BB: Top Teams in West Region

[Jack Parkman]

Clearly the top two teams in the West are Linfield and Trinity, they are really separating themselves from the pack right now. Everyone else took a step back this weekend.

SCIAC, while it seems like while they have some good teams no one really is a standout. CLU is good but not in the Linfield/TU category.

George Fox laid a big egg this weekend.  (I am being polite) The rest of the NWest - I am not sure about until they get into the meat of their schedules. How real is Willamette? PLU took 2/3 from Whitworth, let's see how good they are later in the season.

LeTourneau has won a lot of games but who have they played? Lets see how they do against Concordia and MHB. Not convinced they are a Regional team just yet. Concordia looks competitive and so does MHB. Lets see how MHB looks against TU on Tuesday and CTX vs them the following week.  UTT - fo get a bout tit.

TLU looks solid but they better plan on winning the SCAC if they want to get to their second straight Regional, although GFox did not help themselves this weekend and we all know what their schedule looks like at the end of the season.

SCAC is all about TLU and Trinity, everyone else looks mediocre.

My 2 cents on a Sunday eve.

I really don't disagree with Trinity and Linfield being tabbed as the top in the West but I can't seem to get over the SOS numbers from the front page.

44. Southwestern 3-18
79. Willamette 8-6
84. PLU 10-2
92. UT Tyler 7-11
104. Linfield 12-1
108. Texas Dallas 9-6
117. Austin 1-13
125. Whitman 9-10-1
132. Pacific 5-9
143. Centenary 7-8
145. Hardin Simmons 6-9
148. Chapman 11-8
170. Whitworth 5-5
172. Cal Lutheran 12-4
# Too many to add
#230 Trinity 18-1

A few things on this....I realize these will change almost daily but it does show a little something.  You can't pick who is in your conference and thats tough when you are forced to play a team like Southwestern, Cal Tech, Claremont.....I also don't know if these numbers are in fact correct.  It shows the games against Kean, Drew and Ithaca as in-region for the SCIAC schools.

[Whatagame]

Definitely G. Fox did not do themselves any favors this weekend.  Is Willamette for real?  I think they are a very dangerous team, their last six games are against Fox and Linfield, and they have gone 4-2.  But, is Willamette a realistic contender for the conference tile, that's a real stretch I think because of the makeup of the conference.

I took a quick look, and I thought these numbers are interesting:

NWC: Of pitchers with enough innings to qualify for the conference leader board for all games played:

11 guys have ERA below 2.0 (5 are under 1.0)
23 total guys have ERA below 3.0

SCIAC: Same criteria...

4 guys ERA under 2.0
6 total guys ERA under 3.0
(The 23rd place guy has 4.78 ERA)

SCAC:  Same criteria...

4 guys ERA under 2.0
9 total guys ERA under 3.0
(The 23rd place guy has 5.68 ERA)

The ASC does not offer sortable stats, but the 10th place guy has 2.91

Willamette is middle of the pack in NWC for team ERA at 3.55, but would lead the SCIAC in team ERA.  Heck, Lewis and Clark, who is 9th in NWC in team ERA would be in 4th place team ERA in SCIAC, just behind Cal Lu.

I don't know if any of this means much, maybe you can't really do a comparison like this?  The NWC has a fair amount of guys that can swing it, and I'm assuming is a pretty solid hitting conference relatively speaking.  But, really good teams are going to take it on the chin in conference play on occasion, like Fox did this weekend I think, because the conference looks to be the deepest in the West Region this year – so far, in terms of impact pitching.

[CrashDavisD3]

Clearly the top two teams in the West are Linfield and Trinity, they are really separating themselves from the pack right now. Everyone else took a step back this weekend.

SCIAC, while it seems like while they have some good teams no one really is a standout. CLU is good but not in the Linfield/TU category.

George Fox laid a big egg this weekend.  (I am being polite) The rest of the NWest - I am not sure about until they get into the meat of their schedules. How real is Willamette? PLU took 2/3 from Whitworth, let's see how good they are later in the season.

