BB: SCIAC: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Browneagle64]

Looks like our very own SCIAC school, the University of La Verne, is doing a great job in getting the school noticed at  big Baseball stadiums this summer.
After watching my Lakers Lose game 1 of the finals on T.V., I flipped over to the Dodger game and was siked to see that the Leo's had two nice looking banners behind home plate (word has it that the two signs at Angel stadium are rather large and can be seen from the nearby freeway).  Great to see that the money I used for grad. school is being used in good ways.  I am sure such signs like these can help out the Leo's baseball team for future recruits.

[Browneagle64]

Congratulations to SCIAC co-champ Kurt Yacko from Chapman U. who will be headin to the Colorado Rockies system after being taken at No. 257 in the MLB draft.

Although, I will never root for the Rockies in my Life, I am glad to see that Mr. Yacko will be joining Cal Lu's Jason Hirsh (former D3/ So. Cal Baseball players) in playing with the Big Boys in the Bigs. Hope to see these guys on the field sometime in the future against my Dodgers. 

From M.L.B.com

  Click here

Gotta Love the funky music that goes along with Yacko's highlight film.

Thanks for the link. Modified for formatting  -- Ralph Turner

[Browneagle64]

The awards keep coming in, yet, this time great news for the poet baseball team:
OF Charles Acker ( Sr.) was named to the  ABCA/Rawlings  NCAA Divison 3 National Gold Glove Award winners list. Congratulations to Charles in representing the Poets and the SCIAC.

[beachlover]

Congratulations also to Thomas Phelps, Whittier RHP who was drafted in the 38th round by the Orioles.  Mike Vass of Chapman went in the 35th round to Milwaukee.

[Gray Fox]

Congratulations also to Thomas Phelps, Whittier RHP who was drafted in the 38th round by the Orioles.  Mike Vass of Chapman went in the 35th round to Milwaukee.

Phelps did not make all SCIAC.

[gatekeper43]

Summer wood bat league is going full tilt and the games are exciting!! NECBL has some of the top talent of the DIII world as well as the DII and DI.
After watching the game last night and the underdog Fresno State beating Georgia handely and boy did they make a statement. I guess it goes to show you that once a team gets into the regionals and deeper into the tournaments the W/L means nothing, for instance once Chapman who was rated #1 for the last 10 weeks of the season and lost in CBWS after only winning 1 game, I guess that I am as guilty as the next guy to realize that I take for granted the W/L record means that they are going to win everything, but guite the opposite. It is how they play once they get into the tournament, how hot there bats are and how deep is the pitching staff???
    I have learned through the past few years that it is not a good thing to think that jjust because a team is winning the regular season that they are automatically going to be give the bronze and walnut trophy, there are a lot of teams that are like the Fresno State Bulldogs and were 89th in the rankings to come in and get hot and take the trophy and the ring.
   But what is so cool is that the trophy is on the west coast and in Cali.....
Great job Fresno State.

I have a question for anybody who is more versed in the subject of talent levels of DIII vs. DI   after watching the DI college baseball world series I don't see that there is much of a descrepency of talent levels at the DI level. granted they have more kids to choose from but if anybody can give me a viable reason as to why I have heard in postings prior to this one why DI is more talented than DIII??

[ECSUalum]

gatekeeper,

I  presume your reference to prior postings are the threads under "National Topics" "World Series" (last 3-4 pages).

I had posted in one of these threads this year, (sorry, i cant remeber where it is now), a link to Boyds World, ( "Breadcrums back to Omaha") which discusses the overlap between D-I, DII, and DIII programs.  Basically the conclusion is that the top 10 or so D-III/II programs could be very competitive in D-I, but would generally fall below the top 40-50 D-1 teams over all.  He also states that there are a lot of D-I, D-II teams that certainly do  not belong in those divisions.

Boyd also published combined DI, D-II,D-III Iterative Strength Ranking ,(ISR), for, I believe 2004 thru 2007.

