	Little Caesars Ohio vs. Marshall	49.5	Ohio Under	Ohio Over	Ohio Under	Ohio Under
Sat., Dec. 26 4 p.m.	Meineke Car Care North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh	44.5	Pittsburgh Over	Pittsburgh Over	UNC Over	Pittsburgh Over
Sat., Dec. 26 8:30 p.m.	Emerald USC vs. Boston College	44.5	USC Over	USC Over	USC Over	USC Over
Sun., Dec. 27 8 p.m.	Music City Kentucky vs. Clemson	52.5	Clemson Over	Clemson Under	Clemson Under	Clemson Under
Mon., Dec. 28 5 p.m.	Independence Georgia vs. Texas A&M	64.5	Georgia Under	Georgia Under	Georgia Under	Texas A&M Over
Tue., Dec. 29 4:30 p.m.	EagleBank Temple vs. UCLA	46.5	UCLA Under	Temple Under	UCLA Over	Temple Under
Tue., Dec. 29 8 p.m.	Champs Sports Miami (Fla.) vs. Wisconsin	57.5	Miami Over	Miami Under	Miami Over	Wisconsin Under
Wed., Dec. 30 4:30 p.m.	Humanitarian Idaho vs. Bowling Green	68	BGU Under	Idaho Under	BGU Under	BGU Under
Wed., Dec. 30 8 p.m.	Holiday Arizona vs. Nebraska	40	Arizona Under	Nebraska Under	Nebraska Over	Arizona Over
Thu., Dec. 31 Noon	Armed Forces Air Force vs. Houston	62	Houston Over	Houston Over	Houston Under	Houston Over
Thu., Dec. 31 2:00 p.m.	Sun Stanford vs. Oklahoma	56.5	Oklahoma Under	Stanford Over	Stanford Under	Stanford Over
Thu., Dec. 31 3:30 p.m.	Texas Missouri vs. Navy	52.5	Missouri Under	Missouri Over	Missouri Under	Navy Under
Thu., Dec. 31 6 p.m.	Insight Minnesota vs. Iowa State	48.5	Iowa State Under	Iowa State Under	Minnesota Over	Iowa State Under
Thu., Dec. 31 7:30 p.m.	Chick-Fil-A Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee	49.5	Virginia Tech Over	Virginia Tech Under	Tennessee Over	Virginia Tech Over
Fri., Jan. 1 11 a.m.	Outback Northwestern vs. Auburn	54.5	Auburn Under	NU Under	Auburn Over	Auburn Under
Fri., Jan. 1 1 p.m.	Capital One Penn State vs. LSU	44	LSU Over	PSU Over	LSU Over	LSU Over
Fri., Jan. 1 1 p.m.	Gator Florida State vs. West Virginia	60.5	Florida State Under	WVU Under	Florida State Under	WVU Under
Fri., Jan. 1 5 p.m.	Rose Ohio State vs. Oregon	51.5	Oregon Over	Oregon Over	Oregon Over	Oregon Over
Fri., Jan. 1 8:30 p.m.	Sugar Florida vs. Cincinnati	57	Florida Under	Florida Over	Florida Over	Florida Over
Sat., Jan. 2 noon	International South Florida vs. Northern Illinois	50	USF Over	USF Over	N. Illinois Under	N. Illinois Under
Sat., Jan. 2 2 p.m.	Papajohns.com South Carolina vs. Connecticut	51.5	UConn Over	UConn Under	S. Carolina Over	UConn
Sat., Jan. 2 2 p.m.	Cotton Mississippi vs. Oklahoma State	50.5	Ole Miss Over	OSU Over	Ole Miss Over	OSU Under
Sat., Jan. 2 5:30 p.m.	Liberty East Carolina vs. Arkansas	63.5	Arkansas Under	Arkansas Under	ECU Under	Arkansas Under
Sat., Jan. 2 9 p.m.	Alamo Michigan State vs. Texas Tech	60.5	Texas Tech Under	Texas Tech Over	Michigan St. Under	Texas Tech Under
Mon., Jan. 4 8 p.m.	Fiesta TCU vs. Boise State	55	TCU Over	TCU Over	Boise State Over	TCU Over
Tue., Jan. 5 8 p.m.	Orange Georgia Tech vs. Iowa	51	Georgia Tech Over	Georgia Tech Under	Iowa Over	Georgia Tech Over
Wed., Jan. 6 7 p.m.	GMAC Troy vs. Central Michigan	63.5	C. Michigan Under	C. Michigan Over	Troy Under	C. Michigan Under
Thu., Jan. 7 8 p.m.	BCS title game Alabama vs. Texas	45	Alabama Over	Texas Under	Texas Over	Texas Over

