Who should get a pool B bid?
Apr
2007
uessing the at-large bids is one of the mental exercises that D3 fans can play entering the last month of the season. We usually have the official handbook available by now (The updates to the 2006 handbook have yet to be published) so as to know how many Pool B and Pool C bids will be awarded.
If we assume no change from the 2006 allocations (which may be inaccurate because of the conference shifts involving the Lake Michigan Conference, the North East Athletic Conference, and the North Atlantic Conference), we should have 7 Pool B bids and 14 Pool C bids.
In 2006, these seven Pool B bids were awarded to: Aurora, Cal State East Bay, Chapman, St Scholastica, Ithaca, Salisbury and St Joseph’s (Maine). Two more schools from “Pool B” earned an at large bid in Pool C, Emory and Washington (Mo.), both of the UAA. What a difference a year makes.
Aurora, competing in the new Northern Athletics Conference (NAthCon), is having trouble this year. Cal State East Bay is off. York (Pa.) and not Salisbury is the top seed in the Capital AC post-season tourney. St Joseph’s (Maine) is competing in the North Atlantic Conference, which is expected to earn a Pool A bid in 2007.
St Scholastica is ranked #5 in the Midwest Region. The Saints are 17-3 with half of their season remaining. They play in the Upper Midwest AC, a conference that is moving its membership through the provisional stages, so not every conference game will count in the eyes of the committee this year.
Dominican won the Lake Michigan Conference (LMC) tourney in 2006 to earn that conference’s Pool A bid. Aurora from the old Northern Illinois Iowa Conference (NIIC) got a Pool B bid. But, any Northern Athletics Conference team that has NCAA hopes must look to Pool B and C this year and next. Edgewood is ranked 8th in last week’s ABCA rankings at 17-8 overall/9-3 in conference. The NAthCon tourney will be held May 11-13, but no bid awaits the winner, only the chance to rack up wins that may look better to the Regional Evaluation Committee.
Out west, Chapman continues to lead the West Region and is probably secure in that ranking. Pencil in Chapman for a bid. The only curiosity around the Panther fandom is whether Chapman hosts the West Regionals again.
This is at least ten teams looking for possibly 7 spots. Things will change next Tuesday with new regional rankings. And, when the 2007 Handbook is released, we will know if the number of Pool B bids has increased, decreased or remained the same. Keep tuned.
April 20th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Edgewood College should be a good candidate out of the NAC with quality wins including a split with UW-Whitewater and a win over No. 10 Washington U in St. Louis (Their second loss at home this season) Key upcoming games for them will be a double-header with Ripon this sunday and a match-up with UW-Stevens Point on May 1st. And of course the conference tournament will help decide their fate
April 23rd, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Handbook was posted today: There are five Pool B teams and 15 Pool C in the bracket.
Remember that leftover Pool B teams can get selected as Pool C.
April 24th, 2007 at 1:49 am
My 5 Pool B’s before the first Regional Rankings:
1) Chapman
2) Wash StL
3) Emory
4) St Scholastica
5) Ithaca
A “B” getting a “C” bid…
Salisbury
April 24th, 2007 at 6:53 am
Anyone think Rockford (17-11) and/or Concordia-Chicago (21-10-1) have any chance to at least move into contention for a Pool B bid?
April 24th, 2007 at 9:34 am
I am new to D3 baseball this year, I have enjoyed reading all the information here. Where can I find the handbook?
April 24th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Thanks for asking!
http://www.ncaa.org/library/handbooks/baseball/2007/2007_d3_baseball_handbook.pdf
April 25th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
No NATHCON teams are getting Pool B bids. Not Edgewood and certainly not everyone else. I’ll put 100 bucks on it. Thank you, drive thru.
April 25th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
FYI by the ABCA national rankings only, the top 5 Pool B teams would be Chapman, Emory, Salisbury, Washington and (surprise!) Washington & Jefferson.
Jim, I hope you saved that email!
April 25th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
i would agree with the bulldog on this one. Edgewood’s non-conference schedule is one of the toughest in the central region. also, the win at wash. u who is first in the central region. also, the game against stevens point coming up next week should be a good test for the eagles.
May 1st, 2007 at 1:49 pm
Spence wrote: Jim, I hope you saved that email!
I did not but remember that you were high on W&J.
May 13th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
I can’t believe no one is giving Rockford College a chance for a bid, after losing by only one run to Illinois Weslyan, and beating Augustana and Edgwood I would think they would be getting a better look and at least metioned for a bid. Why wouldn’t they? Is this based all on what a schools done in the past?
May 13th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
You’re responding to a post that’s about three weeks old.
May 13th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
My bad first time on.