BB: Top Teams in West Region

[SoCalSoxFan]

Chapman vs CLU automatically contributed 3 of those losses...

[Ron Boerger]

First NCAA regional rankings are out.   

West                    In-Division  Overall
1   Trinity (Texas)       22-5      25-5
2   Centenary (La)      27-9      30-9
3   Pacific (Oregon)    25-11    25-11
4   Texas-Dallas         23-10    24-10
5   Texas Lutheran      21-9     25-11
6   Williamette            27-13   27-13
7   East Texas Baptist  22-13   26-14

[Jack Parkman]

Looks like everyone in the West will be on a flight somewhere. Curious if they all go to the same regional or if they are spread out.

TLU
UT Dallas
Pacific
SCIAC winner
Trinity (pool C)

Would seem odd if all of these went to the same spot but I could see them being split in a two/three way and going to 2 locations.

[Ralph Turner]

Looks like everyone in the West will be on a flight somewhere. Curious if they all go to the same regional or if they are spread out.

TLU
UT Dallas
Pacific
SCIAC winner
Trinity (pool C)

Would seem odd if all of these went to the same spot but I could see them being split in a two/three way and going to 2 locations.

If Texas team submitted a bid to host, then there should be a 6-team regional there.

[Ron Boerger]

Apparently they didn't (or more likely the NCAA did its usual jerk thing) because the sites were announced and there are ZERO in the West Region.  Yes, you won the last four championships, but you don't get a regional.  But hey, the MidWorst got three!

https://d3baseball.com/playoffs/2021/playoff-central_2021

Regional Sites:

The High Point Rockers announced that Truist Point in High Point will be one of eight host sites host site for the NCAA Baseball Regionals set for May 27-31.  Greensboro College will serve as the host institution for the regional.

The seven other Regional sites are: Auburn, N.Y., Marietta, Ohio, Decatur, Ill., Hartford, Conn., Collegeville, Minn., Saint Paul, Minn. and Whitewater, Wisc.

[edit: man I wish there was a way to keep this thing from double spacing after a period].

[Ralph Turner]

Apparently they didn't (or more likely the NCAA did its usual jerk thing) because the sites were announced and there are ZERO in the West Region.  Yes, you won the last four championships, but you don't get a regional.  But hey, the MidWorst got three!

https://d3baseball.com/playoffs/2021/playoff-central_2021

Regional Sites:

The High Point Rockers announced that Truist Point in High Point will be one of eight host sites host site for the NCAA Baseball Regionals set for May 27-31.  Greensboro College will serve as the host institution for the regional.

The seven other Regional sites are: Auburn, N.Y., Marietta, Ohio, Decatur, Ill., Hartford, Conn., Collegeville, Minn., Saint Paul, Minn. and Whitewater, Wisc.

[edit: man I wish there was a way to keep this thing from double spacing after a period].

My hope is that TLU. UTD and Trinity TX get shipped to three different regionals.

I would take the SCIAC champ going to a 4th. IMHO, Pacific is the weakest of the 5, but hey, this is the West Region!

[Ralph Turner]

No West Region team submitted a bid to host this year.

That is why everyone is getting shipped.
Chapman played very well, especially the infield, as they defeated Cal Lu 8-2, including a 4-run 8th.

D3Baseball.com projected its bracket. IMHO, the Collegeville MN Region, hosted by St John's looks like it would be a great one.

[Ralph Turner]

Background music over the PA system at Chapman prior to Chapman's post-game celebration of the SCIAC championship is "Feels Like the First Time."

Apropos and wishful, since Chapman won the 2019 SCIAC Regular season, the 2019 SCIAC Post season, and the 2019 D-3 National Championship.

[Ron Boerger]

Thanks for the update on the hosting situation, Ralph.

Your wish (re splitting the three Texas schools to three regionals) has been granted!

UT-Dallas #2 seed in Collegeville, where Chapman is a #5
Trinity #1 seed in St. Paul
TLU #3 seed in Whitewater

I did see the comment in the d3baseball "here's who we think will be selected" story that the field at Northwestern St. Paul doesn't allow steel cleats.   It's a Turf field which I guess makes sense that far north.  Looks like a nice complex.

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks for the update on the hosting situation, Ralph.

Your wish (re splitting the three Texas schools to three regionals) has been granted!

