BB: Regionals (West) 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

[utilitycat17]

With Chapman winning in Texas, I hope this clears up any confusion anyone might have had over whether or not Chapman was just winning because of the home field advantage they had hosting the regional over the past few years.  I think that this regional established that come playoff time home field advantage doesn't mean a whole lot.  Especially when the home team didn't win a game.  Whether the regional is played in Texas again next year, returns to Chapman, or is held somewhere else, I think we can put to rest any notion that location plays as big a role in the outcome as some of our posters have implied it does. 

[Ralph Turner]

If Abilene doesn't have next year's contract, another good facility would be UT-Tyler.

Irwin Field

[AGMAN]

Ralph, no doubt about it, LaVerne, McMurry, and especially Trinity let Chapman off the hook because they did not capitalize on scoring opportunities.  I do not intend to demean Chapman, they played steady fundamental ball and capably exploited mistakes made by their competition.  I just did not see them exhibit the overwhelming level of play I expected to see from a number one ranked team.  Possibly their lack of superiority was because of the high level of competition they faced ... time will tell.  Obviously I wish Chapman well in Wisconsin; their continued success will reflect the talent of the teams they narrowly escaped from.   I sincerely hope their ranking was correct, and a national championship will show they came from the toughest region in the country.

Infield Dad, I believe you were absolutely correct when you wrote that Coach Scannell was being very careful with his pitching staff.  You can be assured that Bronson and Oates would have been more than willing to take Saturdays start and go as deep as necessary (and in my humble opinion I do not think Chapman would still be playing if they had seen Bronson and Oates). It is indeed refreshing to see a coach that values his pitchers more than a title.  The showing Trinity had in the post-season should justify your evaluation of their talent to even the harshest critic.  Even though Bronson and Oates may be gone to another level, there is certainly a wealth of young talent on the team that, with the experience they received this year, should be a force to be reckoned with next year.

[Ralph Turner]

Agman, welcome to the message boards.

You can follow the D3 Championships on the D3Baseball.com website next week.

Time will tell... 

Go Chapman and Linfield!

[dbat]

With Chapman winning in Texas, I hope this clears up any confusion anyone might have had over whether or not Chapman was just winning because of the home field advantage they had hosting the regional over the past few years.  I think that this regional established that come playoff time home field advantage doesn't mean a whole lot.  Especially when the home team didn't win a game.  Whether the regional is played in Texas again next year, returns to Chapman, or is held somewhere else, I think we can put to rest any notion that location plays as big a role in the outcome as some of our posters have implied it does. 

You have to admit if the last three regionals would have been a complete neutral site or in Texas TLU and/or UT Dallas would have atleast won two out of the three years.  The Texas teams had to fight through alot more in California than Chapman did this year.

[DIIIBASEBALLFAN]

I just don't understand the position IF the past regionals were played somewhere else. It doe not really matter where the games were played. The fact still remains in Texas or California Chapman has won the regional.

Why does anyone have to make excuses for how a team does because where it is played.

The teams from Texas and California played outstanding baseball. in the tournament. Where ever it is played the best team wins in a double elimination format....Let's leave at this and quit complaining about where it is played.

Nobody seems to complain when they go to Appleton. Why here ?

Good Luck to Chapman and bring back a national championship.

[utilitycat17]

That's pretty bold to suggest that a team would go from no regional wins to at least two simply by changing the venue.  I can't imagine what would have made that big a difference.  I suppose the likes of Yacko, Kitchens, Drag, Klovstad, and others could not possibly have had any success anywhere but at home.  That seems like a reasonable suggestion.

[Ralph Turner]

Okay, how about this...

That's pretty bold to suggest that a team would go from no regional wins to at least two simply by changing the venue.  I can't imagine what would have made that big a difference.  I suppose the likes of Yacko, Kitchens, Drag, Klovstad, and others could not possibly have had any success anywhere but at home.  That seems like a reasonable suggestion.

Chapman had one extra inning walk-off game and three one-run wins.

Was Chapman less powerful on their home field in Orange in
2007?

Or 2006?

Or 2005?

Just trying to talk this one out!

[AGMAN]

There is little doubt venue can have a huge effect on the outcome of the game.  It goes beyond not having to travel, or being able to sleep in your own bed at night in the comfort of your home, or having access to your own refrigerator and the type and quantity of food you are accustomed to.  Anyone that argues with 'home field advantage' really has not studied, much less played the game.  Subtle nuances such as being familiar with how prevailing wind patterns affect fly balls; being accustomed to a slow or fast infield;  being adapted to a sandy or tight base path; and certainly for pitchers, the mound height and characteristics.  Teams are built around playing conditions such as these, just look at the Colorado Rockies and their pitching staff.