I quess my only comment other than above is that D-I generally gets the cream of the High School/Junior college crop, (other than those drafted ex HS/JC).  That the top 50 or so D-I team pitching staffs are physically bigger and throw with more velocity/control that D-III.  Additionally , i would suspect that D-I team defence stats for the top 50 or so teams would be again generally better than most D-III programs.

But having said that, there are certainly a great number of D-III players that could make, play and sometime do very well in top 50 D-I programs.  However, i am not sure i would bet against teams like FL State, Arizona, St, Texas, Cal St fullerton, LSU, etc if it came down to a theoretical DI,DII,DIII top 24 team tournament.  But wouldn't that be fun to watch!!!!!!

Congrats to FRESNO ST BULLDOGS on a fantastic end of the 2008 year and the NCAA D-I NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!.  I, was certainly rooting for them the whole way!!!!

[gatekeper43]

gatekeeper,

I  presume your reference to prior postings are the threads under "National Topics" "World Series" (last 3-4 pages).

I had posted in one of these threads this year, (sorry, i cant remeber where it is now), a link to Boyds World, ( "Breadcrums back to Omaha") which discusses the overlap between D-I, DII, and DIII programs.  Basically the conclusion is that the top 10 or so D-III/II programs could be very competitive in D-I, but would generally fall below the top 40-50 D-1 teams over all.  He also states that there are a lot of D-I, D-II teams that certainly do  not belong in those divisions.

Boyd also published combined DI, D-II,D-III Iterative Strength Ranking ,(ISR), for, I believe 2004 thru 2007.

I quess my only comment other than above is that D-I generally gets the cream of the High School/Junior college crop, (other than those drafted ex HS/JC).  That the top 50 or so D-I team pitching staffs are physically bigger and throw with more velocity/control that D-III.  Additionally , i would suspect that D-I team defence stats for the top 50 or so teams would be again generally better than most D-III programs.

But having said that, there are certainly a great number of D-III players that could make, play and sometime do very well in top 50 D-I programs.  However, i am not sure i would bet against teams like FL State, Arizona, St, Texas, Cal St fullerton, LSU, etc if it came down to a theoretical DI,DII,DIII top 24 team tournament.  But wouldn't that be fun to watch!!!!!!

Congrats to FRESNO ST BULLDOGS on a fantastic end of the 2008 year and the NCAA D-I NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!.  I, was certainly rooting for them the whole way!!!!

Hey Alum, I guess for the most part the overall talent level at DIII is below the DI, and or the DII level but I believe like you stated there are kids at the DIII level that could play at that level, I guess I am just looking at my own kid and his abilities plus for the most part the kids that play around him.
  I do know that the coaching has severe budget constaints that they have to deal with and do not have the sponsors that are at the DI level. which is a shame since I have seen some great baseball at this level.

You did mention that they get the cream of the crop... when the kids around the country want to go to the big name schools and they are only going for one reason which is baseball and not acedemic's. I guess the kids at the DIII are more in tuned to think that they need and will possibly need that education when they don't make it to the next level of either rookie ball or low A with the chance to keep going on. but those are few and far between also!!! Not every kid gets to the next level and it seems to me that they would want to think of there future , but I guess the real world is they don't and end up working at In and Out or something.

[ECSUalum]

you make many real good points.

Good luck to your boy in the acedemic and athletic realm. You can be very proud of him playing college baseball @ D-III, still the cream of the crop!!!

[chakote]

From the Oxy web site, the Tigers have a new head coach:

Hawkins Named Occidental Baseball Coach

Jason Hawkins, a second-generation coach with 14 years of experience on both the collegiate and high school levels, has been named head baseball coach at Occidental College, Athletic Director Jaime Hoffman announced Thursday.

"Jason's experience as a player, a coach and as a teacher make him the ideal choice to move Oxy baseball to the next level," Hoffman said. "We look forward to great things under his leadership."

