BB: SCIAC: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[C.M.Stag]

It wasn't the SCIAC website's fault. Caltech's own site had them listed as winning both games when I checked it this morning. Whoops

[OxyBob]

From the "Campus Life 5.0" column in the San Bernardino Sun:

The University of Redlands baseball team may be out of the running for a SCIAC championship, but it is in the hunt for an at-large bid to the West Regional.

The Bulldogs (23-14) lost two of three games over the weekend at the Chapman Invitational, with one of those losses to the host team that Redlands beat earlier this season. Now coach Scott Laverty's team needs some help.

Redlands is currently ranked fourth in the West region behind Pomona-Pitzer, Texas-Tyler and Pacific Lutheran. It was ahead of Cal Lutheran, based mainly on strength of schedule, even though the Kingmsen are ahead of Redlands in the SCIAC standings.

Redlands ends the season with a three-game series against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and needs a sweep to retain any hopes. A few losses by Cal Lutheran, which is playing Whittier, would also help.

"I'm not disappointed with this team. I am more disappointed for them because these guys worked so hard," Laverty said. "We just went through a rough spot with our offense at the wrong time."

OxyBob

[LA Mike]

The quote from the SB Sun should not be a basis for including a third or maybe a fourth place SCIAC team in the playoffs.  They lost to Cal Lu, they lost to Chapman. 

The Bulldogs have not been in any polls for several weeks and have lost way too many games that they should have won.   They were listed on several other regional rankings ahead of Cal Lu, but I do not know how that is justified either.  Start the bulldogging again for 2010 and they should win when they are supposed to.

I do not think that Chapman should be in the 2009 playoffs, especially in the west region (their list of dates on the fence will have a break in it but that is OK).  If you need an extra team in some other place, seed them there......Their historical experience should not be a factor in the selection process.

Pick off move coming.......see you again,   LA Mike

[BigPoppa]

LA Mike- I am trying to figure you out. You are opposed to Chapman being in the tourney... you are against Redlands being ranked ahead of others... You push for the SCIAC #2 to be compared to the NWC #2. In my opinion, you are a Cal Lu fan who is upset that CAL Lu is not ranked regionally. While I understand your frustration (as I had them ranked way ahead of Redlands in the West), but you had a chance to really help yourself out last weekend against Pomona-Pitzer and lost two of three.

If I am reading you wrong, I apologize, but I have a feeling I hit this one right on the head.

[IkeepScore]

Ultimately shoulda, woulda, coulda doesn't count in the playoffs, what counts is your pool, your strength of schedule, your win loss record (in region?), and your mental toughness(JOKE!)

[royhobbs]

Big Poppa, the issue in the west is that after P-P and maybe UTT (we'll see), the other teams are all just about equal- G Fox, Pac Lu, Cal Lu, Redlands, Chapman, TLU. Most of these teams split with each other, and you are right that Cal Lu had a chance to drive their point home if they could have taken two. What's happening with the NWC?

[LA Mike]

Mr. Big Poppa, 

The Mr. is for the respect of your opinions over the past few months.  They have been appropriate and mostly correct, just from my observation!   I am not a disgruntled Cal Lu fan, but one that has seen all the SCIAC teams and Chapman in action all season long.   There have been great games all along the trail, and with one weekend left, we are almost at the second game of a double header for 2009......enough to be fired up about!! 

I look at Redlands and Chapman and they do not play like they are better baseball teams than Cal Lu.  Baseball success is consistancy.  My emphasis in teaching the game was to approach the game with a mindset of consistency.

Correct answers from the players were that they were prepared to play, that their performance on the field was consistent with their practice (Our motto, "you play like you practice"), and that they make their plate appearances worth stepping into the box. 

The depth and preparation of the Cal Lu team this season, has been better than the other two, in my opinion.  They were not better than PP and therefore PP should have beat them, as they did twice.  The west region has a tremendous amount of talented teams.  Cal Lu has been consistent all season.  I just cannot see (performance or otherwise) Redlands ahead of Cal Lu and that even though Chapman has been a consistent cog in the playoff process (last 4 years that I have seen), they are not that same level of team this year.  I have seen Pac Lu, but not GF.  PP beat Pac Lu.   If there are two teams from the ASC, that is also OK.   This weekend will tell the tail !!  Throw their #2 into the mix with the other #2's too for the C Pool selection.........(It comes back to "the win" or "the stumble", see below !!)

I am a SCIAC fan and the top teams battle each year.  The teams that do not stumble or have injuries, are in the hunt at the end of the season.   The conference needs to be supported by the best selections to the playoffs-- always some teams will feel like they were left out, but like you have said, to win the games is to hold your own key chain.  To lose games when you should win them, is not the base path to the second season.  Plaayyyyy Baaallllll ------------

Inning over, too many pitches I think !!  LA Mike

PS-- If you like, show me what you see (and what I do not) in UR and CU-       
          information is key to our speculations !

[royhobbs]

So LA Mike, what years did you coach at Cal Tech?

[LA Mike]

So LA Mike, what years did you coach at Cal Tech?

I do not know if you are digging me or offering a compliment.?  I am not Coach John D'Auria (35+ years at Cal Tech).  My son had some interest in applying to Cal Tech and we met with him.  He did not get into the school.  His genuine response was if you get in you will play baseball. 

After being around the team the first year in SCIAC, I wondered what would keep the frustration level down to be the coach that he was.  They play a fair game, but secondary to their purpose at Cal Tech.

