D 3 softball

deiscanton · May 05, 2019, 06:01:24 PM

The winner take all game between Whittier and Pomona-Pitzer is underway in California.

Caz Bombers · May 05, 2019, 07:08:04 PM

not much action in the way of bid thieves this weekend, maybe UW-La Crosse, WPI, Whittier if they win and CMS is selected, perhaps one could consider Cortland in that category (although they out-performed Geneseo in conference play).

I'm quite pleased that most of the guaranteed one-bid leagues are sending their #1 seeds to regionals and we won't have any teams with losing records who got hot for 72 hours. Should be a great 3 weeks of postseason softball ahead.

deiscanton · May 05, 2019, 07:37:22 PM

Whittier leading 4-2 after 6 innings.

As the designated visiting team this game, Pomona Pitzer down to final 3 outs.

Whittier now leads 4-3. Pomona Pitzer has the tying run on 3rd with 1 out. Whitier makes a pitching change.

Final-- Whittier 4, Pomona Pitzer 3.

Whittier takes the SCIAC AQ.

NCAA.com selection show at 1 PM Eastern tomorrow.

deiscanton · May 06, 2019, 09:39:45 AM

While watching the conference tournament action yesterday, I forgot to make note that both Husson and Endicott's pitchers pitched perfect 5 inning games in their AQ clinchers-- both victories came by the 8 run rule.

justafan12 · May 06, 2019, 12:09:15 PM

deiscanton,

Thanks for the updates. Made my attempt at the 18 at large picks a lot easier; however, I could only come up with 16.

Pool B is pretty easy in my opinion with Emory and Brandeis.

My questionable teams:
UMHB (28-16) - 16 losses is a lot to get in but they have 2 wins over TLU and a win over UT Tyler. 4 loses to ETBU by a combined 6 runs. They do make for easy travel $$ for the NCAA.
Whitworth (31-11) - One win over Linfield and they did make it to conference championship.
What hurts these 2 teams is not sure the West region will get an odd number of teams. NCAA likes to make the West have the 2 3 team regionals.

Wartburg Carthage - a #3 and #4 regional ranking. Just don't see enough there to get in.
Piedmont (27-12) - Finished 2nd in regular season but went 1-2 in conference tournament.

Caz Bombers · May 06, 2019, 12:20:19 PM

Emory and Thomas More are the likely Pool B picks and Brandeis will be tossed into Pool C. Judges shouldn't have to wait long for Williams and MIT to come off the board.

justafan12 · May 06, 2019, 12:25:14 PM

I am looking at the 17-18 Regional Alignment document and it does not show Thomas More as a Pool B team. Did that change in 2019?

Caz Bombers · May 06, 2019, 12:33:11 PM

Quote from: justafan12 on May 06, 2019, 12:25:14 PM
I am looking at the 17-18 Regional Alignment document and it does not show Thomas More as a Pool B team. Did that change in 2019?

yes, they are independent, "withdrew from" (whispering - kicked out) of the PAC, they are gone from D3 after this spring to the NAIA.

also, I'd look at the 18-19 document for these purposes, there was a whole new conference formed and a bunch of realignment.

deiscanton · May 06, 2019, 12:40:56 PM

Quote from: justafan12 on May 06, 2019, 12:25:14 PM
I am looking at the 17-18 Regional Alignment document and it does not show Thomas More as a Pool B team. Did that change in 2019?

Yes. As. As most may recall, Thomas More left the PAC at the end of the 2017-18 academic year. Thomas More is in the ACA for this academic year, and the y will be leaving the NCAA for the NAIA at the conclusion of this season. They will be in the NAIA in Sept.

BTW, Thomas More de f provisional team SUNY Delhi, Finlandia, and Alfred State this weekend to win the ACAA softball title.

The big summary this year is that there is a new conference in the East (Atlantic East- won this year by Neumann) which led to an additional Pool B bid for this year.

Also, GNAC was moved from the Northeast to the New England region.

deiscanton · May 06, 2019, 01:32:31 PM

I do not have much time right now-- I will react later this afternoon in more detail.

But, yes, Brandeis is in for the second time ever!

Unlike last time in 2010, the Judges will not be playing in New England-- but I am glad to see 'Deis heading to the Ithaca Regional.

Judges take on Penn State Berks in the first game-- if 'Deis wins, a potential match with Ithaca in the second game.

Good luck to all teams this weekend.

Caz Bombers · May 06, 2019, 01:43:47 PM

paired regionals:

Virginia Wesleyan - Manhattanville, Lynchburg, Scranton
Emory - Piedmont, Transylvania, Emory & Henry

DePauw - Trine, Maryville, Saint Vincent
Thomas More - Geneseo, Dickinson, Wilson

East Texas Baptist - Birmingham-Southern, Texas Lutheran
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps - Linfield, Whittier (Linfield is #1 seed but CMS hosting to save NCAA money)

Ithaca - Brandeis, Penn State Berks, Farmingdale State
Cortland - St. John Fisher, Williams, Framingham State (Williams #1 seed but not hosting because...reasons?)

TCNJ - Arcadia, Randolph-Macon, Mount Aloysius
Kean - Endicott, Christopher Newport, Staten Island (CNU treated as non-hosting #1 seed)

Illinois Wesleyan - Calvin, MSOE, Otterbein
UW-Whitewater - Coe, Carthage, Eureka

St. Thomas - UWEC, Wartburg, Northwestern (Minn.)
Central - Saint Benedict, UW-Lacrosse, Lake Forest

MIT - Rowan, Eastern Nazarene, Husson
Tufts - WPI, Eastern Connecticut, Saint Joseph (Conn.)

faunch · May 06, 2019, 01:53:17 PM

SJU grad here...that said i don't understand how 5th place CSB got a spot in the NCAA tournament.

justafan12 · May 06, 2019, 02:47:42 PM

My questions for the committee (if they answered questions):

How does Coe and St. Benedict jump Luther (Midwest regional rankings) to get in?
Why does Southwestern at 31-6 not get an at large birth?
Why does Birmingham Southern get sent to ETBU? Granted this is within the 500 mile drive travel limit (489 miles).
Nine teams from the Atlantic region get in. Is 9th team in the Atlantic better than #3 team in the East, Ramapo? Same with Midwest #4 Luther?

TheChucker · May 06, 2019, 03:30:58 PM

I'm curious why the West region brackets only get 3 teams each. It doesn't seem right given that Texas and the West Coast have some great softball. Weird.

UMHB is sitting out after after sweeping both Texas Lutheran and Transylvania later in the season after a slow start, and one of very few D3 teams to beat UT Tyler this year (who will be a top full-time D2 team next year); granted UMHB was swept by ETBU in very close games who in turn swept almost every team.

TheChucker · May 06, 2019, 03:57:21 PM

Quote from: faunch on May 06, 2019, 01:53:17 PM
SJU grad here...that said i don't understand how 5th place CSB got a spot in the NCAA tournament.

I'm an MIAC guy, but I don't see how they got the bid after looking at their schedule. They started the year with some quality wins over WPI, St. John Fisher and St. Thomas, but ended the season very inconsistent in conference. It looks like the committee wanted to pick 2 teams from the MIAC and chose non-conference play over recent results.