Texas-Tyler Claims East Division Baseball Crown &
Becomes Only Undefeated Team Left at Any NCAA Division Level
April 15, 2007
Courtesy University of Texas at Tyler Sports Information Department

TYLER, Texas – The University of Texas at Tyler took a three-run lead in the first inning and never looked back on Sunday in a 9-2 win over LeTourneau University that gave the Patriots their second American Southwest Conference East Division baseball championship in three seasons. Also, with a loss by top-ranked Wooster (Ohio), Texas-Tyler (34-0, 15-0 ASC) became the only undefeated team left at any NCAA Division level.

Texas-Tyler has four games remaining this season.

Due to being an NCAA Division III provisional member, it is ineligible for the ASC Championship Tournament, NCAA tournament and national rankings.

Regarding this season & after this week's final games, we will never really know how good they are related to the nation. Next season will be very interesting following this year, their 4th & final year of ineligibility.

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While I'm on the outside looking in...

Pretty nice accomplishment from my distant perspective...No one can ever take a season like that away, playoffs or not.

Beyond that...Can someone please tell me what the NCAA hopes to gain, by making a team wait 4 years for the playoffs? (unless they are dropping down from a higher division). It seems to me that moving into the NCAA is tough enough without such rules that only make it more difficult for teams to recruit and get up to speed. Why make a team a doormat for years?

Texas-Tyler has done the seemingly impossible......


44
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quote:

Originally posted by observer44:
No one can ever take a season like that away, playoffs or not.

Beyond that...Can someone please tell me what the NCAA hopes to gain, by making a team wait 4 years for the playoffs? (unless they are dropping down from a higher division).

UT-Tyler previously participated in the NAIA & the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.

There would be some think that any non-athletic scholarship DIII team could not compete on an equal basis with an athletic scholarship DII or NAIA. I would debate this point with anyone. However, the NCAA, in my opinion, believes that a non-athletic scholarship program is at a dis-advantage with a scholarship program. This may be true for many DIII programs, but not all.

My understanding is that a team moving from scholarship to non-scholarship will be placed on a (4) four year probation (post-season in-eligible period) to allow for any team-committed scholarship player to complete their 4 year NCAA playing eligibility without having to relocate to another scholarhip athletic program or lose their scholarship.
This is only fair to the scholarship player.

For any player joining the team while they are in probation, is well aware they can not compete in post season prior to the start of the season's opener. The player & parents can't plead ignorance. They knew the risk when they signed up.