As some had predicted, Cal with their 32-22 and 5th place in the Pac-12 did not get into the tournament. The Pac-12's top 4 team Stanford, Oregon st, Wash, and UCLA made the tourney. AZ was on the bubble and was one of the 1st team out.

Solid opening season for Coach Neu. Intrigued to see what they do next year.

It would have been fun to watch Vaughn on the big stage. Oh well. Next year.

Based upon the selection committee chairman's comments, it's all about finishing above .500 in conference play (we did) and a tough, challenging non-conference schedule (hopefully upgraded in 2019). I think we ended with a 74 rpi.

2019 recruiting class is heavy on pitching. A key to success. We have the hitters. A healthy Darren Baker should also help.


http://calbears.com/news/2017/11/15/baseball-bears-announce-class-of-six-for-2019.aspx?path=baseball

Once again my prediction came true with the regional selections: Disgraceful SEC favoritism and blatant prejudice against the West Coast . It happens every year! - 10 SEC teams selected while only 7 West Coast teams reluctantly picked and then purposely pitted against each other in order to kill each other off (e.g Gonzaga plays UCLA in the Minneapolis regional)

10 SEC teams get in and only 4 Pac-12 teams get in - Vanderbilt went 16-14 in conference and 31-25 overall and they get in - CAL goes 16-14 in conference and 32-22 overall and does not get in after finishing in 5th place in a tough conference.

How does the Pac-12 allow this to happen every year - do they have any representation on the selection committee?

coltspinker said:

---

Once again my prediction came true with the regional selections: Disgraceful SEC favoritism and blatant prejudice against the West Coast . It happens every year! - 10 SEC teams selected while only 7 West Coast teams reluctantly picked and then purposely pitted against each other in order to kill each other off (e.g Gonzaga plays UCLA in the Minneapolis regional)

10 SEC teams get in and only 4 Pac-12 teams get in - Vanderbilt went 16-14 in conference and 31-25 overall and they get in - CAL goes 16-14 in conference and 32-22 overall and does not get in after finishing in 5th place in a tough conference.

How does the Pac-12 allow this to happen every year - do they have any representation on the selection committee?

---

Baseball selection committee chairman is Ray Tanner, University of South Carolina Athletic Director and former South Carolina baseball coach. An SEC team. And you wonder why so many SEC teams were invited. lol. Ridiculous. Even the guys on the selection show were lobbying for Kentucky to be included.

coltspinker said:

---

Once again my prediction came true with the regional selections: Disgraceful SEC favoritism and blatant prejudice against the West Coast . It happens every year! - 10 SEC teams selected while only 7 West Coast teams reluctantly picked and then purposely pitted against each other in order to kill each other off (e.g Gonzaga plays UCLA in the Minneapolis regional)

10 SEC teams get in and only 4 Pac-12 teams get in - Vanderbilt went 16-14 in conference and 31-25 overall and they get in - CAL goes 16-14 in conference and 32-22 overall and does not get in after finishing in 5th place in a tough conference.

How does the Pac-12 allow this to happen every year - do they have any representation on the selection committee?

---

And they were still pissed that Kentucky didn't get in! Pitting west coast teams against each other is not new. I remember them doing this in softball years ago with the Pac-9 schools was the dominant league when 8 teams got in and somehow most of the teams were on the same side of the brackets to almost guarantee a non-pac-9 team would make it to the final.

PAC 12 needs to Field a conference tournament like all big time conferences are doing.
The PAC and west coast in General are getting owned by the sec, acc and big 12 (southeast in general) in representation. It's pathetic, Larry Scott and the conference AD's have let another sport slip.
Administrative changes have to be made.
Cal and Arizona should be in the field of 64. I blame the leadership.
For Neu to move the program forward we must improve the pitching and program talent/depth. Need pitching in the worst way to dominate mid week games.

In addition to Vandy going 31-25 and getting in, I believe that Miss St was also 31-25 and got in.

not sure how the baseball selection works ... is the RPI a heavy factor like in basketball?
hard to believe the 5th place team of a strong conference doesn't make it

OBear073akaSMFan said:

---

As some had predicted, Cal with their 32-22 and 5th place in the Pac-12 did not get into the tournament. The Pac-12's top 4 team Stanford, Oregon st, Wash, and UCLA made the tourney. AZ was on the bubble and was one of the 1st team out.

