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

[infielddad]

infield dad, you're way off base on your comments about Chapman not having to compete for the talent like UTT does. It's a compliment to Coach T, and some of the other SoCal D3 coaches that they are able to get some of these players. Chapman does not have the depth they've enjoyed in the past, they just win when they have to. The ASC needs to quit making excuses about injuries, long season, etc. All the teams are banged up, and Chapman won the Regional with their All American Ace only throwing 2 innings. If he's ready for Appleton, that would be a huge lift for thr Panthers.

roy, I am pretty familiar with the talent base in Southern CA and also in Texas.
As I said, my comments are not in any way a criticism of Chapman or an excuse for any other school.
I am sure there are some coaching staffs who would not win at Chapman.  I am sure the coaching staff at Chapman would win at other schools.
My comments related to the depth of the talent base that Chapman has available to it throughout Southern CA., that is not accessible to the programs in Texas, and the Northwest or Northern CA.
Over the past 5 years, I think the only Chapman player to see any innings, who was  from outside Southern CA, was Cavan. He got there because Trinity was the only school to recruit him, that got him exposure to Chapman,  and he couldn't surf in TX.
Whether everyone accepts it or not, Southern CA has very few DI's and even fewer DII's when you consider the vast numbers of top quality players. 
Chapman does a very good job of finding the players.
USD, USC, UCLA, Fullerton, Irvine, LBSU and Loyola might recruit 60-80 players per year.  Many of those come from the JC ranks.
There are 20 times that many players in Southern CA that are accessible to Chapman.  There isn't another area in the West Region that has that abundance.
I know at Trinity and probably every SCAC program they could never, ever get a kid like Voss as a senior transfer. 
It isn't an excuse, it is a fact, though
As I have said before, no one should be surprised when
Chapman wins the West.  When you look at rosters, from top to bottom, there are none equal or better to Chapman when you get past first 7-8 guys.

[Ralph Turner]

With the way that Chapman performed in the Regionals, it will not surprise me if they have a stellar finish.

We have 16 D3's in Texas, so that is a concentration of schools for the state, but it is not much worse than other places around the country such as North Carolina and Virginia on a per capita basis.

Chapman has built a winner, and the players know it!  I think that Chapman gets that extra player that makes the difference every year, like a Nick Cavan, or a Kurt Yacko or a John Semel.

(Now all I want Chapman to add is video, so I can watch games late at night after the McMurry game is over.     )

As for southern California, everyone recruits southern California, and JUCO's go all over the country.

The good thing for the ASC is that now UTT knows what it takes.

[d3baseballnut]

IF chapman gets past Schuld, they are looking at the winner's bracket championship game dead in the face.

There is no way Farmingdale or Shenandoah beats them.....no way

[pomonaalum]

There are a number of NAIA schools in SoCal that play in the GSAC conference that are partial scholarship.   Not a ton, but some.

For a program like Pomona-Pitzer, the name/academic reputation of the schools (especially Pomona) means that it can recruit nationally.  At the same time, it also limits the potential pool of recruits.  My experience is that the recruit pool has some overlap with the Ivies (non scholarship), D3 programs like Williams/Amherst/Trinity/Emory/Wash U, as well as some kids who might be a walkon or preferred walkon at a UCLA, Stanford, etc.

[BigPoppa]

I recruited for an NAIA in SOCAL for a few years and it is hard work. Even with scholarships to offer, we would lose guys to Pomona, Chapman, Cal Lu, etc... and to schools like UCI and UCLA that simply made one call to a kid and our months of relationship building with him was gone.

It is a cut-throat business in which many, many shady characters live. Beware of schools that promise your kid anything more than a chance to compete for a spot. I lost many shortstops over the years to a certain school that often recruited 4-5 "starting shortstops." Many of these kids ened up unhappy and bounced back to JCs or called me looking to transfer when I no longer had and scholarship money to give. It is a sad, sad world when coaches mess with a kid's academic future in an attempt to win more ball games. Kudos to those who do it right.

