BB: Midwest Region

[Gustie13]

Coach Baggs told his team earlier this year that they need to really do well in their in-region matchups with MIAC and WIAC teams because of some ugly losses in the NCAA Regionals recently. He seemed worried about a CSS getting a bid.

Let's assume the MIAC wanted 14 teams so they could do 2 divisions of 7. For the girls that would require 3 more schools to join, 4 for the guys. If CSS were to join that would make it 2 and 3 more needed. Who else would the MIAC go after? Some UMAC teams?
CSS wins about half the confs titles every year and none of the schools is known for academics, does it really make sense to add 3 below avg colleges just so you can have 2 divisions in some sports?

I do agree it makes little/no sense for CSS to leave the UMAC when they can win the conf in most sports and get auto bids. They're the premiere school in the conf, why leave.

Fan, you mentioned basketball, tennis, and softball for CSS. Heres are my thoughts on how they'd fare:
Mens Bball: Middle of the pack (they lost to HU, Car, Aug last year). The MIAC always has at least 1 team ranked in the top25 and occassionally have teams do very well (GAC made the championship game a few years ago)
Womens Bball: Lower half. Not one of CSS's best sports and the MIAC has gotten multiple at large bids to the national tournament the past few years.
Mens Tennis: Middle of the pack (this year they've beaten the bad MIAC teams and lost to the good teams). And lets not forget that GAC has won the conf (mens and womens) for the 25 years in a row, GACs mens program is the best DIII program in the nation.
Womens Tennis: Upper Middle of the pack.
Softball: Middle of the pack. USt, GAC, HU, SMU are pretty good at the top of the MIAC and CSS is 0-11 so far this year.

Coach Baggs is right on, in the last 3 years CSS has gone 2-6 (3 of those losses to the best pitcher in the country interesting).
2006: Beat STP, lost to UWW (Lost to Rheinard), lost to STP (Zimmerman. No one expected CSS to beat STP that year, except CSS. UWW were national champs, STP might of been the 2nd best team in the country that year
2007: Beat STP (Zimmerman), lose to Ripon, lose to St Thomas
2008: Lose to STP (Zimmerman), lose to Oshkosh
2-6 record in the playoffs probably does not make the NCAA happy so this could be the hardest year for CSS to get in but as long they go 3-1 against GA and Olaf they will probably make it and a win against ST. Thomas will probably make them a lock. I think it helps CSS that besides STT no one else in the MIAC is putting together a huge year so far.

Well Im not an expert on how many MIAC teams are in each sport but here is what Im getting at, for baseball they can make a north and south. 6 most northern school and 6 most southern schools. Play 21 conference games (15 games  in own division, 6 other division) Top 2 division teams move to playoffs. Just an example. Football would have 10 teams a nice even number.

Your examples of how CSS would do in the other sports is the reason why they wont leave the UMAC. Those teams might do fine in the UMAC but they would not touch the top 3 teams in the MIAC.

CSS-GAC has been ppd, don't know if they have a date yet. Agreed on the point about CSS being helped by no other MIAC team establishing itself as top tier except for USt.

In most MIAC sports you're looking at 10-12 teams. I don't know if there are rulings stipulating a certain number of teams must be in the conf to have 2 divisions.

I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense for either side, CSS or the MIAC. If you take baseball out of the equation its a total no brainer.

[OshDude]

2-6 record in the playoffs probably does not make the NCAA happy so this could be the hardest year for CSS to get in but as long they go 3-1 against GA and Olaf they will probably make it and a win against ST. Thomas will probably make them a lock.

Past results don't matter. CSS is fine. Pencil the Saints in unless they lose about three conference games. Even then they might be OK. If CSS were a Pool C team, I wouldn't be close to a verdict yet. As a Pool B prospect, I like CSS's chances. A lot.

CSS already has a nice Pool B profile base. The Saints can only play themselves out the rest of the way.

