D 3 softball

[TheChucker]

A non-conference record report is in that same group of NCAA softball miscellaneous reports. It's interesting that D3 had a 3-3 record vs D1 teams, 24-26 record vs. D2 teams, and 190-170 record vs. "non-member" which I assume is NAIA. I've long thought that good D3 teams could hold their own vs. many D2 teams and a handful of D1 teams in softball. That proves it.

Ithaca went 1-1 this year against Cornell, the current last place team in the Ivy League.  Harvard had no problems last weekend against Cornell in clinching the #1 seed for this weekend's Ivy League Softball tournament.  Cornell has a lot of first year players this season.

It should be a good series with Ithaca if Brandeis wins on Friday against Penn State Berks. Hopefully Brandeis can make it to Sunday.

Coincidental timing on your post about Cornell. This article about some controversy surrounding the Cornell team came across my Twitter feed yesterday: https://cornellsun.com/2019/05/06/softball-players-detail-years-of-mistreatment-by-coach-neglect-by-cornell-athletics/

[TheChucker]

These are the teams that got an at-large birth with strength of schedule > 100:

Brandeis   27-6-1   113
Coe           32-9           129
Williams   33-5           132
CMScripts   31-11   139
Piedmont   29-10   149
Geneseo   33-10   161
Trine      30-6           206

These are teams that did not get at an large birth:

Ramapo   22-14   11
UMHB   28-16   29
Hamline   25-17   34
Salisbury   24-13   38
Luther   30-10   125
Southwest   31-6           257

Ramapo and Salisbury do not get in but Carthage and St. Benedict do:

Carthage   26-14   41
St. Ben.   27-13   59

Trine with a 206 SOS, went 0-2 in conference tournament and they got in?

And again, why not Luther?

I know I am beating a dead horse here but it is just an American tradition to second guess the NCAA.

Good data. If I could "thumbs up" I would, but I'm too much of a newbie. Regarding, Luther, I wouldn't mind taking a road trip down there from MN sometime for some softball. I've heard they have a top notch field-of-dreams like setup for softball.     

[justafan12]

In looking at the regional matchups this is the first year in a long time that at least one NFCA ranked team is in each regional (I know some bash the NFCA rankings but at least they try).
The ETBU regional looks the toughest with NCAA ranked teams of 1,3 and 4 and NFCA ranked 2,6 and 8 (only a 3 team regional).
The Emory regional looks weak with NCAA rankings of 2,5,6 and 8 and only one NFCA ranked team at 18.  Winner of this regional probably gets Virginia Wesleyan.
Tufts regional also not strong with NCAA rankings of 2,6,10 and unranked and only one NFCA ranked team at 20.

[justafan12]

Interesting quote from a coach"

"We were hopeful of maybe hosting a regional this week, given the quality of season we have had. But at the same time, we understand how the playoff system works and with two California schools qualifying, we knew it was a possibility we would get sent down there. I know Claremont will do a great job of hosting."

"understanding how the playoff system works" AKA NCAA will do whatever to save travel money at the D3 (and D2) level. 

[deiscanton]

After 1/2 inning in Bloomington, IL--

MSOE 6, Calvin coming to bat.

Milwaukee School of Engineering scored 6 runs on 4 hits, and got the bases loaded with 2 out before a strike-out ended a very long 1/2 inning.  No errors by Calvin.

After 6 innings--

MSOE 7, Calvin 3.  In the sixth, 1 run scored by MSOE and 3 runs scored by Calvin.

Final--

MSOE 7, Calvin 5. 2 run homer for Calvin in the 7th.

MSOE plays winner of IWU/Otterbein.

Calvin heads to the elimination bracket.-- needs to win twice tomorrow to stay alive.

Update-- still bottom of 4th-- no outs, but Illinois Wesleyan up 11-0 over Otterbein.

Update-- after 4-- Illinois Wesleyan 15, Otterbein 0. Otterbein down to their last 3 outs-- need to score 8 runs to continue the game.

Final-- IWU wins 15-0 in 4 1/2 innings.


Looks like IWU v MSOE tomorrow followed by Calvin v Otterbein with survivor of Calvin/Otterbein then facing loser of IWU v MSOE.

[TheChucker]

In looking at the regional matchups this is the first year in a long time that at least one NFCA ranked team is in each regional (I know some bash the NFCA rankings but at least they try).
The ETBU regional looks the toughest with NCAA ranked teams of 1,3 and 4 and NFCA ranked 2,6 and 8 (only a 3 team regional).
The Emory regional looks weak with NCAA rankings of 2,5,6 and 8 and only one NFCA ranked team at 18.  Winner of this regional probably gets Virginia Wesleyan.
Tufts regional also not strong with NCAA rankings of 2,6,10 and unranked and only one NFCA ranked team at 20.