LeTourneau has won a lot of games but who have they played? Lets see how they do against Concordia and MHB. Not convinced they are a Regional team just yet. Concordia looks competitive and so does MHB. Lets see how MHB looks against TU on Tuesday and CTX vs them the following week.  UTT - fo get a bout tit.

TLU looks solid but they better plan on winning the SCAC if they want to get to their second straight Regional, although GFox did not help themselves this weekend and we all know what their schedule looks like at the end of the season.

SCAC is all about TLU and Trinity, everyone else looks mediocre.

My 2 cents on a Sunday eve.

I really don't disagree with Trinity and Linfield being tabbed as the top in the West but I can't seem to get over the SOS numbers from the front page.

44. Southwestern 3-18
79. Willamette 8-6
84. PLU 10-2
92. UT Tyler 7-11
104. Linfield 12-1
108. Texas Dallas 9-6
117. Austin 1-13
125. Whitman 9-10-1
132. Pacific 5-9
143. Centenary 7-8
145. Hardin Simmons 6-9
148. Chapman 11-8
170. Whitworth 5-5
172. Cal Lutheran 12-4
# Too many to add
#230 Trinity 18-1

A few things on this....I realize these will change almost daily but it does show a little something.  You can't pick who is in your conference and thats tough when you are forced to play a team like Southwestern, Cal Tech, Claremont.....I also don't know if these numbers are in fact correct.  It shows the games against Kean, Drew and Ithaca as in-region for the SCIAC schools.

SOS will have no real meaning for the 4 Pool A bids for ASC, NWC, SCAC and SCIAC teams.

[108 Stitches]

Jack,

I like to use Massy's as far as numbers (once enough games are played) for ranking including SoS. They also have a forecasted SoS which is interesting. Linfield is forecasted #2 and Trinity #13.

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

Whatagame, the ERA numbers are interesting, but I am not sure how much they mean other than the teams in the NWest get their best competition within their conference. (playing outside is also very difficult due to travel)  I know teams like Chapman and Trinity do go out of conference to get tougher games. Some of the best games for TU are their mid week games and this year they traveled (or will) to Millsaps and Hendrix which are two very difficult places to play and normally field very competitive teams.

dp643: Trinity has so many arms this year it won't really matter who is out there, if he stumbles there will be plenty in the pen ready to come in, and in fact they may take a rotational approach to get some pitchers some work, not really sure what they will do, but UMHB will see some quality arms tomorrow.

[Whatagame]

Whatagame, the ERA numbers are interesting, but I am not sure how much they mean other than the teams in the NWest get their best competition within their conference. (playing outside is also very difficult due to travel)  I know teams like Chapman and Trinity do go out of conference to get tougher games. Some of the best games for TU are their mid week games and this year they traveled (or will) to Millsaps and Hendrix which are two very difficult places to play and normally field very competitive teams.

Thanks, good thoughts.  Quite a few NWC teams do a fair amount of travel, I think, to make an effort to create a good schedule.  The last three years Linfield, PLU, Whitman and Fox have all traveled to the Arizona Classic, which used to feature a premier, very deep lineup of teams, but this year only three SCIAC squads showed up.  I really don't understand that, given the ease of traveling to Phoenix, the slam-dunk beautiful February weather, the outstanding condition of the diamonds and the chance to play good teams. The last two seasons the NWC as a group has nearly swept this event.  Also this year, Whitman and UPS traveled to Texas to play Hendrix, Hardin, UT Dallas (not powerhouses, I know, but OK).  Pacific came to Texas, and beat TLU.  A bunch of teams also played Schreiner, but I don't really understand why, given the better options closer to Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. Whitworth, Fox and PLU either have already made or will make trips to SCIAC.  Some of those games are against PP, which looked like better games on paper before the season started.  Alas, it is very difficult for the NWC to get anyone to travel up and play them, which is understandable due to weather concerns and distance.

[CrashDavisD3]

Whatagame, the ERA numbers are interesting, but I am not sure how much they mean other than the teams in the NWest get their best competition within their conference. (playing outside is also very difficult due to travel)  I know teams like Chapman and Trinity do go out of conference to get tougher games. Some of the best games for TU are their mid week games and this year they traveled (or will) to Millsaps and Hendrix which are two very difficult places to play and normally field very competitive teams.

