BB: Just Some Guy's West Region Rankings

Started by Just_Some_Guy, February 20, 2007, 11:09:24 PM

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Chapman vs Linfield

Chapman splits 4 games with Linfield
2 (40%)
Linfield sweeps
1 (20%)
Chapman sweeps
0 (0%)
Linfield takes 3 of 4
0 (0%)
Chapman takes 3 of 4
2 (40%)

Total Members Voted: 5

Just_Some_Guy

Quote from: SCIACfan5 on January 23, 2009, 08:25:00 PM
If Just Some Guy isn't around, will someone be willing to do their own ranking of the West Region? I'd like to see how teams are measuring up in the West.

I think my disappearance, or at least my inability to get some rankings out have really aided (and elevated) this discussion board into one of the best in Division III baseball.

My status in terms of free time hasn't really changed since the end of last season, but I will try to stay informed. If I feel I have a good grasp on the landscape of the west region, and find some free time, I will try and put together some rankings.

In doing so, I hope that rather than take my rankings as the definitive word, you all will continue to have these elaborate discussions about this phenomenal region and tremendous young men.

Here's to a great 2009 season!

JSG


nvnorthpaw

Infielddad:  checked the schedules and CalLu plays AT CSU-EB this spring break...maybe you should go watch and observe the 5 guys that WILL touch 90..three of those consistently sitting at 90.  Last year one of them (Casillas i believe) no-hit Menlo.  He is the third or fourth guy btw...  There also IS a reason that Tigert was listed as the #1 draft-prospect in all of DIII baseball by Baseball America this spring...I understand it is difficult to believe CLU has this many quality arms which is why you should check them out yourself.  Slimak welcomed a very large number (9 i think) JC players along with a D-II and two D-I transfers.  Go check out the stats as you will see the top two arms (Gelber 2-0 .9 ERA, Tigert 1-0 1.5 ERA  .158 oavg) along with the big bats have performed quite well up to this point.  I am going to go out on a limb and predict CLU takes not only the SCIAC but the entire region.  I've seen Chapman, Trinity, and Tyler all play this spring all ready and only Tyler impressed me. 

oldcat

Chapman has 3 guys that consistently hit 90 all fall, january, and so far this spring. All of which have touched 93 a couple times. I will go out on a limb and say that Cal Lu does not win the west region, even though many think that the ego of Chapman is always being stroked, they will win it this year. I will agree that Chapman got off on the wrong foot losing the series against Whittier, but I think that they will learn from that travesty of a series and go on and dominate. They swept a much better team than most SCIACS this past weekend and looked amazing. I will end this by saying best of luck to Cal Lu and the rest of the SCIAC because Chapman is on a mission this year and no one will stop them.

Ralph Turner

Having seen Chapman on Saturday at McMurry, the main hole that Chapman needs to fill is the one left by Kurt Yacko.

I think that they will be okay.

dp643

Can we get off this notion that just because you throw 90 MPH that it automatically means you will get people out in D-3?? I have seen plenty of guys that throw 90 get crushed at this level. Not saying these guys will, but just because you can throw that hard means very very little. Let their actions speak louder than this message board.

Ralph Turner

Quote from: dp643 on February 09, 2009, 07:52:37 AM
Can we get off this notion that just because you throw 90 MPH that it automatically means you will get people out in D-3?? I have seen plenty of guys that throw 90 get crushed at this level. Not saying these guys will, but just because you can throw that hard means very very little. Let their actions speak louder than this message board.
Right on dp643
Chapman's Jordan Sigman was hitting mid-80's at best on Saturday.

Inside- outside-change up-inside-inside-low and away...

A pitcher not a thrower.

One of the Chapman relievers hit 92-93, but couldn't hit the strike zone.

HAMBONE

Quote from: dp643 on February 09, 2009, 07:52:37 AM
Can we get off this notion that just because you throw 90 MPH that it automatically means you will get people out in D-3?? I have seen plenty of guys that throw 90 get crushed at this level. Not saying these guys will, but just because you can throw that hard means very very little. Let their actions speak louder than this message board.

I agree with this...baseball is a game of angles and percentages...the only stats that really matter are the ones you will find on the back of any baseball card...when all these phenoms that throw 90+ have some stats (indicating that they actually play) then we can talk about why the data is skewed in one way or the other...any good hitter @ any level of play knows that all 90+ means is that the ball will go further; and if these cats cant throw it in the zone they will weed themselves out in time.

On to more important topics ... I saw where CTX beat UT Tyler in Tyler's season opener ending that beloved 18 game winning streak ... I guess all good things eventually come to an end.  Box score indicated that it was a pretty good pitching matchup, with exception to the top of the first.  Did anyone get to see either of these guys throw this weekend?  Whats the scouting report on Holland? Does he touch 90? I looked the UT Tyler website over and couldnt find any stats that showed how hard their guys throw...

Good luck to eveyone's teams...appears this will be an exciting season with talent across the board in the West Region.

