BB: Top Teams in West Region

dp643 · March 03, 2012, 12:05:40 PM

I agree. I would always have my staff set for 1-2-3 on the weekend. But that isnt how they always roll, and it may have nothing to do with Rauh and Chapman is all I was stating.

infielddad · March 03, 2012, 12:09:01 PM

Based on everything I know about TU baseball and Coach Scannell, he started Fink because he believed in him, believed they would win with him, and he wanted to put Fink in a situation to succeed.
Coach does that all the time, and while it seems out of the box, his believing and challenging a player/pitcher, more often than not, is rewarded by a very, very good performance.
Since I was not there, I can only assume Fink got too amped. With that, he was still out of the inning with one run, except for the error. 17 runs on 9 hits....nope, that does not get it done.
No excuses, though because Coach Scannell does not allow that.
A couple of times it has been mentioned that this series is more than Rauh/Klimesh. Lucero for Trinity is very, very good and has pitched well in big games.
To me, starting Fink last night showed Coach Scannell felt they could win all 3 and have Lucero and Klimesh to do it.
It didn't work out...but that is baseball.

Ron Boerger · March 03, 2012, 12:22:48 PM

I thought the TU basketball team would have a tougher time hanging in last night than the baseball team, but Chapman put the lie to that thought. Great time to break out the bats (unless you are a Trinity fan) so will have to hope for better the next two games.

Jack Parkman · March 03, 2012, 12:28:34 PM

Quote from: infielddad on March 03, 2012, 12:09:01 PM
Based on everything I know about TU baseball and Coach Scannell, he started Fink because he believed in him, believed they would win with him, and he wanted to put Fink in a situation to succeed.
Coach does that all the time, and while it seems out of the box, his believing and challenging a player/pitcher, more often than not, is rewarded by a very, very good performance.
Since I was not there, I can only assume Fink got too amped. With that, he was still out of the inning with one run, except for the error. 17 runs on 9 hits....nope, that does not get it done.
No excuses, though because Coach Scannell does not allow that.
A couple of times it has been mentioned that this series is more than Rauh/Klimesh. Lucero for Trinity is very, very good and has pitched well in big games.
To me, starting Fink last night showed Coach Scannell felt they could win all 3 and have Lucero and Klimesh to do it.
It didn't work out...but that is baseball.

Very good point. I am not trying to say Trinity is bad or anything negative, just my opinion is that is was a risky move. I still fully expect them to be in Oregon in May and probably battling on the last day.

infielddad · March 03, 2012, 12:38:26 PM

Jack,
I know you didn't mean anything critical or negative.
You know your baseball and looked at the starting pitcher in very logical way.
The best example I know of Coach Scannell and outside the box was the Championship game of the 2004 West Regional in Orange.
Amongst the parents, we were wondering who would pitch because the losers bracket route took its toll.
When we arrived, the starting pitcher wasn't anyone on any list. He was a freshman who had less than 10 innings all year and who didn't pitch in the SCACs.
He took TU into the 5th or 6th against Scott Hyde and left giving up only 2 run providing a chance for a W.
While I don't know for sure, my guess is Coach had the same attitude and confidence when the umpire called "play ball" last night.
In my view, this could put a bit more pressure on Lucero and Klimesh and Coach doesn't mind that, either.

dp643 · March 03, 2012, 05:27:45 PM

Nice job by Klimesh. Trinity wins 3-2. Trinity didnt execute bunts and some situations like I saw them do against UMHB, but nonetheless still got the win. Big two out, 2 strike 2 run home run by Will Donnan in the Bottom of the 8th. Looks like Rauh vs Lucero tomorrow to take the series. Get your popcorn ready!

Jack Parkman · March 03, 2012, 05:42:25 PM

I will now take back half of what I said....

Great job by Trinity today coming back after getting beat like they did. Wish I could watch game 3.

108 Stitches · March 03, 2012, 06:25:51 PM

This was one of those games that you keep telling yourself that they better get an insurance run sometime, otherwise it is going to come back and bite you and it did. Klimesh did not have his best stuff and was a bit wild, but was in control for most of the game - up 1-0 from the second, but TU could not string two hits together and nor did they do a good job in executing its offense, and sure enough Chapman came back in the top of the 8th and tied it 1-1. A two run HR by Will Donan put them up 3-1 and Chapman came back and loaded the bases with no outs in the 9th. Michael Bentz came in and got a K, a flair behind 1st was caught and by second basemen Kevin Clements who turned and threw to third instead of home and got the runner out on a bobbled tag to end the game. Bentz is becoming a very good go to guy in the late innings. Got to give both teams credit for a hard fought battle.

I would say that Chapman is the best team I have seen in controlling base runners, they do a good job in particular of holding guys close to second and it saved them a couple of runs during the game, picking off one guy and holding another to one base on a single. These are two solid teams and you can tell they are both well coached.

I have no idea on which way it will go tomorrow, but I do know it will be a good one.

dp643 · March 04, 2012, 03:29:21 PM

What a game this is!

dp643 · March 04, 2012, 03:41:24 PM

So much for the pitching theory. Trinity takes 2 of 3 from Chapman.

infielddad · March 04, 2012, 04:17:07 PM

Like I said about Coach Scannell......
Two outs in the bottom 10 and he pinch hits with a kid who is 0-6 this year.
Single starts the rally and gets the W.
Coach knows his players and proves it again today.
What a series to come back from Friday night's bashing.
This is a huge confidence builder for Trinity...and should be the same for Chapman, to be honest.
They competed and played hard against a very good 1-9 and very good pitching.

dp643 · March 04, 2012, 04:47:11 PM

I know Chapman is going to need to really pick it up to have a Pool C shot, but you kind of got the feeling watching this series that this probably wont be the last time these two teams see each other.

Ron Boerger · March 04, 2012, 05:20:41 PM

And Rauh still hasn't lost a game.

Very impressed with Chapman this weekend, looking much more like the team we all know they can be. Good luck the rest of the way.

Bmo · March 04, 2012, 05:22:10 PM

Wasn't Scannell tossed in the first inning or was that just a warning.

108 Stitches · March 04, 2012, 06:16:25 PM

Just got back. Great game. Tough battle the whole way, back and forth - two great teams going at it. Scannell was tossed the first inning going after yet another crappy umpire that gave CU a run. I am surprised they do not do a better job of selecting umpires, but I guess you get what you can get. I am sure after Friday night Scannell was fed up with guys being lazy and not getting down and calling strikes at the knees. It was a clear looking K, and the ump just stood there, next batter HBP that walked in a run. That's just baseball however since both teams had the same guy(s). Ugh...

JC Bunch called the squeeze to tie it up, perfect call. The rest I don't know - but I my wife said she thought she saw Scannell in the trees in the outfield....(just kidding)

Chapman should not feel bad about the two close losses. They were well played games on their part, (gone is are the E's for the most part) and I know the TU players have a lot of respect for that team. It is difficult for me to be unbiased but IMO Trinity is a deeper team, with stronger pitching. Michael Bentz as I posted earlier will be huge for this team in late innings. He has "the look" and the pitches of a closer. He will be very tough to score against late in a game.

Rauh is everything that has been written about him, but he is no Klimesh IMO. Klimesh has MLB stuff, Rauh might but he lives on his slider, where Klimesh will come at you with a ++ fastball and a + Slider. If TU sees Rauh again they will get to him quicker IMO. CU is a great team and I think they will fight through a difficult schedule to get to the tournament so this likely will happen.

Trinity could well run the table the rest of the way in to the SCAC tournament. Someone may beat them, but I don't see anyone on their schedule in their class.