Not sure where I read about coaches talking about the disparity in the Northern versus Southern/Western colleges and the fact that the SW colleges have a tremendous advantage because they start so early (likely a month or 6 weeks earlier than the Northern schools) AND, because they start playing on weekends only, they likely can use their top 3 studs for the first 4-6 weekends without getting into their staffs until later.

Went to see the pitching rotations for the schools that have started and have been at it a couple of weekends.

They are right....Same guys pitching each of the 3 weekend games.

Soooo...If you have 3 studs, it is a TREMENDOUS ADVANTAGE to you to start early while the Northern schools are snowbound and build up your record so that the 18-1 start with your studs will offset the 20-15 second half of your season when you are forced to used your second-tier pitchers during the weekday games. And, because the Northern schools are forced to use their entire staff when their "late" season starts, they never catch up to the records of the Southern and Western schools!

What do you think?

Now I agree with the coaches that think that way, but I don't know where I read it.

Very true. Always has been and always will be.

Beenthere,

Besides overall records, I think the power index rankings which play a biig part in the NCAA tourney are also skewed because of the early starts that utiilizes a smaller staff. I think TR statement "Always has been and always will be" holds true. There's to much politcal pull in those regions to even the playing field.

I think this topic is the cover story in the Jan/Feb issue of BA.

Beenthere, you weren't sensitive to this issue before young BT committed to Princeton. Before then all we heard about was the greatness of the SEC.

FWIW, I agree that RPI calculations favor southeast and southern midwest schools. More games, more available regional non-conference opponents, more home games for power independents and power conference schools (Miami, SEC, Big 12, ACC), etc...

Beenthere - An interesting topic that I had not thought about before. Following up on the thought - wouldn't it then come back to haunt the Southern and Western schools come playoff time? I mean their staffs should not be as developed and deep as the Northern and Midwestern schools. Wouldn't this be apparent in the regional, super-regional, and CWS?

Or has the whole college baseball system generally pushed the better players to the warm weather leagues? I suspect this is also the case.

Just some random thoughts (from moi) without a lot behind it to be honest.

Thanks for the reference, mhs...Haven't changed my mind at all. My son is going to Princeton because he decided that he could get the best education and insure his future in the event that he doesn't get a chance to play pro ball.

As an aside, I spoke with someone on Friday that graduated from Stanford and told him that my son would like to do the Princeton enginnering/science program and then get a Stanford MBA. He said: "He'll be set for life!"

The SEC is the best, by far, in baseball.

All the WEstern and Southern schools still have an advantage in the regionals and super regionals because of the short series and because they use their studs over ande over again. How about all of those Rice pitchers last year? Wasn't one of them 17-0? Another won 14? Another 11? They never really had to get to their bullpen because each of those 3 were about 6'9", 230!...and threw 93+!

Not sure I agree for the West Coast schools I get to see. Stanford in its first 6 games has used 4 different starters and is clearly searching for the 2nd the 3rd guys--of course they have plenty to pick from. Additionally, while the focus is on the weekend games, the West schools have some series that are doozies. Not a chance to stack your record. Cal vs Long Beach, Stanford vs Fullerton, Stanford vs Texas, Cal vs UNC. Santa Clara vs Riverside and on and on. I certainly agree that starters will have logged many more innings early than the Northern schools but the competition for weekend games makes them very competitive before the Northern schools start coming in to start their season.

Beenthere,

With FSU, Miami and GT in the ACC I would say the SEC is now a close second.

I will be able to give you a first hand report at the end of the month-- I will be in Tempe for the ASU/UCONN series--- ASU will have some 5 weeks of games action under their belt while it will be the first day out of the barn for UCONN--it will be interesting as ASU just swept FSU

TRhit