HAMBONE

I need some Karma...someone please throw me a bone!  I am starting off the season in an 0-2 count.  Even Ted Williams and Pete Rose were only a notch above the mendoza line in these situations.

Ralph Turner

Quote from: HAMBONE on February 11, 2009, 02:17:46 PM
I need some Karma...someone please throw me a bone!  I am starting off the season in an 0-2 count.  Even Ted Williams and Pete Rose were only a notch above the mendoza line in these situations.
Okay Hambone!  Give us some game reports from Nelson and Dell Diamond this weekend.

dp643

 Greg Maddux got all the roided up MLB players out topping out at 88.

Ill give my synopsis of Tyler and UMHB after I make that series next weekend up in Tyler (if I can)..

Dawgsdad

Quote from: Ralph Turner on February 11, 2009, 02:32:48 PM
Quote from: HAMBONE on February 11, 2009, 02:17:46 PM
I need some Karma...someone please throw me a bone!  I am starting off the season in an 0-2 count.  Even Ted Williams and Pete Rose were only a notch above the mendoza line in these situations.
Okay Hambone!  Give us some game reports from Nelson and Dell Diamond this weekend.
I honestly don't think there will be much of a contest at Nelson field on Saturday when CTX plays HTU. It should be a five inning game max in my opinion as HT has started 0-10 for the season and looking at their schedule they'll be 0-20 by the time they start conference play. Coach Moore is have a rebuilding year for sure, most of the talent on that team graduated or left last year. It's going to be a long year for him indeed. He's also the acting AD and has little to no help at all...

Now, the game on Tuesday (2/17) at Dell Diamond is a whole different deal - This should be a great game TXW was nationally ranked at 17 within the NAIA and have fared well of late against DIII opponents... If we weren't playing on that day as well, I'd drive the hour to see that contact myself.

Blackcat00

I would go to Nelson just to talk baseball with Coach Moore. That guy is a class act and always enjoyed talking ball with him when we played him. THey seem to be down this year coming off a great year at HT last season.

Dawgsdad

Quote from: Blackcat00 on February 13, 2009, 05:38:37 PM
I would go to Nelson just to talk baseball with Coach Moore. That guy is a class act and always enjoyed talking ball with him when we played him. THey seem to be down this year coming off a great year at HT last season.
I hear ya there Blackcat00. Spent the last three years there with my boy. He's definitely a class act and have forgotten more baseball than many could ever know.
They are having a down year for sure and there seems to be issues brewing within the RRAC that may have an impact on that program. Just not a good year all around.

Just_Some_Guy

Ahem. The first set of JSG's "Unnofficial" West Region Rankings are coming soon.

I will say that as of right now the West is a muddled mess, and that I suspect these rankings will likely change dramatically throughout the course of the year.

Some good teams were left out that could definitely turn up later this year: Pac Lutheran, UT Dallas, Ozarks, and UMHB to name a few. The SCIAC is the conference featuring the most teams on the list with 4. I'll start putting it out later this evening as I add in commentary,  but probably won't finish until tomorrow.

JSG

Just_Some_Guy

#299
10.) La Verne: 3-5
I realize they're 3-5 out of the gate, and that's the only reason they're #10 and not in the middle of the list. Sure they got swept by what appears to be a really solid Cal Lu team, but they were all very close games (2 were extra innings). They also have two great in-region wins against Chapman, and Pacific Lutheran. If they don't get too caught up in the sweep, I envision them moving up this list soon.

Look for Hattabaugh, Pinado and Moretti to lead the team offensively, and thought I saw somewhere Jolly may have quit. That would be unfortunate, because with Jolly and Sweet leading the charge and Wheatley on the back end their pitching staff has the experience to succeed.

9.) Concordia: 5-4
The Tornadoes were a fringe team last year, finishing tied for first in the ASC and then defeating UT Tyler in the playoffs. Oh, and they've already shown they can do it again this year too. The addition of Johnson from San Jac appears to be a great one, and Williams can still rake a baseball.

I still think they're going to struggle offensively against better pitching though. To win the ASC, they need the top of the lineup to get on base in front of Williams, and for Coburn to to come through as a #2. I think Whitley is definitely a servicable number 3, and they have more depth to play with on the bump than they did last year.

8.) George Fox: 3-3
It's tough to put the NWC teams in the mix just yet, because we don't have a good representation of what they're capable of yet (though you argue that about any team this early I guess). GFU will have less depth on the mound this year, but do return Bratney and Dalgleish (is that pronounced Dog Leash?) who had successful campaigns last year.

Davis who was great out of the pen last year will be called upon to start. Offensively they'll turn to Wyckoff and Bailey who paced the team (along with Fobert) last year, and have to excited about having a healthy Bo Thunnell back in the line-up.

7.) Redlands: 4-2
Hard to really tell where they're at as well this year. They split a pair with Pacific Lutheran and then swept a Oxy team that won't be a factor. They may be the 4th best team in the SCIAC, which dare I say is stronger this year.

