BB: Top Teams in West Region

[forheavendial4999]

My guess is the coaches and players are satisfied with the W's but not at all with the way they performed.
You seem to want to  sit in a throne of judgement and critiique.  This message board is great for you to do that.

In other words, it's OK for the team to be critical but not me.

How intriguing you would ask the question  and  apparently not appreciate the  "difference."

Punctuation fail. I didn't ask a question.

And there is no difference. I'm just as capable of analyzing a data set as people who participated in the making of same. Unless one of them's a mathematician, I suppose.

[forheavendial4999]

I bet chapman would trade their record in one run games with trinity right now. A win is a win.

Certainly true, but not really the point. The point is that Trinity with each one-run win runs a greater risk of a regression to the mean game that might come at the wrong time.

Winning 3 straight one-run games has to be considered a measure of fortune by any neutral individual. Certainly not something you can count on happening.

[infielddad]

My guess is the coaches and players are satisfied with the W's but not at all with the way they performed.
You seem to want to  sit in a throne of judgement and critiique.  This message board is great for you to do that.

In other words, it's OK for the team to be critical but not me.

How intriguing you would ask the question  and  apparently not appreciate the  "difference."

Punctuation fail. I didn't ask a question.

And there is no difference. I'm just as capable of analyzing a data set as people who participated in the making of same. Unless one of them's a mathematician, I suppose.

Now, remind me again, how many games you played in Appleton and how many All American teams you made...without filling my email with flaming comments.
Your comments are coming across like a jock sniffer.
There is a huge difference in being on that field, competing, laying yourself open in the game of baseball and sitting on some computer reading a box score.
It is amazing you say "there is no difference?"
What a perspective you bring, which  seems to miss all that  is involved in being on that field competing with every ounce of effort and desire and ability against an opponent doing the same... you can critique games from a box score "with no difference."

[108 Stitches]

What makes you think anyone is comparing Trinity to Marietta? They were a great team what does that have to do with this year?. You are comparing apples and oranges.

In case you have noticed there was a bat change last year that has reduced HR by 50%, extra base hits and scoring by 30%. 1 run today is what 2-3 runs were pre bat change.

I again ask you how many Western region games you have seen this year?

You remind me of Uncle Rico, you out there throwing footballs reliving your past failures?

When you see some teams play then I would welcome some intelligent comments from you, until then shut up your trap and go crawl back in whatever hole you came out of.

[CrashDavisD3]

April 15, 2012

ASC - Corncordia-Texas(30-6)
SCIAC - La Verne(23-11)
NWC - Pacific(17-13)
SCAC - Trinity(29-6)

[Ralph Turner]

Trinity to Hendrix is a 10-hour road trip, 600+ miles, one way.

90% of D-III won't have a conference road trip that far this season.

Heaven, you're a knowledgeable fan who makes good posts on the other boards.

You come into the West Region and act like the "southbound end of a northbound horse".

What gives?

Yes, the West Region has its own peculiarities.  It is a solid well-balanced region.  I don't think that there is a more balanced region, from top to bottom, than the West.  There are no patsies in the Region.  The ASC has sent 6 of 15 teams to the Regionals in the last decade. The SCAC-West has sent 4 teams.  The SCIAC has sent at least 4, and the Northwest Conference has had a national championship and even sent teams to different regionals in the same year, and winning one of them.

Our problem in the West has been getting past Chapman!

[forheavendial4999]

What makes you think anyone is comparing Trinity to Marietta? They were a great team what does that have to do with this year?. You are comparing apples and oranges.

Well, they look to be pretty good this year too. And I also compared the last six national championship teams since you said championship teams win close games. I proved that several were not particularly adept at doing so. It might be accurate to say "championship teams are usually at least average at winning close games." But it's worth mentioning that NONE of those teams in their entire season won as many 1 run games as Trinity already has. To me it's a measure of how dominant a team you are. If you're not having to win very many one-run games but you're still winning a lot, then it's because you've been notably better than most of your opponents.

In case you have noticed there was a bat change last year that has reduced HR by 50%, extra base hits and scoring by 30%. 1 run today is what 2-3 runs were pre bat change.

I noticed before last season started. That's why I was touting Marietta to be a strong contender (ask Jim Dixon) in the Mideast while still acknowledging Heidelberg as the preseason favorite because they had earned that with their performance and what they had coming back. Not because of whatever reason you think Trinity has earned the right not to be scrutinized. Most people were picking Heidelberg and not many were picking Marietta. I think a few were picking Adrian. I'm not perfect, but I had that one dead right.

One run is still one run, even if one run is statistically less common. It's certainly not like 2-3 runs...ask the pitcher pitching in the last inning with a runner on 3rd in a 1-run game if he feels like he's got a 3 run lead.

