A 2012 Central Region Preview

[BigPoppa]

So they announced the 2012 regional sites and the Central region goes to Rhodes???  Unless they changed the regional alignments, Rhodes isn't even in-region (I believe they are near Memphis). They hosted the South regional last year.  I'm wondering if no one from our region applied to host because this seems like a really inconvenient location for the majority of the central region teams...thoughts?

I am guessing it means they plan to ship some Central Region teams to other regions... Whitewater or Marietta. It gives them some added flexibility and can help them easily add teams from the South or even Mideast to the Central regional without having to fly them.

[108 Stitches]

BigPoppa,

The site is USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn. (Rhodes College, host)

I know the SCAC does their conference tournament there and the facilities are nice. It does seem a bit of a stretch from a distance standpoint, but most of the Central teams could get there in a one day bus trip. Certainly something farther north would have been preferable, but it must be because the combination who put in a bid, (if anyone)  facilities with lights, and infrastructure.

[Mr. Ypsi]

BigPoppa,

The site is USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn. (Rhodes College, host)

I know the SCAC does their conference tournament there and the facilities are nice. It does seem a bit of a stretch from a distance standpoint, but most of the Central teams could get there in a one day bus trip. Certainly something farther north would have been preferable, but it must be because the combination who put in a bid, (if anyone)  facilities with lights, and infrastructure.

A number of CCIW teams have hosted regionals (and I can't envision them not putting in a bid).  I think it must be simple geography, and they're planning to split up the Central.

Big Poppa and I might both appreciate Carthage and IWU in different regionals!   Let 'em knock each other out of the tourney in Appleton instead of earlier!

[augie_superfan]

Well if the NCAA doesn't mind flying people around then that's fine with me but I just envision this setup creating more flights.  It's all well and good that they split up up the Central by sending a few teams each way but not all those regionals will have spots to accept any teams.  Look at the Midwest regional last year, 3 Minnesota teams, 2 WIAC teams and Aurora.  Guess they could slide 1 team over there to make it into a 7-team regional.  Same with Marietta regional, could slide 1 over there.  I think the Chicagoland area would be a flight but maybe they figure they can get 2-3 teams to split a charter from chicago to memphis (millington). 

Will be interesting but I guess you might see some matchups with some Texas school, maybe a Birmingham-Southern or Emory.  Add in the SLIAC school, 1 CCIW school and maybe an HCAC school and you have a regional. 

[OshDude]

Well if the NCAA doesn't mind flying people around then that's fine with me but I just envision this setup creating more flights.  It's all well and good that they split up up the Central by sending a few teams each way but not all those regionals will have spots to accept any teams.  Look at the Midwest regional last year, 3 Minnesota teams, 2 WIAC teams and Aurora.  Guess they could slide 1 team over there to make it into a 7-team regional.  Same with Marietta regional, could slide 1 over there.  I think the Chicagoland area would be a flight but maybe they figure they can get 2-3 teams to split a charter from chicago to memphis (millington). 

Will be interesting but I guess you might see some matchups with some Texas school, maybe a Birmingham-Southern or Emory.  Add in the SLIAC school, 1 CCIW school and maybe an HCAC school and you have a regional.

The field increases from 55 to 56 teams for 2012, according to a release on Feb. 27. We could have two seven-team regionals this year, but I doubt it.

With the South not needing a flight in any scenario I can think of, that leaves the West and Central/Midwest as potential flight areas. Not many are necessary in the Midwest/Central, but the committee got creative last season. Could happen again. Could happen anywhere theoretically. And keep in mind that, if in, some eastern Texas teams could bus to Millington, creating more options.

Depending on the field, this year's regionals should be very difficult to predict.

[BigPoppa]

Difficult?! I'd say closer to impossible:)

[BigPoppa]

BigPoppa’s Week #2 Poll:

*Note: I did not have a chance to turn my poll in this week, but here is how I would have voted

1.   Marietta 2-0
2.   Stevens Point 2-0
3.   Whitewater 0-0
4.   Christopher Newport 9-2
5.   Texas- Tyler 12-3
6.   Heidelberg 0-1
7.   Kean 6-2
8.   Linfield 7-3
9.   Wheaton (Mass) 0-0
10.   Trinity (Texas) 14-2
11.   Eastern Connecticut 4-0
12.   Concordia-Chicago 2-0
13.   Salisbury 7-2
14.   St. Thomas 2-0
15.   North Park 4-2
16.   Carthage 0-0
17.   Piedmont 9-2
18.   Concordia-Texas (14-4)
19.   Western New England 2-1
20.   Johns Hopkins 1-1-1
21.   Cortland State 2-3
22.   Washington University
23.   Aurora 4-1
24.   Shenandoah 7-4
25.   Adrian 6-1