[HALLEBASEBALL]

infield dad, you're way off base on your comments about Chapman not having to compete for the talent like UTT does. It's a compliment to Coach T, and some of the other SoCal D3 coaches that they are able to get some of these players. Chapman does not have the depth they've enjoyed in the past, they just win when they have to. The ASC needs to quit making excuses about injuries, long season, etc. All the teams are banged up, and Chapman won the Regional with their All American Ace only throwing 2 innings. If he's ready for Appleton, that would be a huge lift for thr Panthers.

roy, I am pretty familiar with the talent base in Southern CA and also in Texas.
As I said, my comments are not in any way a criticism of Chapman or an excuse for any other school.
I am sure there are some coaching staffs who would not win at Chapman.  I am sure the coaching staff at Chapman would win at other schools.
My comments related to the depth of the talent base that Chapman has available to it throughout Southern CA., that is not accessible to the programs in Texas, and the Northwest or Northern CA.
Over the past 5 years, I think the only Chapman player to see any innings, who was  from outside Southern CA, was Cavan. He got there because Trinity was the only school to recruit him, that got him exposure to Chapman,  and he couldn't surf in TX.
Whether everyone accepts it or not, Southern CA has very few DI's and even fewer DII's when you consider the vast numbers of top quality players. 
Chapman does a very good job of finding the players.
USD, USC, UCLA, Fullerton, Irvine, LBSU and Loyola might recruit 60-80 players per year.  Many of those come from the JC ranks.
There are 20 times that many players in Southern CA that are accessible to Chapman.  There isn't another area in the West Region that has that abundance.
I know at Trinity and probably every SCAC program they could never, ever get a kid like Voss as a senior transfer. 
It isn't an excuse, it is a fact, though
As I have said before, no one should be surprised when
Chapman wins the West.  When you look at rosters, from top to bottom, there are none equal or better to Chapman when you get past first 7-8 guys.


POSTED LAST WEEK BY HALLEBASEBALL

Weakest Chapman team in 10 years. What that means is SCIAC is not overpowered. They are still going to win the west. Why Baseball 101. Play Catch Throw Strikes and Situational Hitting. So Cal Baseball at its best . Don't let Hedman send you home. He wouldn't see a strike in the old days. Anybodys berth. Smart kids playing smart baseball. The West has the most parody in 10 years. Lots of baseball left my pick the team that makes the least errors. PP is very good the have the best player in the tournament. Not deep enough. GFU is as fundamental as anyone,Chapman just has more depth. Dont think any west team has the pitching to be National Champs. However lots of Chapman Seniors hope to get to there 4th National Championship. The big question is would you rather go to four or win one?,

Hey but what do i know.

Can only speak from 9 years of Chapman Baseball.

Your SO wrong about the Chapman benefits of west coast recruiting. What really happends is this.

Every elite So Cal High School Ball player  wants to play D1 baseball in California. Cali D1 Schools get all Cali Blue Chip High School Players.  Second tier Blue Chip  player go outside the state to play D1 for many reasons. Blue chip players  without GRADES play at the local top six JC's. Then with grade in JC They will sign with out of state D1 If they get passed up by all Cali D1 schools and Out of state D1 schools Next  they might have the opportunity to get a Athletic Scholarship at one of the top NAIA powerhouses looking to get drafted sometimes 8 or 9 can get drafted, it's happened. Or if not picked out of JC they  seek D2 for may reasons mostly ego. So  if  a elite High Player if not found a home and he has grades he then seeks or gets a call from Chapman. 

Chapman attracts kids with Grades and were top players many All CIF players ,that hit right handed and are under 6 feet tall. Kids that love the game and have been taught the game the way It should be played. What sets them apart from alot of programs is execution. No super stars they just get better with some great coaching.

Chapman will get even better when some of those D1 players make a better chioce out of high school Many players I coached made D1 choices as  and regreat ther choice  only to be looking behind there shoulder every year for that new Blue Chippers . Some never getting 50 at bats in there four year College Career.

Chapman Baseball is a Pack of some well coached Baseball Smart Players.

PLAY IN CALIFORNIA .WIN.  GO TO THE WORLD SERIES  EVERY YEAr. Hey North East we would love to see you at Chapman.