---

As I stated earlier and provided a link to show BA early predicting Cal would be a regional team. I really think it has to be about the body of work and your opponents you play. U of A had a losing record, and should not have been considered.

To have this quoted in the Chronicle:

The sophomore first baseman finished his season batting .402 and with 23 homers, two away from national leader Spencer Torkelson of Arizona State and tied with Xavier Nady (1995) for the school's season mark.
Cal hoped Vaughn's star power might prompt the selection committee to consider its entire resume, which includes seven wins against top-50 teams and closing the regular season with a 7-3 stretch.

But the selection committee said sixth-place Arizona (34-22, 14-16 Pac-12), not Cal, was one of the last four teams to be eliminated.


"I think we're definitely one of the best teams on the West Coast," Cal head coach Mike Neu said Saturday night. "We've proven that in the Pac-12 and with our overall record. And, we have some really, really high-level players. I think we definitely deserve a chance."

The point Neu should have made, was not about the players, but the body of work. You think he can justify CSB or Brown as a great body of work? I am sure every coach thinks they have high level players, however, if your high level players are beating Bakersfield or Brown.... Then you get swept by OSU, at least one win in that series cold have been the difference. Hell we took 2 of 3 from Washington, but that was also at the heart of their injury plagued season. One win in that OSU series would have helped as they were ranked 1 at the time.

I don't think you can base the selection committee putting a team in just because one player is having a good season. Maybe if we would have had one more tougher pre-season opponent, it would have not given the selection committee an out when it came to Cal. How does U of A jump Cal for consideration when we swept? It has happened before. Esquer's team took the season series over Stanford a few years back, and Stanford was in. OSU jumped Cal either 06 or 07.

I don't think a conference tourney would make a difference. This team should have been in the top 4. Neu said he recruited all these players!!! This is not UOP or JUCO ball!!!

Baller4 said:

---

OBear073akaSMFan said:

---

As some had predicted, Cal with their 32-22 and 5th place in the Pac-12 did not get into the tournament. The Pac-12's top 4 team Stanford, Oregon st, Wash, and UCLA made the tourney. AZ was on the bubble and was one of the 1st team out.

---

As I stated earlier and provided a link to show BA early predicting Cal would be a regional team. I really think it has to be about the body of work and your opponents you play. U of A had a losing record, and should not have been considered.

To have this quoted in the Chronicle:

The sophomore first baseman finished his season batting .402 and with 23 homers, two away from national leader Spencer Torkelson of Arizona State and tied with Xavier Nady (1995) for the school's season mark.
Cal hoped Vaughn's star power might prompt the selection committee to consider its entire resume, which includes seven wins against top-50 teams and closing the regular season with a 7-3 stretch.

But the selection committee said sixth-place Arizona (34-22, 14-16 Pac-12), not Cal, was one of the last four teams to be eliminated.


"I think we're definitely one of the best teams on the West Coast," Cal head coach Mike Neu said Saturday night. "We've proven that in the Pac-12 and with our overall record. And, we have some really, really high-level players. I think we definitely deserve a chance."

The point Neu should have made, was not about the players, but the body of work. You think he can justify CSB or Brown as a great body of work? I am sure every coach thinks they have high level players, however, if your high level players are beating Bakersfield or Brown.... Then you get swept by OSU, at least one win in that series cold have been the difference. Hell we took 2 of 3 from Washington, but that was also at the heart of their injury plagued season. One win in that OSU series would have helped as they were ranked 1 at the time.

I don't think you can base the selection committee putting a team in just because one player is having a good season. Maybe if we would have had one more tougher pre-season opponent, it would have not given the selection committee an out when it came to Cal. How does U of A jump Cal for consideration when we swept? It has happened before. Esquer's team took the season series over Stanford a few years back, and Stanford was in. OSU jumped Cal either 06 or 07.

I don't think a conference tourney would make a difference. This team should have been in the top 4. Neu said he recruited all these players!!! This is not UOP or JUCO ball!!!

---

To your point about non-conference teams, Arizona played Arkansas (L), San Diego State twice (split), New Mexico State (W) and Minnesota (L) - all tournament teams. Plus, they beat OSU twice and swept UCLA. Those beat Brown and Bakersfield any day. lol.

I saw that the highly ranked Furds lost to Fullerton over the weekend and failed to advance to the Super Regional.