I've now watched, UPS, Lewis & Clark, Linfield, Pacific, George Fox and Willamette and I can say the overall quality of baseball among those teams is lower than it was in each of the last three seasons. If you want to quibble, yes, L&C is better than it has been. But, overall, I have not seen anything that leads me to believe the NWC will get more than its champion into the regional tournament.

And, looking at the standings today, not one team is a lock to make the NWC post-season tournament and not one team is definitely out.

I'll be headed to Tacoma this weekend and I'll get a first-hand look at Whitworth.  I'm anxious to see what the Pirates look like.  Last year UPS went to Spokane on a roll and got waxed. At the very least, I'm hoping for dry baseball.

I'm not sure the conference "as a whole" is improved.  The weaker teams don't appear to be as weak as last year, but the top teams don't seem to be nearly as strong as last year - Whitworth excluded.  That suggests a more average, as opposed to a stronger, league. Now, there is certainly plenty of time for a couple of teams to get hot and lift the rest of the conference up, but right now, it looks like a lot of flawed or sputtering teams trying to figure things out.

My take on the UPS-Linfield series?  UPS is not as good as expected and neither is Linfield.   UPS has been ineffective scoring runs with runners in scoring position. It gets runners on, but then the offense stalls.  Naturally that puts a lot of pressure on the pitching staff to be really good and so far, it hasn't been. It sounds like the reverse of the Whitworth team this season.

And if Linfield can't bunt, it drops the series. It too, struggled to come up with key hits and their lineup is solid, but not great.  Their pitching was fine, but nothing more.  A couple of the relievers were good, but a couple more were so-so. Neely looked very good three weeks ago against the Loggers, but got knocked around pretty good this weekend.

The Wildcats are the sputtering team, while UPS is a flawed team.  And UPS had better find some offensive consistency soon or it could be in a hole too deep to climb out of.

You gotta call 'em as you see 'em NWBaseballFan10.  But, no offense, I am hoping that your track record for predicting games continues with the Linfield-UPS series! 

And speaking of track records, mine is terrible.  So, I won't even try to predict this week's games.

I don't expect many surprises between Whitworth and Whitman.  The only question is whether the week off has given the Pirates a little rust. 

Haven't been impressed with Willamette in the three years I've been watching the NWC and nothing has changed this year to alter my impression of that team. GF didn't look like anything special when I watched them earlier this season, but it appears they have begun to pitch pretty well which should hold them in good stead against the Bearcats.

Don't know what to make of Pacific.  They really looked good the first weekend of the season, but since then it looks like the Boxer pitching has failed to match the offensive potential.  I do believe the Boxers can make some headway against the PLU pitching. Whether that happens or not . . . . . . . . . .

I agree that PLU seems to be rounding into form.  Will that continue? Or will this weekend be a bit of a letdown following the Linfield series?

UPS continues to mystify.  Pitching should be better that it's shown. Offense returns too many good bats to sputter as much as it has thus far.  UPS cannot wait any longer to find its stride. Dropping 2 to L&C last weekend leaves the team with little margin for error moving forward.

Linfield?  They looked good opening weekend, but I'm not sure how good they really are. I'll see for myself this weekend.  Should be fun.

Yep, just like we predicted!

And while I had initially foreseen three tiers, I'm taking a full step back to square one and going to say, I'll wait another weekend or two before rubbing that crystal ball again.

Watched some of the UPS-L&C series this weekend.  Something of a head scratcher from the offensive perspective.  It was L&C who consistently came up with the clutch hits with runners in scoring position and not UPS. The Pioneers had a pretty decent offensive approach throughout their lineup and it paid off. Tip of  the hat to L&C.

UPS on the other hand was inconsistent again offensively.  It couldn't string hits together and it didn't generate big innings. Also, the Logger pitching appears to be average, giving up too many 2-strike and 2-out hits. Or maybe those were the result of a better Pioneer hitting approach? Either way, Lewis & Clark won the little battles and the result was a 2-1 series win.

As I mentioned, I'm not about to try and predict things yet. But, what I will say is right now it's not PLU or Linfield who should scare the rest of the league, it's Whitworth.  They are a team very few have seen in person, they had a bye this week and play Whitman next weekend.  The Pirates won't be on this side of the Cascades until March and by then they could be sitting 11-0.

Took the week off and really didn't pay much attention to last weekend's games, but I'm ready to get back into it this weekend. A couple of thoughts.

While I still think PLU will be alright, it looks like the transition from Loomis to Soete has not been seamless. Nothing against Soete, but sometimes even an internal coaching hire creates enough change to impact the outcome on the field.  The PLU-Linfield series should be terrific.  I don't think either team will sweep, which suggests a 2-1 series win merely gives the winner an early leg-up in conference. Both teams will be in it to the end.

I said it two weeks ago and I'll say it again, I was very impressed with Pacific's offense.  Don't know what happened down in Texas, but the Boxer team I watched could really swing the bat.  And Fox's pitchers were very middling from what I saw.  This series could tip either direction, but I do not believe there will be a sweep.

