BB: SCIAC: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Jack Parkman]

Congratulations to Whittier for taking care of business.  Beavers out hit the Poets, but the lack of timely hits allowing the Poets best pitcher in lefty Garcia to remain on the hill for 8 innings was too much to overcome.

The Beavers failure to turn the double play in the fourth, and missing the opportunity to keep the score at 2 to 1 thru the 6th, together with the bad 4 run 6 inning, was the Beaver's downfall.

Again Congrats to Whittier on the W.

Proud of the entire Caltech Beaver baseball program for the substantial improvement over the past few years.  Glad I will be around three more years to watch the continued improvement despite the terrible odds these players face that few truly appreciate or understand.  Yeah, they knew what they were getting into when they chose Caltech, but still very proud of each and every Beaver student athlete on the roster.

More arms are on the way, and we will see all you SCIAC brothers next year.

Good Luck to both Occidental and Cal Lutheran in securing two bids to the Regionals.

A question for SCIAC insiders...

What is the difference in Cal Tech's baseball program and its record versus MIT's record over the last several decades?

(This has got to be a multi-factorial issue.)

This might sound crazy but I think MIT gets a ton of kids from the East Coast to stay there and they draw a lot from the West.  Caltech might (somehow) have trouble keeping kids from the West Coast to stay there. 

Caltech has always had trouble fielding a large (numbers wise) team and depth really hurts them in a 3 game series.

[Appalachian Mtns]

Not a SCIAC insider, but I suspect MIT has been allowed to recruit more players with a 5000 enrollment for a substantial longer period of time than Caltech with an enrollment of less than 1000

Having match-ups of 15 roster team versus 25 roster team is hard to overcome and nearly impossible playing a 35 roster team.

Fortunately the current coach is doing an excellent job recruiting and building Caltech's program as a SCIAC charter member and baseball playing program since 1909, and will probably end up with close to a 20 roster team next year, hopefully closing the disadvantage gap.

Not complaining, because it is Caltech's choice and mission to limit admissions.  Just grateful that they are now allowing the coach to recruit to build a better team. 

Personally, I think the Caltech coach needs to take more Krispy Kreme donuts on a regular basis to the admissions office. 😊

However I am just a clueless east coast fan of the Beavers and SCIAC, and maybe Caltech allowed other coaches in the past to recruit players for a 25 to a 35 roster team, but I seriously doubt it.  I know the numbers were a huge concern for us during our recruiting visit when a 13 dressed roster team played a 35 roster La Verne in Feb of 2015.  However we made the right decision.  We just have to redefine success, and alter our goals. 

[Purple Heys]

I am interested to see how interested Cal Tech's coach is in wanting to continue the uphill battle.  How much longer can his psyche take it?  I don't care what the rationale is...losing sucks. Losing always sucks. He has proven what he can do with the limitations he has.  At what point does an AD take note of this and attempt to lure him away with (pick) Better Talent, more money, more liberal recruiting, a legitimate chance at not merely winning a league game, but rather winning a league. At what point does he accept...what happens when that AD comes by and says, "what will it take?"
.

[Appalachian Mtns]

Valid questions and concerns, especially for Caltech, but probably also for other SCIAC programs not named Cal Lutheran, La Verne, Pomona Pitzer in recent SCIAC championship history.  Glad Oxy broke through after nearly 30 years - great story.  Newbie Chapman and Redlands always a threat

Caltech is just not on the same level athletically as other SCIAC programs.  I get it.  But it is closer today than yesterday.  Amazed Caltech has only had 9 coaches since 1909, and grateful the current coach remains at the helm today, and wish nothing but the best for him and his family in his future endeavors.  Just glad his immediate future is with Caltech until he decides it isn't. 

Programs want their coaches to be coveted.  That is a good thing.  Whether it is improving statistically and narrowing the gap in results, or improving a program from a sub 500 team to finishing in the top half of the conference once every decade.

You are right, losing sucks and it is extremely difficult.  We have had people say that about other non-Caltech programs, why consider that program?, they are a 500 program without a legitimate shot to be contenders.  I get it.  However I do not consider the  fine young men from Whittier competing and attending an excellent school who will go on to fabulous careers at NASA, Wall Street, and other industries or government to be losers, just because they do not have a legitimate shot to make it to Appleton or regularly compete for the SCIAC championship. I know you did not call the players losers, but there are those that do.

I feel the same about Caltech players.  Just as you posted a while back, you recognized the character of players who continue to compete, obtain an excellent education while making life long friends competing with their teammates and coaches, and becoming acquaintances with other SCIAC coaches and players, whether playing for a winless team, a sub 500 team, or a Cal Lutheran.  So, in the long run, I do not consider them losers, and I no you do not either.  Maybe it is just an ill conceived rational, but that is how I feel.  So, for those who want to get rid of Caltech, there are those out there that feel the same about many programs who do not realistically have a shot to compete for a conference championship.  I disagree with thise people.