[Bronko7]

The baseball team is the best thing that CSS has to offer the MIAC. That being said, I think that there other sports are middle of the pack and in some cases lower. But the fact that the school is adding golf programs, wrestling and womens hockey, i think they are gearing up to make a run to the MIAC. What is said about the academics, come on. Other than MAC and CARL its on par with any other school in the league. It just doesn't make any sense to for them to want to leave the UMAC but they have tried so hard in the past to get into the MIAC that I see them trying to again in the next 5 years.
As for their baseball team, they control their own destiny. They need to take care of the remaining teams they face from the MIAC (StO and StT). A split with the Oles and a win over the Tommies and they're in, barring a collapse in the conference. But they are going to have some work to do.

[BaseballFan]

The baseball team is the best thing that CSS has to offer the MIAC. That being said, I think that there other sports are middle of the pack and in some cases lower. But the fact that the school is adding golf programs, wrestling and womens hockey, i think they are gearing up to make a run to the MIAC. What is said about the academics, come on. Other than MAC and CARL its on par with any other school in the league. It just doesn't make any sense to for them to want to leave the UMAC but they have tried so hard in the past to get into the MIAC that I see them trying to again in the next 5 years.
As for their baseball team, they control their own destiny. They need to take care of the remaining teams they face from the MIAC (StO and StT). A split with the Oles and a win over the Tommies and they're in, barring a collapse in the conference. But they are going to have some work to do.

Agree agree agree...CSS is right with the other private schools in minnesota on academics--heavy on the sciences. They continue to expand their sports programs, golf and wrestling have been discussed a lot not sure if they have decided upon those yet and womens hockey has a club team so could be easy to turn official. Plus they have expanded substantially on campus facilities to help their sports programs.

All Im saying is everyone has a memory and people can say it doesnt matter they go by straight criteria. Well thats partially BS because what happens when 2 teams are equal, someone has to make a decision based on an opinion. But as long as CSS takes care of business with their 5 games against the MIAC and dont screw up the UMAC then they are fine.

[Gustie13]

The baseball team is the best thing that CSS has to offer the MIAC. That being said, I think that there other sports are middle of the pack and in some cases lower. But the fact that the school is adding golf programs, wrestling and womens hockey, i think they are gearing up to make a run to the MIAC. What is said about the academics, come on. Other than MAC and CARL its on par with any other school in the league. It just doesn't make any sense to for them to want to leave the UMAC but they have tried so hard in the past to get into the MIAC that I see them trying to again in the next 5 years.
As for their baseball team, they control their own destiny. They need to take care of the remaining teams they face from the MIAC (StO and StT). A split with the Oles and a win over the Tommies and they're in, barring a collapse in the conference. But they are going to have some work to do.

Exactly my point regarding academics, CSS isn't MAC or CAR in terms of academics, its like an average MIAC school. So if its academics are average and its sports are average, why would the MIAC add it? It wouldn't be upgrading the conference in any way except baseball.

[OshDude]

Ranked by Midwest Region winning percentage (through 3/30). Midwest series against Top 20 in parentheses. Let me know if I made mistakes. Edit: I'll add two more features.

(This may turn into a weekly blog, but I'll put it here for now)

