BB: SCAC: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Just_Some_Guy]

Ron - I think you may be onto something. The rumor mill has it that the SCAC as we know it won't exist. If that is the case; maybe there is a "plan."

All I know is that Trinity in the ASC West would make that the most fearsome division/conference in the country in my mind. We can pretend Southwestern is still good. Speaking of, is there any reason why they shouldn't be?

If you're Schreiner you have an excuse, if you're Southwestern, I'm not sure you do.

JSG

[Ron Boerger]

Until a Texas school can actually win this freaking regional, I don't think any conglomeration of teams from the state are going to be 'fearsome' on the national level.   Would it be fun to watch?  You bet, but every year it's run up against the West Coast pitching buzzsaw and go home early. 

[forheavendial4999]

Gee, Ralph. Still think Birmingham Southern and the SCAC will be BFF? Remember you dismissing out of hand my thought that Birmingham Southern would be a fit in the USA South.

SCAC is done. Only a matter of time now. Only choices appear to be inviting schools that don't fit their academic profile at all.

ASC should invite the Texas schools currently in the SCAC and then split into two AQ leagues like the MAC split into Commonwealth and Freedom.

That leaves Oglethorpe, Birmingham Southern and Millsaps. Millsaps probably goes ASC and it probably represents an overall travel improvement if organized well. Oglethorpe and Birmingham Southern...less clear.

[forheavendial4999]

Until a Texas school can actually win this freaking regional, I don't think any conglomeration of teams from the state are going to be 'fearsome' on the national level.   Would it be fun to watch?  You bet, but every year it's run up against the West Coast pitching buzzsaw and go home early. 

Can't make 7 errors like CTX did either.

[retired]

Having played baseball recently for Trinity and having friends on other teams there, the SCAC is an entirely different experience depending on which sport you play. I know I didn't play against every school, and only went to half the campuses. Also, there's just something "off" about the geography of it, it's too haphazard. I realize that university presidents have desires for aligning academic interests, etc and the facts remain that there just aren't as many D3 schools in the "west", but long term I think Trinity's best athletic interests lie beyond the SCAC in some other conference. Be it one that already exists, or a new one that has yet to be formed.

[infielddad]

Until a Texas school can actually win this freaking regional, I don't think any conglomeration of teams from the state are going to be 'fearsome' on the national level.   Would it be fun to watch?  You bet, but every year it's run up against the West Coast pitching buzzsaw and go home early.  

Ron,
From someone looking at this from a distance, in general, I would agree.  However, your observation about"national" approval is important, I think.
As was discussed elsewhere, a pitcher like Rauh likely doesn't play DIII in Texas. Pitching is pivotal in a Regional.
Candidly, what I see in Texas is a lot of very good talent, but it is dispersed widely amongst many highly competitive programs and schools.
Trinity cannot attract enough players in Texas when academics and baseball are combined. What is happening in their  football/basketball programs are pretty solid examples of that, I think.
The article Ralph posted about McMurry and the reasons for the change to DII also seems to apply. Many players and parents are looking for instant gratification.  They want a quality baseball experience and to be on the field.
In my view, there are a number of Texas DIII's in the ASC and SCAC which provide both.
Using the "instant gratification" aspect, a player can look at a school like Trinity and see both academic and talent issues that might cause them to look elsewhere.. but still have a number of options for a very good baseball program and solid academics. There are  a number of choices.
On the other hand, the NWL and SCIAC have very good talent, but that talent  is concentrated in a very few programs.
Linfield, PLU and George Fox consistently in the NWL and PP, Redlands, occasionally Cal Lu, LaVerne. Redlands in the SCIAC and then Chapman as an independent. But honestly, the talent in Southern CA. is mostly concentrated in 3-4 programs each year.  Those programs have the huge SoCal talent base to scour and find many quality players.
When one looks at Texas, there are TLU, Trinity, HSU, McMurry, UTT, UTD, Dallas, Concordia and then Hendrix, Rhodes, Millsaps and others are also recruiting Texas for their players.
Personally, I believe the quality of competitive play in Texas is terrific because the talent is so widely dispersed.  I have little doubt that if it were not, and were more concentrated, Wisconsin would be more regularly achievable.
To my thinking, there is the additional issue that  the West Region is made up of 5-6 teams ranked in the top 30, as has happened the last several years and more than a few regions have 1 or none similarly ranked.
Taking nothing away from those who earn the right to play  there following the procedures which apply in DIII, but Appleton isn't always the 8 best teams.
Appleton isn't Omaha. The process by which teams get placed in a region to get  there is one important reason.  

