BB: LEC: Little East Conference

[dgilblair]

By no means do i think they would have lost 6-7 games in conference but I think some teams would have got the best of them at least once on given weekends. They didn't play a tough FLA schedule at all and their non conference weekday games weren't anything special. That is not the players fault by any means and to go undefeated this deep into the season is a testament to how good they are, regardless of who they played. I play ball with a bunch of them in the summer and they are as good a group of guys as there is out there. I honestly think that they win despite their coach sometimes and that speaks volumes for what kind of TEAM they are. They don't back down from anybody and they would actually be a great fit in the LEC personality-wise. Even though they are school known for academics, most of their players are tough dirtbags and anyone who played in the LEC knows thats a compliment.

That being said, I think the NESCAC was down this year and with the amount of quality teams in NE, I think they could have had a better schedule. And with that better schedule, I believe a few loses would have come their way. But guess what, THEY ARE 40-0! and i hope they win out.

I think if Trinity played in the LEC this year they may have gone undefeated just like ECSU did last year with that pitching staff.  From what I've seen of it anyway.  What they have shown against the big dogs in Harwich just makes that point a little stronger.  Lets see what the Maine Mashers do against them.

[Jcon8958]

I have to agree with yags here if they had played in the lec vs. the pitcher the likes of morin espo and Conway there bats could have been shut down and the would have lost about 2 or 3 games in LEC PLAY (if they were in that league) that being said I hope they go undeafted and bring another Title to the best region in the country NEW ENGLAND

[Bostonian]

I got news for you guys...the only certainty is that if Trinity was in the LEC, every other team in the LEC would have finished one spot lower in the rankings.

I've seen Morin and Conway and even Gilblair at his best. Tim Kiely is simply better than them, and nobody has a 2-3-4 as good as Bayer, Barnard, Regan.

Would they have lost a game? Maybe. But let's not act like the NESCAC is some weak league. This is the first time in 4 years it hasn't been a 2 bid league, and look at how the top of the league did vs. the vaunted LEC...Trinity almost won the NY regional last year and they didn'at even make the NESCAC tourney! Also, Trinity played a pretty solid FLA schedule this year. Most of the teams they played were top of their league teams. St Thomas, Babson, St. Lawrence, Denison, and St. Mary's were all good wins. I do agree that the NESCAC was down this year, but Tufts, Amherst, and Williams still came up with some very good wins this year.

Lastly, if Trinity was in the LEC, there are probably over 100 kids over the last 10 years that would have gone there but were rejected by admissions.

For anyone to suggest that Trinity would have lost X amount of games if they had done this or that simply misses the point. This is a loaded team...on the mound and at the plate.

[met_fan]

Would they have lost a game? Maybe. But let's not act like the NESCAC is some weak league. This is the first time in 4 years it hasn't been a 2 bid league, and look at how the top of the league did vs. the vaunted LEC...Trinity almost won the NY regional last year and they didn'at even make the NESCAC tourney! Also, Trinity played a pretty solid FLA schedule this year. Most of the teams they played were top of their league teams. St Thomas, Babson, St. Lawrence, Denison, and St. Mary's were all good wins. I do agree that the NESCAC was down this year, but Tufts, Amherst, and Williams still came up with some very good wins this year.

Lastly, if Trinity was in the LEC, there are probably over 100 kids over the last 10 years that would have gone there but were rejected by admissions.

For anyone to suggest that Trinity would have lost X amount of games if they had done this or that simply misses the point. This is a loaded team...on the mound and at the plate.

I have no doubt Trinity would have had great success this year regardless of what league they were in.  Who knows if they would have been undefeated or not, but it doesn't really matter.  But the NESCAC is not a great baseball league.  There are usually some pretty good teams at the top of the league, but the rest of the league is bad.  And it doesn't exactly have a history of sending teams deep into the World Series.  Again, Trinity is great and my point is not to take anything away from this year's team.  I just don't think you should claim the NESCAC as a strong league to bolster Trinity's standing.

[Bostonian]

The NESCAC is the 2nd strongest league in the region. Amherst, Williams, and Tufts are always ranked or receiving votes in NE polls.

Look at how the top 4 teams did this year in non conference games. And Tufts was having a rebuilding year!

While I agree the bottom is awful, the bottom of the LEC (UMD/PSC) is pretty darn horrific, too. But it does have a much bigger history on the national scale. It is clearly the class of the region. The NESCAC is gaining on it, though, as Trinity becomes the national power that Eastern used to be.

[ECSUalum]

The NESCAC is the 2nd strongest league in the region. Amherst, Williams, and Tufts are always ranked or receiving votes in NE polls.

Look at how the top 4 teams did this year in non conference games. And Tufts was having a rebuilding year!

While I agree the bottom is awful, the bottom of the LEC (UMD/PSC) is pretty darn horrific, too. But it does have a much bigger history on the national scale. It is clearly the class of the region. The NESCAC is gaining on it, though, as Trinity becomes the national power that Eastern used to be.

