Well, I don’t know much about them fancy baseball stats, but I heard tell of this NAIA baseball thing. Folks say it’s for them college kids, you know, the ones what ain’t in the big leagues yet. Sounds like a bunch of youngsters hittin’ balls and runnin’ around.
Now, they got this NAIA website, or so I’m told. It’s where they keep all them numbers and such. Scores, I guess, and who’s hittin’ good and who ain’t. They call ’em “statistics,” but it’s just numbers to me. Like countin’ eggs, but with baseballs.
I hear tell they got different “divisions” too. Division I, Division II, Division III, somethin’ like that. Reminds me of sortin’ potatoes – big ones, small ones, and the ones in between. I reckon the Division I fellers are the best, but what do I know? They all look like they’re runnin’ awful fast to me.
They got these coaches, see? And they make a list, a “Top 25” they call it. It’s like pickin’ the best lookin’ chickens from the coop, I suppose. They do it before the season starts, and then they keep doin’ it all year long. Tennessee Wesleyan, they say, is the favorite this year. Guess they got some good young’uns playin’ ball over there.
- They got a scoreboard on that website too. Shows who’s playin’ who and what the score is. It’s like the old radio, but you gotta look at it instead of listenin’.
- And they got all sorts of stats, more than you can shake a stick at. Batting averages, home runs, RBIs – whatever them things are. It’s enough to make your head spin.
They do this “postseason” thing too. That’s when they have a big tournament, like a county fair but with baseball. All the best teams play each other, and then they crown a champion. It’s a big deal, I hear.
This NAIA thing, it’s been goin’ on for a while now. They been keepin’ stats for years, I reckon since way back when. They got stats for 2022-23, 2023-24, and now they’re startin’ up for 2024-25. Seems like they never stop playin’ ball.
They got somethin’ called “tournament stats” too. That’s just for them games in the postseason, I think. Separate numbers for the big show, I guess. Like countin’ the blue ribbon winners separate from the rest of the livestock.
And it ain’t just baseball, mind you. They got stats for all sorts of sports. Football, basketball, even somethin’ called “flag” – I ain’t sure what that is, maybe they run around with flags or somethin’. They keep track of it all, them folks at the NAIA.
So, that’s what I know about NAIA baseball stats. It’s a whole bunch of numbers and lists, and it’s all about them college kids playin’ ball. It’s a bit complicated for an old woman like me, but it seems like folks enjoy it. And that’s all that matters, I reckon.
They call it the “National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.” Sounds mighty fancy, don’t it? But it’s just baseball, when you get right down to it. Just young fellas hittin’ balls and havin’ fun. And that ain’t so bad, is it?
So next time you hear someone talkin’ about NAIA baseball stats, you’ll know a little somethin’ about it. It’s just numbers, but them numbers tell a story. A story about baseball, and about young folks tryin’ their best. And that’s a story worth hearin’, even for an old woman like me.
And remember, them coaches make their lists, and folks argue about who’s better, but in the end, it’s just a game. And games are meant to be enjoyed. So go on, have some fun watchin’ them youngsters play ball. It’ll do ya good.
Tags：NAIA Baseball Stats, NAIA Baseball Statistics, College Baseball, NAIA, Baseball Rankings