UPS is still uneven on offense, but the Pios present an opportunity for the Loggers to find their groove.  UPS pitched better last week against a good NAIA opponent.  And L&C lacks athleticism and pitching.  While I agree with NWBaseballFan that it's difficult to sweep in conference play, this series presents a better than average chance for a sweep by the Loggers.

Still not sold on Willamette, but Whitman hasn't done anything yet to make me believe it's taken a step forward with its young team.  Being at home could really help Whitman. But that may only mean one win.

So, with all of that said, I like Linfield to take 2 from PLU; Pacific to take 2 from Fox, UPS to sweep L&C; and Willamette to go 2-1 vs. Whitman.

I watched 5 NWC teams play this weekend. Here are my opening weekend takes:

G.Fox - Offense is improved, but pitching was underwhelming, particularly relief pitching. The Bruins have a transfer shortstop from OSU who looks to be a prime addition to the team.
UPS - Pitching question marks coming into the season and this weekend did nothing to indicate this year will be different than last year.  Offense struggled and failed to come up with timely hits.
Linfield - Offense looks like it can be better than last year. Defense looks more solid that last year.
L&C - Still weak offensively.  Defensively there could be some challenges.
Pacific - Night and day difference between 2015 and 2016 teams.  Bigger, stronger and much better athletes than a year ago.

Surprises: Pacific's offense was impressive. A number of JC transfers are playing and they have significantly upgraded the Boxer hitting attack. Also, several players stepped up who played on the Pacific J.V. team last year.  Proof positive that getting that extra experience can pay dividends as a player progresses through his college career. Kloke, a JC transfer outfielder and Wright, a player who got JV time last year, really hit the ball well.

The Logger offense sputtered.They looked to be hitting their stride after putting 5 runs on the board against L&C, but went silent the rest of the way.  And the only dominant pitcher they faced was Neely from Linfield.  The the other pitchers were average, but UPS couldn't find its groove.

Not sure there is a connection, but the teams that looked the most impressive and who were offensively farther along were Linfield and Pacific - the only two teams that play or have regular access to a turf baseball field.  The others looked less than sharp at the plate, on the bases and in the field. Of course, it was only the first weekend of baseball, so things will undoubtedly change as the season progresses.

I'll make the trek to McMinnville and Hillsboro this weekend to see UPS, G.Fox, Linfield, Pacific and L&C.

Given how wet it's been in the PNW so far, I imagine all the teams will be a bit rusty (pun intended!).  I don't know how many times Fox, L&C and UPS have actually been able to get out on a baseball diamond to practice/scrimmage.  Those teams all play on grass fields.

Old-time baseball wisdom says pitchers are ahead of hitters early in the season, but with all of these teams trying to find dependability on the mound, that adage could be tested this weekend.

Really looking forward to the 2016 season and I'm sure the excitement level is high for all the NWC teams.

I've looked at the D3 preview and the NWC coaches poll for the predictions for the upcoming season and some I agree with, others, not so much.  But, that's why this time of the year is so fun!

What I do agree with is the choice of PLU as the favorite. The Lutes are deep and fundamentally solid.  Plus, they only lose 2 position players; though they do have to replace Bishop and Konopaski.  To me, the Lutes are the clear favorite.

After two full years watching all of these teams, I believe there will be a noticeable drop-off from PLU to the next tier. And that next tier seems, to me, to include Linfield and UPS.  There are a lot of leadership changes the Wildcats must absorb and implement this year.  Most importantly, Linfield has to run out some new starting pitching and replace a catcher, shortstop and cleanup hitter.  Those are some big holes to fill and expecting newcomers to step in and pick up where Haddeland, Thomassen, VanDomelen, Laboda and Jo Carroll left off is asking a lot.

UPS will hit and score runs, but the key to its success will turn on pitching.  Maier is very good, but the Loggers need to find two good, not just average, starters to compete with PLU and Linfield.  It would be a great story for Anthony Brady to come back from two Tommy John surgeries to be a dependable starter.  Don't know if that's in the cards, but for the kid's sake I hope so.  The bullpen is deeper than last year, which should help as the season wears on.

Getting past these two teams into the next tier really seems to be a crapshoot.  The NWC coaches gave Willamette and Whitworth each a first place vote, but I'm not sure what to think of either. I do, however, believe Ty Wyatt from Willamette may be a contender for player of the year honors. He was the all-NWC DH his freshman year, but sat out all of last year with an injury. He's healthy and played summer ball in the West Coast League.  If Whitworth can replace its pitching staff, they could be among the four post-season tournament teams.

George Fox, Pacific and Whitman could all end up from 5-8 in the conference.  I'm optimistic about Whitman. They played 17 freshmen last year and they showed some promise. If they can continue to improve, I believe they'll make some noise this year and could rise to the middle of the pack. If that happens, I could see them pushing for a top 4 spot in 2017.

Last year was a very competitive year and the post-season tournament gave many teams playoff hopes right up through the last weekend of regular-season play. I don't think this year will be any different, with the possible exception of PLU clamping onto the top spot early and leaving everyone else to battle for the remaining three spots.