Thanks, good thoughts.  Quite a few NWC teams do a fair amount of travel, I think, to make an effort to create a good schedule.  The last three years Linfield, PLU, Whitman and Fox have all traveled to the Arizona Classic, which used to feature a premier, very deep lineup of teams, but this year only three SCIAC squads showed up.  I really don't understand that, given the ease of traveling to Phoenix, the slam-dunk beautiful February weather, the outstanding condition of the diamonds and the chance to play good teams. The last two seasons the NWC as a group has nearly swept this event.  Also this year, Whitman and UPS traveled to Texas to play Hendrix, Hardin, UT Dallas (not powerhouses, I know, but OK).  Pacific came to Texas, and beat TLU.  A bunch of teams also played Schreiner, but I don't really understand why, given the better options closer to Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. Whitworth, Fox and PLU either have already made or will make trips to SCIAC.  Some of those games are against PP, which looked like better games on paper before the season started.  Alas, it is very difficult for the NWC to get anyone to travel up and play them, which is understandable due to weather concerns and distance.

Will NWC get 2 bids to Regional by playing better teams(aka SOS) and beating up on the SCIAC. SCIAC may only get 1 team in the Regional in 2014 IMO.

[108 Stitches]

I often wondered why Trinity did not go to Arizona, but I guess they get enough teams that will come to them that they don't want to incur the expense, plus their Winter break timing. I love what they have done with Chapman with a Home/Away, and it now looks like they are doing the same thing with Hendrix and Millsaps so they pick up quality opponents as well as keep the old rivalries from the former SCAC.   Probably the only other thing I would like to see them do is to try to pick up some Eastern or Mid-Western powerhouse teams like Kean or Marietta and get them in for a weekend series.

BTW I 100% agree with Crashes West analysis. TLU is likely a bubble team unless they take the SCAC. If a team like Linfield or Trinity gets beat in their conference tournament the whole picture gets turned upside down.

[Whatagame]

108, just to clarify, NWC does not have conference tournament.  Season conference champion (24 conference games, balanced schedule) get the AQ bid. 

I really think PLU is in the mix for the AQ.  Mahlum & Lubking & Bishop vs. Haddeland & Thomassen & Brandon are really great pitching match ups.  If PLU can get any offense rolling....   Linfield gets Wylie back at some point, that should be huge.  I think Linfield does miss having Tim Wilson this season (duh...., a career 400+ hitter and premium defender) igniting things at the top of their lineup.

[Jack Parkman]

Whatagame, the ERA numbers are interesting, but I am not sure how much they mean other than the teams in the NWest get their best competition within their conference. (playing outside is also very difficult due to travel)  I know teams like Chapman and Trinity do go out of conference to get tougher games. Some of the best games for TU are their mid week games and this year they traveled (or will) to Millsaps and Hendrix which are two very difficult places to play and normally field very competitive teams.

Thanks, good thoughts.  Quite a few NWC teams do a fair amount of travel, I think, to make an effort to create a good schedule.  The last three years Linfield, PLU, Whitman and Fox have all traveled to the Arizona Classic, which used to feature a premier, very deep lineup of teams, but this year only three SCIAC squads showed up.  I really don't understand that, given the ease of traveling to Phoenix, the slam-dunk beautiful February weather, the outstanding condition of the diamonds and the chance to play good teams. The last two seasons the NWC as a group has nearly swept this event.  Also this year, Whitman and UPS traveled to Texas to play Hendrix, Hardin, UT Dallas (not powerhouses, I know, but OK).  Pacific came to Texas, and beat TLU.  A bunch of teams also played Schreiner, but I don't really understand why, given the better options closer to Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. Whitworth, Fox and PLU either have already made or will make trips to SCIAC.  Some of those games are against PP, which looked like better games on paper before the season started.  Alas, it is very difficult for the NWC to get anyone to travel up and play them, which is understandable due to weather concerns and distance.

