The west coast guys really don't care for the NCAA too much, I think we've established that. It goes beyond football and the BCS. For years it seems that we have Super Regionals in which Pac10 teams wind up having to beat the same Big West or Mountain West teams they've had to play all year to get to Omaha. This year's slight. Two time defending National Champion Oregon State is left totally out of the dance, despite having the same win total as they did last year.. Yet 9, yes NINE, SEC teams are getting in. That means one team from the SEC that didn't even make their conference tournament gets into the National Title chase. I'm just surprised they didn't get all of them Regional hosts as well. Arizona gets a #1 seed, but they get to play @ Michigan. The NCAA appears to be reaching out to the midwest, which is fine with me. At the same time, they are rewarding those who spend tons of money on baseball facilities (4 of the 16 regional host sites are ACC parks). Granted Arizona finished 4th in the Pac10, but 4th place in the ACC NC State gets a regional host and a 1 seed. UCLA stuck in Cal State Fullerton's region.. blah, just blah. Oh well, let the games begin..
My question is: Why is Arizona seeded higher than Michigan? Arizona: 38 - 17 Michigan: 45 - 12 My question is: Why the concern over the nine SEC schools? The worst record in the whole bunch is 34 - 26. There are five teams in the CWS that have LOSING records... one lost twice as many games as they won (Texas Southern with a record of 16 - 32).
Corey, were you serious with Oregon State? Unless my counting was off, their record is 28 - 24. What am I missing?
Interesting, the only number one seed not hosting the event is Arizona. Why would that be? A problem with their facilities? That is a little strange.
As far as having to play at Michigan. I think the NCAA, and rightly so, is doing as much as it can to try to accomdate the Northern teams. I know it's easy to say well screw that, give the sites to the best teams period. But if they want to encourage college baseball in the northern states they have to give some reward and aknowledgement to the Northern school(s).
some answers <r><QUOTE><s> </e></QUOTE> The entered post-season play with the same record last year and won the CWS. Why is that record not good enough this year?<br/> <br/> Speaking from experience on the subject, some of those win totals are rather inflated from some of the major conference teams. Here in SEC country, there is a drop (a large one) between the quality of the SEC teams and the surrounding conferences in which you pick up noncon games. That is not true for the Pac10. The BigWest, WAC and Mountain West are awful good at baseball....awfully good.<br/> <br/> RE Arizona:<br/> <br/> The 4th place finish could be a valid statement except that NC State finished 4th in the ACC and they are hosting a regional...<br/> <br/> My other beef is with this geographic regionalization of the 1st round games in an attempt to cut down travel. For some reason we can send Rider travelling to the West coast, but we can't send some of these western teams back east or to the south?<br/> <br/> Oh well, let the games begin.</r>
I admit to not being up to date on this year's college baseball scene, but I'm inclined to side with Corey on this one. I don't think there is any question that some of the best college baseball in the country is played in the SEC and ACC, but it's also a fact that the last NCAA 6 champions came from either the west coast or Big 12. I would think that fact alone would give some credence to providing a spot for the defending champion, given their apparent strength of schedule and their win total. Having said that, I don't like Oregon State, so I'm not sad that they got screwed. I"m just looking at the situation as I see it through my midwest eyes.
It used to be, and I'm assuming it still is about money. Hosting isn't guaranteed by your seed (although I'd expect it should factor in LARGE), it's about the bid you give the NCAA. A&M often hosts regionals because we can throw a large $$$ at the NCAA and know we'll at least break even. I think that combined with Corey's suggestion that the NCAA is still trying to help the Midwest schools catch up in baseball caused the UA travel situation.
