Bull Run - All Posts

Little Caesars Bowl may survive Lion attack

2013-05-22T02:01:26Z

Long story short, nobody knows what's going to happen with the Lions Bowl. Nobody knows if the Lions are going to get a Bowl and nobody knows if the Big Ten will play opposite of the ACC in the Bowl. Even if such an arrangement comes to pass nobody knows if it would be played each and every year.

Little Caesars might look to Comerica Park if Lions get new bowl game | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com
However, a source told The Detroit News that a Big Ten-ACC matchup would not necessarily occur every year. The source requested anonymity because plans have not been finalized.

However the Little Caesars Bowl is not going to wait for the Detroit Lions to make good, and honestly is waiting for the Lions to make good ever a wise course of action?

The organizers behind the bowl game are heavily invested in Detroit, in fact they own a share of the Tigers and they have indicated a potential Pin Stripe bowl it they are evicted from Ford Field.

"It's our intention to stay at Ford Field, and if they (Lions) don't get a Big Ten game, that could happen. We would also consider the possibility of playing at another location. I believe Mr. (Mike) Ilitch and Little Caesars would be willing to look into the possibility of playing the Little Caesars Bowl at Comerica Park, similar to what Yankee Stadium does with the Pinstripe Bowl." - Little Caesars Pizza Bowl executive director Ken Hoffman

It's nice to see the Little Caesars sponsors fighting for the game, but it's even more of a relief to see that the potential Lions Bowl is so in flux. There is a chance that it does not happen, or that the MAC will somehow be involved.

Bulls pull some nifty hardware before the tournament begins.

2013-05-21T21:15:05Z

Before the conference tournament started the MAC was handing out trophies and though the Bulls came a half game short of a coveted banner they did manage to bring home some pretty impressive honors.

head coach Ron Torgalski was also honored as the league's coach of the year, after the two led the Bulls to a 19-7 MAC record and a second place finish. The Bulls were picked in the preseason to finish dead last in the MAC East, and second-to-last overall but Coach Torgalski and the Bulls not only surpassed those expectations, but set dozens of new program "firsts" along the way.

The team did not lose a single conference weekend series all year, finishing with 19 wins that shattered the previous best of 11 set back in 2007. The team also sits at 32 wins for the season, nine more than the 2010 record of 23 for the post-reinstatement era and is currently tied for the most ever with the 1980 team.

Part of Torfalski's success is owed to the MAC Player of the year, UB Senior outfielder Jason Kanzler. Kanzler became the second Bull in three years to win the honor Tom Murphy (in 2011). The Penfield, NY native had a career year, batting .322 with 10 home runs, 46 runs batted in, and 20 steals. He led the conference in slugging percentage, RBI, home runs, and total bases, and played exemplary defense in center field to build off a 2012 season where he was named to the Rawlings Gold Glove team.

His 2013 season ranks in every major statistical category and he continued his march up in the ranks in many other career records.

2013 MAC Baseball Tournament Buffalo vs Toledo

2013-05-21T18:49:41Z

#2 Buffalo vs #7 Toledo

Toledo
Record: 22-13 (13-14 MAC)

Buffalo
Record: 32-22 (19-7 MAC)

--> Click here for Live Stats <--

Tweets by @UBbaseball

For the second straight year, and for only the second time in the schools history, the Buffalo Bulls are making a trip to the Mid American Conference baseball tournament. Unlike last year's team the 2013 Bulls are in the upper half of the bracket meaning UB has a more favorable first round draw.

All Round 1 Games

Game 1 - 9:00 AM
Ball State vs Miami

Game 2 - 12:30 PM
NIU vs Bowling Green

Game 3 - 4:00 PM
Buffalo vs Toledo

Game 4 - 7:30 PM
Kent State vs CMU

In the first round Buffalo will be playing a rematch against the Toledo Rockets. During the regular season the Bulls took two out of three games from Toledo.

So Far This Season

Regular Season Game 1

In game UB went long. Jason Kanzler was one of four UB hitters to have a multi-hit game going three for four with a home run, a double, a single, two runs, and three runs batted in. Tyler Mautner and Jon Mestas hit the other UB home runs.

Mike McGee started for UB and earned his third straight win while River McWilliams earned his 5th save which set the program record for a single season.

Regular Season Game 2

UB needed a complete game one run effort by Anthony Magovney to make up for a lull in offense.

