BB: SCAC: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[ILVBB]

There are really two issues relative to regional performance.

This year; the NCAA dealt Trinity's hand off the bottom of the deck. Their travel was stupid. 3am at  Trinity, on the bus for an hour and a half to Austin, travel to Denver to change planes to Portland, on the bus to Lake Oswego, into the hotel, change for practice, to the field for an hour+ practice; then back on the bus where the bus driver took a two hour detour to show the boys Salem, the state Capital and Willamette College; arriving back at the hotel at 5:30 pm.  The next morning they were up at 8am on the bus at 8:30 to go to a middle school for batting practice in the pouring rain. It poured solid through their pre-game and the first few innings until the game was halted the game. At this point the damage was done; mentally the kids were toast; in talking with them they believed that they had been screwed by the NCAA.

On a recurring basis; the SCAC schedule makes it nearly impossible to compete with other teams. To finish your season take nearly 4-weeks off from competition and then to come back and play your best is not going to happen. This year was made worse by playing only 4 games over the last five weeks (rainout against Millsaps) "Friendly" practice is not the same as competition. Throw in all the other things that kids are facing; finals, graduation, moving out of dorms and the mind is not in a "competitive mode."  

This year Trinity had 5 unused regular season dates to schedule games during that 4-week period. In that they had never done it before, I was not surprised that they did not do it this year. If a school is committed to winning, they will do whatever they can to reach their goals; the SCAC calendar has become a convenient excuse for programs that are unwilling to do what is needed to compete for a national championship.

[infielddad]

Not sure I agree with you ILVBB on the need to be playing games and the impact of the time from the SCAC's, based on the experience in 2002 and 2004.
Of course I recognize all teams are different.
In 2002, that team played the best game they played all year in the 1st game of the Regionals in Georgetown. They were relaxed, confident, and executed perfectly in every way.  Had the terrible tragedy with the death Coach Meccage not unfolded during the night following that game, I have little doubt they would have played in Appleton that year.
In 2004, at Chapman, they again played  well in the first game(didn't pitch well at the start) and throughout that tournament.  No one team was better than them.
One pitcher, Scott Hyde,  a 7th rounder of the Mets, and his 19 or so innings, was the sole difference in that Regional.
Again, every team is different.  Perhaps scheduling games after graduation and the end of the school year would have made a difference this year if indeed the team lost focus and their mind was not in a "competitive mode."
You are clearly closer to this years team and their mind set.
I can only speak from what we experienced.
As I said, the teams I have referenced felt they were very well prepared, relaxed and ready to play and compete. In  part, they reported each practice/scrimmage was at a high intensity/competitive level. No one let down. Everyone kept their eye on the goal and even those not traveling gave 110%. Because they felt the team scrimmages were at a very high level, it got them into a frame of mind that the quality of play of their teammates was as good, if not better, than they would see in the Regional.
Sounds like it may have been different this year, from your report.

[frank_ezelle]

I'm going with infielddad on the issue about the long break between the SCAC Tournament and the NCAA Regionals.  While it is a difficult thing to deal with for the coaches, keeping a team sharp through 4 weeks without a game, both Trinity and Millsaps have managed to do quite well once they have started regional play.  It was in 2006 that Millsaps totally dominated their first three games at regionals and were well on their way to cruising through the championship game when relief pitching let them down.

And look, even though Hendrix and Trinity both went 0-2 at the West regionals in the last 2 years, it's not like they weren't right there and not too far from winning all 4 of those games.  Trinity went up against Chapman and their super pitcher and lost by 1 run and then lost an extra inning game to a very good MS College team.  In 2009, Hendrix lost 8-3 to Pomona-Pitzer when one terrible half inning in the field led to 5 unearned runs.  Then they fell 5-3 to Texas-Tyler when T-T came back for the victory with a 5-run 8th inning. 

I do think the biggest problem for the SCAC teams is with the travel.  The NCAA regional draws aren't announced till late Sunday or early Monday, and then the SCAC teams always have to go into hectic mode to travel by air to the tournament site for a Wednesday game.  That's always going to be a disadvantage when compared to the teams that host or only have a half day bus ride, but it's just a reality of the situation.  This year, that reality was far worse than normal for the Trinity team and certainly didn't help their chances of winning the West Regional.

[historymajor]

I agree with ILVBB all the way!  I was there!

