Top Records in the West
Texas-Tyler 22-0 1.000
Hardin Simmons 18-5 .783
Trinity-Texas 21-6 .778
Linfield 14-4 .778
Chapman 16-5 .762
UDallas 17-6 .739
Pomona Pitzer 17-6 .739
George Fox 14-5 .737
Redlands 15-6 .714
I expect to see Tyler, Linfield and Chapman in the West Regional for sure. After that, I think the SCIAC has a long way to go before it is decided but Cal Lutheran can do a lot with a series win over La Verne and Pomona-Redlands will be a battle. That conference should take shape in the next few weeks. George Fox needs to win as much as they can from this point forward, same with Trinity. If Trinity does not win the SCAC tourney, they better hope it is a team from the South region so there is an extra spot in the West. No matter what happens, this has been a very competitive season to this point.
Why is Chapman a lock and Trinity not?
Chapman is going for a bid in Pool B. Trinity is falling in the ranks of teams that might earn an at-large bid from Pool C. Therefore Trinity probably must win the SCAC tourney.
Doesn't Chapman have a mediocre region record?
Chapman has an in-region record of 9-5, but they also have:
3 wins against Wooster who is likely to be in the Mideast Regional Rankings at the end of the season;
2 wins head-to-head against fellow Pool B member Ithaca
1 win over Kean, who may be in the Mid-Atlantic Region Rankings at the end of the season.
Those are favorable factors, as secondary criteria.
They have 15 in-region games left in the season. If they can go 13-2 to finish at 21-7 in-region, I think that they can get in. 20-8 or 19-9 is a bit more "iffy".
Chapman