The game was 1-0 going into the bottom of the eighth when Jimmy Topps legged out a two base hit from s short hit over the first baseman head. The Rockets then walked Jason Kanzler. UB countered with Alex Baldock came in as a pinch hitter and bunted them both over. Toledo then gave Mautner a pass to load the bases. With two outs Jon Mestas came through in the clutch and hit a 2-2 pitch past a diving third baseman and shortstop to score Topps and Kanzler, who hustled home from second and beat the throw

Regular Season Game 3

Toledo finally got theri Small Ball on and UB's offense as stifled in a 6-0 loss. The rockets scored in every inning after the 4th while holding UB to just four hits on the game.

The Teams Batting

Toledo's offense is batting .281 in conference games but they don't thrive on extra base hits. The Rockets are near the top of the MAC in batting average and hit but fall towards the bottom of the conference in doubles, triples, and home runs. Toledo's offense, when they are on, will nibble their opponents to death.

Buffalo's batting order is a lot more polar than Toledo's and where they hit they hit long. UB's team average is also .281 but the Bulls are near the top of the conference in doubles, triples, and home runs. Despite that Buffalo is only averaging about one more run a game than Toledo.

The Teams Pitching

On the mound Toledo's Wilkinson has been on a tear in the later part of MAC play, bringing his ERA all the way down to 1.14 in conference games, good for #2 in the conference. The Rockets also have a solid reliever in Tyson who has appeared in eight game games, getting three saves and sporting a 1-0 record with an ERA in the high 3's.

Buffalo will be sending Magovney back to the mound, hoping he can reproduce the gem he put up in game two of the regular season meeting. Overall against the MAC the UB Hurler started nine games with a record of 4-2 with two complete games.

This is a double elimination tournament so while a team can lose and remain in the tournament it would add yet another game to the four minimum needed to take home the conference championship.

New Detroit Bowl to Bump the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl?

2013-05-21T15:40:44Z

It seems the MAC's days of playing bowl Games at Ford Field are in serious danger of coming to an end. The Detroit Lions are rumored to be in talks with the B1G and the ACC about setting up a new bowl game in the Motor City.

Detroit Lions expected to start new bowl in 2014, likely B1G vs. ACC, at Ford Field sources told @espn. Would eliminate Little Caesars Bowl
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) May 21, 2013

Is it not enough that the Lions ruin the post season for their own fans by only getting there once every 13 years or so? Do they have to mess with the post season for MAC fans as well? I can just see Bill Ford saying to himself "whelp I've got nothing to do in January, might was well try to get a better profile bowl game in here"

This is the other shoe of conference realignment. While the MAC escaped the fallout of conference membership changes mostly unscathed they will not be unaffected by the Bowl shifting which will accommodate the 14 team contract conferences.

I had thought maybe the MAC spot in the Spud bowl would be in danger, and who knows, it may still be. But Detroit? This is a 16 year old Bowl with an average attendance of 45 thousand people. Only four times in its history has the attendance fallen below 40 thousand and it has been as high as 60 thousand.

Part of the recent struggle has been the inability of the Big Ten to field a team for the Bowl. Detroit sits nicely in the MAC and in the B1G footprint so those Bowls have tended to draw really well. The CMU Purdue game in 2007 drew 60 thousand fans. But when the B1G can not send a team the Sun Belt sends it's backup. Last years game between CMU and Western Kentucky drew just 23 thousand, the only time the Bowl has ever fallen below 30 thousand.

The MAC needs to move quickly to shore up the LCB, secure a new spot in an existing Bowl, or maybe start up a new Bowl somewhere in or around its footprint and adjacent to another G5 conference. Perhaps in Indy versus CUSA or the Sun Belt? Or in Foxboro Stadium against the AAC.

Its possible, and sensible, that if there is a new Bowl in Detroit that is would be the MAC who lands a back up spot. With three Michigan Schools, and two more just across the state line in the Toledo Area there are five teams for whom Detroit is an afternoon trip. And the History of the LCB proves that MAC fans will travel well for a B1G or ACC foe.

Buffalo Bills and Bulls Schedule - What Tailgates to hit!

2013-05-20T16:40:38Z

Both The Buffalo Bulls and the Buffalo Bills have published their schedules. When the two are stacked on top of each other there are 13 and half chances to tailgate. The half game is the Bills trip to Toronto which I consider at best to be a half home game for the purposes of tailgating.

