SCIAC FALL BALL

Sluggerdad · October 16, 2015, 01:33:51 PM

Any inside scoop on SCIAC Fall Ball? I assume rosters are starting to take shape. Newcomers are impressing coaches in camp. Some veterans are looking sharp. Maybe others not so much. If anybody has any insight to share that would be cool. Otherwise we just have to wait until the season starts -- which is a long time away.

Appalachian Mtns · October 19, 2015, 10:46:22 AM

Sluggerdad,

I am sure yours is thriving in that competitive program and fall ball, and based on your posts in another forum it appears yours is doing exceedingly well.

I log on occasionally to get some SCIAC information, but it looks like we will probably have to wait until January or so for regular information.

I have only spoken to mine once since dropping him off, because he says that he is just too busy with classes, homework and problem sets until 4:00 a.m. etc., coupled with conditioning, weights, and captain practices and BP. So I have no idea about the SCIAC right now, except that he is happy and loving it in Southern California while acknowledging the school work is extremely difficult, challenging and time consuming, but he says he has scored well on his assignments. He is rooming with two freshmen teammates, and has been to the beach a couple times (Hmmm, too busy to call Maw and Paw?), and a couple Dodgers games, one pulling for his Mets during the playoff game (Maybe that is why I haven't heard from him?).

I think their fall ball only last 2 to 3 weeks from late Oct to mid-November, which originally disappointed me, but they are only allowed so many weeks for D3 baseball, and I guess since they start practicing in early January and play games in February, it cuts the number of weeks in fall ball. Plus, I am now glad that the coach further limits it to allow his players to get settled and situated with classes, etc. However, he and his teammates have been working hard since their arrival while balancing the challenging academics.

Good luck to yours, and I look forward learning more about the SCIAC through this board.

Lets Play Two · October 19, 2015, 03:43:29 PM

The SCIAC's rules regarding the non-traditional season are much more restrictive than those permitted by the NCAA. Practice time, with coaches on the field, is limited to 6 hours per week and no more than 2 hours per day. The NCAA has established a 19-week season for baseball, so counting back from the SCIAC Championship will determine how many weeks can be used in the fall. Some schools have January Interim courses (Whittier and La Verne ??) allowing them to start as early as January 4th in 2016, but by doing so, they would only have one week in the fall. As mentioned in a previous post, "Captain's practices" and conditioning are going on, but without the supervision of a coach on the field. Not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but it is their conference rule. Hope this provides a little light on the subject!

Appalachian Mtns · October 19, 2015, 05:12:23 PM

Thank you "Lets Play Two"

Very educational and helpful.

So if a SCIAC team starts practice on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 and plays through Tuesday, May 3, 2016 in SCIAC Pool play, that would be 16 weeks, thus the team would have 3 weeks for non-traditional Fall Ball practice, OR only 2 weeks for Fall Ball Practice if it advances an extra week after SCIAC pool play to the SCIAC championship best of 3 series. Correct?

Bishopleftiesdad · October 20, 2015, 12:33:15 PM

Is Sciac Pool play part of the regular season or is it considered part of the playoffs. If Pool play is part of the regular season then it counts towards the NCAA max. If not then it does not.
Some schools have creative ways to get around Coaches on the field. If the coach is employed by the school and part of his duties are field immanence or working in the Gym then they would most likely schedule there work duties to coincide with captains practices.
I am not claiming this happens in the SCIAC but can happen in any conference or school in D3.

Jack Parkman · October 20, 2015, 02:43:47 PM

Quote from: Bishopleftiesdad on October 20, 2015, 12:33:15 PM
Is Sciac Pool play part of the regular season or is it considered part of the playoffs. If Pool play is part of the regular season then it counts towards the NCAA max. If not then it does not.
Some schools have creative ways to get around Coaches on the field. If the coach is employed by the school and part of his duties are field immanence or working in the Gym then they would most likely schedule there work duties to coincide with captains practices.
I am not claiming this happens in the SCIAC but can happen in any conference or school in D3.

The pool play is part of the regular season. I could be wrong (and probably am) but I believe it is due to having a 9-team league and playing a 3 game series against them (24 games). By playing a 3 game series it leaves 16 non-conference games to schedule (which gets reduced to 12 after the pool play), instead of only having only 8 non-conference games to schedule if there was a 4-game series between each league opponent. If each school only had 8 non-SCIAC games to schedule, I don't think many schools would travel to CA.

Hopefully that makes at least a little bit of sense.

Bishopleftiesdad · October 20, 2015, 04:37:15 PM

Thanks, the NCAC has a Cross Over weekend. It is also part of the regular season, because some conference schools did not want to add games.

Purple Heys · November 23, 2015, 08:18:11 PM

Quote from: Jack Parkman on October 20, 2015, 02:43:47 PM

The pool play is part of the regular season. I could be wrong (and probably am) but I believe it is due to having a 9-team league and playing a 3 game series against them (24 games). By playing a 3 game series it leaves 16 non-conference games to schedule (which gets reduced to 12 after the pool play), instead of only having only 8 non-conference games to schedule if there was a 4-game series between each league opponent. If each school only had 8 non-SCIAC games to schedule, I don't think many schools would travel to CA.

Hopefully that makes at least a little bit of sense.

Makes sense.

Purple Heys · November 23, 2015, 08:20:34 PM

Quote from: Sluggerdad on October 16, 2015, 01:33:51 PM
Any inside scoop on SCIAC Fall Ball? I assume rosters are starting to take shape. Newcomers are impressing coaches in camp. Some veterans are looking sharp. Maybe others not so much. If anybody has any insight to share that would be cool. Otherwise we just have to wait until the season starts -- which is a long time away.

Hard to know...coaches don't feel obligated to keep us nosy dads apprised.

And try getting a word outta your kid...

Purple Heys · November 23, 2015, 08:24:33 PM

No secret to one of Whittier's top priority: find a serviceable replacement to Zavala at catcher. Great Kid. Great family. Gonna miss them.

Purplebaseball · November 28, 2015, 04:39:17 PM

Yep PH its going to be hard to replace Zavala! Also lets hope we picked up some arms for the bump. What else do we have as returners, anyone else depart? Looking at last years roster we have Bradshaw 3b, Lamar ss, Mayfield 1b, Macey Lf, Debrouwer should be able to step in at 2b. Garcia should be strong on the bump as a senior. CF?, RF?, C?, DH? What's your thoughts PH?

Purple Heys · November 30, 2015, 07:03:37 PM

Quote from: Purplebaseball on November 28, 2015, 04:39:17 PM
Yep PH its going to be hard to replace Zavala! Also lets hope we picked up some arms for the bump. What else do we have as returners, anyone else depart? Looking at last years roster we have Bradshaw 3b, Lamar ss, Mayfield 1b, Macey Lf, Debrouwer should be able to step in at 2b. Garcia should be strong on the bump as a senior. CF?, RF?, C?, DH? What's your thoughts PH?

Returners:
Washington, Lamar, Macey, Bradshaw, Mayfield, DeBrouwer, Reilly, San Angelo, Nakamura, Valdez, Fiero, Marsh, Garcia, Komesu, Ushio

Some interchangeable multi-position guys in that group...we'll see what shakes out. Many on the above list started at one point or another as coaches were trying to find a successfully combination. While they never quite got that settled, I think they learned about what they expect from this returning group; and the players learned what is expected.

Bunch of new guys after that...I don't know much about any of them yet.

What I do know is that everyone of them needs to step it up a couple of notches to compete on a game by game basis. Not many seniors in this group...