The Tech’s predictions for the MLB World Series
The 2010 MLB postseason season is drawing to a close, but two teams remain. The Texas Rangers, the American League champions, advanced to the World Series by dominating the New York Yankees four out the six games on the ALCS, winning each by 5 runs or more. They pitched better, hit better, and generally overwhelmed the defending champions. Their opponents in the Fall Classic will be the San Francisco Giants, who defeated the Philadelphia Phillies by winning three of their four games by one run. Behind both their clutch hitting and their superior bullpen, which strung together seven innings of scoreless relief in Game 6. Who will manage to pull out four more wins and bring the first World Series title to their home cities? The Tech’s Sports staff weigh in... This World Series is a matchup of the underdogs. The Rangers have never been to a World Series, and the Giants have not won a World Series since 1954. Both teams overcame immense odds to get this far, with the Rangers taking down the defending champion Yankees and the Giants preventing what would have been a third pennant in a row for the Phillies. In this series, the winner of game 1 has a huge advantage. Both teams have stellar bullpens, and Game 1 is slated to feature a matchup between the teams’ best pitchers, with Cliff Lee pitching for the Rangers and Tim Lincecum for the Giants. As a Texan who grew up making fun of the Rangers for being notoriously terrible, it doesn’t get any better than seeing them win baseball’s granddaddy of them all. That being said, the Rangers will win game 1, and take the series in 7. After all, wouldn’t it be great to see a winner-takes-all final game?
Sports Shorts
Columbus Leonard ’12 and Craig Cheney ’14 earned Player of the Week honors from the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) on Wednesday. Leonard was named the CWPA Northern Division Defensive Player of the Week while Cheney was tabbed as Rookie of the Week. The water polo team beat Connecticut College on Friday night, 16-6, and Queens College on Saturday, 15-14, before falling to St. Francis College, 16-7, bringing their record to 7-6.
Upcoming Home Events
Friday, October 22 Rifle vs. Navy, Wentworth, Mass. Maritime 5 p.m., DuPont Range Men’s water polo vs. Harvard University 8 p.m., Z-Center Pool Saturday, October 23 Men’s and women’s crew: Head of the Charles 9 a.m., Charles River Rifle vs. Navy, Wentworth, Mass. Maritime 9 a.m., DuPont Range Sailing: Oberg Trophy 9 :30 a.m., Charles River Men’s soccer vs. Clark University 1 p.m., Steinbrenner Stadium Football vs. Salve Regina University 5 p.m., Steinbrenner Stadium Sunday, October 24 Men’s and women’s crew: Head of the Charles 9 a.m., Charles River Sailing: Oberg Trophy 9 :30 a.m., Charles River
Volleyball sweeps Wheaton
In a NEWMAC women’s volleyball match, MIT registered a 25-7, 25-10, 25-19 victory over Wheaton College on Tuesday night. The Engineers improved to 17-10 overall and 5-2 in league play.
Field hockey beats Wellesley, 2-1
Co-captain Katie Kauffman ’12 redirected a shot from the top of the circle in the game’s final minutes to help the MIT field hockey team secure a dramatic, 2-1 win over visiting Wellesley College in NEWMAC play on Jack Barry Field Tuesday night. Kauffman’s goal, along with stellar MIT defense which limited the Blue to just six shots, helped the Engineers rebound from an overtime loss to Mount Holyoke College earlier in the week and improve to 14-2 overall and 6-1 in league play. The victory was Tech’s first over Wellesley since 2004.
Women’s volleyball is at 14-9 after win over Smith
The MIT women’s volleyball team faced Smith College last Tuesday. Although Smith won its first set against MIT since a 2005 sweep, the Engineers bounced back by taking the next three en route to a 21-25, 25-19, 25-12, 25-12 decision in a NEWMAC women’s volleyball match on Tuesday night. MIT saw its record improve to 14-9 on the year and 4-2 in conference play while the Pioneers dipped to 1-14 overall and 0-6 in the NEWMAC.
Upcoming Home Events
Tuesday, October 12 Sailing: Midweek Tech Invitational 3 4 p.m., Charles River Field hockey vs. Wellesley College 6 p.m., Jack Barry Field Women’s volleyball vs. Wheaton College 7 p.m., Rockwell Cage
Sports Shorts
This past Tuesday, MIT women’s tennis played their last conference match of the season against Wheaton. In doubles first off were Melissa A. Diskin ’11 and Katherine A. O’Neal ’14, who lost their match 8-2. Next were Jennifer A. Rees ’11 and Hillary E. Jenny ’12. They lost their match 8-3. The last match on was of Lauren Quisenberry ’14 and Julia Hsu ’14. They played a tough match and had lots of close points, but in the end lost 8-5, giving Wheaton a 3-0 lead going into the singles matches.
Community comes out to see Beaver Madness
Hundreds of students packed the bleachers of Rockwell Cage Friday night for Beaver Madness, a pep rally for the men’s and women’s varsity basketball teams, whose seasons kick off this November. The event featured performances from Logarhythms and Ridonkulous, short scrimmages, as well as various skits and performances in between.
