BB: SCIAC: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[BigPoppa]

  Chapman will only make it a better conference. I know how good the SCIAC is but I think the rest of the nation sees it as behind the WIAC, NJAC, OAC etc. I am looking at these conferences as traditionally strong and not just recently.

[dahlby]

Yes, it is true that Chapman will only make the SCIAC a stronger conference. But, it has been a strong conference for quite a few years already. Just take a look at the teams that have come out to the west coast for the past several years and had their hands full. I am not saying that any of the conferences in the midwest and east are not premier, I am only saying that the premier "back east" teams come out here and have their hands full, and several coaches have told me that they come out here to show their teams what they must do to compete on a national level. Going into this year, the SCIAC will be tough, even without Chapman being able to win the auto bid. I think that next year, when the SCIAC goes to a post seaswon tourney, that those games will be of a national tourney level. Just my opinion.

[CrashDavisD3]

Chapman 10 Whittier 4 
http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2011-12/releases/20120204gnarcl

[BigPoppa]

You must also realize that when the east coast teams play in the west, they are just hitting the field for the first time while the west coast teams are 15-20 games into their schedules already.

[108 Stitches]

This is true BigPoppa, and you also have time lag, travel issues. The West and Southern teams also have to deal with being done 2-3 weeks earlier and having to sit around for the Regionals and lose their edge. You also have to deal with the DIII lack of seeding so you get powerhouse Southwest and Western teams who have to fight each other in the West Regional and never get a chance to get to Appleton, even though in some cases they may be a better team than some others that are there. Hey at least baseball season is kicking off and we can talk baseball!!!

[BBFan62]

You must also realize that when the east coast teams play in the west, they are just hitting the field for the first time while the west coast teams are 15-20 games into their schedules already.

We face this situation when we go to Florida 3/10. We open at the UAA tournament with a double header 3/11 against Wash U and the Case Western, both recognized as strong teams this year. In both cases we will be their 12th games while they will be our first and second games.

We use to have 4 games in Florida before the tournament but now, because the tournament is 8 games and RIT has entered our league starting this year we just have to face it and our guys need to just "get 'er done".

[motorman]

That was the situation in the Mideast Regional last year too. Two top ten teams from the same conference in Marietta and Heidelberg and the NCAA keeps them together in the same Regional and moved other teams out. Would have been nice to see if they were the two best teams in the country instead of just the two best in the region.

[dahlby]

In the first of a twin bill at Whittier:

Chapman...7-12-1
Whittier.....6-10-3

WP: McGee
Went 6 innings
7 hits
3 runs
1 BB's
7 KO's

Whittier took the nightcap 12-4.

[CA_dreamin]

Whittier had the tying run at second in bottom of the ninth in the first game.  Came that close to the opening Saturday DH sweep of Chapman that they did last year.  Whittier has a knack for starting out strong.  Took one from PP the following weekend last year, too.

[CrashDavisD3]

Chapman has a habit of getting beat by Whittier every year but ended up 2nd and 3rd at the NCAA Championship when that happens.

2011 - Chapman lost 2 of 3 to Whitter but gets to game 15 at the NCAA Championship game and finishes 2nd.
2010 - Chapman sweeps 3 from Whittier but loses 2 in West Regional and gets eliminated
2009 - Chapman lost of 2 of 3 to Whittier but gets to game 13 at the NCAA Champion and finishes 3rd. 1 win away from Championship day

[Jack Parkman]

Oddly, I find myself eager to see how Oxy plays this weekend. They are 2-0 against weak competition, but they piled up 30 runs in a DH. They have 3 games with Whitworth this weekend and, though not a great opponent, could give us more insight into Oxy's team this year. If they continue to pile up runs, they could catch some teams off-guard in the SCIAC this year.

Did the 1-2 weekend answer that question?  They scored 11 runs over 3 games this weekend against a team that is middle of the NWC at best.  Not too impressive.

