BB: Top Teams in West Region

[TexasBB]

Does a team like Le Tourneau (South team playing in a West conference not get any love come Regionals if they don't win conference?)

I am not sure what you mean about a South Team. LeTourneau is located in East Texas - Longview about hour drive from UT Tyler.

All Texas schools are in the West Region.

[108 Stitches]

OK my bad I thought they were in Louisiana.  Thanks for the correction.

...and yes they are the surprise team of the West!

[bzzboyz]

Here's my quick flyby overview by conference.

ASC
Le Tourneau
CTX
Pickum'
SRS
UTT
TDallas

While everything is subjective at this point I can see no reason to pick a perennial winner like Concordia with a strong pitching staff over a team like Le Tourneau who has had a string of losing seasons. They are just learning how to win and in a must win series, I'd pick Concordia's experience any day over anybody in the ASC.

[TexasBB]

There are/were a number of teams  in the ASC that were outside of Texas. Ozarks is in Arkansas. Louisiana College obviously in Louisiana and Mississippi College in Mississippi. If any of those schools was to win the ASC they would have been in the West Regional. For example Mississippi College participated in the West Regional a couple of times in the last 5 years. They all to the best of my knowedge would be ranked in the West Region since that is the "home" of their conference. I defer to Ralph on the rules but that is my understanding.

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Depending on the regional sites, just because they get a pool A in the west, does not mean they will go west. If they are closer to a south regional, they will go south. D3 in the past has tried to minimize plane travel. They have surprised us with additional flights.
I believe Marietta has gone east before even though they received the pool A for the OAC.

Spence correct me if I am wrong.

[108 Stitches]

While there is a lot of baseball to be played it is shaping up to be a 8 team race for the likely 6 slots in the West Regional.

CTX and Le Tourneau from ASC.

Linfield/GF from the NW.

CLU and Chapman from the SCIAC

TLU and Trinity from the SCAC.

Last year GF got left out, since the regional was in Texas,  and since it is in the NW this year I would guess the inside track goes to a NW team for an at large bid. A few other teams will have something to say about this, but right now IMO these are the teams.

[Ron Boerger]

I'm not sold on LeT yet,  Massey has their SoS pegged at 179th with their best wins being 2-of-3 against UTD (7-5).   Let's see what they can do against CTX and UMHB; the Cru themselves are a surprising 9-2 with a much better SoS (23rd).     LeT has only played 3 of 14 away from home.

[ILVBB]

Three of the four conferences have year-end tournaments with the winner getting the bid. It is fun talking about who looks good now; but the reality is you have to win your tournament to get the bid.

"Drive for show; putt for the dough."

[Whatagame]

While there is a lot of baseball to be played it is shaping up to be a 8 team race for the likely 6 slots in the West Regional.

CTX and Le Tourneau from ASC.

Linfield/GF from the NW.

CLU and Chapman from the SCIAC

TLU and Trinity from the SCAC.

Last year GF got left out, since the regional was in Texas,  and since it is in the NW this year I would guess the inside track goes to a NW team for an at large bid. A few other teams will have something to say about this, but right now IMO these are the teams.

At this point I would really have to add PLU to the mix.  Their pitching has been just outstanding this season, and their only loss to a D3 team was a close one to Linfield.  Frosh starter Mahlum is really impressive, and their "Sunday Guy" for conference is Trevor Lubking.....probably the best lefty between the entire NWC/SCIAC.  Their defense is solid, if they can get a bit more consistent at the plate I think they are a real contender.

[108 Stitches]

At this point I would really have to add PLU to the mix.  Their pitching has been just outstanding this season, and their only loss to a D3 team was a close one to Linfield.  Frosh starter Mahlum is really impressive, and their "Sunday Guy" for conference is Trevor Lubking.....probably the best lefty between the entire NWC/SCIAC.  Their defense is solid, if they can get a bit more consistent at the plate I think they are a real contender.

Yep I missed them. Massy has them 6th in the region.

http://masseyratings.com/rate.php?s=cbase2014&sub=11620

[Westside]

PLU definitely deserves mention as a top team. I just don't think their offense is good enough for them to win the NWC. With that being said, they can just as easily shut out Linfield/George Fox and take the league.

I still think the NWC is Linfield's to win, even with their sputtering offense (Wylie should be back in the lineup before the PLU and Fox series'). Not really sure what is going on with Fox's offense, as they only averaged 4 runs a game against the bottom two teams in the leauge.