"I am very excited to be named head coach at Occidental," said Hawkins, currently assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the University of Redlands and pitching coach for the Corvallis Knights of the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League. "Becoming Occidental's new head baseball coach is a tremendous honor. I am humbled by the welcome my wife and I have already received. I look forward to building on the rich traditions on the field; working with a talented group of driven young men and starting a life in the Eagle Rock area with my wife and two boys."

During his four years at Redlands, Hawkins helped coach the nationally ranked NCAA Division III Bulldogs to a 2006 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship, the program's first in 15 years. During the past four years, the team posted a 104-57 record, tops in SCIAC.

An Oregon native and son of a long-time high school coach, Hawkins played for Western Oregon University where he graduated with a degree in English and history. He began his coaching career while still a college student, becoming head coach at Springfield High School in Springfield, Oregon after graduation in 1995. He earned a master's in English from Pacific University while coaching high school ball in North Eugene and Hillsboro, then took a position as head coach and English teacher at Desert Hot Springs High School near Palm Springs in 1999.

Before joining Corvallis, Hawkins spent two years as an assistant coach for the Palm Springs Power of the Southern California Collegiate Baseball Association. During that time, Palm Springs finished 11th at the 2006 NBC World Series and captured a SCCBA championship in 2007.

Jason, his wife, Angela, and their two sons, Will and Cal, are scheduled to arrive in Eagle Rock on September 1st.

OxyBob

WELCOME TO THE LEAGUE COACH!!!! We all hope that you have a great experience out here and your family does also.. Can't wait until we play you if we do?? Chapman parent

Chakote

[Browneagle64]

What a great choice in picking Coach Hawkins as Oxy's new baseball coach. Although he comes to the Rock via the Puppy nation, his experience as a SCIAC coach will be of valuable assest to the men in orange in black. I hope Coach Hawkins and his future staff (will he bring along several Pup coaches?) the best of luck in recruiting.

[Browneagle64]

That is really some great news about what Coach Hawkins can do with his programs. Now, if he could only find the way to bring the bats alive at the Rock, we sure will be in good hands.

[SCIACfan5]

We're still a few months away, but does anyone have any predictions for the 2009 SCIAC season? Which team is best equipped to go deep in the playoffs? What rivalries will have the greatest impact on the season's outcome? Who will win SCIAC-MVP? All-American candidates? Who will take the title?

What do you guys think?

[Browneagle64]

Lol SCIACfan5. A lot of the SCIAC posters are either still hungover with football season wrapping up or gearing up for basketball season. I know others will start creeping in here at or around Feb.

As to answer your question, here's my prediction for the 2009 SCIAC season.

After graduating some Key Players the Leo's of ULV will by eyeing for another SCIAC crown using what they have on their Roster. To me, the Leo's always have the Talent to stay atop the SCIAC race, but will drop if they don't get their pitching staff on the same page. In saying that, I might have to premateruly, say that they may end up taking 2nd place this year. (note: these guys can go on a serious streak and eventually win it all. Just look at last year.

The Pups of UoR look to avenage their 2008 season in which they just completely collapsed towards the middle and last half of the season. These guys always have a bat and a decent pitching staff. So look for them to be the top contender for the top spot of the SCIAC race. It just may be their year to take the SCIAC crown.

Heres how my SCIAC list looks for this season

1. UoR/ Leo's
2. Pomona./oxy
3.The Poets
4. Cal Lu
5. Stags
6. The Beaves

[SCIACfan5]

Interesting points. But both Cal Lu and PP appear to be returning a lot of starters this year ( I believe each isn't losing more than 2 or 3).

I think both Cal Lu and PP will make a serious run for the title considering how PP started off so well (before going 1-8 down the stretch) and how Cal Lu finished so strong.

With Redlands, La Verne, PP, and Cal Lu, I think it's going to be a close race to the title.