Big Ten

To the discussion of conferences and relative strengths, let me put in by 2cents for the Pac10

Out of approximately 57 CWS titles, I believe that 24 have been won by Pac 10 teams. Throw in the 4 or 5 won by the Big West or West coast conference, that's about half of the CWS titles being won by the left coast.

With USC, Stanford, Arizona State, Arizona, Cal, UCLA, Washington, WSU and Oregon State, I don't think there's a weak link in the Pac 10 conference (fortunately there is no BcS in baseball).

Adding in some other west coast programs at Fullerton, Pepperdine, UCSB, Loyola, Santa Clara, etc. the west coast is tough to beat.

The competition level is intense through to SoCal D-IIIs, which are excellent and they will typically schedule a game or two against D'Is and do just fine.

Now the fact that I went to USC has nothing to do with this

I dated a Cal State Fullerton player hundreds of years ago when he played on the Cape...Have pulled for them ever since

If our boys are playing, are happy with the college and the opportunities presented them and they know this is what works for them...
don't worry about rankings and geographic stereotypes.

______________________________
By the time you learn how to play the game...
You can't play it anymore ~ Frank Howard

Hey...Chill talks about dating someone 100 years ago. You talk about championships dating back 57 years. You have to be disqualified as an "objective" spokesperson because you're a Trojan! How about the run of championships at USC and at Arizona State...more than 20 years ago?

Let's talk about the last 20-25 years...Even that was eons ago according to the kids that are now in college or heading to college in September.

Where did you get the information about the last 57 CWS championships?

Thanks.

Hey John...

I know you don't remember this but the first gasket I blew on the HSBBW was a post about 3 years ago and was directly related to a comment you made about northern baseball and how they never amount to much.

The first time hearing that I took it personally...as my father took a team to the CWS and my brother played on a team who went to the CWS and actually, both did alright for themselves...even though they were from Maine

I know now, that you didn't mean to belittle anyone from the north. In fact, a good majority of my PT's are telling others you don't mean anything personal by your departmenatlizing of players not in the SEC.
I don't think any of them are convinced.

I have NO info on the last 57 years of CWS....
what I have, is very well what you might have, when all is said and done...
A loyalty and admiration for a family member.

Brownies travel well via UPS......
Best Wishes

______________________________
By the time you learn how to play the game...
You can't play it anymore ~ Frank Howard

Whoa, wasn't trying to step into something personal here, just a little west coast pride. Plus, I'm still reeling from my Trojans being beaten up by the BcS computers, east coast press and ignored in the Heisman votes.

Besides, my son is considering 1 west coast school and about 10 on the east coast for college; and, Trojans are never biased or in any way flawed, after all, WE ARE SC!

But, as far as the CWS and this ions ago talk...

In the 90's, three of the ten championships were won by west coast schools. The last being USC in 1998 (not 25 years ago). Other than last year, SC has been in the tournament forever. Stanford has not won since '87 (and I hate 'em anyway) but they've been in the last several finals.

In the 80's (not yet ancient history) 6 of the 10 championships were won by West coast schools.

In all, I believe USC has 12, Arizona and Arizona State have 4 or 5 each, Cal and Stanford 2, Cal State Fullerton 3 or 4 and Pepperdine 1.

Regardless of championships, if you add in Long Beach State, U of San Diego, Loyola, UNLV,CSUN, and several others with the PAC 10 schools, the west coast makes a real strong showing every year in the D-I NCAA tournament, not to mention the success of D-II and D-III schools out west. And I'm NOT saying this as a discredit to anyone, but to the credit of the west coast baseball programs whose success is enormous and not ancient history by ANY possible analysis.

As far as the "stats" just go to the the College World Series website (aka the Pac10 alternative web )

And as far as the BIG 10, can't wait to see those Wolverines on New Year's day at SC's home away from home, The Rose Bowl, for the real national championship. Oh, I forgot, that's for the football websites. Oh what the heck... Go Trojans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey...Nothing personal at all.

Thanks for the info.

____

Chill...Saw where Steve Richter, one of TR's pitchers from Staten Island received his formal admission information/packet from Princeton. Heard that the letters were mailed Friday. Pony express is a bit slower out to the Midwest and West.

moptop,

I noticed that you asked about Illinois and no one has responded yet.