[infielddad]

Halle,
I think you just posted what I posted.
Geez, I am complimenting the Chapman players/program and they don't seem to want to accept the compliments.  If you want to call them  3rd tier, well fine.
The fact is they are 3rd tier in Southern CA so they are very high quality players every place else.  They are well coached. They know how to play the game.  They play the game at a very high level before they get to Chapman.  As I said before, Chapman is better than every program in the West after you get past the top tier of 5-7 players.
The academic aspects are also a nice draw but getting into Chapman and getting into Pomona Pitzer or Trinity, Tx. are not the same. PP and TU are required to recruit nationally to get a pool of players at the academic level and talent level to compete.
As I posted before, Cavan is the only player from outside Southern Ca to make any significant contribution at Chapman and he came because Trinity found him in Northern CA and he couldn't surf in TX.  Sothern California is a huge hotbed of talent.  When Evan Longoria doesn't get a look out of high school, you know it is a hotbed that does not exist any place else.
The Chapman coaches do a great job of getting terrific players and their roster is filled with them.
No other West Region program can do that and not drive more than 60 miles from their campus.

[d3ball32]

Most D3 programs are usually made up of undersized players, and what sets the good teams apart is good coaching and the ability to execute.

There is also no denying that california, along with texas, are two of the primary hotbeds for talent. This goes for many outdoor sports including soccer and football. For obvious geographic reasons it is easier to develop skills in warm weather for those sports.

Chapman has proven to be the best D3 team in SOCAL in recent years which, with proper recruiting, will allow them to get players before other D3 schools. The advantage of being located in a place like southern california is being able to find the players that slip through the scouting of a D1. In a place packed with talent, the odds of recruiting a kid who might of had a chance to play d1 goes way up. This obviously also has to do with good scouting and the ability to recognize good talent, which is vital for any program. IMO this is often demonstrated with pitching. A pitcher like Kitchens could most definitely have pitched at some division 1 school. I do not know his recruiting history, but I think that a pitcher of his quality is an example of someone who could have slipped through the cracks and been overlooked by a d1 school. In a place that is packed with talent this is more likely to happen.

Plain and simple I think that there is no denying that location makes a huge difference on a schools ability to recruit talent.

That being said you still have to play the game..

[HALLEBASEBALL]

Infield Dad

Just my thoughts. No harm No foul. I respect you and you passion. Like you no son playing D3 baseball I too have Baseball Passion like you.  Other out of staters John Alexander (WA) Atlanta Braves, Kyle Johnson (WA) New York Mets,Brian Brubaker (CO), Tyler Dean (OR) Not including this years RHP Levite spellcheck also from North West. Coach T has earned this Baseball Junkies respect and is truly responable for getting the best out of this year.

I remember coaching in Club Ball and saying I would win a few games as I out coached the competion ( no braging intended} I saw him win a couple games by nothing more then out coaching the other team. I think he did that at Linfield by not Letting the Best hitter beat him. I belive I watched or read Hedman win games by the  other team letting him beat them.

Continue  to be active on this board as you are why after My son completed his College Baseball I still read this board.

Love You Man

Allan Hallenbeck

[HALLEBASEBALL]

Ok I see what you are saying. Chapman get's some kids that had a chance to compete D1. My son saw the writing on the wall Irvine 4 left handed hitting MIF. He went where he could play and get the Best Scholarship Money. What a great choice he made. 

[D O.C.]

There goes that pariah of the SCIAC Chapman again. Good luck.
I can't figure out how Cal State Fullerton does what it does and now I have U Cal Irvine in the mix. Chapman is right there 4-5 miles from each.

[wringemup]

Infield Dad

Just my thoughts. No harm No foul. I respect you and you passion. Like you no son playing D3 baseball I too have Baseball Passion like you.  Other out of staters John Alexander (WA) Atlanta Braves, Kyle Johnson (WA) New York Mets,Brian Brubaker (CO), Tyler Dean (OR) Not including this years RHP Levite spellcheck also from North West. Coach T has earned this Baseball Junkies respect and is truly responable for getting the best out of this year.