It is a shame that at least one of these teams won't make it to regionals.

With that being said, I thought the two best teams Linfield played last year were Trinity and George Fox. And I think these are 3 of the 5 best teams in the country this year. I would be quite surprised if someone besides these three is the West Region Champion.

[Jack Parkman]

SCIAC
CLU
Chapman
Dare I say Whittier. (sorry Jack the numbers are there at least for now...) (with a team name Poets #%&!)
Pickum'
Could be anyone (except for CalTech)

Ok, I have top give credit for a 10-game win streak but I also look at the schedule they have played in the SCIAC.

Pomona, Claremont and Cal Tech are a combined 7-28.  I was surprised they swept Claremont and Pomona but like I said, 10 games in a row can't be ignored.  I will wait to see how they do against Redlands (who they could very well sweep) before I look at them being in the top 4.  I am curious as to what has happened since they gave up 52 runs in 4 games in AZ.

[CrashDavisD3]

My top teams this week 3/11/2014. 4 of these teams will be in the West Regional. The last 2 spots is up for grabs IMO.

NWC
George Fox
Linfield
Pacific Lutheran

ASC
LeTourneau
Concordia-Texas
Mary-Hardin Baylor

SCAC
Trinity
Texas Lutheran

SCIAC
Cal Lutheran
Whittier
Chapman

[CrashDavisD3]

While there is a lot of baseball to be played it is shaping up to be a 8 team race for the likely 6 slots in the West Regional.

CTX and Le Tourneau from ASC.

Linfield/GF from the NW.

CLU and Chapman from the SCIAC

TLU and Trinity from the SCAC.

Last year GF got left out, since the regional was in Texas,  and since it is in the NW this year I would guess the inside track goes to a NW team for an at large bid. A few other teams will have something to say about this, but right now IMO these are the teams.

No guarantee's that all 6 teams will be from the West. Pool C bids are awarded on a National and not regional basis. It has happen in the past a team outside of the West Region got a Pool C bid and was placed in the West Regional. Also one year 2 teams from the West Region made it to Appleton each winning a regional.

So teams that did not win their conference bid in the West may stay home. Having an outstanding D3 record, Regional record and strong SOS will be required in 2014 to get a Pool C bid. Just win your Pool A bid and don't be disappointed staying home. Several 30 win teams and even Co-Conference Champs have not made into the West Regional in past years.

[108 Stitches]

FWIW:

West according the D3baseball.com

#   School (1st votes)   Rec   Pts   Prev.
1   Linfield (7)   12-3   595   1
2   Trinity (Texas) (9)   15-1   588   3
3   Southern Maine (7)   2-0   562   2
4   Kean (2)   9-1   541   5
5   UW-Stevens Point   0-0   496   4
6   Webster   2-0   445   8
7   Salisbury   8-2   428   10
8   Cortland State   5-2   395   7
9   St. Thomas   6-2   369   9
10   Marietta   4-0   361   12
11   Wheaton (Mass.)   4-0   301   17
12   Cal Lutheran   9-3   296   11
13   Rowan   3-0   287   16
14   UW-Whitewater   0-0   282   13
15   Ithaca   2-2   274   6
16   Concordia-Chicago   6-2   239   14
17   George Fox   14-2   218   19
18   Johns Hopkins   4-0   203   18
19   Manchester   4-2   186   15
20   Mount Union   9-0   106   rv
21   Birmingham-Southern   11-2   96   23
22   Bridgewater (Va.)   9-3   96   20
23   Augustana   6-2   77   22
24   Case Western Reserve   7-1   73   rv
25   Washington and Jefferson   2-1   70   21

Others receiving votes: Shenandoah 64, Illinois Wesleyan 52, Hampden-Sydney 39, Piedmont 38, Concordia (Texas) 32, Endicott 28, LeTourneau 26, Millsaps 19, UW-Oshkosh 16, St. John Fisher 16, Macalester 12, Western New England 11, Rhodes 7, St. Scholastica 6, Frostburg St. 6, Mary Hardin-Baylor 6, Mary Washington 5, Ferrum 5, Buena Vista 5, Heidelberg 4, Franklin 4, Thomas More 4, Keystone 3, Baldwin Wallace 3, Wooster 3, Huntingdon 3, La Roche 2, Adrian 2, Elizabethtown 1.

According to Massy's:

Trinity
Le Tourneau
MHB
Linfield
G. Fox
PLU
Concordia
Cal Lu
TLU