The early trip to AZ has been replaced with a spring break trip to Tucson for some schools.  I think it's for a few reasons- 1) A different slate of teams go to Tucson, which has games that run for almost a full month. 2) The Cal-Classic went away.  East Coast teams would come out to CA for 2 weekends full of games and some NWC teams did too.  Those teams got 4 games in each weekend with a few in the middle of the week as well.  I believe the SCIAC added more conference games which doesn't allow them to play as many East Coast teams, which changes the number of games schools play out of conference. 3) I think a few years ago there was something like 12 teams that came to AZ (4 from TX, 4 NWC and 4 SCIAC) and they all got to play each other.  I noticed that some NWC schools played each other in AZ this year, which sucks for all involved. 4) The Tucson games fall around the Spring Break times which helps with teams not missing any class.

I wish more schools would do the home/home with each other.  I like the Trinity/Chapman and it's obvious the NWC teams are willing to travel to CA, but I think Chapman is the only SCIAC school that has ever traveled north. 

[Westside]

I wish more schools would do the home/home with each other.  I like the Trinity/Chapman and it's obvious the NWC teams are willing to travel to CA, but I think Chapman is the only SCIAC school that has ever traveled north.

Speaking of... Pomona Pitzer is travelling up to Linfield this year, April 12th. It would be cool seeing some teams come up the Northwest later in the season, since the weather should be better.

[Spence]

I often wondered why Trinity did not go to Arizona, but I guess they get enough teams that will come to them that they don't want to incur the expense, plus their Winter break timing. I love what they have done with Chapman with a Home/Away, and it now looks like they are doing the same thing with Hendrix and Millsaps so they pick up quality opponents as well as keep the old rivalries from the former SCAC.   Probably the only other thing I would like to see them do is to try to pick up some Eastern or Mid-Western powerhouse teams like Kean or Marietta and get them in for a weekend series.

BTW I 100% agree with Crashes West analysis. TLU is likely a bubble team unless they take the SCAC. If a team like Linfield or Trinity gets beat in their conference tournament the whole picture gets turned upside down.

The only way you're getting Marietta to Texas for a series is if you pay their airfare. I don't think a Marietta team has ever flown to a game. I highly doubt you'll see another Texas spring trip for them for a long time. I don't even remember Trinity playing Marietta when they did go to Texas, though.

Maybe Trinity should come to Florida for spring break rather than going to California for a 3 game series? Could have played tons of great teams last week.

[Jack Parkman]

I wish more schools would do the home/home with each other.  I like the Trinity/Chapman and it's obvious the NWC teams are willing to travel to CA, but I think Chapman is the only SCIAC school that has ever traveled north.

Speaking of... Pomona Pitzer is travelling up to Linfield this year, April 12th. It would be cool seeing some teams come up the Northwest later in the season, since the weather should be better.

I didn't see that on the schedule, very cool for Pomona to do that.  It would have been an even better trip if they were looking like a regional team again this year.  Getting some games in Oregon about a mont before the regional would have been great for them.  Hopefully other SCIAC schools follow this up with some trips up there.

[CrashDavisD3]

I wish more schools would do the home/home with each other.  I like the Trinity/Chapman and it's obvious the NWC teams are willing to travel to CA, but I think Chapman is the only SCIAC school that has ever traveled north.

Speaking of... Pomona Pitzer is travelling up to Linfield this year, April 12th. It would be cool seeing some teams come up the Northwest later in the season, since the weather should be better.

I didn't see that on the schedule, very cool for Pomona to do that.  It would have been an even better trip if they were looking like a regional team again this year.  Getting some games in Oregon about a mont before the regional would have been great for them.  Hopefully other SCIAC schools follow this up with some trips up there.

A few years back Linfield came down to play Chapman and Chapman played Linfield up there I believe outside of the regionals.

[tigerfan_2001]

did the criteria change this year, as far as now doesn't every game count?  No more in region v out of region---or did I just make that up

[108 Stitches]

I believe you are correct Tigerfan.

Spence I am sure the TU team would have loved to be in Fl last week.  The TU team did play a conf game last week so I don't understand the scheduling limitations. I know the coaching staff wanted to keep the Millsaps/Hendrix rivalry going as well as the tradition. They can get to both places by bus so from a cost standpoint this probably works within their budgets, plus I think they are a home/away system also. The Chapman home/away works since they only travel once every other year, so cost wise it works.