I again ask you how many Western region games you have seen this year?

This is not relevant. By this measure, no one could possibly have any concept of any team that they haven't seen. I've never seen a tornado live, but I have a pretty good idea of what ingredients combine to make one likely because I've studied them. I never saw Marietta live last year (because I was in South Korea) but I had a pretty good idea they would be good last year because I knew how they were put together and have done a lot of studying the game at this level over the past 15+ years, and the history of it dating further back than that. If a tree falls in the forest but no one is there to see it, does it make a sound? Of course it does, but you can't prove it. That's what you're saying...that because you weren't there to be able to prove it you can't say what happened.

When you see some teams play then I would welcome some intelligent comments from you, until then shut up your trap and go crawl back in whatever hole you came out of.

Classy stuff here. But I'm the one that gets the -k's. Funny.

[forheavendial4999]

Trinity to Hendrix is a 10-hour road trip, 600+ miles, one way.

90% of D-III won't have a conference road trip that far this season.

Most Texas teams also won't make a trip to Florida or California and play numerous games in a week, or do the same thing up north. We all have our crosses to bear.

Heaven, you're a knowledgeable fan who makes good posts on the other boards.

You come into the West Region and act like the "southbound end of a northbound horse".

What gives?

Well, for one thing, people calling me names (and even worse, dancing around it but not having the guts to actually call me one) when all I'm doing is laying out facts and giving honest assessments like I always do. Another is Texas fans EVERY YEAR acting like their teams are all hot stuff and then fizzling out in the regional. One did make it to the Series, and if you look up the American-Statesman articles on their games in Appleton, you'll find my name at the top of the article (or you should unless they screwed me lol).

Yes, the West Region has its own peculiarities.  It is a solid well-balanced region.  I don't think that there is a more balanced region, from top to bottom, than the West.  There are no patsies in the Region.

And see this is a perfect example of the kind of horsecrap that frosts me. Austin is a patsy. Sul Ross State, Schreiner, East Texas Baptist, Ozarks, Caltech is one of the worst programs in the country. Occidental's not very good. There are several pretty sad teams in the NWC. The West has its warts like any other league. The difference is West fans (and Texas ones in particular, I've little beef with the NWC or California fans here it doesn't seem; a couple have even msged me in the past expressing agreement even though they didn't want to say it publicly because they see how I'm treated for giving an honest opinion) refuse to acknowledge it, act like their teams have the hardest life and the toughest battle to Appleton, in the absence of all logic to the contrary.

The ASC has sent 6 of 15 teams to the Regionals in the last decade.

That's a reflection of parity among the top teams in the conference. The lack of participation in Appleton would suggest that shouldn't be confused with excellence.

The SCAC-West has sent 4 teams.  The SCIAC has sent at least 4, and the Northwest Conference has had a national championship and even sent teams to different regionals in the same year, and winning one of them.

Our problem in the West has been getting past Chapman!

Chapman hasn't gone deep into the Series in all those years. Chapman winning it almost every year to me shows a lack of depth in the region. Other regions have strong programs that don't make it every year. Parity in a league shouldn't be confused with parity in a region. It's clear in the West there has been very little parity over the past decade. There's Chapman, the NWC winner, and then everyone else.

I hate to keep going back to Marietta and the Mideast but they're the best program over the history of the Division and right now, and the Mideast is arguably the best region. 2011 Marietta won the championship, 2010 Heidelberg finished I think 3rd, 2009 Wooster finished second, 2008 Adrian finished 3rd or 4th. 2007 Marietta went two and out, 2006 Marietta won the championship, 2005 Wooster finished 3rd, 2004 Manchester went two and out, 2003 Anderson finished 3rd or 4th, 2001 and 2002 Marietta finished 2nd. That's strength, that's depth. Sure, Marietta's the most successful, but they've been beaten a decent bit (some years didn't even make the regional, another testament to the region's depth that you can't pencil a program in for a regional appearance in a down year; witness Heidelberg this year as well) and when someone else has won the region they've usually gone on to represent it well.

There may well be other regions in a similar boat (Midwest and Mid-Atlantic come to mind as most likely). But Chapman's not going to be there this year, so the rest of the region has their chance this year. We'll see what comes of it. Presumably someone from it will make it to Appleton (though I suppose it's possible there's a fly-in).

[BamColt]

Is this Forehaven guy for real? You my friend need to follow baseball a little bit more before coming up with that analysis. A sweep of a conference series in baseball no matter of the score is huge. Even non contenders who are just playing out the season can steal a game in a series very easily here and there in all divisions of baseball. Its baseball, not basketball or football.