Whitman! Yes!  That just figures.  Even when I'm speaking, I find I have to pause and try to remember which of the Whits is which!

MIFDad, I'll jump in with another perspective on the NWC.  Three years ago we went through the same process you and your son are going through right now, so I'm well acquainted with the questions and considerations.  Ultimately, my son chose UPS.  He has friends who play at Linfield, Pacific, GFox and Willamette.

Academically, Whitworth, UPS and Willamette are the top tier, with Whitworth out front.  L&C, while ranked similar to UPS and Willamette, isn't held in as high a regard. Don't know why, but in Oregon, L&C is seldom mentioned.

The distance between the schools in the NWC is somewhat mitigated if your son chooses one of the Oregon schools.  They can all travel to and from games with each other in the same day. If, however, he chooses UPS or PLU (Tacoma) or Whitworth (Spokane) or Whitman (Walla Walla), travel is more extensive.

In terms of facilities, Linfield, PLU and Whitworth have infield turf. The other six schools play on grass.  L&C has the weakest facilities in the conference and the field is probably below what you'll see at the HS level in California.  Willamette's field is just off campus (a couple of blocks) and is average, to below-average. I know Willamette has been working on getting its outdoor cages enclosed. Don't know if that's completed. When my son visited in 2012, hitting cages were set up in the racquetball courts at Sparks Gym.

Pacific in Forest Grove has, surprisingly, very nice facilities.  They're fairly new and the school has dumped in lots of money on the baseball/softball complex.  Linfield has a great field. I'm not sure if the batting cages are fully enclosed and heated.  Seems like they were open on one or two ends, but someone else can speak to that.  But, it's important to note that in Oregon, if the hitting facilities are not totally enclosed, that's typically not that big a deal. It gets wet in the winter, but it isn't cold for long periods of time, meaning covered cages can be used most of the time.  That's not the case at Whitworth and Whitman where winters are colder and they get more wind in eastern Washington.  I don't know about the practice facilities at those two schools.

Both UPS and PLU have indoor cages. UPS has cages set up in the old gym. Don't recall where PLU's are located.

In terms of coaching, that's very subjective.  But, it's most important to be sure the fit is good between your son and the coaching staff and the players. Regardless of whether the team is a perennial title contender or a doormat, if your son doesn't enjoy being around the players and coaches, he won't have a good college experience.  Finding the right fit, both athletically and academically, is vital.

A previous poster commented on the opportunity to play and that's an excellent point and I just want to second his comments.

Finally, UPS went down to California last year and played Redlands, Pomona-Pitzer and Cal Lu.  The fields were good, not great, but man the warm weather was awesome! And, from just that small sample set, the competition was similar to what we see in the NWC.

Hopefully this is helpful. Good luck, this is a great time so enjoy the ride.

One other head scratcher with the money factor for SCIAC schools is that none of them has to travel overnight for league games. I believe, and please correct me if I misspeak, but all of the league games are played within driving distance. Thus, lodging and a large portion of meal money is not needed for conference games.  Those savings could easily be rerouted into the baseball budget for an additional weekend trip to the northwest.

In the NWC, Whitworth (Spokane), Whitman (Walla Walla), PLU and UPS (Tacoma) all make two-night overnight trips to play away games.  That's a significant expense. Yet, each of those teams also made out-of-state trips to get in non-conference games.  In fact, Whitworth and UPS made two out-of-state trips.

I saw a list a couple of weeks ago with all the schools now charging more than $60,000 per year to attend. Each of the Claremont-Scrips-Mudd-Pomona-Pitzer schools made the list.  I can't imagine it'd be difficult to find a few more dollars to send some of those schools up north for a weekend.

I agree the scheduling of the postseason tournament was a little screwy. Hopefully the league will revise the timeframe next year. I, too, would like to see it played the last weekend of the season.

And, I second Parkman's idea. I love the idea of a SCIAC/NWC weekend up in the northwest later in the season.

An interesting side note: PLU and Linfield play one more time; next Saturday in PLU"s season-ending tournament.

I saw another string of posts that referred to postseason conference tournaments as sub-regionals. That's an apt way to look at these tournaments. The only sure way to advance to the regional is to win the sub-regional - the conference tournament.

It's funny, the outcome of the tournament is exactly why I'm in favor of the tournament.

If this was a season in which one team clearly separated itself from the rest of the conference, I'd probably feel differently.  But this year, there was really not too much to separate Whitworth, PLU or Linfield.  Whitworth was the hot team at the right time. Linfield wasn't good enough when it mattered.

It'll be instructive to see how the NCAA tournament committee views PLU and Linfield. Now that the NWC has the postseason tourney to determine the automatic qualifier, when it comes to assessing a second conference bid, will the NCAA give more weight to the regular-season conference champion (PLU)? Or will it give more weight to a team's out-of-conference record (Linfield)? If neither PLU nor Linfield get a Pool C bid, it'll be clear evidence the NCAA places an undo value on the postseason tournament.