Speaking of the ETBU regional.. the ETBU head coach is the West Region's selection committee representative. Could there be a conflict of interest when the only NFCA ranked team not to make the NCAAs comes out of that region?

[justafan12]

I would have to agree with you on that. 

If you go back several years that coach was on the All American committee.  Look how many AA that school had while she was on the committee.  Then look at the 2018, when she was not on the committee and see how many they had. 

[TheChucker]

Interesting quote from a coach"

"We were hopeful of maybe hosting a regional this week, given the quality of season we have had. But at the same time, we understand how the playoff system works and with two California schools qualifying, we knew it was a possibility we would get sent down there. I know Claremont will do a great job of hosting."

"understanding how the playoff system works" AKA NCAA will do whatever to save travel money at the D3 (and D2) level.

That is odd that Linfield isn't hosting when they're ranked 5th in the country and none of the other teams in the bracket are even close. With Linfield's strong tradition, have they hosted in the past when there aren't any other Oregon teams in the bracket? Is this an anomaly?

[justafan12]

I was shocked to learn that last year was the first year that Linfield had hosted a regional.  Given their history you would think they would have hosted many. I have been to their field (not for a game) and it is not exactly the cream of the crop. I was also told by a rival parent that the town of McMinnville is a "dump" and was not a good location for a regional.  That could be because they are a rival, not sure.

I think it is a given that whoever wins the CMS regional will come to Texas if ETBU or TLU wins.  If BSU wins not sure what the NCAA will do.

Not real sure on the other Oregon teams historically. PLU won a softball championship back in 2011 (?) but other than that I think Linfield is the only consistently good program.

[deiscanton]

 St Thomas MN Regional

Final of game 1-- UWEC 2, Wartburg 1

Final of game 2-- St Thomas MN 9, Northwestern-St Paul 0 (5 innings.)

Friday--

1.). St Thomas v UWEC
2.). Wartburg v Northwestern -St Paul (Elimination game)
3.). Winner of Wartburg/UNW vs loser of St Thomas v UWEC (Elimination game).

[TheChucker]

I was shocked to learn that last year was the first year that Linfield had hosted a regional.  Given their history you would think they would have hosted many. I have been to their field (not for a game) and it is not exactly the cream of the crop. I was also told by a rival parent that the town of McMinnville is a "dump" and was not a good location for a regional.  That could be because they are a rival, not sure.

I think it is a given that whoever wins the CMS regional will come to Texas if ETBU or TLU wins.  If BSU wins not sure what the NCAA will do.

Not real sure on the other Oregon teams historically. PLU won a softball championship back in 2011 (?) but other than that I think Linfield is the only consistently good program.

That's pretty unreal that Linfield hadn't hosted before last year. I guess travel costs trump EVERYTHING when the NCAA is involved. The NCAA doesn't appear to value its West members as much as the NE and Midwest area members under the current setup. Curious if the Oregon/Washington/California D3 schools ever considered moving in with the higher number of NAIA schools in that region? Or vice versa?

[justafan12]

This is how the NCAA treats the West; Whittier just beat CMS 9-1.  This marks the 7th time those 2 teams have played this year.  They could play again depending on how the games turn out.  I have seem up to teams playing each other 8 times during the year counting conference, end of year conference tournament and then regionals.  Trust me you only see that in the West region. 

One year UT Tyler and ETBU played 7 times.  UTT won 5 of the matchups but ETBU won the regional game and thus got to go on to Supers.  Definitely 2 of the better teams in the country that year but only 1 got to go to advance.  Meanwhile, weaker teams from the East have much easier paths to the WS. 

There is almost always at least one "run rule" game at the D3 championships.  That's simply because the best teams are not there. 

[Caz Bombers]

some interesting/unexpected to me results from Friday: Mount Aloysius upsets TCNJ, who didn't have a good regionals last year either; Penn State Berks knocked off Brandeis; Eastern Connecticut beat WPI; Lake Forest hammered Central.

[TheChucker]

Anyone have a good source to see the D3 scores with brackets in real time? The NCAA site sucks and is super slow to post scores.

[TheChucker]

Anyone have a good source to see the D3 scores with brackets in real time? The NCAA site sucks and is super slow to post scores.

Never mind. I found a better regional scores page on the NCAA site: https://www.ncaa.com/news/softball/article/2019-05-07/2019-diii-softball-tournament-bracket-schedule-scores-regionals