[BigPoppa]

Is this Forehaven guy for real? You my friend need to follow baseball a little bit more before coming up with that analysis. A sweep of a conference series in baseball no matter of the score is huge. Even non contenders who are just playing out the season can steal a game in a series very easily here and there in all divisions of baseball. Its baseball, not basketball or football.

Bam- Don't question what you don't know. While it is often harsh, his assessments are usually spot on. It just so happens that when he attacks your team/conference/region, posters tend to get a little bent out of shape about it.

[forheavendial4999]

Yeah I pretty much give up. Winning's better than losing, absolutely.

It's a difference in perspective. I'm looking at the whole country and doing it (mostly) objectively, or at least trying, and trying to figure out who's who, who's for real, etc. Especially in a case like the SCAC and with a team coming off losing a series to a pretty humdrum team, when a team that's supposedly a top contender plays a better but still not that accomplished team and program (certainly nowhere near the Pool C race), I'd certainly hope to see more than a free pass-filled squeaker with the ace and two slugfests in which clearly one run didn't mean that much (shooting down the 1 run now = 2-3 in the past argument). I also, when applicable, remember the words of intelligent people who have dedicated more of their lives to baseball than I have that have taught me a lot in the past and try to apply it.

I have seen coaches and teams sweep conference series that weren't very thrilled about the manner in which it was done. I've also seen very good teams get plastered in single games or even two in one day early in the year and get together and say "ok that was bad, forget it and let's get better tomorrow." A few years back I watched two top 5 teams play two high scoring games and split. And I talked to one of the coaches after and he said "sure didn't look like two top 5 clubs out there, did it?"

All questions will be answered in May.

[tigerfan_2001]

Yeah I pretty much give up. Winning's better than losing, absolutely.

It's a difference in perspective. I'm looking at the whole country and doing it (mostly) objectively, or at least trying, and trying to figure out who's who, who's for real, etc. Especially in a case like the SCAC and with a team coming off losing a series to a pretty humdrum team, when a team that's supposedly a top contender plays a better but still not that accomplished team and program (certainly nowhere near the Pool C race), I'd certainly hope to see more than a free pass-filled squeaker with the ace and two slugfests in which clearly one run didn't mean that much (shooting down the 1 run now = 2-3 in the past argument). I also, when applicable, remember the words of intelligent people who have dedicated more of their lives to baseball than I have that have taught me a lot in the past and try to apply it.

I have seen coaches and teams sweep conference series that weren't very thrilled about the manner in which it was done. I've also seen very good teams get plastered in single games or even two in one day early in the year and get together and say "ok that was bad, forget it and let's get better tomorrow." A few years back I watched two top 5 teams play two high scoring games and split. And I talked to one of the coaches after and he said "sure didn't look like two top 5 clubs out there, did it?"

All questions will be answered in May.

Trinity players and fans were thrilled with a 3 game sweep in Conway against Hendrix because of how tough Hendrix is to play at home.  They may not have a great outstanding overall record, but they are always good at home. 

2009- Hendrix wins 2-3 in Conway.
2010-Hendrix wins both in Conway.  TU went 32-9.
2011-Hendrix wins both in Conway.  TU went 34-13.

Hendrix plays TU very tough in Conway and so any type of win is a good one there.

[Pat Coleman]

Is this Forehaven guy for real? You my friend need to follow baseball a little bit more before coming up with that analysis. A sweep of a conference series in baseball no matter of the score is huge. Even non contenders who are just playing out the season can steal a game in a series very easily here and there in all divisions of baseball. Its baseball, not basketball or football.

Bam- Don't question what you don't know. While it is often harsh, his assessments are usually spot on. It just so happens that when he attacks your team/conference/region, posters tend to get a little bent out of shape about it.

Probably because he does attack, and in a disrespectful manner. There's little to be gained by being a jerk and a lot to lose, in terms of respect, perhaps posting privileges.

[108 Stitches]

I have to respectfully disagree with you Bigpoppa, regarding his analysis. I have seen little objective analysis with any kind perspective in his posts in the Western region. (I can say that I have not read much in some of the other areas, since I don't know them)
He is biased, one sided, mean spirited and illogical in nearly everything he has posted here.  Show me one example where he has applied the basic principles of logic here without his east/west bias ?

The beauty of a national board is that you get local perspectives, like Crash in the SCIAC, one like tigerfan just posted regarding the rivalry between Hendrix and Trinity. Hendrix was 13-1 at home up until this weekend. These things play a big part of winning and losing in college baseball, and make it interesting to share.

Frankly this board would be a better place without him, many of the other ones I have participated in would have banned him long ago.

[BamColt]

Its common sense to question his baseball knowledge just based on that post. More flame than analysis to me.