Contact Information:
Craig Filazzola
WSOE Sports Director
cfilazzola@elon.edu

Greg Brzozowski
WSOE Sports
gbrzozowski@elon.edu

Jake Lang
WSOE Sports
jlang4@elon.edu

Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu

NFL: Predictions This Week

By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports

With one of the most exciting weekends of football in the near past, I have been thinking about what will be coming up in the last few weeks of the regular season. If you think about it, this is the first season for a lot of things. We have two undefeated teams after eleven games, Johnson has had three rushes of over 85 yards for touchdowns, and we have such a huge gap from the good to bad teams unlike any year in recent memory. To top it all off, we watched the destruction of a Bill Belichick team unlike any other before.

Lets begin with the last Monday night game between the Patriots and the undefeated Saints. This is probably one of the most impressive victories I have seen in quite a long time, mostly because it was a trouncing of the almighty Patriots. The defense of the pats could not stop the Saint’s offense led by the greatest quarterback, statistically of course, over the last few years. With another 300+ passing game in the books for Brees, it looks like the Saints will continue to dominate until possibly the game against Dallas late in the season. For now though, it will be interesting to see what happens to the Patriots, because they are 0-4 on the road, which is you’re wondering, doesn’t normally spell out a championship caliber team.          

One more team’s performance really stuck out to me over the weekend, and that was the Colts. We all know that the Colts should not have won that game against the Patriots, but they pulled yet another improbable win out of nowhere by defeating the Texans after being down seventeen points. I also give credit to the ever-patronized Peyton Manning, who might be the greatest clutch quarterback of all time. I think the Colts will struggle this weekend though at the Titans, who under the leadership of Vince Young have won their last five. I look for the Titans to continue this streak and maybe win seven or eight in a row before they lose. Why do I make so a bold prediction? When you have Johnson as your running back, who can bet against you? He has given us many highlights this year and almost single handedly kept his team in the game against the cardinals so Vince Young could win it on the last play of the game.

How about them chargers? Well they have looked great over the last few weeks, and look for it to continue for at least one more as they face yet another mediocre division team. I do think that the Chargers will continue to play strong and maybe have only one more loss by the end of the season, which will mean they win their division and get into the playoffs. Look for Tomlinson to maybe make a late push to try and get himself ready for the playoffs. On the other hand, the Broncos started out on fire, and have cooled down quite a bit. The win over the Giants on Thanksgiving doesn’t mean a thing because they are not the same team as the last few years. The Broncos will most likely fail to make the playoffs, which is no big deal because they are overachieving at this point.

UPSET ALERT!  Look for the Giants to make one final stand for their season against the Cowboys this weekend. I think they will beat the Cowboys, but it will be a one-week thing, as they will continue to struggle and not make the playoffs. The Cowboys will bounce back, and probably lose in the first round of the playoffs, as they seem to do every year.

Anyways here are some final predictions for the rest of the season. The saints will win the rest of their games and go undefeated into the playoffs. The Vikings will not lose either and have the greatest season that a team did not secure home field advantage. Look for the Bengals and Titans to finish out the season strong, and look for a final week clinch by the Patriots as they will struggle for the remainder of the season. Indy will do their thing until the playoffs, and look for the Chargers to have a major push before the playoffs. Well that’s enough for now, I’ll be back in a couple weeks with some final playoff predictions along with my superbowl champion.