Each tailgating experience has it's own advantages and disadvantages

Price

Advantage Bulls -

Game tickets are more affordable. Season tickets start at 90 and can be upgraded to better seats for a donation of 90$ more (donation meaning that 90$ is tax deductible). In addition to more affordable tickets parking around the stadium is free.

Density

Advantage Bills -

No doubt about it those Ralph Wilson Stadium lots are packed in as tightly as fire marshal Bill would allow. Stinks for getting into and out of the lots but if you're there for the tailgating why would you want go get out of the lot after the game?

Family

Advantage Bulls -

Lets just say the Bills lot's tend to have a bit more in the way of creative use of the English language. No need to cover your kids ears at a Bulls game.

Intensity

Advantage Bills -

Painted face, stadium horns, pick up football everywhere you look. There are packets of really good tailgating at UB but the administration has not made organizing the lots for pre game fun a top priority. If you're looking for the better tailgating at UB Stadium find the UBFan.com tailgate, tell them "Bull In Exile" sent you!

Product

Push

Over the past few years Buffalo football has been a race to the Bottom. UB has more recent success with their 2008 Conference Championship and Bowl Appearance

Here is the schedule and how I would rank the tailgates

Date	Buffalo	Opponent
Sat, Aug 31	UB Bulls	at Ohio State
Sat, Sept 07	UB Bulls	at Baylor
Sun, Sept 08	Bills	NEW ENGLAND
Sat, Sept 14	UB Bulls	Stony Brook
Sun, Sept 15	Bills	CAROLINA
Sun, Sept 22	Bills	at New York
Sat, Sept 28	UB Bulls	Connecticut
Sun, Sept 29	Bills	BALTIMORE
Thur, Oct 03	Bills	at Cleveland
Sat, Oct 05	UB Bulls	Eastern Michigan
Thur, Oct 10	Bills	at Pittsburgh
Sat, Oct 12	UB Bulls	at Western Michigan
Sun, Oct 13	Bills	CINCINNATI
Tues, Oct 15	Bills	at Jacksonville
Thur, Oct 17	Bills	NEW YORK JETS
Sat, Oct 19	UB Bulls	Massachusetts
Sun, Oct 20	Bills	at Miami
Sat, Oct 26	UB Bulls	at Kent State
Sun, Oct 27	Bills	at New Orleans
Sun, Nov 03	Bills	KANSAS CITY
Tues, Nov 05	UB Bulls	Ohio
Tues, Nov 12	UB Bulls	at Toledo
Tues, Nov 19	UB Bulls	at Miami (OH)
Fri, Nov 29	UB Bulls	Bowling Green @
Sun, Dec 01	Bills	ATLANTA FALCONA #
Sun, Dec 08	Bills	at Tampa Bay
Sun, Dec 22	Bills	MIAMI DOLPHINS
Sun, Dec 29	Bills	at New England

Tailgate Weekend #1 - December 22nd - Let it Snow!

I have to put away my rabid Bull fandom and give proper respect to the best tailgating weekend of the year. No football fan experience beats tailgating for a December Miami game. Usually our home game against those delicate southern flowers comes in September but every now and again the fish have to see real Christmas weather!

Tailgate Weekend #2 - September 8th - New England - Welcome to football!

By this point UB has just played their second tough road game while the Bills open with AFC East world beaters New England. If you're a Buffalo Bills fan who really hates New England keep this in mind. UB Get's to host UConn and UMass this year!

Tailgate Weekend #3 - November 29th and December 1st - Home away from home!

The Bills might abandon you for a "home game" in Toronto but that does not mean we can't rock the Ralph! UB will be playing their final gmae of the regular season at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Friday.

Tailgate Weekend #4 - September 14th and 15th - Stony Brook / Carolina - Double your pleasure

The Buffalo Bulls open up their home season by welcoming in another SUNY school and the Bills take on Carolina

Tailgate Weekend #5 - September 28th and 29th - UConn / Baltimore - They Might Be Giants Weekend

Both the Bills and the Bulls have their first real home test. Each is playing a game that, if won, would signal that this season might be something special

Tailgate Weekend #6 - November 3rd - Chief Concerns weekend?

No reason to be concerned. The Bills should be able to handle the Chiefs! And by this point in the year proper Western New York Tailgating Weather is finally sinking in!

Tailgate "Weekend" #7 - Oct 17th (Thur) and 19th (Sat) - They come from slightly out east and on the wrong day

The Jets come in to Buffalo on saturday which might interfere with a chance to tailgate ahead of UMass except that the Buffalo UMass game is full fledged #MACtion, weeknight and all! The UB game will be on TV and give you a chance to tailgate during the middle of the week!

