D 3 softball

Started by oldNorse, April 10, 2009, 06:34:25 PM

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justafan12

Preseason poll for D3 softball

https://nfca.org/index.php/front-page-news/6234-tufts-unanimous-no-1-in-nfca-division-iii-preseason-top-25-poll

While I am glad that the NFCA does a poll for D3 softball I would prefer that they change it to a regional poll.  NCAA is not interested in seeding teams for D3 softball as that would be more expensive come playoff time.  Regionals and super regionals are geographically predetermined.
Taking the current top 8 teams in the preseason poll, at best 3 will not make it.  ETBU, UT Tyler and Clairmont M/S are all in the West region.  They will all battle it out for 1 spot to go to the national championship (not World Series, only D1 can use that term).  Same for situation goes for Salisbury and Christopher-Newport.
I believe D2 is handled in close to the same fashion.

WLCALUM83

UT-Tyler is starting out hot, (10-0 at the time of this posting).

justafan12

Well coming up on selection Monday for D3 softball and it should be interesting to see what NCAA does, or does not do.  NCAA does not appear to put much stock in the NFCA poll as they like things to be more location friendly to save money.  Many teams will come out of their conference tournament this week and turn around and play the same conference opponent in regionals.

Per the NFCA rankings, the 3 biggest regions have the fewest ranked teams:

East - 56 teams with 1 ranked #9
New England - 64 teams with 2 ranked #1 and #17
Northeast - 54 teams with 2 ranked #18 and #22

Hopefully the higher ranked teams will get to host a regional and super regional this year.

justafan12

Well as expected, the Ncaa did a complete crapper on D3 softball again.  Rather than attempt to have the best national championship possible they instead place teams according to the what is cheaper for their travel budget.  Using the NFCA rankings dated 5/6/15, there will be at least one unranked team at the national championship and one with a ranking of no better than 12th.  Heck the teams ranked 2 and 3 per the NFCA are in the same regional, one won't even make it to super regionals. 

It was mentioned in the D3 softball committee minutes that this year they would reveal their regional rankings after they determined the bracket in an effort to be transparent.  We shall see.

One major cause for this is that one of the fees charged D3 schools by the Ncaa hasn't changed in over 3 decades.  I guess maybe that is a blessing to some.  In reading the committees minutes, they discussed how best to increase the fees and how much.  Of course in a typical political committee, they could come to no decision and will have to revisit it later. 

WLCALUM83

One angle,it's kind of a Catch-22, (especially when A, the past couple of seasons there have been up to 3 ASC squads and/or 3 IIAC squads that are in the same respective regionals, B, there aren't that many D3 West Region squads to begin with, and C, several Eastern seaboard schools may feel they're getting shafted as well)

Just my 4 cents.

WLCALUM83

It was an ETBU-TX Tyler Super Regional Final yesterday, with UT-Tyler advancing. The Lady Patriots host more games next week.

justafan12

Several years ago, under the old 8 regionals format, both PLU and Linfield were highly ranked.  Committee split them apart sending them to separate regionals.  They ended up both advancing and playing in the championship game.  I guess that's not the case any more. 

ETBU and UTT played each other 9 times over the year, 6 in the past week.  UTT wins so #3 ranked team via NFCA goes home.

I don't understand the whole region thing.  Who cares where you are located.  Why should that matter.  I don't see them ever putting UNC and Duke in the same basketball region.  Wait, they make money so its okay. 

WLCALUM83

D3 Softball World Series squads are:

Kean
UT-Tyler
Linfield
Alfred
Alma
Tufts
DePauw
Salisbury

I'm pulling for UT-Tyler

WLCALUM83

UT-Tyler and Tufts are in the final.

WLCALUM83


WLCALUM83

I heard Tufts pitcher Allyson Fournier is on the roster of NPF squad Pennsylvania Rebellion. To my knowledge, that's the first D3 player to be on an NPF team.

BamColt

So the TLU softball team went 41-3 and have to travel to Trinity for the Conference Tourney. Meanwhile the TLU baseball team ties the conference lead and gets to host.
Isn't this a title nine situation. Who voted on this crap?

Bombers798891

Well, it doesn't look like the top seed automatically hosts, based on the 2015 tournament. Maybe there are stadium requirements they don't meet? Maybe it cycles?

Phred

2016 tourney is underway.  Luther ranked #5 battles St. Kates ranked about 20 in Decorah regional finals tomorrow.  Cold wind !  Good luck Norse !
He who laughs last.......thinks slowest

WLCALUM83

#884
Regional Winners:

Alma:      Benedictine-IL
Angola:  Host school Trine.
Bloomington:  Host IL Wes
Chris. Newport:  Messiah
SUNY Cortland: Rowan
Decorah-IA:  Luther
Ewing Regional:  Manhattanville
Ithaca:  Host squad Bombers
Lake Forest:  St. Thomas-MN
Medford Regional:  WPI
Mt. Berry:  Emory
Norfolk:     Haverford
Rochester:  St. John-Fisher
UT-Tyler:  Host school Patriots  (Texas Lutheran lost in the final).
Williamstown:   MIT