[Ralph Turner]

There are really two issues relative to regional performance.

This year; the NCAA dealt Trinity's hand off the bottom of the deck. Their travel was stupid. 3am at  Trinity, on the bus for an hour and a half to Austin, travel to Denver to change planes to Portland, on the bus to Lake Oswego, into the hotel, change for practice, to the field for an hour+ practice; then back on the bus where the bus driver took a two hour detour to show the boys Salem, the state Capital and Willamette College; arriving back at the hotel at 5:30 pm.  The next morning they were up at 8am on the bus at 8:30 to go to a middle school for batting practice in the pouring rain. It poured solid through their pre-game and the first few innings until the game was halted the game. At this point the damage was done; mentally the kids were toast; in talking with them they believed that they had been screwed by the NCAA.

On a recurring basis; the SCAC schedule makes it nearly impossible to compete with other teams. To finish your season take nearly 4-weeks off from competition and then to come back and play your best is not going to happen. This year was made worse by playing only 4 games over the last five weeks (rainout against Millsaps) "Friendly" practice is not the same as competition. Throw in all the other things that kids are facing; finals, graduation, moving out of dorms and the mind is not in a "competitive mode."  

This year Trinity had 5 unused regular season dates to schedule games during that 4-week period. In that they had never done it before, I was not surprised that they did not do it this year. If a school is committed to winning, they will do whatever they can to reach their goals; the SCAC calendar has become a convenient excuse for programs that are unwilling to do what is needed to compete for a national championship.

I understand the argument.  Shenandoah had the same length of time off and made it to Appleton.

An honest question...

Who were they going to play with those 5 dates?  Which opponents?  Which days? What locations?  Who had unused dates at the end of their seasons who would want to play Trinity?

[donotknowscac]

Congrats to all of these student athletes!  Interesting to note that all of these players have at least one more year to play.  Also, BSC has a ton of guys on this list.
http://www.scacsports.com/sports/bsb/2009-10/releases/abca_all_region

[etg]

(El Tea Gray---re: Trinity Tigers Baseball 2010)


D3baseball.com Final 2010 Poll    Trinity (TX)--------#20

2011 Prediction: Top 5 (IMHO)

                                                                   

[Ron Boerger]

TU's Ryan Lucero (6.1 IP, 0 ER, 3 H) picked up Pitcher-of-the-Week honors in the Florida Collegiate Summer League.

[infielddad]

Just read that Coach Iwasaki from Austin College is leaving to take the head coaching position at Northern Colorado.
Never met him but everything I heard said he is very well respected.

[Ron Boerger]

Just read that Coach Iwasaki from Austin College is leaving to take the head coaching position at Northern Colorado.
Never met him but everything I heard said he is very well respected.

Here's the release:  http://bit.ly/bOVoTM

[etg]

(El Tea Gray---re: Trinity Tiger Scoring for 2010 season.)


The Trinity Tigers led the national DIII baseball scoring stats (runs-per-game) for the 2010 season with an average of 11.2 RPG.

                                                         

[Jim Dixon]

Just read that Coach Iwasaki from Austin College is leaving to take the head coaching position at Northern Colorado.
Never met him but everything I heard said he is very well respected.

Here's the release:  http://bit.ly/bOVoTM

I wish success to Coach Iwasaki.  Particularly since my summer visitor this and last year is in his starting outfield.

[frank_ezelle]

D3baseball.com just released their "2000's All-Decade Team" with Hunter Owen of Millsaps being named as one of the 2nd team outfielders.  He appears to be the only SCAC player on the list:

http://www.d3baseball.com/awards/all-decade-2000s.pdf

I guess it's too early to talk about baseball news and there's not much I could contribute about Millsaps.  Their roster should be about the same as last season with the big losses to graduation being catcher Tyler Berry and pitcher Shelby Robertson.  The offense should be strong for the 2011 season and the key will be improving on the fielding (.926 in 2010) and era (6.45).  If the pitching comes around, Millsaps will be a strong candidate to return to the NCAA Tournament.

[historymajor]

Anything to report from 'fall-ball'?  Anybody tried those new BBCOR bats? Any comments?

[infielddad]

Don't have any information on Fall Ball or anything like that.
I did see, though, that BSC is traveling to open the season at Trinity on 2/4, 2/5 and 2/6.
Based on 2010, that projects to be one of the very best opening weekends in all of DIII baseball.