An article (Collegiate Baseball) came out last year or the year before that answered alot of questions that were in the back of my mind about him and his program.  You should look it up. 

This year they fielded the best team that I have seen in 5 years-- there have been other comments to this same observation.

Thank you if it was a compliment.   If not research Coach John, he is invested in life, the players and the game, in that order.  I would coach with him in a heart beat.

LA Mike

[BigPoppa]

PS-- If you like, show me what you see (and what I do not) in UR and CU-       
          information is key to our speculations !

LA Mike- I agree with you about Cal Lu being ahead of Redlands. I do not think that Redlands has any business being i the west rankings right now. With that being said, I thought that Cal Lu was, and still is, a bubble team at best... but I cannot see Redlands getting in ahead of them. Honestly, I am not sure either will get in with Hendrix stealing a bid and Millsaps grabbing a Pool C.

[LA Mike]

Big Poppa--   

I agree, and the Regional Rankings #2 just came out.  Now we have to wait again ............. for the weekend games, then the Final Rankings #3, and then the Tourn. Seeding on May 10th..............

I left a post with a question to you and Ralph under the West Region Tourn. 

Thanks,  LA Mike

[chakote]

The quote from the SB Sun should not be a basis for including a third or maybe a fourth place SCIAC team in the playoffs.  They lost to Cal Lu, they lost to Chapman. 

The Bulldogs have not been in any polls for several weeks and have lost way too many games that they should have won.   They were listed on several other regional rankings ahead of Cal Lu, but I do not know how that is justified either.  Start the bulldogging again for 2010 and they should win when they are supposed to.

I do not think that Chapman should be in the 2009 playoffs, especially in the west region (their list of dates on the fence will have a break in it but that is OK).  If you need an extra team in some other place, seed them there......Their historical experience should not be a factor in the selection process.

Pick off move coming.......see you again,   LA Mike

I don't understand the animosity towards Chapman??? for the last 4+ years Chapman has had a very successful program, that is contributed to the coaching staff starting with coach T, and IMHO they have the best pitching coach in the league with coach Edwards. They brought in a great offensive coach in Koosed which he has proven himself to be a very good hitting instructor.

I believe that there is nothing wrong with being a home team homer because I am one but to critisize another team because they have been successful for so many years is wrong.

They have had a very good pitching staff for the last 4+ years, but that has steadily gone down with the loss of Yacko last year,  a year premature because if he wasn't drafted last year we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. But because of there pitching coach being able to bring such a young pitching staff to where they are right now just goes to show you that the leadership on this team is nothing short of being admirable. By losing there #1  2/3rds into the season and being able to even have a chance into post season is once again because of there coaching staff.

Although however it turns out all I can think of is that because of our competitive nature which is taught to us from a very young age. There is no one that remembers who took second place.
But like Churchill said SUCCESS IS NOT FATAL, FAILURE IS NOT FINAL BUT THE COURAGE TO CONTINUE IS WHAT COUNTS!!! No matter how the season turns out whether Cal Lu continues on or if Chapman moves into the post season as long the kids have the courage to continue on is what counts

[BigPoppa]

The quote from the SB Sun should not be a basis for including a third or maybe a fourth place SCIAC team in the playoffs.  They lost to Cal Lu, they lost to Chapman. 

The Bulldogs have not been in any polls for several weeks and have lost way too many games that they should have won.   They were listed on several other regional rankings ahead of Cal Lu, but I do not know how that is justified either.  Start the bulldogging again for 2010 and they should win when they are supposed to.

I do not think that Chapman should be in the 2009 playoffs, especially in the west region (their list of dates on the fence will have a break in it but that is OK).  If you need an extra team in some other place, seed them there......Their historical experience should not be a factor in the selection process.

Pick off move coming.......see you again,   LA Mike

I don't understand the animosity towards Chapman??? for the last 4+ years Chapman has had a very successful program, that is contributed to the coaching staff starting with coach T, and IMHO they have the best pitching coach in the league with coach Edwards. They brought in a great offensive coach in Koosed which he has proven himself to be a very good hitting instructor.

I believe that there is nothing wrong with being a home team homer because I am one but to critisize another team because they have been successful for so many years is wrong.

They have had a very good pitching staff for the last 4+ years, but that has steadily gone down with the loss of Yacko last year,  a year premature because if he wasn't drafted last year we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. But because of there pitching coach being able to bring such a young pitching staff to where they are right now just goes to show you that the leadership on this team is nothing short of being admirable. By losing there #1  2/3rds into the season and being able to even have a chance into post season is once again because of there coaching staff.

Although however it turns out all I can think of is that because of our competitive nature which is taught to us from a very young age. There is no one that remembers who took second place.
But like Churchill said SUCCESS IS NOT FATAL, FAILURE IS NOT FINAL BUT THE COURAGE TO CONTINUE IS WHAT COUNTS!!! No matter how the season turns out whether Cal Lu continues on or if Chapman moves into the post season as long the kids have the courage to continue on is what counts

Well stated, Chakote.

[Jack Parkman]

What team does Churchill coach?

I am pretty bummed to see the West Region standings but again, if Cal Lu won the SCIAC we would not be talking about this.  The 3 games against La Sierra are obviously not helping and now I wonder why they only played Chapman twice.  Nobody to blame but themselves.

[Gray Fox]

What team does Churchill coach?

England, but he retired undefeated.