BB: SCIAC: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[SoCalSoxFan]

Good weekend in the SCIAC for some teams, bad weekend for some, and really bad for others.

Cal Lu is the latest team to fall victim to Caltech and they did it after putting up 21 runs in the first game.  Caltech didn't squeak this game out, they flat out dominated in every phase of the game.  Each SCIAC win for the Beavers over the past few years have been very close games but today was a butt-whooping.  Cal Lu did not play well this week and they have to either get it going or their season is going to go down the toilet in a hurry.  Tip of the cap to the Beavers.

The big series (in my mind) was Chapman/Oxy and it was a great weekend for the Panthers.  Oxy had a 4-1 lead in the 7th on Friday and booted the game away late.  Going back to Eagle Rock today was not kind as Chapman knocked the Oxy pitching all over the place.  Oxy is on a 5 game slide and have given up 46 runs over those 5 games after putting up very strong numbers in the mound up to this point.

Redlands gets right back in the mix by sweeping a struggling Pomona squad.  A lot of offense in the first two games, and a close game to finish the series.  The walk-off winner in game 3 scored on a wild pitch.  Pomona is on a bad path right now and get a struggling Oxy team next weekend.  Must-win series for both.

Whittier scored late in all three games against CMS, but dropped a pair in the series.  Whittier couldn't find the same magic they had up North last weekend, but they still have some time to make up some ground.  Whittier squares off with Chapman next weekend, a series that is always close.

La Verne won all three of their non-conference games and plays a big series with Cal Lu next week.

Chapman and Cal Lu sit atop the standings at this point with 12 games to go for both.  Cal Lu does hold the tie-breaker but there are so many games left for all teams.  We will see what happens.

Good recap... thanks JP

[Teddy_Ballgame]

Redlands gets right back in the mix by sweeping a struggling Pomona squad.  A lot of offense in the first two games, and a close game to finish the series.  The walk-off winner in game 3 scored on a wild pitch.  Pomona is on a bad path right now and get a struggling Oxy team next weekend.  Must-win series for both.

Was on my way back west from Palm Springs and managed to catch the 9th inning of the last Redlands-Pomona game, and what a crazy inning it was. Redlands had a 3-1 lead after 8.

-Kyle Freeman led of the inning for PP with his first career home run to make it a one-run game.

-Jake Patterson-Kahout singles up the middle. Redlands makes a pitching change.

-Jake Lialios pops up in foul territory down the right field line. Patterson takes a couple hard steps off first to try and coax a throw to second. Right fielder doesn't bite and tries to throw it behind Patterson. First baseman appears to block Patterson's path back to first. Umpires deliberate and give Patterson second base. Redlands head coach goes bonkers. Between all the yelling and three separate umpire deliberations, must have been a 10 minute break in the action. Redlands coach (not very politely) asks to be throw out so he can protest the call and get in the umpire's write up. Umpire is happy to oblige. Honestly, I wasn't clear on exactly what was called so I don't know if he had an argument, but it sure was entertaining.

-After a fly out and a walk, a base hit by Jack Damelio plates Patterson to tie up the game. Head to the bottom half tied at 3.

-First two Redlands hitters pop out. Then Anthony Acosta comes up and hits a line drive over the right fielder's head and up the dirt hill in right. Jack Hanley, normally the PP starting catcher, is in right after pinch-hitting the half-inning prior. He played the ball well enough, but you wonder whether a guy with more outfield experience gets the ball in quicker or even makes a play going back, as Acosta is able to stretch it into a triple.

-I remark to the parent next to me that taking third base on a ball behind you with two outs was a risky play. But Acosta made it.

-PP pitcher falls behind 3-1 on the next hitter. With first base open and the winning run on third, no reason to give Renteria (Redlands 3-hole hitter) anything to hit. As I mention to the parent next to me, throw another breaking ball but just make sure it's something your catcher can handle. Welp. Sure enough, curve ball in the dirt that the catcher had no chance of coming up with, and Acosta (who daringly took the extra base on the triple) is able to score. Game over.