Aside from family, alma mater, geography, or other reasons, I suspect their isn't a SCIAC coach who wouldn't jump at the opportunity to coach at a Cal Lutheran, Trinity, Marietta, type of school.  Or "jump" up to D2, or take a D1 job.  We are talking about D3 baseball, and even if it is just D3 baseball, it is a good thing for other programs to want your coach.

And for whatever reason, if a coach wants to stick around and improve a program that doesn' have a shot of getting to Appleton, then I think that is great, and I am grateful that ours is where he is today.

[Purple Heys]

One of my other kids played on a D3 team in a league where they faced many of the same circumstances as Cal Tech does.  This led to a terrible multi-year losing streak in league play where they were undermanned every week.  They won non-league games, and they had an overtime loss and several close losses in league play where but for a single play or two they would have won several of them.  They had respect from their league peers.  They were recognized as a threat.

It was not until his Senior Day that they finally broke through.  Their smiles, the release of years of frustration, the elation was memorable.  He told me that the AD left the scoreboard on all night, and that at midnight he and his buddies grabbed a bench and took it out to midfield and cracked open beers and celebrated...and were joined out there by their AD.  A memory he will keep forever.  My son was 1st Team All-League and D3 1st Team All-Region.  He was a national leader in a couple of categories at his position.  He had a great year

In a couple of years following, he did say, "wish we could've won more."   See, losing truly does suck.  It does not make you a loser.

Next week following their win, they got blown out at their rival's place and the coach got fired.

And this leads me back to my main point...Coaches are in this as a profession, not like high school where it is a stipend position.  Winning is the measurement of success, not moral victories.  At a place like Cal Tech they have a realistic perspective on the prospects of winning.  But most Coaches are in the profession to win.  Maybe Coach Mark is a rare breed and he has "Coach for Life" status at Cal Tech and a compensation package that enables him an agreeable lifestyle.  He is making a difference, and that may be his definition of winning.  Having job security before your 30's in the Coaching profession is a golden benefit.  But look 30 years out, does he look back and say, yeah, I'm the all-time losingest coach in D3 history, but it was worth it.

[108 Stitches]

Sorry but let's be real. Caltech should be a club program. It has no place in the SCIAC. It is a marvelous school and tradition and if my son could have gone there I would have HIGHLY encouraged him to and AM should be so proud to have his son there. Three cheers! ...but due to demographics it will never win many (if any) games.

It basically wastes a weekend for the other SCIAC teams, and brings down everyone else' SoS which we all know the West has a tough time keeping up due to the distances. Go club and play UCLA, USC and some of the other solid club programs and actually have some fun and win a few games.

No disrespect JMO.

[Appalachian Mtns]

Great story, thanks for sharing.  Understood.

I suspect Coach Mark is recruiting and coaching to win, and some believe he is getting closer to turning the program around similar to the early stages prior to the basketball turning its program around.  I also suspect that he will not be at Caltech for 30 years, but hopefully he will be at Caltech longer to continue building the program. 

Rest assured, Coach Mark will not be the losingest D3 coach of 30 years.  I suspect at some point in time, he will win at Caltech, and move on after he believes he has built the program to its highest potential level of achievement, or gets an offer that is too good to refuse.  I think, he thinks he can accomplish more at Caltech, and I am confident he will.  The more he turns the program around, the better for him.  It is a win-win situation for coach and school.

I understand your point about coaching is a profession and that coaches are in it to win.  My point is that the same questions and concerns apply to a hypothetical coach in a league with a sub 500 record over a period of 10+ years without a championship, but also without the inherent obstacles the Caltech coach is starting to overcome.  The same losing sucks that applies to a winless program making headway statistically closer to possible wins, equally applies in other's opinions, to a consistent sub 500 program without the same inherent obstacles which can't a championship.

So your original point is valid, and yes I do recognize the possibility that Coach Mark will move on some day, hopefully with a resume entry of turning around Caltech's program.  My point is that the your same questions and concerns that apply to Caltech's coach can equally apply to the Whittier coach who has been there 18 years without a championship.  Caltech would love to have the wins and results that the Whittier coach has achieved, but at the same time, other programs would view such wins and results as unacceptable.  Fortunately, for various reasons both coaches have decided to stay where they are for now with patient administrations, and continue to coach and mold young men to be better ball players, students and individuals.

[Appalachian Mtns]

108 Stitches:

Thank you for sharing your opinion, and I respect it, but I disagree.

