BB: SCAC: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[infielddad]

I said MANY schools have inflated records, and did not say anything about Trinity.  We could go back and forth on this stuff until May, but I am just stating an opinion.  Like I said, I have nothing against Trinity but I would like to see them get over the hump before adding them in the nations elite.
On a side note, I do believe they would make it out of another regional without Chapman in it.  Look at what Linfield did...

I completely agree they need to get out of the Region to be considered at the elite DIII level.  One thing they are doing is upping the level of competition in the SCAC.  Between 2004 and now, Rhodes, Austin College and to a lesser extent, Hendrix, have made huge improvements.  Those games used to support "inflated" records.  But those days have changed and what the Trinity staff has done since 1999 when they arrived plays quite a role in that improvement.
As an illustration, when Rhodes hired their new coach in 2004, he stated he  thought they would compete.  When Trinity left their field, he readily acknowledged how wrong he was.
To his credit, he has turned Rhodes in to a regional power and they are continuing to improve.
The SCAC West, combined with playing the ASC schools gives Trinity a very strong schedule.  Toss in Notre Dame and Nothern Illinois this year and they will have their hands full to  get to Linfield.

[Ralph Turner]

...
On a side note, I do believe they would make it out of another regional without Chapman in it.  Look at what Linfield did...

And so would Pac Lutheran in '07, Texas Lutheran in '06, and Texas Lutheran in '05 and George Fox in '03, CSU East Bay (Hayward) in '01 and Cal Lutheran in '00.   

[richball]

Looks like the SCAC will have some very talented players this year. Hopefully we'll have some players get picked up come June. Any thoughts on who might get some SERIOUS looks from MLB affiliates.

[infielddad]

Well, there will be plenty of scouts heading down the I-35 corridor to watch Evan Bronson.  If Evan can continue to show improvement on his fastball, since he will be a  Lefty senior sign with a Summer in the Cape, he could be a bargain and get drafted much higher than he was last June.
It is pretty tough for any position player to get drafted other than as a senior, and even then, it is pretty rare in all of DIII.

[Lou_Brown]

Trinity is NOT an average D3 program...put them in the range from above average but not yet elite.

Bronson will draw a lot of attention, does anyone know where he was this summer with his MPH? Trinity is so young offensivley but probably a few guys in 2011 will get some looks.


Hunter Owen from Millsaps has to get a chance, right?

[Jack Parkman]

Lou-  I agree and already said "Average" probably wasn't the best work to use.  I think they have had some very good years, but need to get over the hump.  I have nothing against Trinity at all.

[infielddad]

Hunter Owen from Millsaps has to get a chance, right?

Lou,
I have never seen him play.  He sure puts up great numbers in DIII baseball.  He comes from a program known for producing terrific hitters.
The issue is whether scouts can project him in Milb.  For that, DIII ball actually isn't all that helpful unless he has very good success against guys like Bronson, or has played with good results in a top quality summer wood bat league like the Valley, Coastal Plain, etc.
If he has shown the ability in those leagues with wood, and is projectable defensively, then he has a chance.
On average, only about 8-10 position players are drafted each year.  Those 8-10 not only put up huge DIII numbers, they do it in  a way where scouts can project their swing, speed and defensive ability to Milb.
On top of that, he needs to show he is still improving.  As good as his numbers have been, they need to be better in 2009 to show scouts he has more upside to his development an projectability.
I hope this helps and I hope he does get the opportunity.

[Krakatoa]

Wow, that was a nice flurry of activity!!  Pros, cons, it's all good at this time of year. Looking forward to more, more, and more as the season draws ever closer and then.......at long last.......begins!!

Happy Holidays to All!

[richball]

Centre's Jake Jones was sitting 88-90 touching 93 this fall along with a nice curve and change. If he keeps that up through the season he will get his looks. Let's hope Jones, Bronson, Owen's, and hopefully some others do well so that the SCAC will get some deserved recognition. 

[scaccommish]

We just opened the door on another new area of the SCAC website - SCAC Interactive.

We will use this area to blog from championship events as well as post pictures and video. Also, we plan on a weekly (or bi-weekly podcast), featuring interviews with student-athletes and coaches.

To check out the inaugural podcast, click this link:

http://www.scacsports.com/inside_athletics/interactive

[wishbone ash]

Less than 1 month until baseball season officially gets underway in the SCAC! Less than 2 months until non-conference opening games start for the SCAC! I know I'm excited, how about everyone else? Haven't heard a lot of talk about the year yet, so I figured I would maybe get us going. 

I believe OU has the talent to finally make some noise this year. I know this has been a recurring theme the past two or three years, but I can honestly tell all of you that this is it. The Petrels finally have a tremendous 1/2 punch on the bump, and a quality 3rd starter. The bullpen is the X factor in my eyes as it will be consisted of mostly all underclassmen, however they have the talent to succeed. The offense is the peak of the Petrels this season as they return all players on offense, and have added 3 or 4 bats that any team would die for.  And last but not least, the part of the  petrels that has caused them the most problems the last couple of years- defense.  This may be the smoothest fielding infield the Stormy Petrels have had...EVER. It looks to be a very exciting year in the SCAC and hopefully OU will live up to my usual preseason talk.  How's everyone else look?

I have to agree with you Petey. Although I am new to all this, I do think OU will be much improved this year. I am not saying OU will be a powerhouse, but I do think they will be much improved over the past few seasons...at least I hope they will .