Contact Information:
Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu

Great Weekend for Elon Athletics

By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports

Calling all Elon sports enthusiasts! This weekend will play host to a montage of Elon athletics as some seasons are coming to a close while others are just beginning. Come out and support your Elon Phoenix and show your school spirit as they try and dominate the weekend, especially against rival App State.

Friday 11/13/09:

Womens Basketball
vs Youngstown State at 7:00 PM

Men’s Soccer
(SoCon Tournament)
against College of Charleston in Spartanburg, SC at 7:00PM

Saturday 11/14/09:

Football vs App State
3:00 PM game at Rhodes Stadium
*** Remember to listen live to the football tailgate show before the game on the radio at WSOE 89.3 fm or give us a cheer as you walk by our tent as you walk to the stadium! (starts at 2PM)

Volleyball at App State
7:00 PM gametime

Men’s Basketball at Lipscomb
Game starts at 8:00 PM

Women’s Basketball
vs Navy at 9:00 PM

Sunday 11/15/09

Volleyball at Western Carolina
3:00 PM start

Contact Information:
Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu

Interview with Elon Volleyball Player Ali Deatsch

By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports

Freshman Ali Deatsch is the Elon Phoenix’s Varsity Volleyball defensive specialist or in other words the “libero”. She has played in over 100 sets this season and is a vocal leader on the floor. She has helped her team to a 22-6 record with three games remaining in the regular season, and a possible berth in the Southern Conference Tournament.

When asked why she decided to attend Elon, Deatsch responded frankly, “I wanted to play volleyball here, but I obviously looked at the academics as well.” Her coach in high school pushed her to succeed, and was in fact the one who introduced Deatsch to Elon. She expected to come to Elon and help her team out and make a difference in her freshman year. She was however “really nervous and excited,” but at the same time “had fourteen guaranteed friends to help me out.” These friends of course refer to her teammates who have really made her adjustment to college a delightful one. There aren’t any special traditions that came along with joining the team, but she loves going out to eat with the girls.

Asking Deatsch about her daily life and the commitments to being both a student and an athlete, the first thing she did was smile and say “it is really tough.” Her typical week includes “class starting at 8am every day, study hall (6 hours every week), breakfast with the team, weights or film depending on the week and who we play, dinner together.” There is always something going on in Deatsch’s day to the point where she has to stay up late just to finish her homework.

Ali Deatsch really seems to just love what she is doing in life. She started playing volleyball when she was in 5^th grade because “everyone was doing it and I wanted to join in.” Soon she would fall in love with the sport and seemingly “never stop playing.” She decided to stop playing softball because of her love for volleyball, and she continues to show this love for her favorite sport at Elon. One of her closest friends on the team, freshman Carly Ledbetter, is just as passionate about volleyball as Deatsch and they play all the time for fun. Deatsch really credits her coaching staff and team members for helping her make the most of her first semester so far, and she only looks for the semester to keep on improving. She also hopes to work towards one day being captain of her team.

One way for Deatsch to improve her year would be with a championship in the Southern Conference Tournament. With three games remaining in the season, she and the rest of the Phoenix squad must play hard and win all of their games to get into the tournament. With the memorable victory against Samford earlier in the year when they weren’t expected to play well, the Phoenix won convincingly in three sets. With that mentality in mind Deatsch stated confidently, “I believe we can get into the tournament and it is always a possibility to win it all because of how many good players we have on the team.” When asked about the loss of sophomore teammate Traci Stewart to an ACL tear, she responded with “it’s scary mentally because we haven’t had to play without her all year.” Even with the loss of Stewart, Deatsch still believes in what this team can accomplish, and welcomes the challenge one day at a time.

