BB: Top Teams in West Region

[NWBaseballFan10]

I can see Linfield in the top 25, but not at 14th. Even as a biased Cat fan I'm not sure I can agree with that. I would have them in the 20's right behind PLU at this point.

[108 Stitches]

There will continue to be a some significant shifting around in the rankings as teams get in more significant games. CLU has not been tested yet, and there are other top 10 teams who have not even played a game yet. If Willamette keeps it up they will break in to the top 25 next week. As the season moves on ranking will be based on performance not reputation. I just flipped over to Massey and they don't have all of the games logged yet. In 4 weeks we should have a much better view of the top West teams.

[Teddy_Ballgame]

With 5 losses not sure how Linfield remains in TOP 25.

I'd note that one of those losses is to a non-DIII team (Corban), two of the losses are against a team they split with (2-2 vs. UPS), and the other two are to another top 25 team. Granted, two of their wins are also against NAIA Oregon Tech, so really they're a 7-4 team. Clearly a disappointing start given the tremendous success of the last few years, but I'll take it with a grain of salt considering how early it is and how much stronger a schedule they've played than a lot of the other teams with better records in the West. I think the losses to UPS and PLU may be more of a testament to the strength of those teams than to the flaws of Linfield.

Regardless, the NWC is shaping up to be a strong, competitive conference this year. While it will make for an exciting tournament (as noted by Whatagame), there's a chance it harms the conference by giving each team a few too many L's for an at-large bid.

[Jack Parkman]

Looks like not a lot of the ranked West teams have had too tough of a schedule so far.  I whipped this up real quick and I am sure there are mistakes, but it gives an idea of how it all looks.  *I only took into account D3 games, but I counted all games in opponents records (I know, not great, but I didn't have a lot of time to do this.

Ranking   School   Win %   Opp Rec   Opp Win % 5   CLU 8-1   0.889   17-28   0.378 14   Linfield 7-4   0.636   27-23   0.54 16   Trinity 7-2   0.778   26-39   0.4 23   PLU 7-3   0.7   22-24   0.478 RV   Willamette 12-1   923   10 40   0.2 RV   Pomona 11-3   786   27-43   0.385 RV   Concordia (TX) 10-3   0.769   23-43   0.348

[Mr. Ypsi]

Some major shifts happening in the West.

#   School (1st votes)   Rec   Pts   Prev.
1   UW-Whitewater (24)   0-0   624   1
2   St. Thomas (1)   0-0   594   2
3   Cortland State   0-0   530   4
4   Salisbury   2-0   529   5
5   Cal Lutheran   8-1   442   9
6   Southern Maine   0-0   439   7
7   Kean   1-0   434   10
8   Emory   6-3   403   3
9   Concordia-Chicago   1-0   401   8
10   Birmingham-Southern   8-0   398   14
11   UW-Stevens Point   0-0   373   11
12   Marietta   0-0   372   12
13   Rowan   0-0   305   13
14   Linfield   9-5   293   6
15   Case Western Reserve   0-0   281   15
16   Trinity (Texas)   8-2   263   18
17   Shenandoah   0-0   237   17
18   Webster   1-2   172   16
19   Baldwin Wallace   0-0   151   20
20   Bridgewater (Va.)   1-0   132   21
21   Rhodes   10-2   132   25
22   Eastern Connecticut   0-1   106   19
23   Pacific Lutheran   10-4   105   23
24   Misericordia   2-0   89   24
25   Tufts   0-0   70   22
Dropped out: none

Others receiving votes: Willamette 41, Endicott 35, La Roche 24, Wesleyan (Conn.) 24, Frostburg St. 20, Randolph-Macon 17, Heidelberg 14, Adrian 13, Pomona-Pitzer 13, Moravian 9, Rose-Hulman 7, Amherst 6, Concordia (Texas) 6, Ithaca 4, Buena Vista 3, Wash. & Jeff. 3, UW-La Crosse 3, Alma 2, Huntingdon 2, Johns Hopkins 2, Concordia-Moorhead 1, Millsaps 1.

The D3baseball.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly. Full members of NCAA Division III are eligible.

With 5 losses not sure how Linfield remains in TOP 25.

Yeah, but they have NINE more wins than 12 other teams in the top 25!

Think of it as essentially another preseason poll, since much of the country hasn't yet thrown out the first pitch.

[CrashDavisD3]

Some major shifts happening in the West.

#   School (1st votes)   Rec   Pts   Prev.
1   UW-Whitewater (24)   0-0   624   1
2   St. Thomas (1)   0-0   594   2
3   Cortland State   0-0   530   4
4   Salisbury   2-0   529   5
5   Cal Lutheran   8-1   442   9
6   Southern Maine   0-0   439   7
7   Kean   1-0   434   10
8   Emory   6-3   403   3
9   Concordia-Chicago   1-0   401   8
10   Birmingham-Southern   8-0   398   14
11   UW-Stevens Point   0-0   373   11
12   Marietta   0-0   372   12
13   Rowan   0-0   305   13
14   Linfield   9-5   293   6
15   Case Western Reserve   0-0   281   15
16   Trinity (Texas)   8-2   263   18
17   Shenandoah   0-0   237   17
18   Webster   1-2   172   16
19   Baldwin Wallace   0-0   151   20
20   Bridgewater (Va.)   1-0   132   21
21   Rhodes   10-2   132   25
22   Eastern Connecticut   0-1   106   19
23   Pacific Lutheran   10-4   105   23
24   Misericordia   2-0   89   24
25   Tufts   0-0   70   22
Dropped out: none

Others receiving votes: Willamette 41, Endicott 35, La Roche 24, Wesleyan (Conn.) 24, Frostburg St. 20, Randolph-Macon 17, Heidelberg 14, Adrian 13, Pomona-Pitzer 13, Moravian 9, Rose-Hulman 7, Amherst 6, Concordia (Texas) 6, Ithaca 4, Buena Vista 3, Wash. & Jeff. 3, UW-La Crosse 3, Alma 2, Huntingdon 2, Johns Hopkins 2, Concordia-Moorhead 1, Millsaps 1.