One thing is clear though, they will ride Nolan Nicholson's arm as far as it can take him, and provided he doesn't break down they're tough to beat with him on the bump. They've been a potent offensive team the last couple of years and don't look for that to change with Rizzo, Goldstein, Vane and Stutovoss all back. They also welcome SO TR Manny Cardeiro who has started hot.

6.) McMurry: 5-3
In retrospect, maybe I should have switched them and Concordia considering they were swept by a Chapman team that dropped 2 of 3 to Whittier and both games to La Verne. But, McMurry did sweep an Ozarks team that did not lose a whole lot from their 2nd place ASC East finish last year. This McMurry team lost some very key players including Yurchick at the top, and two mashers in the middle (David and Vorhees).

Dakota Smith and Kyle Martin (I've always thought he was a good LHP) have stepped up nicely in the rotation (Is Johnston hurt?). This team will look for Weston Franco to lead them offensively. And how about SO Jake Mullin off to a torrid start? Cody Curry has to start pitching like he's capable of, or Gaona has to become a starter and bullpen depth gets a bit thin. I'm still unconvinced they're the class of the West this year.

5.)Chapman: 6-4
Look, I get it. They're ranked higher than two of the teams that beat them in a series this year. I am also well aware of what they lost, and no, I don't think they have anybody capable of filling the gap left by Yacko. That said, how many years in a row have they won the West Region title? Okay, so let's give them the benefit of the doubt for another week or two. Kitchens is still a great #1, and Sigman seems to be a solid enough #2.

We'll see how the rest of the staff continues to stack up and develop, but in the meantime watch as this offense continues to hit lots of extra base hits and keep the pressure with the running game. Semel, who's on fire right now won't hit this well all year, but Prechtl probably won't be below .250 much longer either.

4.)Pomona Pitzer: 4-2
What do we know about this team aside from the fact that their SID is pretty slow at updating their stats on the webpage? They just missed the playoffs last year, and might've snuck in over La Verne had Colvin not been injured down the stretch. They return the entire top of their order, including 6 guys that hit over .330 last year. Drew Hedman might be the best hitter in DIII baseball.

Don't forget that they have 3 returning pitchers who all threw more than 60+ IP last year. If Colvin and Church perform like they did last year, and Mandleblatt steps up and throws like he's capable of (they way he did in his '07 campaign), they have a great rotation. Brunswick is a capable 4th starter, long reliever, or closer (4 saves last year), and may potentially be used in all three roles.

3.)Linfield: 3-1
The Wildcats lost nearly their entire offense and one of the best pitchers in the country in Brian Clark. They could reel a little bit this year after winning the central region and finishing 5th in the nation last year. [Just shows you how talented the West region is.] But if they do what they did last year and pitch (2.76 ERA) and play great D (.972) they'll be near the top again.

They do return Stew Davis who hit .363 last year, but they'll definitely miss guys like Mills, Chung, Bachofner and especially Van Cleave. Despite losing Clark, they do return 3 SPs (Larson, McCulley, and Dorn) who all had great years last year, as well as closer Vaughn. If someone can step up and fill that 4th starter spot (remember the 4 game format they play in the NWC), they have a great chance to repeat atop the conference.

2.) UT Tyler : 8-1
They lost a few big sticks (Baker & Damewood), and 1 rotation guy (Cambpell), but they return plenty, and I agree with someone (maybe dp643?) who said they have more depth out of the pen this year, than in the past. Getting to their starters early used to be the key, but Vilade went out and got some transfers (Rozell, Alvarado, R. Campbell) who could potentially fill those gaps.

If Harding, Daleiden and Hood are able to stay hot, and Fox (who's still getting on base at a .450 clip despite slumping) and Towns come on strong they're still the class of the ASC (particularly the East). It is notable though, that CUA seems to have their number.

1.) Cal Lutheran: 8-0
Hey, don't fault me for buying into some this Kingsmen hype early on, especially after they swept what I think is a solid La Verne team (albeit all close games). There's been a lot of chatter about their arms, and we'll get to them in a minute, but the real story is the start of Nick Pinneri. A couple of guys do this year year, and eventually come back to reality, but here's on stat I really like 9 BB, 7 HBP, 1K. Couple that with a .682 average, 1.273 slugging 7-7 stealing bases and that's impressive anyway you slice it.

I won't pretend I know which of these pitchers are transfers (maybe Gelber, Tirgert, and Roe?). The bottom line is this whole team sports the flat bill and the crooked tilt. Tough to beat a team that fashionable. Kidding aside, the Kingsmen will cross their fingers and hope Pinneri stays hot (.279 hitter last year), and that Iden and Hartmann are joined by a few other sticks looking to step up to score runs for this newly acquired pitching staff.

There it is folks. As always, please chime in and offer your opinions. This was a very hard week to do (I should've waited at least another weekend), because there aren't many stats out there yet, and the NWC is about a week behind the rest of the West.

Hopefully I can keep this up the entire year, and not leave you all out to dry like I did last year (but alas, no promises).



JSG