1.   Whitewater 6-2 (Olaf 1-1, Beth 2-0, Augs 1-1)
      Moorhead 3-1 (LAX 2-0)
3.   Oshkosh 8-3 (CSS 1-1, StT 1-1, Beth 2-0, Sup 3-1)
4.   Grinnell 9-4 (Olaf 0-2, Sup 1-1)
5.   Platteville 8-4 (Stout 3-1)
      Illinois College 6-3
      Stevens Point 4-2 (StT 1-1, LAX 1-1)
      St. Scholastica 4-2 (StT 1-1, UWO 1-1)
      St. Olaf 4-2 (WW 1-1, Grinn 2-0)
      Gustavus 4-2 (Stout 1-1)
11. Hamline 10-6 (LAX 2-0)
12. Superior 6-4 (Grinn 1-1, John's 2-0, UWO 1-3)
13. La Crosse 7-5 (Augs 2-0, Ham 0-2, John's 2-0, Moor 0-2, Point 1-1)
14. Augsburg 6-6 (LAX 0-2, WW 1-1, Stout 1-1)
      St. John's 5-5 (LAX 0-2, Stout 0-1, Sup 0-2)
      St. Thomas 3-3 (CSS 1-1, Point 1-1, UWO 1-1)
      St. Norbert 3-3
18. Stout 5-8 (Ham 0-2, Gusty 1-1, Augs 1-1, John's 1-0, Platte 1-3)
19. Bethel 3-5 (UWO 0-2, WW 0-2)
20. Ripon 0-0

The Midwest Region's 5 Big Results of the Week (3/24-3/30):
Stevens Point split two games with La Crosse.
Oshkosh beat Superior only 3 of 4 games.
St. Scholastica split two games with Oshkosh.
St. Olaf split two games with Whitewater.
Oshkosh split two games with St. Thomas.

Midwest Region Pitching Line of the Week (3/24-3/30):
Nate Hedley, junior, Superior, vs. Oshkosh (3/30): W (1-0), 9 IP, 3H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. No-hit bid broken up in the 6th. Hedley also went 2-for-4 at the plate with 2 RBI in the 3-1 win.
Superior's first win over No. 7 Oshkosh since 1973. UW-Sup now 3-41 lifetime against Oshkosh.

Midwest Region Hitting Line of the Week (3/24-3/30):
Anders Grinde, senior RF, St. Olaf, vs. Keuka (3/27): 4-for-5, 5 R, 5 RBI, BB, 2B, SB in the 20-7 win.

The Midwest Region's 5 Big DH's of the Week (3/31-4/6):
3/31  Bethel vs. St. Thomas
4/5   St. Norbert vs. Stevens Point
4/5   Whitewater vs. Oshkosh
4/6   Whitewater vs. Oshkosh
4/6   St. Scholastica vs. St. Olaf

[Ralph Turner]

2-6 record in the playoffs probably does not make the NCAA happy so this could be the hardest year for CSS to get in but as long they go 3-1 against GA and Olaf they will probably make it and a win against ST. Thomas will probably make them a lock.

Past results don't matter. CSS is fine. Pencil the Saints in unless they lose about three conference games. Even then they might be OK. If CSS were a Pool C team, I wouldn't be close to a verdict yet. As a Pool B prospect, I like CSS's chances. A lot.

CSS already has a nice Pool B profile base. The Saints can only play themselves out the rest of the way.

Good discussion about the UMAC.  The UMAC schools are working towards full membership.  After the UMAC has had 7 full NCAA members playing baseball for two seasons, the UMAC will get a Pool A bid (automatic qualifier).  I guess in about 2011.  That bid will come out of Pool B, so it won't hurt the Pool C bids.

Oshdude has a good concept of "in-region".  He should be able to answer most questions.      

[Bronko7]

Oshdude that is some serious work you're putting in and we on the boards appreciate it. That series this weekend is going to be huge between UWW and UWO, could put one of those teams in the drivers seat. The WIAC is going to be interesting to watch this year because that 4th seed is going to be a toss up.

[BaseballFan]

Good discussion about the UMAC.  The UMAC schools are working towards full membership.  After the UMAC has had 7 full NCAA members playing baseball for two seasons, the UMAC will get a Pool A bid (automatic qualifier).  I guess in about 2011.  That bid will come out of Pool B, so it won't hurt the Pool C bids.

Oshdude has a good concept of "in-region".  He should be able to answer most questions.      