Contact Information:
Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu

SPORTS TIME: 11/10 Show Recap

By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports

David Craig and Eli started it off by recapping some key NFL games this weekend:

Steelers vs Broncos

-The steelers are coming on strong and it was a great all around victory as the defense kept the broncos offense off the field. “They always seem to find a way to win” as David said.
-The Broncos offense struggled while the defense couldn’t contain the Steelers offense as they scored three touchdowns in the second half of the game.
-Orton had a rating of 43.9, which is horrible. Are the broncos going to lose it as the season goes on as they did last year?

Cowboys vs Eagles
-the cowboys spread the ball out more without T.O.  The offense found a way to win and Romo played well to give his team a chance.
- Eagles shot themselves in the foot and they kicked a field goal down seven.
-The cowboys defense “bullied” the Eagles offense without Westbrook.
-0/5 in 1 yard third down situations by the Eagles,,, How does that happen with McNabb at QB!

UPDATE by Greg Brozowski
-Brady Quinn is supposed to start for the Browns this weekend
-court ruled in Michael Vick’s favor to keep $16 million because it happened before the dog fighting incident
- KC Chiefs released Larry Johnson

Colts vs Texans
-the Colts continue to find ways to win even though they struggled
-“Houston should have put that game in overtime” – Eli Kaufman, as they missed a field goal as time expired
-Houston came back even after being down 10-0

The Colts wont go undefeated as well as the Saints according to Craig

David believes that the Saints must worry about three games if they want to go undefeated :at home vs Pats, at Atlanta, at home vs Dallas

Giants vs Chargers
-Giants are struggling and at a huge point in their season and with the loss of Burress they need to find a way to give Manning a new target. They have lost four straight games.
-Chargers still won even though Rivers had an off game throwing three touchdowns with two interceptions
- The key third down run play was a mistake according to the guys, why sweep rather than run it up the gut with Jacobs?
-playoffs are not out of reach for the Giants but they must pick up the slack especially with the rough remaining schedule

Some quick predictions by Dave: Cardinals will win and the chargers/ broncos will win their division.

UPDATE 2 by Greg Browzowski

Kareem Abdul Jabar has a form of leukemia: he is one of the greatest NBA players of all time.
The AL gold glove winners were announced with two being Yankee players: Jeter and Texiera

ELON SPORTS:

-Mens and women tennis start in February and the schedules are now online at elonphoenix.com

Men’s Basketball
-The exhibition game was won, they had a huge effort by all the players and as the fouls came in earlier in the half giving some players who never got time some huge playing time.

Women’s Basketball
-100-32 win, huge effort by the team as they completely dominated the opponent all night
-the key to the season for the Phoenix is to not allow those late runs

Women’s Volleyball
-they have a game tonight, big game vs App State on staurday
-Phoenix need to win out to get into the SoCon Tournament
-Furman has already rapped up their division

Football against App State:
-Huge game for the regular season SoCon Championship
-Will Edwards be able to get back to his old form in this game against the tough defense of the Phoenix?
-Will Riddle and Hudgins be able to get things going and put up points to relieve pressure off the defense?
-should be a close game and not a blowout like most of the other games this year

NCAA Football Picks:

Iowa @ Ohio State:      Matt: Iowa, Craig: Iowa, David: Ohio State

Pitt @ Notre Dame:       Matt: Pitt, Craig: Pitt, David: Notre Dame

West Virginia @ Cincinnati:      Matt: Cincinnati, Craig: Cincinnati, David: West Virginia

Utah @ TCU:      Matt: TCU, Craig: TCU, David: TCU

Miami @ North Carolina:      Matt: Miami, Craig: Miami, David: Miami

NFL Picks:

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh:      Matt: Pitt, Craig: Pitt, David: Cincinnati

Atlanta @ Carolina:      Matt: Panthers, Craig: Atlanta, David: Atlanta

Dallas @ Green Bay:      Matt: Dallas, Craig: Dallas, David: Dallas

Philadelphia @ San Diego:      Matt: San Diego, Craig: Philadelphia, David: San Diego

New England @ Indianapolis:      Matt: New England, Craig: Indy, David: Indy

Listen to Sports Time every Tuesday from 4:10-6:00pm on WSOE 89.3 FM.