Hmm, better go back an check the roster. This year's pitcher Levitt is actually a LHP from SoCal. Not a RHP fromthe NW.

[HALLEBASEBALL]

My mistake player Matt Insfield rhp Eugene Or 90+ =watch this kid the scouts are possible 2009 free agent signee or late round draft pick

Hey but what do I know

[LA Mike]

I could not stand the mis-understanding of the college baseball players from Southern California.

1.  Not every player wants to play for a D-1 school.
2.  Not every player want to play for a D-2 school.
3.  Not every player has the talent or size to play for a D-1 or 2 school.
4.  You are not allowed to "recruit" in D-3 baseball.
5.  There are no athletic scholarships allowed in D-3 baseball.  (maybe they are being given for academic pursuits?)

The NAIA and Independent teams recruit and provide scholarship assistance. (ie Chapman) and that is why they are not in a conference - they refuse to give that advantage up.  The Chapman program used to play a D-2 schedule which allows recruiting and scholarships, but they are not now.

Teams that are having a higher and higher % of players as transfers from community colleges and other D-1/D-2 schools are doing so by lowering their academic standards. 

Some of the "players" on this message board do not realize the academic and extra-activity requirements to get into some of these academic schools like Pomona, CMS and yes Cal Tech.  How many of the players from these other schools go on to doctoral, engineering, medical or other post-graduate programs??? These schools do not recruit (because they are not allowed to) from all over the US, but players that can qualify academically to get into the school from all over the US also have an opportunity to play on these competitive teams.  If a player can qualify for a team from a regular level of academic requirements why come to California when 2/3 of the D-3 schools are east of the Mississippi?  Why not go to a D-1 or 2 in the midwest that love the "warm weather" players - they have the scholarship and recruiting possibilities also??

The teams (UC Irvine, San Diego, UCLA), Cal State teams(Fullerton, Long Beach, Dominguez Hills, Los Angeles, San Diego, Bakersfield, San Luis Obispo, San Marcos)
Private University teams (USC) and others are able to grow their programs because they can seek and accept more and more out of state players, more transfer students, provide scholarship assistance and other perks that the D-3 schools cannot.  It is often that the active recruiting process will provide promises that provide a "tryout" in the fall workouts, only to find the player "cut" from the program as the season workouts ramp up at the beginning of the year.  There are only about 25-30 D-3 level schools in all of California (including NCAA, NAIA and Independents)

It has been said that Chapman and the NAIA has superior recruiting ---- they just have recruiting that the other NCAA D-3 schools are not allowed to have...........

I wish the Chapman players luck (it does come with hard work) in representing the western region in Wisconsin !!!

Season over...........

[infielddad]

Allan,
Thank you for the nice post.  Even though my son isn't able to play any longer, it was really fun to take a trip to San Antonio, see the Millsaps series, the Notre Dame game, get reacquainted with Coach Page and Coach McCain at Millsaps and spend time with the entire TU coaching staff and their families.
I hope my post didn't make it sound like it is easy for Chapman. As Big Poppa pointed out, college recruiting is very hard work and can result in an awful lot of disappointments along the way...for coaches and potential players alike.
The talent pool in Southern CA is just amazing.  With that said, you still need to recruit the players and get them to play at a high level and Chapman does it year in and year out.  Trinity seems to get there every other year, and it is getting harder as the admissions standards continue to escalate.
The really good thing is we would not be having the discussions about how good these programs are if they didn't have some of the best coaches in college baseball...not just DIII.
Good luck in Appleton and lets make the West look as good as we have all been posting.
On a different note, LAMike, most all of your information/impressions about recruiting at the DIII level are not accurate, either about Chapman or the other DIII's. Some of your impressions only lead to more "mis-understandings."
In about 45 days or so I will be at the Stanford Camp, trying to keep a large contingent of DIII coaches from schools you have listed as ones which cannot recruit away from guys the Trinity coaching staff does try to recruit.
In fact, there will be upwards of 25 or so DIII coaches from top academic colleges/universities around the U.S. at that Camp and they will all be scouting and recruiting to try and compete with Chapman, which has  substantially more talent in its own  neighborhood.