Tough way to lose, especially trying to avoid the sweep. PP will have to regroup and right the ship, but still can make noise and claw their way back into the top 4 if they can be more consistent.

Astonishingly, Pomona and Whitter are tied in conference winning percentage with Cal Tech at the moment.

[MIFDad]

It's hard to imagine Cal Lu and Chapman not making the postseason at this point, but the other two slots are wide open, and may stay that way until the final weekend.  Not exactly parity but closer to that than in recent seasons, from what I have seen, especially with Caltech taking a game from Cal Lu.

[Teddy_Ballgame]

Not a great look for our rivals across Sixth Street:

https://tsl.news/cms-baseball-team-lands-one-week-suspension-as-schools-investigate-weekend-conduct/?fbclid=IwAR2XOjXhkTM9uRM6-3PmXW9ZBL13PQsLDG-ZOHIiFEHRemKrb8eaP2dfkEw

CMS baseball gets a one week suspension for alleged hazing activities last weekend. Hopefully nothing dangerous, sexual, etc. and it gets resolved appropriately. CMS had been playing well of late, this would certainly seem to halt that momentum.

[Jack Parkman]

Not a great look for our rivals across Sixth Street:

https://tsl.news/cms-baseball-team-lands-one-week-suspension-as-schools-investigate-weekend-conduct/?fbclid=IwAR2XOjXhkTM9uRM6-3PmXW9ZBL13PQsLDG-ZOHIiFEHRemKrb8eaP2dfkEw

CMS baseball gets a one week suspension for alleged hazing activities last weekend. Hopefully nothing dangerous, sexual, etc. and it gets resolved appropriately. CMS had been playing well of late, this would certainly seem to halt that momentum.

Wow, that is a really bad deal for all involved. Looks like another NWC school get screwed by the SCIAC (Pacific football having Oxy cancel a game last year). Sounds like it's either really serious or the school is getting out in front of it and taking immediate action in case things do come up that are very serious.

[MIFDad]

I am going to out myself as a proud parent of a CMS player on this mostly anonymous bulletin board because I don't want these statements to be there for folks to read without a response.

Unless multiple kids are flat out lying to their parents, the incident in question could not be honestly called hazing. A couple poor choices were made during a baseball party that was held in the open, on campus, and in view of campus security and cameras. There was nothing mean, sexual, demeaning, or involving bullying.

I support the administration's effort to get in front of this, and as parents we are hoping that the administration finishes its investigation quickly, that it acts fairly, and that  everyone who has read about this as "hazing" is informed of the true nature of the incidents.

[Teddy_Ballgame]

I am going to out myself as a proud parent of a CMS player on this mostly anonymous bulletin board because I don't want these statements to be there for folks to read without a response.

Unless multiple kids are flat out lying to their parents, the incident in question could not be honestly called hazing. A couple poor choices were made during a baseball party that was held in the open, on campus, and in view of campus security and cameras. There was nothing mean, sexual, demeaning, or involving bullying.

I support the administration's effort to get in front of this, and as parents we are hoping that the administration finishes its investigation quickly, that it acts fairly, and that  everyone who has read about this as "hazing" is informed of the true nature of the incidents.

MIFDad - appreciate your post. Easy for imaginations to run wild in this situation. Since posting the article, I've separately heard secondhand rumors about what happened and they're consistent with your characterization. Dumb choices, perhaps, but nothing like what folks worry most about when they hear of a "hazing" incident (and I'm also confused as to how the term "hazing" was applied to the incident).

[MIFDad]

Thanks, Teddy.  I appreciate that.  I do not know how that term came to be used, but I hope the powers-that-be make it crystal clear that the usage was not correct.  It's become an  odious term, for good reason.

[Purple Heys]

Despite losing G1 at home to Caltech; Whittier regroups from being down 5-1 in G2 at Pasadena, to winning in extras 8-6; then taking the decisive G3 4-0 to clinch the series and deny the Beavers the  series win.

