Bracket says game 1 at 4pm today, games 2 and 3 tomorrow.
http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/baseball/d3
infielddad posted:SluggerDad posted:JCG posted:They have enough pitching left?
Darned good question.
I'm guessing not especially if it goes the full three gams.
I'm guessing they start their catcher today -- who started out as their #1 pitcher, but was moved out of the rotation due to ineffectiveness a while ago. He apparently hasn't pitched in weeks.
No games today. CLU can start over with their rotation beginning tomorrow.
unfortunately for CLU there is a game today and possibly two games tomorrow.
Seems like a bad arrangement. Seems like there definitely should be a day off between the end of pool play and the beginning of the championship series. I wonder why there isn't.
I wonder do all warm weather D3 schools fall into what seems like something of trap. The trap of getting by with just three pitchers during their comparatively prolonged season. Obviously you can't do that in cold weather climes where rainout and snow outs force you to sometimes play five games in a week. California schools have the luxury of not having to do that. But seems like that means they can get bye with less starting pitching. It won't matter for most. But if you expect to play in these post season tournaments ... you may well need more than three starters when push comes to shove.
I wonder if it's a SCIAC thing. They score a lot of runs in that conference. I was looking at stats recently and noted that even a team near the bottom this year, Pomona Pitzer, scored nearly 7 runs per game. Are the coaches focusing on recruiting hitters more than they are focusing on pitchers? Though I guess if that is true it could be a at least partially a result of your theory.
Cal Lu is starting their #1 starter on 2 days rest. That does not bode well for their chances for victory if you ask me. If they don't get a win today, they are toast.
He is good, but he's not Mad Bum.
Gosh Cal Lu is being embarrassed because of their lack of pitching depth. They did not build a staff for this kind of play obviously. Looks to me like a quick 2 game final. Too bad.
SluggerDad posted:Gosh Cal Lu is being embarrassed because of their lack of pitching depth. They did not build a staff for this kind of play obviously. Looks to me like a quick 2 game final. Too bad.
In fairness to Cal Lutheran, very few D3 teams have 3 strong starters, much less 4. Always more good position players than pitchers.
MidAtlanticDad posted:SluggerDad posted:Gosh Cal Lu is being embarrassed because of their lack of pitching depth. They did not build a staff for this kind of play obviously. Looks to me like a quick 2 game final. Too bad.
In fairness to Cal Lutheran, very few D3 teams have 3 strong starters, much less 4. Always more good position players than pitchers.
True. But you would think a school with annual "D3 world series or bust " ambitions -- which, believe me, Cal Lu definitely has -- would make it a priority to develop more pitching over the course of the season and not let the absence of the sort of bad weather that FORCES cold weather schools to do so stand in the way. Though maybe that's easier said than done.
A couple of observations/theories about the SCIAC schools and lack of pitching. We watched a number of SCIAC games and studied their rosters a lot this past season, as my 2017 was considering several of the schools in SoCal.
The competition for pitchers in SoCal is made worse by the area D2 baseball programs and high level of JUCO in the area. The D3 schools, all of which are private, miss out a lot on the D1 dropdowns to the D2 level. Many of the D2 schools in the area are part of the Cal State and CU system, so the reduced tuition is a big advantage for many of the SoCal D2 programs in recruiting the drop downs and high school kids who are borderline D2/D3 pitchers. The leagues are competitive and scouted and appear more attractive to pitching prospects. Then the JUCO schools also recruit heavily on the pitching side luring high school prospects with cheap tuition, lots of scout and D1 exposure, and a chance to make it to D1 in a year or two. The SoCal JUCO rosters are loaded with D1-level kids who did not make the grades to get into the CSU and CU system (which is no insult, as these schools have gotten insanely difficult to gain admission to coming out of high school).
I am not saying these issues are exclusive to Southern California, but it does make it a lot more challenging for the SCIAC schools trying to draw pitchers. There are enough hitters and position players in the area to fill up rosters with lots of hitters who want the playing time. Cal Lu is known for over recruiting and bringing in 60+ kids every Fall, so it shows even with that, it is hard to line up enough starters to get through multiple games over just a few days. With no rainouts, it can be hidden over the regular season but gets exposed in the end.
"How to save arms". When we travel Internationally to Japan, Korea, Australia, we travel with 7 pitchers and 9 position players playing 12 games in 15 days. Our coaches are pro scouts and former MLB pitchers. This has been our program for 35 years.
Each pitcher throws 3 innings with 2 days rest and then again 3 innings. We groom our OF and 1b to throw the middle innings. Our regular pitchers finish the game. This allows our American team to be competitive.
Bob
Don't count Cal Lutheran out just yet. They just forced a Game 3 today with a 12-4 win over W&J. Time of championship game is 2:30pm CDT.
Cal Lutheran up 3-2 after 6.
MidAtlanticDad posted:Cal Lutheran up 3-2 after 6.
And they got six solid innings out of a freshman starter pitching on 1 day of rest. (And a complete game in game 1 out of their #2 starter pitching on 2 days rest. Perhaps a young Mad Baum is born?)
SluggerDad posted:MidAtlanticDad posted:Cal Lutheran up 3-2 after 6.
And they got six solid innings out of a freshman starter pitching on 1 day of rest. (And a complete game in game 1 out of their #2 starter pitching on 2 days rest. Perhaps a young Mad Baum is born?)
Maybe. Or maybe giving those 2 guys a year off for rehab.
7-2 now top of 9th, looks like CLU will win it all ...
CLU wins their first National Championship. 7-3. Second team in a row from the West to win the National Championship.
Way to go Kingsmen! Took some really gutty performances from their pitchers. Kid this morning pitches a complete game on 2 days rests. In the afternoon game, a freshman battles and battles pitching 6 solid innings on 1 day of rest. Wow!
Plus you gotta hand it to their closer who got many -- at least three I think -- multi-inning saves.