Tailgate Weekend #8 - November 5th - All you get is MACtion!

You know that feeling you get on Tuesday and Wednesday when the buzz from Sunday football starts wearing off. There are still days until the next fix and the shakes set in. It's ok the Mid American Conference has you covered. Ohio University is coming to Buffalo on Tuesday and the games between Buffalo and Ohio are usually quite fun to watch.

Tailgate Weekend #9 - October 05 - EMU Eagles - Ontario Sandwich Trophy

The only team in the MAC that UB has never beaten? That would be Eastern Michigan. A lot of that was scheduling as EMU did not face UB during the Turner Gill years and then drew the Bulls during years 1 and 2 of Jeff Quinn's reign.

Tailgate Weekend #10 - October 13th - Shave the Cats #1

The Bills host the Bengals and ever since that 1988 AFC Championship game I have relished beating Cincinnati.

UB Baseball 1980's Mix Tape

2013-05-20T00:36:16Z

Remember the 1980's? It was an awesome decade which happened right before the current crop of UB Baseball players were all born. Yes, we are getting that old. Being a child of the 80's meant knowing how to make those mix tapes from the radio because, well, they were free. Kinda like Youtube.

So, without further ado:

Jon Mestas - Run-D.M.C. / "Walk This Way"

Is there any doubt what song to queue up for Jonny "That's Four" Mestas? His 27 walks puts him just outside of UB's all time top ten.

Jason Kanzler - Ratt / "Round and Round"

All Kanzler did this year was go round and round the bases. Getting into UB's top ten records for At Bats, Total Bases, Hits, Triples, Home Runs, RBI's, and Stoledn Bases

Tyler Mautner - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock / "It Takes Two"

When it took two to get a job done Right all eyes were on Mautner. Tyler set the School record for doubles this season.

Alex Baldock - Simple Minds/ "Don't you Forget About Me"

With all the focus on Kanzler, Mautner, and the pitchers it would be easy to forget about Baldock's 15 doubles and 4 triples. Both are just on the outside of UB's top 10.

River McWilliams - INXS / "Need You Tonight"

What 80's mix tape would be complete without INXS? And what UB Baseball game is complete without an appearance from McWilliams? River more than doubled the existing school record for saves while breaking the school record for appearances.

Ben Hartz - Berlin / "Take My Breath Away"

Don't let the fact Hartz did not get any starts this year fool you. Ben is on of this team's "Top Guns". The middle reliever quite often walked onto the field than took the breath right out of UB's opponents.

Mike Burke - Dead or Alive / "You Spin Me Round"

Burke had a lot of batters spinning like a top at the plate. That's how the Buffalo pitcher put his name in the UB record books for starts, wins, shutouts, and strikeouts.

Anthony Magovney - A-Ha / "Take On Me"

For the teams expecting easy nights when Burke could not pitch. A-ha! we have another pitcher who got into the UB books for starts and wins!

Mike McGee - Rolling Stones / "Start Me Up"

McGee's 14 starts ties him for first all time. Every weekend McGee seeed to start up the program

Ron Torgalski - Journey / Don't Stop Believing

Two years ago college baseball blogs had coach Torgalski on the "hot seat" but he never stopped believing in what he was building. Now it's time to make sure UB's players don't stop believing heading on their trip to Avon.

Mid American Conference Baseball Championships - The more you know

2013-05-19T02:07:22Z

#	Playoffs	W	L	GB
1	x Kent	20	7	-
2	x Buffalo	19	7	0.5
3	x NIU	16	11	4.0
4	x BSU	15	12	5.0
5	x Miami	13	13	6.5
6	x BGSU	13	14	7.0
7	x Toledo	13	14	7.0
8	x CMU	12	15	8.0
9	z EMU	12	15	8.0
10	z Akron	10	16	9.5
11	z Ohio	9	16	10.0
12	z WMU	8	19	12.0

New to postseason College Baseball? Here is how the MAC tournament works:

The Mid American Conference Baseball tournament is unlike any other MAC Mens Championship in that it's a double elimination affair. With eight teams participating there are four first round games.

The winners of the first round games go on to play each other in the second round. The losers of those games have a play in game to remain in the tournament.

The winners of the play in game go on to face the second round losers in another sudden death game. The winners of the sudden death game go on to play the winners of the second round game.