Dropped out: Chapman, Redlands, Birmingham Southern, St. Scholastica, Buena Vista, Webster

[BigPoppa]

BigPoppa’s Week #3 Poll:

1 Marietta 4-1 (My pre-season rank- 1)
2 UW-Stevens Point 2-0 (4)
3 Christopher Newport 13-3 (9)
4 Trinity (Texas) 17-3 (Unranked)
5 Texas-Tyler 13-4 (12)
6 Kean 8-2 (7)
7 Eastern Connecticut 4-1 (14)
8 Concordia (Ill.) 7-1 (20)
9 Piedmont 13-4 (Unranked)
10 North Park 6-2 (15)
11 Linfield 9-4 (6)
12 Wheaton (Mass.) 1-1 (8)
13 UW-Whitewater 2-2 (2)
14 Concordia-Austin 16-4 (Unranked)
15 Salisbury 11-3 (16)
16 Carthage 0-0 (19)
17 Rowan 9-0 (Unranked)
18 St. Thomas 4-2 (23)
19 Cortland State 7-4 (10)
20 Heidelberg 4-4 (5)
21 Western New England 2-1 (18)
22 Washington U. 8-3 (17)
23 Shenandoah 11-5 (Unranked)
24 Illinois Wesleyan 4-0 (Unranked)
25 Adrian 6-1 ((unranked)

Dropped Out: Johns Hopkins (2-2-2), Aurora (7-3)

On the radar: Keystone (5-1), Thomas More (5-1), Misericordia (9-1), Huntington (15-4), Bridgewater (14-4), Dubuque (7-0)
Teams ranked in my pre-season poll that are now out: (2) Chapman 7-9, (11) Redlands 8-9, (13) Birmingham-Southern 10-5,(21) Johns Hopkins 2-2-2, (24) Buena Vista 4-6, (25) Webster 5-4

I may be a bit off on my rankings, so feel free to debate, but I try to be as transparent as I can be in the process.

[CCIWFAN6]

BP, how would you rank the quality of opponents that NPU has played so far?  Several of these names I am not too familiar with, and the other games, the wins seem to be less than a telling indication of what to expect.

[BigPoppa]

BP, how would you rank the quality of opponents that NPU has played so far?  Several of these names I am not too familiar with, and the other games, the wins seem to be less than a telling indication of what to expect.

Bates is a good program that made some waves nationally last year. Splitting with them is not a bad thing.
Berry (GA) is a program transitioning from an NAIA Scholarship program to NCAA D3. Not a bad showing for NPU early in the season.
St. Olaf is usually a contender in the Midwest Region... a great sweep for the Vikes:)
Mitchell... not a strong program but NPU did what it needed to do
Dubuque... see Mitchell
Salem is middle of the road...
Principia and Monmouth are bad programs... NPU should roll through them.
Bethel: A surprisingly good team from the MIAC. Better than adverstized and coached by former Big Leaguer Brian Rabbe in his first season. Beating Bethel is a good challenge if the Vikings can pull it off.

I see them at 10-2 as of the weekend.

[D3Vike11]

Wasn't Mitchell in a regional last year?

[BigPoppa]

Wasn't Mitchell in a regional last year?

True, but they are struggling this year. Currently 1-4 and getting beat soundly in some of them.

[D3Vike11]

D3Vike11's Central Region Rankings as of 3/13/12

1.) Illinois Wesleyan 4-1
2.) Carthage 0-0
3.) Wash U 10-3
4.) North Park 7-2
5.) Coe 5-3
6.) Augustana 7-2

(Since I am new, I know I don't carry a lot of weight. I do have a realistic view of the teams and would love to see your responses)

[BigPoppa]

D3Vike11's Central Region Rankings as of 3/13/12

1.) Illinois Wesleyan 4-1
2.) Carthage 0-0
3.) Wash U 10-3
4.) North Park 7-2
5.) Coe 5-3
6.) Augustana 7-2

(Since I am new, I know I don't carry a lot of weight. I do have a realistic view of the teams and would love to see your responses)

Hard to dispute anything at this point with so few games played... give it another two weeks it will start to shake out a bit, but I do not mind your rankings. Valid arguments for all at each spot.

[warrior35]

BigPoppa,

Hard to disagree with many of your votes on this weeks poll, but I think you've got Dubuque way too high at the moment.  I'm all for giving credit where it's due... but they haven't beaten anyone of note and have traditionally been a struggling program.  If they get to 12-0 or better then I'd start giving them some votes, but at the moment I'd like to see more out of them.  (It's also shocking to see Chapman struggling so bad, but that's not a topic for this board)