2014 West Regional - McMinnville, OR

[wildcat11]

As fun as this chat is, it's game say.

Forecast is calling for 91 and sunny. Just drove by the field and it looks absolutely gorgeous. The warm weather schools should feel right at home!

Here is to a great day of baseball.

Amen!  Wish I could be there today but I'll be stuck in the office.  Go 'Cats!

[Spence]

It figures that the regional that appears most clear from weather issues (at least most of it) is in Oregon.

[NWBaseballFan10]

Predictions:

Linfield over Letourneau - I would not be surprised if this game is closer than what many expect. Last year, a lot of people felt that Texas Lutheran did not measure up with the teams in the Regoinal and lost two close games to Cal Lu and Linfield. I think Letourneau is going to make things interesting, but this first game will go to the defending champs and the reigning National Pitcher of the Year.

Cal Lu over Illinois Wesleyan - It worries me a little that IWU best pitcher, Jeff Johnson, is sporting a 3.52 ERA (although he has a good k/9 and opponent avg.) and he is about to face perhaps the best lineup in the West (at least on paper that is). I'm assuming Cal Lu goes with Peterson who has big game experience from last year when he faced Trinity in the Regional opener. This game may boast the most offense we will see today in the West.

Trinity over UWSP - Best game of the day not only here in the West, but perhaps in all of the regions. I'm guessing Speer gets the nod for TU and UWSP goes with Watson (sounds like they have two other former pitcher of the years who they could throw out there as well). If Trinity wants to show that they are a national contender then this is the game they could prove it. Loser could very likely see Linfield tomorrow so I'd suggest taking care of business today.


It is a beautiful day for baseball here in Oregon! Let the fun begin!

[Teddy_Ballgame]

In Marietta, the college has very little to do with it. The baseball program supports itself. By that I don't mean it doesn't have a school budget, but it isn't what the program gets from "big MC" that makes Etta Express baseball what it is.

Believe me, Marietta College administrators like to save money as well. Schaly Stadium is aptly named not only because of the success Don Schaly had there, but because older parts of the stadium he literally built -- laid the block for the dugouts, for example. Obviously he didn't build the 3-story media building, but the program (with a lot of help from Kent Tekulve, whose name is on the building) did. Another fundraising effort seeded by Terry Mulholland resulted in the outstanding lighting system. The College didn't do any of that. I'm hearing word of a couple of new projects and I'm sure the College isn't funding those either.

I'm not saying that it's easy to do what Marietta has done. Heck, if it was that easy, everyone would do it. I'm just saying that your idea of "the school" and its involvement is pretty far wrong.

If so many schools are willing to go to Texas (like Marietta used to) then why is there a problem? Just play the better teams that do that...oh that is the problem, there aren't enough of them because everyone is going to Florida.

You could be right about the "wake up call". But I doubt it's going to loosen many purse strings. It's not as if many schools are going to get a lot of added value from being in the regional in terms of brand awareness or something. A lot of spring trips are internally funded.

Fair points, and in response to your previous post I would just add that (for the sake of annual redundancy) SCIAC teams seem to only be able to budget one "trip" per year. NWC teams seem to take one or two- I think Linfield has something like the Marietta budget you're describing, and will sometimes help pay to get teams to come up to them. The one trip is quite significant as for every SCIAC and NWC team, the closest non-conference opponent is at least about 1000 miles away. So as tough as 6 hour bus trips can be, a non-conference bus trip is actually impossible. EVERY non-conference, D3 game for a NWC/SCIAC school involves someone getting on a plane. 

It used to be that So Cal at least was able to get a lot of high quality teams to come out for Spring Break. But that doesn't seem to be happening as much anymore (from what I understand, it's more efficient for those east coast squads to get non-conference games closer to home against teams who have also been snowed in all winter). I suppose there are more efficient ways to take the one trip (Florida, as you're advocating), but no matter how you slice it, it's really tough to get very many non-conference and especially non west region games.

I'll repeat my picks which got lost at the bottom of a previous post:
Linfield
CLU
Trinity

What can I say, I'm boring Still, I'm anticipating a fun day of baseball and glad to hear the weather is so great!

[dp643]

Here we go boys. 18 minutes till the first pitch. Sticking with LeTourneau, CLU, Trinity today.

[Ralph Turner]

Hey it is number one against number one.

Already, we have seen DePauw knock off highly rated Webster, and Castleton State is up 2-1 against Cortland State.

[Spence]

Hey it is number one against number one.

Already, we have seen DePauw knock off highly rated Webster, and Castleton State is up 2-1 against Cortland State.

Actually Cortland leads that one, 2-1. Haverford leaves Moravian, 2-1. I bet Rowan was never happier to be a 2 seed than when they saw who the 8 was.

[dp643]

this may be the quickest game ive ever watched.

[wildcat11]

LeTU had some really good pitching and defense but Linfield's pitching and defense was just a little bit better.

Doesn't matter if it's by 1 or 10....just win and move on.

[CAK72B]

Well after that first game it's dejavu of last year. Haddeland was just too tough. LeTourneau showed that they are deserving to be here which was great to see.

[Ron Boerger]

Well after that first game it's dejavu of last year. Haddeland was just too tough. LeTourneau showed that they are deserving to be here which was great to see.

Whoever gets Linfield in the next couple of games thanks LeTu for their sacrifice ... tho as good as the rest of Linfield's staff is, it's not a huge difference. 

[Westside]

Linfield continued their struggle against the soft lefty. Fortunately Lindell's bomb was enough. Haddeland did Haddeland things. They probably hit one ball hard all game. I think he is at 25 innings the last 2 regionals without a run given up?? Give credit to LeT tho, they played great. Linfield will need to score more if they want to win it all.

[CAK72B]

Linfield continued their struggle against the soft lefty. Fortunately Lindell's bomb was enough. Haddeland did Haddeland things. They probably hit one ball hard all game. I think he is at 25 innings the last 2 regionals without a run given up?? Give credit to LeT tho, they played great. Linfield will need to score more if they want to win it all.

Maybe they are taking the blueprint from last year which was grind out game and get the timely hits during the regional and then cruise through the World Series with ease.

[Jack Parkman]

Cal Lu finally scores with the help of an error by the IWU 2b.  Tied at 1 after 7.  Great pitching by both teams.

[bzzboyz]

I noticed that 3 #1's and a #2 lost today. Never know what can happen.