Contact Information:
Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu

MLB: Yankees win in six, crown new stadium

By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports

So before I start this, I would like to dedicate this blog to my grandfather who asked me to write a blog about his team’s victory when the Yankees won.  So here it is, and hope you all like it.

Where do I begin? I would probably have to start with the fact that once again the Yankees are on top of the baseball world. This is such a sad thought being a Mets fan. Even though I didn’t root for a specific team to win because I would have liked neither to win, the baseball fan in me said great series. The Yankees did what they had to do: win when Lee wasn’t pitching. The Phillies couldn’t capitalize with the two wins by Lee. Their offense was largely missing in this series from the big guys except Utley, who I think should have won the MVP for the series. Matsui won the final game for the Yankees with his great hitting, almost accomplishing a feat that no one else had ever done: hit for the cycle in the world series, but Utley was the only player keeping the Phillies in every game.

This series was pretty evenly matched outside of Cliff Lee and Mariano Rivera. Both lineups had people struggling and the bullpens were horrific. They say managers don’t win you games, but as shown by Manuel’s decisions in game six, they can certainly lose you some. With that said, he should have pulled out Pedro earlier. However it wouldn’t have mattered because Matsui was on a tear and once Mariano entered the game it was over.

This series was great for Major League baseball, and evidence of that was right here on campus as we saw the great fan bases of the Phillies and Yankees duel it out. This was easily the best series we have had in years, with many fans getting involved. I think it would have been an epic series if the Phillies could have forced a game seven and Cliff Lee came out on short rest to face the Yankees. Who knows what could have happened?

Anyways this was a special series because there were some players getting their first title including A-Rod and Texiera, but for some Yankees like Jeter and Rivera, this was their fifth. To me that it unprecedented in the history of the game and speaks to their talent and durability. Also a congrats to Joe Girardi, you now get five months of happiness before the fans get on your back next season. As for the Phillies too bad you couldn’t repeat, but next season you will have a great shot to return to the World Series.

This World Series was good to watch because of the power of both these teams. I was a little surprised that the pitchers didn’t give up ten runs at least once, but give credit to them. I think both teams can possibly look to a rematch next year, well the Phillies might have to worry about the Mets if they can stay healthy. Anyways its good for the season to finally be over, lets take a few months off, see what trades happen this offseason, and get ready for a new season in March.

Contact Information:
Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu

Elon: Jeremy Peterson – The ideal Student Athlete as a Freshman

By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports

Football is one of the toughest sports to play in due to the high standard of talent and the long hours needed to practice. Jeremy Peterson was scouted out of high school, coming to Elon this year as a freshman, and has made that commitment as a wide receiver. When asked why he chose Elon, he answered it was his top choice because it was not only a good fit for him, but the football staff made it comfortable to call the school home. He didn’t have high expectations for himself as far as football goes. He expected to be a second string player who helped the first string practice, but has actually caught five passes for a total of forty-eight yards, with three games remaining in the season.

Peterson was quite happy with where he was at this season because he had playing time and he was making progress towards possibly becoming a starter next season. When asked what it is like to play alongside Terrell Hudgins and catch passes from Scott Riddle, he replied that it was “extremely exciting”. Peterson has such a respect for Riddle and Hudgins, claiming both would play for the NFL one day and even going as far as to compare playing next to Hudgins as exciting and playing with Adrian Peterson. As for traditions that the team has, he couldn’t think of any but instead brought to mind the fact that they are a team and are quite close to each other.

The other half of Jeremy Peterson’s time is spent as a student at college.  Peterson thinks that being a student athlete is extremely hard because of the time commitment to both school and football. His weekly schedule includes class, papers, practice most days, and study hall. He doesn’t get to talk to his family as much as he would like, and he would like more sleep than he gets, but the future computer science major is content with the opportunity he has been given. Having such a bright future, he is grateful to everyone who got him here. He hopes to make them proud by graduating while pushing himself academically, and hopefully adding a Southern Conference Championship as well as a national championship trophy to Elon’s showcase.