[dahlby]

Writing about talent being spread around...SOCAL has the 8 SCIAC teams plus Chapman, it has USC, UCLA, UCIrvine, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UC Riverside, USD, San Diego State, UCSD to name a few. Also a full conference of NAIA teams including, Concordia, Biola, The Masters, Pt Loma, Cal State San Marcos, USD, and San Diego State. Then add in the rest of the  D2 programs throughout the area. Oh, and let's not forget all of the JC's. Probably 30 or so in the area. I would say that the talent is diluted. The driving distance between these schools would not even demand an overnight stay.

Regarding quality of student (grades), the mix of schools involved is across the board. If a student is below average and a good athlete, they will have a full doorstep of recruiters, like-wise for the scholar athlete. Competition is fierce, to put it mildly. SCIAC schools are not allowed to recruit off campus.

PS- I would be iinterested in reading some comments from other areas.

Another factor to consider is the number of good athletes that get recruited to play another sport that they  also played iin high school, and have dropped out of playing a conventional sport.

Just my observation.

[infielddad]

Writing about talent being spread around...SOCAL has the 8 SCIAC teams plus Chapman, it has USC, UCLA, UCIrvine, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UC Riverside, USD, San Diego State, UCSD to name a few. Also a full conference of NAIA teams including, Concordia, Biola, The Masters, Pt Loma, Cal State San Marcos, USD, and San Diego State. Then add in the rest of the  D2 programs throughout the area. Oh, and let's not forget all of the JC's. Probably 30 or so in the area. I would say that the talent is diluted. The driving distance between these schools would not even demand an overnight stay.

dahlby,
I have absolutely no disagreement with most of what you have posted in this paragraph.
Rather, I completely agree with most all of it, except the "talent" is diluted conclusion. Maybe we are comparing "diluted" in a California sense vs diluted in a Texas sense.
While I don't have comparative numbers, I would venture a guess that Texas has more total programs at the DI, DII and NAIA and JC levels than CA.
But that really isn't my point.
My point is CA., for the number of openings each year in its colleges at all levels,  has an overabundance of talented players for the slots which open.
Texas on the other hand, has a lot of talent, but not nearly the surplus, for scholarship slots open each year in college baseball. It is even more complex in Texas because many of their JC programs are scholarships schools which we know does not exist in CA.
What I am offering  isn't a singular belief and it certainly isn't offered to try and lower the quality of achievement at schools like Chapman, Redlands, Linfield, George Fox and the like. I don't doubt that coaches at a school like Chapman work very hard to find players like Rauh and others. But they don't have far to look and they sure have plenty of supply when it comes to looking.
Every year I talk with coaches who come to the Stanford All Star camp. Plenty of them are DIII coaches. They are there to identify DI caliber players who fall through the cracks in CA.  Plenty of coaches at that Camp, and the number is around 80 or so, will confirm the above. They find the DI players who might slip because of the limited openings in CA. and recruit the heck out of them once they know the NLI time passed, the player didn't sign, and they can confirm DIII has now become a viable option.

[dahlby]

infielddad:

I agree with you. We were going the same direction, just different roads.

Plus K for the explanation.

[Lou Brown]

My sources say:

SCAC: Trinity, Southwestern, Austin, Dallas, Colorado (And some schools that will be annouced soon)


Other conference...possibly called the CAC (which is the old name of the SCAC)

Centre, Sewanee, Rhodes, BSC, Oglethorpe, Millsaps, Hendrix, Berry

You would think they would add 2 more schools for football.

[Ron Boerger]

Come on over to the SCAC football board, Lou, and anyone else who wants to discuss this topic.    That's where the largest discussion seems to be happening.

+1 for your sources.   

[108 Stitches]

Any current news on the realignment or potential new schools?

[jekelish]

No news on the new SCAC, but wanted to share that former Austin College standout shortstop Andy White is playing for the Normal CornBelters of the Independent League, and last night went 2-for-5 and is going to be starting at short the rest of the season. Great news for Andy, who is still pursuing the dream of getting an invite to spring training next year.

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Any current news on the realignment or potential new schools?

Take a look at the d3sports site for some information on the new conference name for the Break away schools:

http://www.d3sports.com/notables/2011/08/new-southern-conference-picks-a-name

[108 Stitches]

Thanks don't really care what the programs are doing once they leave,  . Interested in who may be coming in...