If the team who got through the second round has not yet lost then they still have two losses to burn. And the team who made it through the sudden death round has to beat them twice to make the Championship game.

Illustrated (from the 2012 tournament):

Buffalo as the #8 seed last year opened up with, and lost to Kent. In the other first round game on that side of the bracket western Michigan beat Ohio.

So Ohio and Buffalo played a play in game, each already with one loss while Kent and WMU faced off both without a loss. Buffalo beat WMU sending them home and moving UB onto the third round. At this point Buffalo would have to beat Kent twice to reach the Championship game while Kent needed just one win over UB.

Kent Beat Buffalo and went on to the championships.

This years bracket:

Round 1 Matchups

Kent vs Central Michigan

How they got here - Kent ran the table in their last two conference series' in order to catch up to, and pass Buffalo by a half game. Central Michigan needed a miracle and pulled on off with a win over Western Michigan while benefiting from a Toledo defeat of Eastern Michigan. CMU won the tiebreaker.

During the Season - Kent Hosted Central Michigan and won the series two games to one ( 4-1, 6-3, 2-8)

Buffalo vs Toledo

How they got here - Buffalo shocked everyone by not only qualifying for the tournament but by being just one two outs away from winning the whole thing. Toledo was a middle tier team all season never being too close to the top or too near the bottom. They won their final series to lock up the #7 seed.

During the Season - Buffalo hosted Toledo early on in conference play and beat them tow games to one ( 6-3, 3-1, 0-6)

NIU vs Bowling Green

How they got here - The Huskies were picked to finish last in the conference yet they led the west almost from the beginning of the year. After losing their opening series to Kent the swept Akron and never looked back. It was not until the final series that they were challenged by Ball State. BSU caught up with NIU by winning the first two games of the series but the Huskies put away the last game. Bowling Green was in serious danger of not making the tournament but their comeback win over Buffalo.

During the Season - These two teams did not meet during the regular season

Ball State vs Miami

How they got here -Ball State went 11-3 in their last 14 conference game to roar back after falling out of the picture early. Miami went the other direction. After bursting out of the gate the RedHawks got cold and fell from leading the East to fighting for a top four seeding.

During the Season - Miami took two of three from Ball State ( 1-0, 2-5, 6-5).

Predictions - (SWAG Warning)

Round 1 Winners - Kent, Buffalo, Ball State, NIU

Play in Winners - Miami (over CMU), Bowling Green (over Toledo)

Round 2 Winners - Kent (over Miami), Buffalo (over NIU)

Sudden Death Winners - Ball State (over Miami), NIU (Over Bowling Green)

Round Three Winners - Buffalo (over NIU), Kent (over Miami)

Champion - Buffalo (This may be a homer pick because Kent has a deeper set of pitchers than Buffalo does).

Close but not close enough, Kent wins the MAC Title Buffalo Finishes Second

2013-05-18T22:08:31Z

#	Playoffs	W	L	GB
1	x Kent	20	7	-
2	x Buffalo	19	7	0.5
3	x NIU	16	11	4.0
4	x BSU	15	12	5.0
5	x Miami	13	13	6.5
6	x BGSU	13	14	7.0
7	x Toledo	13	14	7.0
8	x CMU	12	15	8.0
9	z EMU	12	15	8.0
10	z Akron	10	16	9.5
11	z Ohio	9	16	10.0
12	z WMU	8	19	12.0

Buffalo was three outs away from taking the Mid American Conference title away from Kent state but a hit batter to lead off the ninth and some timly extra base hits gave Bowling Green the win, and on the other side of Ohio Kent swept Akron to take the MAC East by a half game.

Buffalo did all of their offensive damage early, scoring two runs in each of the first two innings.

Jimmy Topps and Jason Kanzler starting the game with a single apiece. After being sacrificed over, Tyler Mautner drove them both home with a softly lined single to right field for a quick 2-0 advantage. The Bulls would add two more runs in the top of the second.

But from that point own Bowling Green Shut down the Bulls and began their comeback. The Falcons scored runs against the best pitching UB could muster. Two off of Burke, one off of Hartz in the eight, and two off of McWilliams who had put in a lot of work over the weekend.

While losing the Conference title is heart breaking there is nothing for this years team to be ashamed of. Picked to finish dead last in the east Buffalo enters the MAC tournament as the second seed.

Elsewhere around the MAC Toledo eliminated EMU by taking their series while at the same time CMU won their last two against Western Michigan.

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