I thought the UMAC will have an automatic qualifier in 2010 but not positive. Not sure if all the teams or 7 of 8 are ncaa members yet but thought they were

[Bronko7]

Can anyone buy this poll that just came out? How can a team like UST drop in the poll three spots by splitting with what the pollsters consider the 12th best team in the country. Also how is USP hanging on while UWW and CSS can't break in to the top 25. I don't get it. Does anyone that votes on this thing pay any attention to the midwest region? The midwest regional year in and year out is probably the best in the country, top to bottom. Going back to the late 90's this has been the case. Look back to the midwest regional 1999 where any one of the 4 teams (USt, UWO, USP, CSS) would have been the favorite to win it all. Every game in that regional was an extra inning affair. By the way Oshkosh was not bad that year. (Taschner, Grader, Glysch, Parnell, Koepitzke all drafted) Midwest region by far the best in the country.

[BaseballFan]

Can anyone buy this poll that just came out? How can a team like UST drop in the poll three spots by splitting with what the pollsters consider the 12th best team in the country. Also how is USP hanging on while UWW and CSS can't break in to the top 25. I don't get it. Does anyone that votes on this thing pay any attention to the midwest region? The midwest regional year in and year out is probably the best in the country, top to bottom. Going back to the late 90's this has been the case. Look back to the midwest regional 1999 where any one of the 4 teams (USt, UWO, USP, CSS) would have been the favorite to win it all. Every game in that regional was an extra inning affair. By the way Oshkosh was not bad that year. (Taschner, Grader, Glysch, Parnell, Koepitzke all drafted) Midwest region by far the best in the country.

Reasons why I dont like the poll:
1. Too heavily based on playing a lot of games early--after preseason pollnext poll shouldnt come out till 1st week in march
2. There is not a lot of movement. More than 2 teams should drop out each week, this allows more teams into the poll and gives them a chance to stay in the poll.  CSS UWW have barely budge despite playing well
3. No respect for the Midwest region
4. Pollsters dont follow all the top teams despite getting a recap of their week provided by d3baseball. Those pollsters should do their homework on who the top teams are playing.

Why I like the poll:
1. Gives fans and players something to look at
2. Shows how all teams are doing
3. Gives somewhat of a non bias rating of how teams rank
4. ABCA comes out too late and not often enough

1999 was one of the best midwest years all teams were great. 2005 was also good with UWW winning it all with probably the 2 best pitchers in the nation. Stevens Point probably had one of the strongest lineup in the nation and hit a lot of homers. St Thomas and Scholastica also very good. Scholastica beat Point.  STP and UWW split games all season too. I think all teams were ranked in the top 18 in 2005.

Agree Oshkosh, St thomas, UWW, CSS deserve to be ranked until they show they dont. STP for now doesnt deserve to be ranked despite playing good teams but got to win some games as well.

[OshDude]

Can anyone buy this poll that just came out? How can a team like UST drop in the poll three spots by splitting with what the pollsters consider the 12th best team in the country. Also how is USP hanging on while UWW and CSS can't break in to the top 25. I don't get it. Does anyone that votes on this thing pay any attention to the midwest region? The midwest regional year in and year out is probably the best in the country, top to bottom. Going back to the late 90's this has been the case. Look back to the midwest regional 1999 where any one of the 4 teams (USt, UWO, USP, CSS) would have been the favorite to win it all. Every game in that regional was an extra inning affair. By the way Oshkosh was not bad that year. (Taschner, Grader, Glysch, Parnell, Koepitzke all drafted) Midwest region by far the best in the country.

Reasons why I dont like the poll:
1. Too heavily based on playing a lot of games early--after preseason pollnext poll shouldnt come out till 1st week in march
2. There is not a lot of movement. More than 2 teams should drop out each week, this allows more teams into the poll and gives them a chance to stay in the poll.  CSS UWW have barely budge despite playing well
3. No respect for the Midwest region
4. Pollsters dont follow all the top teams despite getting a recap of their week provided by d3baseball. Those pollsters should do their homework on who the top teams are playing.