[CrashDavisD3]

Great matchup on Saturday. Both could be in the West Regional in May...Chapmans Rauh should be pitching. Last game over 2 dozen scouts were at the Chapman/Whittier as Rauh struck on 6 in 5 innings last time out.

#2 Chapman(3-1) @ #20 Redlands(1-0) 1 PM PT
LIVE STATS LINK
http://livestats.prestosports.com/redlands/

[wildcat11]

Oddly, I find myself eager to see how Oxy plays this weekend. They are 2-0 against weak competition, but they piled up 30 runs in a DH. They have 3 games with Whitworth this weekend and, though not a great opponent, could give us more insight into Oxy's team this year. If they continue to pile up runs, they could catch some teams off-guard in the SCIAC this year.

Did the 1-2 weekend answer that question?  They scored 11 runs over 3 games this weekend against a team that is middle of the NWC at best.  Not too impressive.

I think Whitworth is going to scrap all season long but I think Jack is right...The Rats should be a middle of the pack squad.

[Jack Parkman]

Oddly, I find myself eager to see how Oxy plays this weekend. They are 2-0 against weak competition, but they piled up 30 runs in a DH. They have 3 games with Whitworth this weekend and, though not a great opponent, could give us more insight into Oxy's team this year. If they continue to pile up runs, they could catch some teams off-guard in the SCIAC this year.

Did the 1-2 weekend answer that question?  They scored 11 runs over 3 games this weekend against a team that is middle of the NWC at best.  Not too impressive.

And the not very impressive title rolls on.  Oxy split with Austin yesterday and that looks like an absolutley awful loss.  Austin has been crushed so far this year and now Oxy heads into a tough stretch with the SCIAC starting.  It would not surprise me one bit if Oxy lost their next 9 in a row.

Chapman and Redlands played a close one yesterday and Rauh looked to be in good form after his shaky start last week.  I think these 2 are by far the class of the SCIAC with Pomona possibly dropping one to Whittier and Cal Lutheran splitting with Claremont yesterday.  After seeing how the Pomona/Whittier game finishes up I will update my officially unoffical SCIAC rankings.

[CrashDavisD3]

Oddly, I find myself eager to see how Oxy plays this weekend. They are 2-0 against weak competition, but they piled up 30 runs in a DH. They have 3 games with Whitworth this weekend and, though not a great opponent, could give us more insight into Oxy's team this year. If they continue to pile up runs, they could catch some teams off-guard in the SCIAC this year.

Did the 1-2 weekend answer that question?  They scored 11 runs over 3 games this weekend against a team that is middle of the NWC at best.  Not too impressive.

And the not very impressive title rolls on.  Oxy split with Austin yesterday and that looks like an absolutley awful loss.  Austin has been crushed so far this year and now Oxy heads into a tough stretch with the SCIAC starting.  It would not surprise me one bit if Oxy lost their next 9 in a row.

Chapman and Redlands played a close one yesterday and Rauh looked to be in good form after his shaky start last week.  I think these 2 are by far the class of the SCIAC with Pomona possibly dropping one to Whittier and Cal Lutheran splitting with Claremont yesterday.  After seeing how the Pomona/Whittier game finishes up I will update my officially unoffical SCIAC rankings.

Another solid performance by Rauh. 9 Innings 1 earned run, NO WALKS, 6 K's. Rauh ERA for the season is now at 0.64 with 12 k's in 14 innings. Chapman had 3 errors in the Redlands game and gave up 2 unearned runs to make the game close.

Chapman stills needs to prove their #4,5,6,7,8,9 pitchers can keep games close. This will be key for games with George Fox, Linfield, Trinity, Pac Lu series they have and the playoff games. I fully expect Chapman to get stronger as the season goes with their performances peaking towards the end of the season.

In innings Rauh has not pitched Chapman pitchers have given up 28  runs. Team ERA is now at 5.44


Chapman continues to hit well enough to win games with different players stepping up each game to hit well.