Tech staff split 4-2 for Yankees to win
Four teams remain the MLB Postseason. In the American League, the New York Yankees swept their Division Series against Minnesota with ease to advance to the Championship Series. Their opponents, the Texas Rangers, recovered from two straight losses at home to win Game 5 against the Tampa Bay.
Tech staff unanimous: Phillies will win
The Giants, like the Rangers in their series against the Rays, were opportunistic in their series victory over the Braves, capitalizing on seven Atlanta errors in three close victories. As much as any baseball fan, I appreciate the attitude and the effort of teams like the Rangers and the Giants. Vladimir Guerrero swiping home while the Rays weren’t looking during Game 5 was one of my favorite moments of these playoffs thus far. However, all the spunk, grit, and luck in the world are not going to close the gap between the Giants and these Philadelphia Phillies. At the end of the regular season, Roy Halladay noted that playing on a contending team like the Phillies “was fun, but it’s only going to get funner.” In the spirit of Doc, I’ll say that the Giants have already enjoyed their funnest times.
Upcoming Home Events
Friday, October 15 Rifle vs. John Jay, Mass. Maritime, Wentworth, Rose Hulman 5 p.m., DuPont Range Women’s volleyball vs Bates College 7 p.m., Rockwell Cage Sunday, October 10 Rifle vs. John Jay, Mass. Maritime, Wentworth, Rose Hulman 9 a.m., DuPont Range Women’s volleyball vs. UMass-Boston 11 a.m., Rockwell Cage Women’s soccer vs. Mount Holyoke College 1 p.m., Steinbrenner Stadium Women’s volleyball vs. Lebanon Valley College 2 p.m., Rockwell Cage
Sports Shorts
With all five runners among the top 100, the nationally ranked No. 9 MIT women’s cross country team finished 12th as a team at the NEICAAA championship on Saturday afternoon at Franklin Park. Katherine Eve led the way for the Engineers, who were third among all Division III squads in the multi-divisional meet with a total of 348 points.
MLB Division Series to wrap up this week
<i>Editor’s Note: This piece was submitted on Sunday, before the results of the series were known. All standings are accurate as of 10/10.</i>
Upcoming Home Events
Tuesday, October 12 Women’s soccer vs. Salem State 4 p.m., Steinbrenner Stadium Women’s tennis vs. Wheaton College 4 p.m., DuPont courts Women’s volleyball vs. Smith College 7 p.m., Rockwell Cage Thursday, October 7 Field hockey vs. Daniel Webster College 7 p.m., Jack Barry Field
The Tech’s preseason predictions
Rare is the day when I see more students wearing hometown baseball merchandise than the ubiquitous “E/c^2sqrt(-1)PV/nR” shirts, “EngiNERD” sweatshirts, and “God said ...[Maxwell’s equations here]..., and there was light” apparel. Wednesday, the first day of the 2010 MLB playoffs, was one of those days. Picking up breakfast, I chatted with a Braves fan wearing a Brian McCann jersey and the guy behind the sandwich counter at LaVerde’s about the Phillies’ dominant rotation and just how well veteran ace Roy Halladay will adjust to the pressure of the postseason. (After my predictions were documented, this question was closed; Halladay no-hit the Reds on Wednesday night in his first postseason start.) Walking down the Infinite, I came across a Rays fan decked out in a navy blue jersey and a Giants fan with the classic, black-and-orange, interlocking “SF” logo. Even to a fan whose team missed out on the postseason, it was heartening to see signs of baseball passion at MIT. Let’s take a look at the prospects of each of the postseason contestants.
Field hockey in high spirits after win over Smith
This past Saturday, the MIT field hockey team routed Smith College 6-1, earning its tenth win of the season and securing its third win in a row in conference play. The team, now 10-1, has just five games left in the regular season, including three at home.
MIT splits match vs. Wentworth
The MIT rifle team had its first match of the season this past weekend, taking on friendly area rival Wentworth Institute of Technology.
Upcoming Home Events
Saturday, October 9 Sailing: Brass Rat/Sir Ian MacFarlane 8 a.m, Charles River Women’s soccer vs. Wheaton College 11 a.m, Steinbrenner Stadium Men’s tennis vs. Williams College 1 p.m., duPont Courts Football vs. Plymouth State University 2 p.m., Steinbrenner Stadium Sunday, October 10 Sailing : Brass Rat/Sir Ian MacFarlane 8 a.m, Charles River
MIT alums to row for Team USA
Two MIT alumni, Skip Dise ’03 and Stephen F. Young ’09, will be headed to the 2010 World Rowing Championships in New Zealand later this month as members of the United States National Team. Young will cox the men’s lightweight eight, and Dise will row in the bow seat of that boat. Dise and Young were both selected to the lightweight eight as a result of their performance in the selection camp in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.