Why I like the poll:
1. Gives fans and players something to look at
2. Shows how all teams are doing
3. Gives somewhat of a non bias rating of how teams rank
4. ABCA comes out too late and not often enough

1999 was one of the best midwest years all teams were great. 2005 was also good with UWW winning it all with probably the 2 best pitchers in the nation. Stevens Point probably had one of the strongest lineup in the nation and hit a lot of homers. St Thomas and Scholastica also very good. Scholastica beat Point.  STP and UWW split games all season too. I think all teams were ranked in the top 18 in 2005.

Agree Oshkosh, St thomas, UWW, CSS deserve to be ranked until they show they dont. STP for now doesnt deserve to be ranked despite playing good teams but got to win some games as well.

1. I agree. Ten teams from the South/West is too many in the Top 25. Those regions have very good teams, but 40% of the poll should not be from two regions. At least I don't see a good reason for it this season.
4. I don't think that's true.

[cubs]

Look back to the midwest regional 1999 where any one of the 4 teams (USt, UWO, USP, CSS) would have been the favorite to win it all. Every game in that regional was an extra inning affair. By the way Oshkosh was not bad that year. (Taschner, Grader, Glysch, Parnell, Koepitzke all drafted)

Don't forget about starting 3B Jared Koutnik who transferred to Michigan State and was later drafted by the Yankees.....

Anyway, you just had to bring that season up didn't you!!!!   That year still pisses me off!!  Let all four teams swing aluminum bats at the Regionals and I have a funny feeling someone else would have been representing the Midwest Region at the World Series.....

[BaseballFan]

4. I don't think that's true.

I hope its not true, just a feeling I have.

What really caught my eye from this week was that Ripon did not receive any votes after being swept. So I think thats what drew me to the pollsters not doing their research is that they received so many votes for going 8-1, beating nobody and losing to the only good team they play and badly too.

Im just a little disappointed that when teams lose they hardly move. Ok yea play a very good team yes maybe move a spot, but lose to ok teams should be moving more spots.

Ex A. Texas Tyler goes 2-2 against no one special and only drops 2 spots.

Ex. B Oshkosh goes 5-3 2 loses against top 25 teams St Thomas and CSS (should be ranked) they drop 5 spots

Ex. C. Keene St. goes 3-1 drops 2 spots

Ex. D. St. Thomas goes 1-1 (UWO the loss) drops 4 spots

It seems like the Midwest always takes a hit in the polls when they lose. Keene St. is really the only one I agree with, UWO should move some but not 5, St. thomas maybe 1 spot, Texas Tyler should move a lot more than just 2.

**Side note the 3 ranked Midwest teams dropped 16 spots in the polls this week. CSS UWW still couldnt get in!

[OshDude]

Fan or anyone else, I'd be curious to see your Top 25s. I've tried it. It's a difficult process to even find your 25 let alone make an order. I would think voters are still forming a Top 30-40 at this time.

I imagine finding a consensus before the northern teams play, like a preseason poll, would be especially difficult. From that poll until now is probably like a carving session – pollster's sleeper teams have gone into comas, underachieving traditional powers are finding their way down the poll and the voters are warming to the new, hot teams.

The ORV has gone from a season-high 45 teams in the preseason to a season-low 26 teams in the Week 6 Poll. It was at 37 teams two weeks ago, when northern teams were wrapping up spring games. The whole scenario makes sense to me. And now the field is starting to narrow.

I think in about two weeks we should start to see a more consistent Top 25, with teams making logical moves up and down based on the prior week's play. It takes awhile for two people to agree on something. Now try to get 25 people from around the country to agree. Not only that, I doubt any two people vote the same way. It's probably valid to vote Stevens Point, Ithaca, Marietta and ECSU in your Top 25, if you think those are the teams that will be there in the end. All definitely could be. But it's obvious that there are voters who see a Concordia-Ill and reward it with a lot of votes.

There's decent separation after the Top 20 with this poll. That's pretty good.