One of those 9 SEC teams proves their right to be there. Georgia sends the Canes to the showers in the 9th
And with that win Georgia set up a Miami and FSU loser goes home match. That reminds me about the time a reporter asked Steve Spurrier who he wanted to win one of the FSU - Miami games. His response was somethng along the lines of can he root for them both to lose? Gator Bill
wait a sec <t>I watched that game and what took place was one of the great collapses in recent college world series history. Miami hasn't self destructed like that since that Morris kid hit a walk-off jack to take the whole thing.<br/> <br/> The SEC got 9 teams in post season play. That means one of the teams who didn't make the SEC tournament DID qualify to play for the title. <br/> <br/> Meanwhile, the two time defending national champ with an almost identical record and everything from last year finished 4th in the Pac10 and was left out of the whole thing. Its a sham...<br/> <br/> 9 teams qualified for NCAA play and only 2 made it to the series, that's awful. When all is said and done who made it from the SEC? The regular season champ Georgia and the best team in the SEC at the end of the year LSU. Well great... did we really need teams 5 thru 9 then?<br/> <br/> Worse yet, you had Regional and Super Regional action in which the Pac10 and western teams were all eliminating each other. Stanford vs Cal State Fullerton in a super regional WTF?!?!? Fresno State knocking out ASU (ok, that's actually kinda funny) Arizona gets a 1 seed on the road at Michigan and then gets to travel to #1 Miami? <br/> <br/> UC Irvine had to go to Nebraska and then to LSU before losing to LSU in 3 games. Are there two tougher road venues in all of college baseball? That was also the 'fairwell to the Box' series in which the last baseball games played at Alex Box Stadium were considered 'must win' and brought back all the alums and fans..<br/> <br/> For giggles, wiki this years tournament and compare the road travelled by teams like Stanford compared to North Carolina.. its pathetic.<br/> <br/> My bigger beef is with the carte blanc treatment that the ACC gets. At least the SEC wins the damned thing and takes some advantage of the opportunities afforded them. For the record, Stanford and Fresno State are the two 'western' representatives this year and both entered the tournament unseeded. <br/> <br/> All I can say is.. It must be nice. They already play good ball, how many more gifts do these teams need?</t>
Corey, Can't argue with your beefs. I think the NCAA goes too "regional" on us in the baseball tourney, especially at the super level. It affects my team as well. I'd rather travel to play ANYBODY instead of Rice, but unless the Aggies make a top 8 seed we are going to Houston, bank on it. I think they should shuffle the decks some, and move the teams around at least a little bit...
Hey Scott <r>I always hate ranting about that because I really don't mean to slam good teams. There is always some good baseball being played in the SEC and the ACC has some good clubs as well (although not to the level of the SEC IMHO). Georgia and LSU are fine clubs and the 2 best teams, but I can't see any justification for Arkansas over Oregon State other than another in the long line of back scratching preferrential treatments that some folks seem to be receiving across the board. Arkansas was seeded 3rd in their initial region but it was clear that they weren't even as good as 4 seed UC-Davis. *Sigh* well, its all water under the bridge for this year.<br/> <br/> I've said it before and I'll say it again. Make the SEC and ACC eliminate each other to get to the college world series and then I'll shut up. Until then, its just not right. It seems that "Regionalization" means that everyone with a pud (that means glove to you non-diamond roughers) in the state of North Carolina gets in the Tourney and stacked up against the Carolina schools. Meanwhile, Fresno is playing ASU (that's still pretty funny that they are out) and that is regional?<br/> <br/> On a baseball related note: Who would have thought that LSU-Rice would be playing for a bus ticket in game 2? WOW.<br/> <br/> That closer from Georgia is going to make these 7 inning ball games.<br/> <br/> Did you see that Fresno State became the first 4 seed in a Regional to make it to the College World Series. While that sounds like Cinderella in the making, it should be noted that they won both the WAC regular season and tournament titles.<br/> <br/> I did enjoy this 'expert analysis' about a team that will be watching the tournament from the comfort of their home already.<br/> <QUOTE><s> </e></QUOTE> That's why they play the games...</r>
I guess the writer forgot that good pitching ALWAYS beats good hitting... especially if you have both! Of course there's not nearly as much good pitching in college ball thanks to the pros scooping up most of the talent, but when you reach the CWS there's usually some stiff hurlers. Rice is a scrapper team that gets by because their staring pitching is good. This year, it's good, but not as good as it has been. Once they get behind, they are in trouble...
There are still several key games on tap, but so far the west coast teams are handling the top seeds from the southeast. You gotta love those grinders from Fresno State. Corey, your case for Oregon State looks stronger every day.
Sid <t>The WAC and Big West are filled with those scrapper teams. That is, was and always will be our point..by 'our' I mean guys who closely follow western baseball. We're not asking for 9 teams from a conference or other such silliness. However, I don't think it was too much to ask that a 4th place team that is the 2 time defending NC who has the same record as the previous year be included in the tournament.<br/> <br/> Hell, if they were in the ACC or SEC..they would have been given a Regional host! At the same time, their record would have been much loftier loading up on the 'non-premier' teams in the southeast region.<br/> <br/> No one outside of the west knows that UCDavis is a good team. They are the only team besides Georgia to beat Stanford this year in post-season play. The reason you don't see a lot of 50+ win teams is the grind of no escape. There are good teams all over the place.<br/> <br/> I watched the CWS selection and they made a lot of hay about OSU's season opening loss to Vanderbilt (8-1), but not once did they mention that the next week Oregon State took 2 of 3 from Georgia. This all just blows.. Worse yet, they are handing more and more to those undeserving while pretending to create opportunity and competitive balance for 'northern' teams..<br/> <br/> ugh.<br/> <br/> Big game tonight btw.</t>
FSU moves on! Nope... not those half-assed indians the Semi-holes... Fresno is going to be Champ series, and I'm pulling for them to win it all. I thought they might piss it away with early base running mistakes, but they got it together, and did what was needed....