For example the West regional was held at a truly amazing park, possibly the best D3 park I have seen, but I am told the mound was very difficult because of its height and slope.  (I can only assume it was regulation height but I heard it jokingly referred to as the mountain instead of the mound.)  Even though the host team did not win the West regional, their pitchers could have had a distinct advantage because they were accustomed to the mound if it indeed had unique characteristics. 

I am amazed the NCAA does not partner with professional baseball to have these tournaments at parks that truly would be neutral.  It would negate all the bickering and put everyone on a "level playing field".   It could also create even more memories for the players that have earned the opportunity to play at this level of competition.

[Jack Parkman]

I don't think anybody on here is going to agree 100% on any of this but here are a few things to consider...

1.  Chapman has played it's last 11 games on the road and has been sleeping in hotels, eating in restaurants, not using thier own clubhouse and on and on and on.  They are also 11-0 in these games so I don't think it has had a negative effect on them at all.  They are a VERY well coached team and they just play the game without worrying about the other stuff.

2.  Linfield had to fly half way across the country and they won thier regional doing the same thing Chapman did.  Some teams react to their surroundings better than others. 

Like it has been discused before on this board, D-III teams just don't have the opportunity to travel as much as they would like.  Chapman played at McMurry last year which I am sure helped them out a little.  Once you get to a regional, EVERYONE is playing on the same field.

[Ralph Turner]

...
I am amazed the NCAA does not partner with professional baseball to have these tournaments at parks that truly would be neutral.  It would negate all the bickering and put everyone on a "level playing field".   It could also create even more memories for the players that have earned the opportunity to play at this level of competition.

The NCAA is working at the higher levels to send these regionals and super-regionals to professional parks, but the NCAA budget at this level is stressed by $40,000 plane rides for five teams at this level and six flights at the next.  I count that at $440,000 in plane fares alone just for fair representation of the participants.

[TexasBB]

Ralph,

In an ealier post you mentioned Erwin Field as a possible future regional venue.  That is what the school is hoping for. The University did host the Softball Regionals this year. For baseball they need to add more fixed seating and that is the plan so hopefully by next year the fixed seating will wrap form dugout to dugout. Hopefully it will also have the covered awning around it like the stadium steating middle section has.

UTT is also looking at trying to upgrade its scheduling including perhaps teaming with UTD to host a tournament in the Dallas area over spring break at the AA Frisco Roughriders field (Vilade works as an assistant hitting instructor for the Roughriders in the summer).  It takes money to travel and the program up to now has put its emphasis, as it should, on its facilities. Therefore, the team has not really traveled much. Last year was the first time it went to Abiline on the spring break, the prior 4 years it stayed close to home.

Vilade is determined to make UTT a periennial national DIV III power. He has come a long way in 5 years winning 3 ASC East titles and being ranked in the top 15 in its first year of DIV III eligibility.  He returns a strong pitching staff again next year and I am sure he will be a leading contender again for the Conference title and a birth in the Regionals.

[tloc14]

Yeah, in talking with some of the UTT staff they mentioned the seating capacity at Irwin Field had to be expanded in order to host a regional event in baseball.  They are doing that and should be done by sometime next season.

The NCAA could significantly cut their air travel costs if it broke the west down into 2 regional events with a super regional 3 game series to determine who goes to the World Series.  In this way the Cali teams can stay at home and play vs each other and the TX teams can stay in TX.  The winners of those 2 events play each other in a super regional series to determine the west representative.  Wouldnt have to include any more teams than 8 for it to work out very well....and there is certainly atleast 8 deserving teams every year.  The super regional host could switch off every other year between the Cali rep and the TX rep.  This would certainly drive down the travel expense for the NCAA.

I wonder if anything like this has been discussed before.

[canpickit]

There is little doubt venue can have a huge effect on the outcome of the game.  It goes beyond not having to travel, or being able to sleep in your own bed at night in the comfort of your home, or having access to your own refrigerator and the type and quantity of food you are accustomed to.  Anyone that argues with ‘home field advantage’ really has not studied, much less played the game.  Subtle nuances such as being familiar with how prevailing wind patterns affect fly balls; being accustomed to a slow or fast infield;  being adapted to a sandy or tight base path; and certainly for pitchers, the mound height and characteristics.  Teams are built around playing conditions such as these, just look at the Colorado Rockies and their pitching staff.

For example the West regional was held at a truly amazing park, possibly the best D3 park I have seen, but I am told the mound was very difficult because of its height and slope.  (I can only assume it was regulation height but I heard it jokingly referred to as the mountain instead of the mound.)  Even though the host team did not win the West regional, their pitchers could have had a distinct advantage because they were accustomed to the mound if it indeed had unique characteristics. 