BeenThereIL,

Don't you know the coach at Illinois and have some very encouraging words about their program, or is moptop asking about a different university in Illinois ... or is my memory just foggy again?

MNMom...I retraced my steps and learned that my posting in response to moptops question has gone to cyber heaven.

moptops...Illinois is coached by Itchy Jones who is a legend in Illinois university coaching circles but, I don't believe, based on what he has done at Illinois in the last 15 years, but rather from the success that he had at Southern Illinois University in the '70's and '80's. Too, I think that Coach Jones has had some health problems in the past few years.

I don't know much about the staff but I do believe that they don't recruit enough out of the best conferences in the state. In my opinion, and it is only my opinion, I believe that there is way too much emphasis on kids who are "late-bloomers" that never quite finish blooming. Some of these kids come from schools that are at intersections of roads in Illinois where only ducks are seen to cross.

Itchy recruited my son Paul for Illinois in the early 90's and my son eventually went to Mississippi State. He did, however, keep Scott Spiezio, who was initially recruited by Augie Garrido, who went to Texas; and, Scott has been a major leaguer now with Oakland and Anaheim for the past 6-7 years. Chris Basak, an infielder and a kid named Shelley, rhp, are the next big names to go from the Illini to the bigs..I think that they are both at AAA.

Not impressed with what they've done in the last 5-10 years. They do have a stud position player and at least 1 stud pitcher each year. Unfortunately, that is WWWWAAAYYYY too short to compete effectively in the Big 10/11, where the big dogs are Minnesota and Ohio State.

Hope that helps a bit.

p.s. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is ONE OF THE FINEST UNIVERSITIES IN THE WORLD!!! ...I don't care how they rank them in that magazine each year.

p.p.s. Some of you Illini alums...Why haven't they fired Turner? Enough is enough!

Heybatter:

I agree with you....the PAC 10 is definitely the toughest conference! That's where my agreement with you ends!

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Stanford has not won since '87 but they've been in the last several finals.

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The Cardinal were back to back CWS Champions in 1987 and 1988. Stanford has been to the CWS each of the last four years, including title games in 2000, 2001 & 2003. The Cardinal has been to the CWS 12 times in the last 21 years and the NCAA Regionals 20 times in the last 22 years!

Heybatter: If you're going to throw around numbers..be accurate!

123KMom- ok, you got me. I said '87 was the last Championship for Stanford and I stand corrected, it was '88. That gives 'em 2,total (same as Cal). Now they only have 10 to go to catch USC

If I remember correctly, your son goes to The Farm, so I do wish you and he the VERY VERY best.

However as a loyal Trojan it is my inherent obligation to disdain Stanford, UCLA and Notre Dame, not necessairily in that order

Geez, if we didn't schedule those three "patzies" in football we'd be number 1 in the BcS.

What's "The Farm?"

_______________________
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." Rogers Hornsby, Hall of Famer

Mr.and Mrs. Baseball

Stanford's campus is known as The Farm. The school is located on the former farm/horse ranch of the Stanford family.

Us Trojans ususally refer to the school as
leland j. stanford JUNIOR UNIVERSITY

(123KMom- you know I'm only kidding around-go easy on me)

Heybatter:

quote:

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123KMom- you know I'm only kidding around-go easy on me

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Yeah right!

http://www.boydsworld.com/baseball/rpi/currentrpi.html

B'there

quote:

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They do have a stud position player and at least 1 stud pitcher each year. Unfortunately, that is WWWWAAAYYYY too short to compete effectively in the Big 10/11, where the big dogs are Minnesota and Ohio State.

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however, that's exactly how (the) Ohio St U does it??

Thanks Beenthere and MNMom. I've done a little research and it sounds about the same story you tell. Thanks for that.

TRhit,if iowa does anything it will be a miracle. look at Creighton. he took them from the penthouse to the outhouse. this guy is a pox.

I played in the Big South conference and then transfered my senior year to a Big Ten School. I would say that the Big Ten had bigger, stronger, and better athletes. Also the competition, day in and day out was tougher but somehow the Big South was still ranked above the Big Ten in conference strength.

I don't know if it is beacuse of region and climate or what but, my observations were that the Big Ten was a superior conference to the Big South and a couple other conferences in which we played against which were ranked higher than us.

"Forget the curveball Ricky, give em the heater."