Whittier has to breathe a sigh of relief to have avoided the ignominious distinction, but the fact of the matter is Caltech is more competitive than ever.  Gone are the 5+ errors per game and multiple walks that routinely escorted opponents to mercy rule wins.  Come ready to play baseball against Caltech.  It’s a good thing for the conference.

Whittier had to grind this series out and were fortunate to get away with the series win, but they were without the services of their #1 pitcher - who likely would’ve made a difference in G1.

[Ralph Turner]

I viewed the Caltech home page here on D3baseball.com and saw this news release.

April 1, 2019
Caltech Beats '17 National Champs CLU for First Time in Over 50 Years
The Caltech Baseball team made history once again this year, this time scoring perhaps the biggest victory since the program's formative years nearly a century ago.

No, it is not an April Fool's joke.

Congrats to Cal Tech

[Purple Heys]

I viewed the Caltech home page here on D3baseball.com and saw this news release.

April 1, 2019
Caltech Beats '17 National Champs CLU for First Time in Over 50 Years
The Caltech Baseball team made history once again this year, this time scoring perhaps the biggest victory since the program's formative years nearly a century ago.

No, it is not an April Fool's joke.

Congrats to Cal Tech

With 5 conference wins over 5 different teams, Caltech is no joke.

[Ralph Turner]

I viewed the Caltech home page here on D3baseball.com and saw this news release.

April 1, 2019
Caltech Beats '17 National Champs CLU for First Time in Over 50 Years
The Caltech Baseball team made history once again this year, this time scoring perhaps the biggest victory since the program's formative years nearly a century ago.

No, it is not an April Fool's joke.

Congrats to Cal Tech

With 5 conference wins over 5 different teams, Caltech is no joke.

I am reminded of a comment that Texas Longhorn head coach Darrell Royal made in 1961 after his #1 ranked team was upset by TCU.

″(TCU) is like a bunch of cockroaches. It's not what they eat and tote off, it's what they fall into and mess up that hurts."

There may be a team or two that looks at that Cal Tech loss as a coulda/shoulda/woulda game.

[Jack Parkman]

Final week of the SCIAC season coming up and the top 4 spots are still to be determined, but the picture is a little more clear than it was last week.

Chapman is the only school that has clinched a birth in the SCIAC Tournament, but their seed is still up in the air.  They finish with Caltech and need 1 win in that series to be the #1 seed in the tourney.  Claremont needs a lot to happen in front of them and they must win the La Verne series at a minimum to get in.

La Verne needs 1 win to clinch a spot as they finish up with Claremont.

Oxy needs to beat Redlands once, and have Claremont lose 2/3 to get in, but if Oxy takes more than 1 game from Redlands, they are in.

Cal Lu needs any combination of a win against Whittier, or 1 Claremont loss to La Verne to get in.

Claremont needs to take 2/3 from La Verne and have Oxy get swept by Redlands to get in over Oxy.  They only have the tie-breaker against Oxy.

Tie-Breaker Scenarios:
Chapman has the tie-breaker over La Verne and Oxy
La Verne has the tie-breaker over Oxy and Cal Lu
Oxy has a tie-breaker over Cal Lu
Cal Lu has a tie-breaker over Chapman.

Friday could set the participants for the tourney, with Saturday determining the seeds.

I think that is right......

[MIFDad]

If CMS sweeps LV they would both be 14-10 and CMS would have the tie-breaker so they would be in, right?

But what if that happens AND Oxy loses 2/3 vs. Redlands AND Cal Lu loses 2/3 vs. Whittier - then you'd have 4 teams tied for 2nd at 14-10.

Which of the 4 goes home?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[SoCal OG]

Updated rankings

West    In-Division Record    Overall Record
1    Chapman    27-9    27-9
2    Trinity (Texas)    29-8    30-9
3    La Verne    27-10    27-10
4    Occidental    25-12    25-12
5    Texas Lutheran    29-10    29-10
6    Concordia University Texas    29-10    29-10
7    Cal Lutheran    24-13    24-13