 

 Contact Information:

Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu

Volleyball: UNC Greensboro outlasts Elon 3-2 in Round Two

By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports

Entering into the game, the Phoenix knew what this game meant: not only a chance to revenge a loss to the rival Spartans, but a chance to secure a spot in the Southern Conference Tournament. The Spartans however look to take control of their own destiny and defeat the Phoenix twice this season.

First set: Both teams came out pumped and ready to go as the early going was extremely close. With the score 14-12 Spartans, the Phoenix took a timeout.  Out of the timeout the Spartans took the opportunity to extend their lead, even causing another timeout by the Phoenix with the score 18-12. The Phoenix battled back, but lost the set by a score of 25-21.

Second Set: Ace Lizzy West served for the second time (already having one ace earlier in the set) during the set, the Phoenix made a quick run which led to a Spartan timeout with the score 16-14 Phoenix. Lauren Coppenhagan added her own ace to give the Phoenix a 21-19 lead. The Phoenix would keep extend the lead and keep it as they won the set by a final score of 25-21.

As we head to the long intermission, some first half point to make is that these sets have been close, and very entertaining to watch. The teams almost seem equally matched, which maybe means a fifth set again to decide this one? Both teams seem to be all over the floor, as there have been players diving left and right. It will be interesting to see how both teams come out in the third set. Can either team make an early run or are we set for another close ending?

Third set: The Phoenix have definitely come out strong in the third set today as the have played to an 11-8 lead.  The Spartans have just gone on a huge run that led to a timeout as the score is now 19-13 UNCG. This is the run we knew would eventually happen, but unfortunately for Elon, it was UNCG that made their move. UNCG has come out in the second part of this third set and set the tone for the match right now as they have completely dominated the last few minutes, winning the set 25-17

Fourth set: The Phoenix have started off the set with a 5-1 run leading to a quick timeout. Let’s see if the Phoenix can extend this lead and force a fifth set for the match. UNCG has just climbed back into the game and are trailing by a score of 8-7. The Phoenix however, have just countered with their own run and now lead by a score of 14-10.  This game was just like the other, a fight until the end, with the Phoenix prevailing 25-19.

I guess things do happen again. The first match this season between the two was won in five sets by the Spartans. Lets see if the Phoenix can’t pull out a little magic and win this match.

Fifth Set: The Spartans have stormed out to a 5-1 lead and have completely dominated the set up to this point. The Spartans win the set by a final score of 14-9. This was a tough set and the Phoenix could not get a break or bit of luck.

What an amazing match though with the Sprtans beating the Phoenix 3-2. This creates a bunch of scenarios, with UNCG having their own destiny in their hands. If the Spartans can beat Furman than they will enter the SoCon tournament, but if they lose and the Phoenix win out, they will be in the tournament. If they end up with a tying record then UNCG will win the tiebreaker. The Phoenix’s next game will be Saturday against Wofford.  Anyways, this was a great game as was the last meeting between the two. Lets see how the rest of the season plays out.

Contact Information:
Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu

MLB: World Series – Phillies vs. Yankees

By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports

Courtesy of: ladiesdotdotdot.files.wordpress.com

Well its about time; the time to find out if your season was a success. For one team, the year will be a success, and the other, missing the goal by one final step. The Yankees and Phillies will start their final bid at success this Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.

Now, how did each team arrive in the series? The Yankees dismantled the Twins in the ALDS and then beat the unrelenting Angels in the ALCS. The defending champion Phillies defeated the Rockies in the NLDS and the Dodgers in the NLCS for the second straight year.

Lets start off by looking at the keys to a Yankee victory. The main point is the pitchers must be on their game and keep this powerful Phillies lineup out of the game. As a Mets fan, I have seen what the Phillies can do when you give them pitches to hit. The Yankees starters need to hit their spots on the corners and pitch this team low to ensure some ground ball outs. The bullpen must also look to be ready to sub in at any time. Look for Girardi to use pitchers for one or two batter late in the game against Utley and Howard, as he tries to hold the lead until Mariano Rivera enters the game.  As for the Yankees offense, it all starts with the leadoff hitters getting on base for the big bats of Texiera and Rodriguez. A-ROD is looking for his first ever World Series ring, and look for him to be an impact player throughout the series.

