DIII NCAA Brackets- Williams is In!

[PDad]

"Not hardly."

[sbparent12]

Final 8 team University of Rochester is not even in the Top 25 poll

Another way of looking at it is the Top 25 poll didn't have one of the final 8 teams, Rochester.

That fact may indicate more about the accuracy of the poll than the strength of the team...

I think it points more to the regional nature of the bracket. Of the 8 teams in the two regionals that combined to super regional that Rochester won, only 1 team, Rowan was an NFCA ranked team. If you want to use the NCAA regional rankings, 3 of the 8 teams were unranked by the NCAA. Rochester was ranked #1 in the Northeast region but the other teams ranked by the NCAA were numbers 3,3,4 and 8.
I am sure Rochester is a very good team and deserves to still be playing but their road traveled was not the most difficult.

[jonriv]

The ncaa regional polls for diii are usually weeks out of date. Diii poll is less precise than the di poll since ther just are not that many nationally known teams and the voting is regional. In rochester a defense they did have to get past ithaca as well

[as the world turns]

The ncaa regional polls for diii are usually weeks out of date. Diii poll is less precise than the di poll

No, ya think? DIII and DII rankings only go top 25 because after that it really doesn't matter.

[jonriv]

Why is that world?? DII and DIII don't count? Not important. If you think it is so important- reply on a D! post, there are plenty of those. I know it's tough, but try not to be such an a-hole

[jonriv]

BTW world- NFCA DI rankings only go to 25 also

[as the world turns]

BTW world- NFCA DI rankings only go to 25 also

Partially true
http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/softball/d1/nfca

[jonriv]

NFCA is top 25

There are the others(ie RPI) that go higher

D1 obviously garners more attention- there is more $$, tv and talent, but please don't lessen the talent and effort at the other levels- it is much better than you think it is



My overall point was that the regionalization of how the NFCA does the DIII top 25 makes them inherently inaccuarate because coaches just have not seen and do not know teams from other regions the same way teams in DI do(TV, Tournaments etc...) so that trying to justify or destroy brackets based on the polls is a wasted excercise.

Also- since there is are more conferences than at DI(equalling less at-large bids) winning your conference championship is very , very important- even the stronger conferences are lucky to get one at-large bid (ie Williams this year in the NESCAC. It also means that there are a lot of teams that might be weaker but have one weaker conference(ie Lesley College wins the NECC it seems every year and then gets swept in the NCAAs) it's part of the deal

The Eight remaning teams are a very good representation of DIII and I am looking forward to watching the games on NCAA.com. Rooting for Tufts since I am familiar with them, I like the coach, and my DD says its hard to hate them because they are too nice(High praise from a very competetive softball player) World- try watching some of the games- check out Jo Clair the catcher for Tufts(tough to miss she's like 6' 1")

[jonriv]

http://www.ncaa.com/scoreboards/softball/d3

First day action

Wisconsin white-water beats university of Rochester in a thriller 8-7

Salisbury beats St Thomas with a walk off walk

Tufts beats Eastern Texas Baptist. 9-3. 2 home runs by Tufts catcher Jo Clair. Makes Clair #3 on diviii career home run leader-3 away from number 2

[jonriv]

Rochester is out- loses to St Thomas 9-1 Great season for them!