BB: SCIAC: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Ralph Turner]

Big Poppa, one thing that I wonder is that there are so many baseball players in California.  The population of California is so great, that I would expect plenty of talent on a per capita basis.

Also,  I would expect some of the talent coming out of the JUCO's would realize that they are not going to the majors, and then would concentrate on getting their education.

Also, the opportunity to attempt a prestigeous academic program and play ball might make it attractive.

[BigPoppa]

Also,  I would expect some of the talent coming out of the JUCO's would realize that they are not going to the majors, and then would concentrate on getting their education.

Ralph, good points, but I have coached JUCO and NAIA in So Cal and most every JUCO player thinks he is either getting drafted or signing a scholarship. Looking at the rosters of the SCIAC schools, I would bet that there are very few JUCO kids, if any. Most JUCO kids here will take a partial ride to a tiny school in the middle of nowhere (Kansas, North Dakota, etc.) rather than "lose face" and stay and play for a quality school like Cal Lu, Chapman, Pomona, LaVerne, etc... It's sad, but I see it every year.

I know of many kids who left a program they were playing in to sit the bench at another where the coach had "connections." Maybe I am wrong, but I wanted to play in the games.

California JUCOs are also raided by most D1 school in the nation. We routinely had coaches from 50-100 D1 schools at the fall showcases. D3 coaches did not waste their time recruiting those showcases becaue they had no $$$ to offer a kid. When I was coaching an NAIA school, I lived for the JUCO showcase to try to scoop up players that fell through the D1 cracks and the D3 coaches were not there to compete for those same kids.

[Ralph Turner]

Also,  I would expect some of the talent coming out of the JUCO's would realize that they are not going to the majors, and then would concentrate on getting their education.

Ralph, good points, but I have coached JUCO and NAIA in So Cal and most every JUCO player thinks he is either getting drafted or signing a scholarship. Looking at the rosters of the SCIAC schools, I would bet that there are very few JUCO kids, if any. Most JUCO kids here will take a partial ride to a tiny school in the middle of nowhere (Kansas, North Dakota, etc.) rather than "lose face" and stay and play for a quality school like Cal Lu, Chapman, Pomona, LaVerne, etc... It's sad, but I see it every year.

I know of many kids who left a program they were playing in to sit the bench at another where the coach had "connections." Maybe I am wrong, but I wanted to play in the games.

California JUCOs are also raided by most D1 school in the nation. We routinely had coaches from 50-100 D1 schools at the fall showcases. D3 coaches did not waste their time recruiting those showcases becaue they had no $$$ to offer a kid. When I was coaching an NAIA school, I lived for the JUCO showcase to try to scoop up players that fell through the D1 cracks and the D3 coaches were not there to compete for those same kids.

Very cogent post!  Thanks Big Poppa.  Those JUCO kids are going all over the country!

[pomonaalum]

CLU used to have a bunch of JUCOs, LaVerne and Redlands had a number as well.  Don't know if that is changing at all.
May be some academic issues at play with some of the JUCO kids as well.  From a financial standpoint, it's also a big jump from a JUCO to a 4-year state school, not to mention to a private university or college.

There is an unbelievable amount of baseball talent just in the Southland region.  By the team kids reach the college level, they generally have played much more baseball than kids from the Midwest or East Coast.  From high school to summer ball to fall ball - the weather certainly helps.  It was one of the big reasons I ended up at Pomona...

[BigPoppa]

Pomonaalum... where did originally start if you eneded up landing at Pomona? I can only assume it was out of state?

[pomonaalum]

Went to HS on the East Coast, entered Pomona as a freshman.  One of the primary draws was being able to play baseball year round, and not have to play basically your entire conference schedule compressed into one week in March in Florida...I still remember being amazed at the start of practice being in early January - a novel concept for someone used to being on frozen fields until March at the earliest.

[BigPoppa]

I know the wonders of baseball without snow flurries... I grew up and played my college ball in the midwest.

[BigPoppa]

Chapman and Cal Lutheran squared off in a three game series this weekend and Chapman took 2 of 3 winning the opener 7-3... Cal Lutheran came back to beat them 11-10 in the second game and Chapman took the third game 6-4. It's nice to have baseball back again.

[pomonaalum]

Looks like Pomona-Pitzer took 2 of 3 from Lewis & Clark.  Chapman coming up next weekend - should be a good test of where they are.

[Tom Brady]

My guess of where they will be.......getting dominated by Chapmans #13 (Klovsted or close to that).  I watched the guy pitch the other day and he is good.  Chapman did not impress me all that much, but neither did Cal Lu.  I guess their bats woke up on Sat.  Now it looks like they forgot to take their gloves.

[Tom Brady]

Any other scores to report???

[Sabretooth Tiger]

Oxy's website reports that the Tigers beat Simpson College (CA) 3-2 and 14-4 this past Saturday.  I've never heard of Simpson.  They played the alumni game on Sunday.  Don't know how that went.

This weekend, Oxy hosts Willamette for a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday.  I imagine that this will be a better test for the Tigers as an indicator of how they will fare against their opponents this year. 

[Ralph Turner]

Simpson University, Redding CA in the California Pacific AC. NAIA-2

http://naia.collegesports.com/member-services/about/CaliforniaPacificAthletic.htm

[Tom Brady]

Wow, what to step up the competition Oxy.
Whats next?  A 3 game series with Cal Tech

[rbaikie]

NAIA-2 refers to Region 2-

NAIA is now only one division in pretty much everything except basketball.

Simpson technically is playing for the same playoff berths as Azusa, Biola, The Masters, and Westment, etc.

And fyi - Oxy does play 2 games against Cal Tech this year per Cal Tech's schedule!