UT-Dallas #2 seed in Collegeville, where Chapman is a #5
Trinity #1 seed in St. Paul
TLU #3 seed in Whitewater

I did see the comment in the d3baseball "here's who we think will be selected" story that the field at Northwestern St. Paul doesn't allow steel cleats.   It's a Turf field which I guess makes sense that far north.  Looks like a nice complex.

That was what was so enjoyable about TLU vs UTT in 2018 for us Texas and maybe West Region D3 teams. We know both of those squads very well. It was friendly rivalry played out at the highest level.

Despite the geographic dispersion, the West Region teams try hard to play each other in the non-conference games. I want the West Region teams to do well, because I think that the isolation detracts from the quality of ball played out here. There have been many seasons when the 9-team NWC and SCAIC were 6 & 7 teams deep , or the #1 pitcher on the #8 team in the ASC or SCAC could shut down the conference leader.

We just play good solid ball out here.

In watching the Chapman- Cal Lu game on Sunday, I was impressed with the Chapman infield. Pitching and defense win games, and I think that Chapman has it.

[BigPoppa]

Minnesota is hosting two regionals just over an hour apart. I am hoping to catch a game or two at each venue this weekend (while working around my own baseball coaching schedule).

[Ron Boerger]

Minnesota is hosting two regionals just over an hour apart. I am hoping to catch a game or two at each venue this weekend (while working around my own baseball coaching schedule).

Hopefully you didn't spend any time watching Trinity give up 33 hits and 25 runs (all but 3 earned) on their way to a two-and-BBQ performance at St. Paul.  Not sure what happened towards the end of the season but whether it was better competition or something else they ended up losing six of nine despite scoring nearly nine runs per game during that period.   Pitching hasn't been a strong point this season and the trend continued this weekend. 

Good luck to the remaining West Region teams. 

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks for the update on the hosting situation, Ralph.

Your wish (re splitting the three Texas schools to three regionals) has been granted!

UT-Dallas #2 seed in Collegeville, ( went 1-2. Beat Chapman; lost to Pacific; lost to Chapman)

where Chapman is a #5 (went 2-2. Lost to TLU; beat Scranton; beat UTD; lost to Tommies)

Trinity #1 seed in St. Paul (2 and BBQ; JHU and Aurora, neither team is a slouch)

TLU #3 seed in Whitewater (went 2-2 ; Lost to PSU-Harrisburg (huh?), beat Adrian; beat Luther; Lost to UWW)


I did see the comment in the d3baseball "here's who we think will be selected" story that the field at Northwestern St. Paul doesn't allow steel cleats.   It's a Turf field which I guess makes sense that far north.  Looks like a nice complex.

Pacific was the dark horse. A #4 seed, they went 3-2 beating York PA, beat UTD; beat Tommies; lost to Tommies and lost to Tommies.

No West Region team makes it this year. Shucks!

[108 Stitches]

Minnesota is hosting two regionals just over an hour apart. I am hoping to catch a game or two at each venue this weekend (while working around my own baseball coaching schedule).

Hopefully you didn't spend any time watching Trinity give up 33 hits and 25 runs (all but 3 earned) on their way to a two-and-BBQ performance at St. Paul.  Not sure what happened towards the end of the season but whether it was better competition or something else they ended up losing six of nine despite scoring nearly nine runs per game during that period.   Pitching hasn't been a strong point this season and the trend continued this weekend. 

Good luck to the remaining West Region teams.

Pitching and defense along with some timely hitting win tournaments. Trinity had neither good defense nor good pitching all year and that was exposed during their conference tournament (they lost) and regional. They had a couple of guys who could swing it, but that is not going to work giving up 25 runs over two games. I only watched a few innings here and there during the season but I was a bit skeptical of their high ranking by what I saw. Obviously the COVID year prevented many of the top national teams to get out of conference games which hurt the ability of observers (coaches voting) to get a real read on all of the programs. Best of luck to the teams moving on the CWS, and looking forward to a full non COVID influenced season next year. Competition should he high given the pool of talent carrying over into next year so the best teams should be able to attract D1 level pitching, which should make for an interesting year next year. 

[Ralph Turner]

The Tommies (the team that won the Collegeville MN Regional where 3 West Region teams were sent) is now 2-0. They beat Adrian yesterday (7-5) and
WashStL on a walk-off 2-out run scoring double 8-7 in the bottom of the 12th.