I am amazed the NCAA does not partner with professional baseball to have these tournaments at parks that truly would be neutral.  It would negate all the bickering and put everyone on a “level playing field”.   It could also create even more memories for the players that have earned the opportunity to play at this level of competition.

I am so sick and tired of hearing everyone bring up the fact about Chapman hosting the regionals for the last 5 years and that the reason they have won 5 regional titles in 6 years is because of "home cooking", etc, etc.  The bottom line is that Chapman University is THE premier D3 Baseball school in the nation as of this moment.  Sure, they "only" have one National Title to show for their last 4 appearances, but it truly is hard to win at that level.  Running into the National Champs in 05' (UW-Whitewater) and losing a 8-7 heartbreaker after blowing a 5-0 lead in the 2nd, the Nat'l Champs in 06' ( Marietta 10-4 in 3rd game of tourney) and then last year to Kean (07' Nat'l Champs) 3-1 when Joe Augustine struck out 12 hitters and is now in Double A and doing very well.  To tell you the truth, I would be willing to bet any amount of money that if Chapman did not face 2004 Pitcher of the Year and 7th round NY Mets draft pick Scott Hyde from George Fox in the opening game of the 2004 West Regionals that we would be sitting here talking about Chapman being in 6 straight World Series.  The program is far away the most consistent in the nation year in and year out.  Sure, the Cortland Sts, Emorys, Keans, ECSUs, Whitewaters, Stevens Points have had some great teams, but no one has been Top 3 every year, 35+ wins, 5 WS appearances, numerous individual stars (ERA leaders, Wins leaders, Players of the Year, Draft Picks, etc) like Chapman has.

It makes me sick when people on these message boards say and do two things to knock down and disrespect Chapman
1) question them hosting the regionals so often the last 5 years

ANSWER:  The team that has the best regular season and a dynamite playing field (by the way, ask Japan and South Korea what they think of Hart Park when they used it as their practice facility for the World Baseball Classic...) deserves to host the Regional.  Its the same reason why the Boston Celtics in the NBA now, why UNC in D1 baseball, why the Red Sox in the ALCS get to have their home advantage ----those teams had the best regular seasons and should be rewarded so by hosting

2) the whole notion about abusing arms and ruining player's futures.  I have read INFIELDDADs comments for years now, and while he is very educated, thoughtful and offers great insight, I HATE reading between the lines about how Scannell manages his pitchers better than Chapman does.  Because, really, in the long run, how many of these great D3 pitchers make anything of themselves at higher levels anyways???  Washburn, Billy Wagner, Jason Hirsh are about the only D3 guys to make an impact at the MLB level.  I guarantee the good pitchers that never had a chance in Appleton because their coach "saved" and "protected" their arm during the season and regionals would gladly trade their 1-2 seasons grinding it out in cities like Rome, GA, Lancaster, CA, etc for a shot at a ring and eternal greatness and memories. Chapman gets it done time and time again and should not be questioned for anything.  They win, every year, every regional and what happens in Appleton is really up to the breaks and games those 5 days.  it just so happens they have 1 Title to show for their string of success when they easily could be going for their 5th next week.  Maybe Chapman should move to D1 and play in the WCC with Pepperdine, LMU, USD, etc because I also guarantee within 5-7 years Chapman would be a USD and a national power.  Recruiting to a gorgeous school in Orange County, CA with the resources at hand would lead to a dominant program.  Now is that going to happen?? Probably not because the school wants to have a football team and things are not aligned to move up Divisions.

So where does all this leave us???  it leaves us with Chapman yet again catching a Wednesday flight to Appleton, WI and hopefully show the nation what West coast baseball is all about.  here's to a great WS and Chapman dogpiling at 2:32ET on Tuesday.....

[Ralph Turner]

Oh! Wow!  Gee! Welcome back to the boards, canpickit!   

You have been gone a long time.

You seem to have a chip on the shoulder.  Most posts here were deferential in respect  to Chapman, in how they have been the premier program, and how much it means to play your "A" game versus the Panthers.  I took the "protecting the arms" comment to be "local" in nature, because every arm that Coach Scannell can take away from an ASC teams is one more arm that he doesn't have to face.  The comment on putting innings on the arms, especially of Yacko, was getting to where he couldn't relieve effectively in a later game, with little concern about an "arm abuse" allegation by Coach Tereshuck.

As for hosting a tournament, I think that teams like to go to where their fans can see them.  The Texas schools would be glad to play in Abilene, Tyler or Georgetown anytime, over having to fly to the west Coast.

As for West Region baseball, I think that all of the teams want Chapman and Linfield to do well, as it reflects well on the West Region.