A very slick infield indeed. With Soph Cornwell manning SS all year and Freshman Jake moving in at 2B, AB(also a Freshman) behind the plate, defensively we should be very strong and improved up the middle. We'll be strong on the corners too as two returning upper classmen Archer and Riggins will man those spots. Llano moves back to the outfield where he is strongest along with senior (one of only 2) "Tex" Lucas. The other spot I think is still up for grabs but either way, this team looks to be pretty decent. Hitting will also be improved, and they were not too shabby last year. Guys like Ben Giddens and super soph Andy Farrey can really hit, as can every one of the starters. Pitching? Absolutely improved as Sam returns, and 2 new transfers look to be top starters. Sarinsky (from N Ga..a D1 school) throws in the high 80's to low 90's consistently, and the new kid coming in from Piedmont College should help alot. Sean Tuttle (the other senior) also throws well making for a much improved and more seasoned pitching staff.

I can't wait! I look forward to seeing and hearing about the other teams also. I hear Depauw is always strong and I know Rhodes is the same.  I hope we can compete. I think we can. Fun stuff.

[frank_ezelle]

What a surprise indeed to see such activity so early.  I'll join in the fun with my thoughts on the previous two pages:

1)  Obviously Trinity is not "average", a word that was used to describe a step below the very elite in D3 baseball.  I'd hate to think what word would be used for the mid-level conference teams and the cellar dwellers if conference champions were only considered to be average. 

Whatever the right words should be, the point being made is that Trinity and Millsaps both are programs that have been highly ranked but haven't made it to the CWS.  Millsaps was only an out away in 2006 after having won the winner's bracket in their regionals, but it's amazing how the result of one play or one pitch can effect the perception of how a team compares nationally.  Trinity and Millsaps are both programs that have been close to the CWS and I hope they'll both get there someday soon.

2)  Regarding pro prospects out of the SCAC, keep in mind that the pros see these guys as already having 2 strikes against them.  First, they are really old to be starting a minor league career, especially since they have not been facing the competition seen in a league like the SEC.  Second, these guys have options.  I think back to 2006 when Garner Wetzel was playing in the lower minors, maybe as one of the oldest guys on the team and probably the only one with a college degree and an acceptance to law school waiting back at home.  As a pro team, would you rather draft that type of guy or the 18 year old kid who has a construction job as his fall back option?

2a)  While recognizing that getting drafted is a low probability for D3 players, with Millsaps I think you'd have to look at Hunter Owen and Tait Hendrix.  Hunter's numbers "slumped" early last year when Millsaps couldn't find enough consistent hitting to put in front or behind him.  Once the other hitters came around, Hunter went on a tear.  Plus, he has speed and the type of frame that could add more power.  With Tait, the key is that he is a left handed pitcher with more strikeouts than innings pitched.  When his control is sharp and he is staying ahead of the hitters, he is very impressive.  He's the type player where some scout might see a lot of potential upside through a change of mechanics, or more reps, etc.

3)  And like everyone else, I'm really looking forward to the start of the season even though I'm enjoying the basketball quite a bit.  Millsaps should have a lot of hitting returning for 2009 which is good because they lost a lot of pitching.  They will be helped by the new home and away setup where you only play 2 or 3 SCAC games over a weekend.  They have the returning pitching to be tough in a short series--I'm not sure if they would have enough to cover 4 games for several weekends in a row.  As for newcomers who might help right away, that's hard to say since the 2009 roster hasn't been posted.  I'm hoping there's a potential weekend starter in the new faces--you can never have too many of those players.

[infielddad]

Frank,
The age/college aspect is widely variable by MLB organization.
There are probably 1/2 the teams that emphasize college players in the draft as opposed to high school players.  Teams like the A's, Rays, Blue Jays and others place an emphasis on college players, for a number of reasons.
Our son played on teams that were 90% or more college players throughout the minor leagues.  The balance, actually, were Latin and Asian players, not high schoolers. But you are also right that when the Padres drafted Wetzel, that team was heavily invested with younger players, especially from the Dominican.
I agree that DIII players have 2 strikes when it comes to the draft.  The stats of 20 players being selected out of 1,500 is clear proof.
It really comes down to the ability to project the DIII player continuing to improve when they play against the best talent at the highest level.
Hitting .500 in DIII does not prove you can do that

[Ralph Turner]

2a)  While recognizing that getting drafted is a low probability for D3 players, with Millsaps I think you'd have to look at Hunter Owen and Tait Hendrix.  Hunter's numbers "slumped" early last year when Millsaps couldn't find enough consistent hitting to put in front or behind him.

I need infielddad and others to jump in here,

but I believe that a scout would much rather evaluate the quality of a player when pitchers are pitching around him.  How does he take what is offered and start the rally?  What is the "plate discipline" that he demonstrates?

Thanks.

[frank_ezelle]

Ralph--I know what you are saying but with Hunter last year there were times when he saw nothing.  In one game he had 4 at-bats and either saw 16 or 17 pitches as he walked all 4 times (the Ozark game early in the season).  The situation got better as the season progressed and Hunter ended up with 45 walks and 12 HBP to go along with 160 official at bats.  I don't know how that compares to others in the SCAC for 2008 since the SCAC baseball page is displaying the 2007 stats.