Bostonian,

It is easy to be a bit arrogant when your team is having a great year.  Only time will tell if Trinity will be a national power, academics or no academics

Time will tell if Trinity:

1) does anything in the 2008 D-III College World Series and
2) is the National Power Eastern "used" to be!!!  ( spare me!!!!)

The  ECSU proof is a history of being in the NCAA regional playoff,  in D-III CWS and number of  NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS.  You can easily look these up, but I believe I posted the top national teams historical stats on another board

Maybe ECSU is slipping, but I doubt it

Maybe....... Trinity is up and coming, but I'll compare ECSU historical stats, with Trinity,s any day, and, ESCU is still a NE and National power!!! They had an off year just like all teams do, while Trinity is have one of ECSU many fantastic years

Maybe Trinity will in fact become a LONG TERM national power.  maybe maybe!!

Let's see if they can win a National Championship first, then you can start talking national powerhouse.

Re NESCAC being a better conference than the LEC....  again look up the stats.  Keene, USM and ECSU STATS re NCAA regional, national appearances and National Championships.

Bantams have a great team this year, but MAYBE.... THEY NEED TO PROVE IT!!

[TRhit]

And maybe, just maybe, some of you need to open your eyes and minds and give credit where credit is due---40-0 in any league is a bit awesome

And no I am not a Trinity grad--I just appreciate great baseball

[Bostonian]

Trinity sure as heck is not my team...I'm a Jumbo fan. Can't stand Trinity. I just can't figure out how you guys can discredit them after the year they've had... especially as another LEC team is getting blown out by them.

Trinity will be in their 3rd CWS this decade. If that ain't a national powerhouse, somebody needs to show me one. How many NE teams have been to 3 CWS tourneys in this decade? How many have even been to more than 1?

And "used to be" was wrong...my bad...Eastern is still a national powerhouse. So is Trinity.

And where did I say the NESCAC is as good as the LEC. I said it's the 2nd best conference in the region and that it is gaining on the LEC. 5 years ago, it was alot further behind the LEC than it is now.

[ECSUalum]

I said Trinity is a great team... this year. I am certainly not discrediting them for what they have done this year, it is a one of a kind record.

Wonderfull that they have been in CWS 3 years in a row.  Let them win one!!

Amherst, Tufts, other NESCAC teams not even close.

Chapman, Johns Hopkins, etc will give them a run for the money in Grand Chute!!

If they win the trophy, I will be the first to congratulate them

Unfortunately we all do not have crystal balls, so we base our comments on historical fact.

[met_fan]

The NESCAC is the 2nd strongest league in the region. Amherst, Williams, and Tufts are always ranked or receiving votes in NE polls.

Look at how the top 4 teams did this year in non conference games. And Tufts was having a rebuilding year!

While I agree the bottom is awful, the bottom of the LEC (UMD/PSC) is pretty darn horrific, too. But it does have a much bigger history on the national scale. It is clearly the class of the region. The NESCAC is gaining on it, though, as Trinity becomes the national power that Eastern used to be.

Can we let Trinity establish themselves on the national stage for a few years, let alone win something, before we start calling them a national power?

[Bostonian]

Amherst, Tufts and other NESCAC teams not close to what? Eastern? National powerhouse? Not sure what you're saying...only thing I know is that Tufts plays Eastern as tough as anyone in the region...reason I know that is that Holawaty said it to me when I was talking to him about Fontaine (I am one of his Legion coaches). So I doubt your coach would be as brazen in his description on the other NESCAc teams.

If so, I guess Keene St. is not even close too, as they haven't done anything on the national landscape. So. Maine must be approaching "not even close", too. When's the last time they won a regional?

Face it. No matter what you bring up, it's easy to see that the top of the NESCAC is very close to the top of the LEC at this time.

Met fan-What do you have to do to become a national power? Is three CWS' in a decade enough? Like I said, if not, there are very few national powers out there. I guess Eastern is the only national power in New England.

[hockeyfan77]

Why can't we realx: I had my doubts about Trinity before the tourney but not now: they always have  good solid team year in and year out...This team  they have this year is just special...41-0  that's impressive...

[kscer]

Why can't we realx: I had my doubts about Trinity before the trouney but not now: they always have  good solid team year in and year out...This team  they have this year is just special...41-0  that's impressive...

Well said. 41 - 0. I was impressed at 37-0 and one of the nay sayers who said they didn't play anyone. Well they did this week and won. Best in NE.

[Bostonian]

Crazy factoid about this Trinity team is that it didn't even make the NESCAC tourney last year or the year before.

Has there ever been a team make the NCAA tourney while not qualifying for their own conference tourney?

[Ralph Turner]

Crazy factoid about this Trinity team is that it didn't even make the NESCAC tourney last year or the year before.

Has there ever been a team make the NCAA tourney while not qualifying for their own conference tourney?

Probably not... because we have just had the expanded Pool C brackets for three years.

You also need to make the distinction about making the post-season tourney for Pool B conferences.