The D3baseball.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly. Full members of NCAA Division III are eligible.

With 5 losses not sure how Linfield remains in TOP 25.

Yeah, but they have NINE more wins than 12 other teams in the top 25!

Think of it as essentially another preseason poll, since much of the country hasn't yet thrown out the first pitch.

But Linfield is sitting in 6th place in NWC conference right now with a 2-4 in conference record. 

[Ralph Turner]

This season has been very unpredictable.  The winter weather will play havoc with everyone.

I don't think that teams will round into shape until late in the season!  This may be a season where a team gets hot and runs the table (e.g. Illinois Wesleyan back in 2010.)

I cannot figure out the ASC. I think that the conference has too much balance for us to make an opinion.  That conference has always fared competitively in the Regionals (#2 seed LeTU went 1-2 last year) and yet the mid-rung teams in the conference have been "just a hair" shy of knocking off the ASC tourney champ over the course of the season.

[CrashDavisD3]

Both Linfield and Chapman sit in 6th place in their conferences today. Who would have thought this a few years ago.

[108 Stitches]

Week of 3/9; No change: CLU, Moving up: Trinity, PLU, P-P, UTT Moving down: Linfield, Williamette
Enough to fill out a Regional?

#   School (1st votes)   Rec   Pts   Prev.
1   UW-Whitewater (22)   0-0   612   1
2   St. Thomas (1)   0-0   587   2
3   Cortland State   4-0   560   3
4   Salisbury   2-0   527   4
5   Cal Lutheran   12-1   499   5
6   Kean   4-0   487   7
7   Birmingham-Southern (2)   11-0   471   10
8   Southern Maine   0-0   453   6
9   Emory   7-3   392   8
10   UW-Stevens Point   0-0   382   11
11   Trinity (Texas)   12-2   351   16
12   Shenandoah   0-0   302   17
13   Concordia-Chicago   5-3   269   9
14   Rhodes   13-2   257   21
15   Case Western Reserve   1-1   250   15
16   Marietta   1-1   242   12
17   Baldwin Wallace   1-0   228   19
18   Bridgewater (Va.)   4-1   175   20
19   Pacific Lutheran   12-5   136   23
20   Misericordia   6-1   124   24
21   Linfield   11-6   90   14
22   Randolph-Macon   8-1   80   rv
23   Rowan   1-3   79   13
24   Eastern Connecticut   0-1   72   22
25   Frostburg State   9-0   71   rv
Dropped out: No. 18. Webster, No. 25 Tufts.

Others receiving votes: Moravian 55, Tufts 53, Endicott 36, Webster 33, Wesleyan (Conn.) 32, Heidelberg 31, Willamette 31, La Roche 27, Pomona-Pitzer 27, Concordia (Texas) 17, Huntingdon 15, Rutgers-Camden 9, Millsaps 9, Manchester 8, Otterbein 7, Amherst 3, Ithaca 3, UW-La Crosse, Concordia-Moorhead 3, Alma 2, Augustana (Ill.) 2, Johns Hopkins 2, Elizabethtown 1, Piedmont 1, Rose-Hulman 1, Texas-Tyler 1.

[CrashDavisD3]

ASC
@Concordia-TX 12-4
Texas-Tyler 10-5

NWC
@Willamette 13-3
#19 Pacific Lutheran 12-5

SCAC
#11 Trinity (Texas) 12-2
Texas Lutheran 11-6

SCIAC
#5 Cal Lutheran 13-1
@Pomona-Pitzer 13-3

@Got votes in poll
NOTE #21 Linfield with 6 losses still in Top 25

[D O.C.]

Hope this isn't repetavtive....

http://m.mlb.com/nyy/video/topic/11061776/v38598283/day-in-the-life-scott-brosius/?c_id=nyy

[108 Stitches]

Great piece thanks DOC, thanks! It is no accident that Linfield is such a solid program.

[CrashDavisD3]

Hope this isn't repetavtive....

http://m.mlb.com/nyy/video/topic/11061776/v38598283/day-in-the-life-scott-brosius/?c_id=nyy

Nice piece. Great coach, great school, great city, great college, great baseball. Love my 2 trips there. Weather .....Ok not everything is perfect.

[wildcat11]

Weather .....Ok not everything is perfect.

[CrashDavisD3]

MARCH 16, 2015

ASC
Concordia(TX) 15-4
Texas-Tyler 13-5

NWC
Williamette 13-4
Pacific Lutheran 14-6

SCAC
Trinity(TX) 14-4
Texas-Lutheran 13-7

SCIAC
Cal-Lutheran 14-4
La Verne 13-6