The Phillies have to do what they did this year against the Yankees in interleague play, in which they took two of three games from the Yankees. They need their pitchers to hold off the most powerful offense in baseball. Look to hit some spots on the inside corner of the plate and jam the big hitters, otherwise stay outside because anything in the middle will be a home run. The Phillies bullpen will be huge in what I expect to be a high scoring series. Lidge struggles throughout the season, but has come out strong in the Post-Season, and he will need to be tough against the Yankees if they Phillies want to have a chance to close out the game. The Phillies offense will be facing a tough rotation and will look to Rollins to set the tone for Utley and Howard. Look for Werth and Victorino to be huge factors as they have been breakout players for the Phillies all year.

This Wednesday is the start of what should be an amazing World Series. The Phillies will throw Cliff Lee on the road at The Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia. This will be an extremely important game for each team because it will set the tone for the rest of the series. Look for this to be a close game, but nothing is assured with arguably the two greatest lineups in the MLB playing in this series.

With all the above stated, I think it is time for some predictions to be made. I look for the Yankees to win, in what will be a very entertaining series for guys like me who like to see a lot of runs. The series will probably go six games, with the Yankees celebrating on their field at Yankee Stadium. As for MVP’s of the series, look for A-ROD, Texiera, or C.C. Sabathia to be the top candidates.

Get Ready, Get Excited! This is what MLB fans have been waiting for the last five months. Lets see if the Phillies can defend their title!

Contact Information:
Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu

MLB: ALCS Game 5 Prolongs Phillies Wait

By Matt Curry, WSOE Sports

In what can be argued as one of the better finishes of this postseason, in a most crucial game, the Angels defeated the Yankees 7-6. The fact that the game could earn the Yankees a World Series berth with a win, left the Angels in a must win situation. The Angels used this desperation and jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning. Unfortunately, as most people know, the Yankees have a powerful lineup with some of the best hitters in the AL. It was only a matter of time before the Yankees awoke in a thunderous roar. This came in the top of the seventh inning when with two outs and the bases loaded, the Yankees struck for six runs to take a 6-4 lead. With the same mentality as the Angels have had all year; they rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning to put themselves up for good.

 

Courtesy of: newsday.com

I picked the Angels to win the series in seven games, and I am not sure it can happen, but with the win last night I know it is a possibility. They defense they play, led by Torii Hunter in the outfield is outstanding, and they can put up runs in a hurry as shown in last nights game. They are also motivated unlike any other team, as they still use the loss of a teammate to give them strength. The pitching must improve if they want to win this series at Yankee Stadium, which I can assure you is one of the toughest places to win a game as a visitor, especially in the playoffs. If the Angels want to stay alive and complete one of the greatest playoff comebacks of all time, they will need to beat one of the greatest post-season pitchers of all time in Andy Pettitte. Joe Saunders will have to face the tough Yankee lineup and if he is on his game, I believe he will help the team get the job done in game six.

Now what does all this mean in terms of who goes on? I think if the Angels can win a crucial game six at Yankee Stadium, they will maintain momentum and claim a World Series berth in game seven.  The Yankees know this and will pull out everything in order to win this game, and they do not want a game seven in which anything can happen. As for the Phillies, don’t let Manuel’s confidence get you too excited because you are already set to play a tough series whether it’s the Yankees or the Angels. Secondly, the pitching rosters of the two remaining AL teams are far better in my opinion than what they have faced so far and it will be a difficult test for this potent Phillies offence. Anyways I will go more into depth about this later in the week when we finally know who will be playing in the World Series. For now, sit back, relax, and enjoy what should be a great ending to the ALCS.

 

Contact Information:
Matt Curry
WSOE Sports
mcurry3@elon.edu