It is possible the same could have been said about Caltech's basketball program, but look at that turn around.

Give this new Athletic Director and Coach Mark some more time.  Let them eventually get to a roster between 20 and 25, and you will see some wins.

And no disrespect, but blaming 3 games (mostly) against a charter member of the conference as a reason it fails to get in the tournament is horse hockey.  If you think you deserve to run with the big Dogs in a mighty D3 division, put on your big boy pants and go schedule some national competition.  That is you problem, not a me problem.  No disrespect.  JMHO.

[Sluggerdad]

Clearly  Cal Tech is at a tremendous disadvantage in the SCIAC.  Only the Claremont schools come close to being as hard to get in as Cal Tech.  Not only that but  Cal Tech students are all taking demanding stem majors -- making the challenge of finding strong student athletes even more daunting.  At many places stem majors tend to shy away from intercollegiate athletics.   And add on top of that  Cal Tech is the smallest school in the conference.   It's as if Harvey Mudd had to compete on its on in intercollegiate athletics.   Fortunately for Harvey Mudd it doesn't have to do that. 

Then look at it from the other end at a school like Cal Lu.  Cal Lu runs its program in what I suspect is a quite different way from Cal Tech.    It brings in 20-25 recruited Frosh a year, cuts a good number of them after fall tryouts, places most of the remainder of them on the JV squad for an extended tryout, and places only the very best of them on varsity.   They also heavily recruit JC transfers and also D1 and D2 drop-downs.  Nearly a quarter of this  year's varsity roster are transfer students with JC,  D2 and D1 experience.   Tough for a highly selective, small school with all stem majors to compete with that.  This approach seems to enable them to be in constant "reloading"  rather than "rebuilding"  mode from year to year.

Not saying all SCIAC schools are cut from the same cloth.  There is certainly a spectrum -- as in any conference.  The Claremont schools are closer to Cal Tech than to Cal Lu in many ways and they are way more competitive.  But they've got each other, and a broader range of students, taking a broader range of majors,  to help boost their chances of finding competitive student athletes. 

[Purple Heys]

Sorry but let's be real. Caltech should be a club program. It has no place in the SCIAC.

Do not concur.  Cal Tech's biggest problem is geographic.  Are they out of their league..basically, yes.  But there are leagues and D3 teams with which they match up favorably.  Unfortunately, the West Coast is sparsely populated by D3 institutions.  I wonder how they would stack up with some of the NAIA schools in the region...some of those are pretty bad.

[Gray Fox]

Their philosophy is approved by the other schools.  It's not just about sports.

[Jack Parkman]

SCIAC Tournament preview:

http://www.oxyathletics.com/sports/bsb/2015-16/releases/20160504n0pln5

" the Tigers come into the SCIAC Tournament as the top seed and one of the best teams in the country."

Damn, I guess they should just forget about playing this weekend.

[Ralph Turner]

Sorry but let's be real. Caltech should be a club program. It has no place in the SCIAC.

Do not concur.  Cal Tech's biggest problem is geographic.  Are they out of their league..basically, yes.  But there are leagues and D3 teams with which they match up favorably.  Unfortunately, the West Coast is sparsely populated by D3 institutions.  I wonder how they would stack up with some of the NAIA schools in the region...some of those are pretty bad.

I have wondered if we were to drop CIT into the middle of New England so they could play teams from the middle and lower standings in the NECC, NAC, CCC and GNAC. I imagine the coach could cherry-pick a winning record in that region. (Yes, top programs in those conferences are top programs in the region.)

[108 Stitches]

SCIAC Tournament preview:

http://www.oxyathletics.com/sports/bsb/2015-16/releases/20160504n0pln5

" the Tigers come into the SCIAC Tournament as the top seed and one of the best teams in the country."

Damn, I guess they should just forget about playing this weekend.

Southwestern showed in the SCAC tournament that it is not about your record coming in, just how you perform in your tournament. Tournament baseball has a whole nother" dimension and intensity level, and the teams that play under pressure well are the ones that come through. That is why a strong SoS really helps IMO.

I plan on checking out the video feeds just to see what is happening.

[108 Stitches]

Redlands leads Oxy 1-0 in the top of 3 and the game is under rain delay.

Chapman leads CLU 5-5 top 8.
The webcast is pretty good with three camera's and a decent announcer.  In the "take it for what it's worth" department he said that Slimak felt the best two teams in the SCIAC tournament were CLU and Chapman. Chapman scored 3 on errors and CLU just scored 2 on a throwing error. Up until this inning CLU had been leaving lots of guys on base.
Chapman 5-5-1
CLU         5-14-2