BB: Midwest Region

[biggio34]

Not saying that I told you CSS would not be number one but I'm just saying



http://www.ncaa.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ncaa/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/NR-DIIIBB-4-30-09-RegionalPoll

[OshDude]

Not saying that I told you CSS would not be number one but I'm just saying



http://www.ncaa.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ncaa/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/NR-DIIIBB-4-30-09-RegionalPoll

Pretty crazy.

[BigPoppa]

Not saying that I told you CSS would not be number one but I'm just saying



http://www.ncaa.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ncaa/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/NR-DIIIBB-4-30-09-RegionalPoll

I am stunned that St. Thomas can drop a few games and CSS does nothing but win and they cannot move an inch.

[biggio34]

The commitee has no intent on running the numbers the way they should be run. What other answer is there.

[biggio34]

Regional will be as follows:

2 MIAC's  (Ole's / Tommies)
2 WIAC's (Reg Season Champ & Conf. Tourn Champ)
CSS (By Default)
NaThc Auto Bid (??)

[Dagger]

I didn't know that the midwest was moved to the central this year!  oops...I need to work less and catch up on this stuff

[cubs]

the midwest conference would need their auto bid in there also...unless they move teams around again.

The Midwest Conference is now part of the Central Region.....

[cubs]

Regional will be as follows:

2 MIAC's  (Ole's / Tommies)
2 WIAC's (Reg Season Champ & Conf. Tourn Champ)
CSS (By Default)
NaThc Auto Bid (??)

I think Point is the best bet for an at-large bid for the WIAC.  If they happen to win both the Regular Season title and the Tournament title, I'm not sure Oshkosh or Whitewater's resume's are strong enough for an at-large bid.

[Ralph Turner]

I'll give it a shot:

1. St. Scholastica
2. St. Thomas
3. Oshkosh
4. Whitewater
5. Rockford
6. Stevens Point

7. Bethany Lutheran
8. St. Olaf
9. Aurora

Midwest Region
1. St. Thomas 23-8 17-7
2. St. Scholastica 29-2 20-1
3. UW-Oshkosh 20-12 19-11
4. St. Olaf 20-10 15-7
5. UW-Whitewater 21-11 17-10
6. UW-Stevens Point 23-11 21-10

Too much love for Rockford, not enough for the Olies!  I am moving my discussion to the blogs. 

http://www.d3sports.com/dailydose/2009/04/30/ncaa-regional-rankings-week-2/#comments

[dukes]

While I understand in some ways CSS is continually ranked behind St. Thomas, I am lost in others.

I understand you strength of schedule argument, as obviously that is crap for CSS. However, I think it would be interesting to eliminate the mandatory games and see how they compare. Much like the other conferences, it is my understanding they are required to play all their conference games yearly (each team 3 times from the look of the schedule). This is the same for other conferences, but hurts CSS more. If you look at how many games are allotted for the season, then subtract the conference schedule, and subtract much of the Florida spring trip schedule (because many of those games are assigned and may not be the best competition) and then even some of the metrodome games are not always scheduled by the team, but rather by the facility based on availability with some preference to matchups given. My point being, out of a 40 game schedule, a team like CSS may only get to pick 10 games all year, if that, and given the weather and the fact of the MIAC scheduling, those dont always happen.

The part of the discussion I struggle with is how can you compare apples to oranges.  I realize the UMAC is horrible, but they cant control that. From all things I have read this year, the WIAC seems down too, but rather than admitting to that, people just say all the other teams have gotten that much better. Same could be true for the MIAC, is Carleton really the #3 team in the conference, and you will tell me how strong your conference is? Maybe STT and STO are just not as strong, which could easily be indicated by St. Marys winning a game (I mean, are you kidding me).

So, while I realize that STT is ranked above of CSS today, I can rationalize that to a point. Much of it is based on past historical success and reputation and some hold onto that longer than they should. STT has been successful in NCAA for many many years, and I applaud that. But CSS, since transitioning to NCAA D3, has been right there too, and lets not forget who was playing in the Regional championship last year, and who they beat to get there.

I do think the winner of Sundays game will be the #1 team, and I look forward to watching it. But honestly, either way, it wont make a difference in the regional.

[biggio34]

CSS has beaten 3 regionally ranked teams (Penn St. Behrend, Manhattanvile & UST) and their 2 losses, both to regionally ranked teams (Ursinus & UST).

[Dagger]

The WIAC is funny this year, because there's a combination of everyone that's typically good not being as good as they usually are and everyone that's usually not that good competing.  Those two things happening at the same time really throws you for a loop, and during a season in which a team can look unbeatable on sat and sun and then look like a high school team on wed, it becomes very difficult to determine who should be seeded where.  You really have to rely on in region records and non-conference games this year more than ever to determine where each team should be ranked.  Even then it's extremely difficult, and IMO it comes down to school history and the prestige of some programs.  If some no-name school is borderline with a UST for example I get the feeling UST would get the nod!  This is the hardest year that I have ever seen as far as trying to sort out who should be ranked where in the midwest.  I say we just pull a number out of a hat and get it on!

[dukes]

The WIAC is funny this year, because there's a combination of everyone that's typically good not being as good as they usually are and everyone that's usually not that good competing.  Those two things happening at the same time really throws you for a loop, and during a season in which a team can look unbeatable on sat and sun and then look like a high school team on wed, it becomes very difficult to determine who should be seeded where.  You really have to rely on in region records and non-conference games this year more than ever to determine where each team should be ranked.  Even then it's extremely difficult, and IMO it comes down to school history and the prestige of some programs.  If some no-name school is borderline with a UST for example I get the feeling UST would get the nod!   This is the hardest year that I have ever seen as far as trying to sort out who should be ranked where in the midwest.  I say we just pull a number out of a hat and get it on!

Yeah, I hate when that "no name team" is #3 in the country. (note the sarcasm)
Reminds me of a few years ago when CSS was ranked #4 in the country in the poll, and #4 in the region (or something like that). So it wouldnt surprise me if it happens in a similar way again this year.

Dagger, are you like a journalism major or what?

[BaseballFan]

Not saying that I told you CSS would not be number one but I'm just saying



http://www.ncaa.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ncaa/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/NR-DIIIBB-4-30-09-RegionalPoll

Nicely done, still think sundays game will make the difference. Should be a game, i would guess Burg starting, Kummet in relief against Schuld for #1 seed.

I really wonder if Denning did pitch Schuld against the gophers and not MIAC games so he could come back against CSS knowing that game would probably decide 1 and 2 seed.

I would agree on most likely teams in
Thomas
Olaf
CSS
NATHCON winner
WIAC winner and either WIAC runner up or IF Bethany Lutheran can upset CSS in conference tourney, thats a big IF

[biggio34]

Yeah, I hate when that "no name team" is #3 in the country. (note the sarcasm)
Reminds me of a few years ago when CSS was ranked #4 in the country in the poll, and #4 in the region (or something like that). So it wouldnt surprise me if it happens in a similar way again this year.

Dagger, are you like a journalism major or what?

Let's say hypothetically that the no name school wins 2 of 3 vs the named school, hypothetically knocked the named school out of the regional last year, hypothetically has a better in region record than the named school, and hypothetically is actually pretty good.  Should they then still be ranked lower than the named school, just because of their name?