LSU Gets #3 Seed, Tulane Screwed, Big 12 Owns College Baseball Committee

Well the seeding is out!! I have to say some of the selections were baffling.

I agree with the talking heads Rhode Island got screwed.

Cal-Irvine kind of hosed too ( I feel sorry for VA) but I don't think this Regional is nearly hard for Irvine as some people are making out.

How come LSU is seeded #3 I think we are a two At least.(More on this later)

Poor Tulane. First I think the body of work for Tulane is better than Southern Miss. Even so they should have got in.

The Big Twelve appears to own the selection committee.

College Baseball put it best at Big Ignorance Rewards Big 12

I didn’t think the Division I baseball committee could make an at-large choice much more egregious than taking Oklahoma last year, but at least it got the other 63 teams right in 2008. On the whole, that was a very well constructed field.

The committee really outdid itself this year, taking both Baylor (10-16 in the Big 12) and Oklahoma State (9-16 in the Big 12). These choices are irresponsible and indefensible, and I’m embarrassed for the committee and for college baseball.

I’m certain committee chairman Tim Weiser will use the Ratings Percentage Index as a fig leaf in his conference call with media this afternoon. The Cowboys rank 25th in the RPI, according to warrennnolan.com, while the Bears rank 31st.

But the RPI is a crutch for the lazy and the ignorant, and it’s time for the committee to start doing its homework. Baylor lost 12 of its last 14 regular-season games. The Bears were swept in their last three series, including a horrendous sweep at the hands of last-place Nebraska last weekend when they were desperate for a series win to salvage their regional hopes. I understand the Big 12 is a strong league—I have been banging that drum all year—but Baylor finished 10-16 in that league and was swept by a Nebraska team that entered that weekend with a 5-19 conference record.

Still, you could at least build a case for Baylor (albeit a bad one). The Bears did win three good series earlier this year—against Kansas State, Missouri and Kansas—and they availed themselves well in the Big 12 tournament, going 2-1 with wins against Texas and Kansas.

No possible case can be made for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys finished in ninth place in a 10-team league! They won just two out of their nine conference series! I don’t believe any team that fails to qualify for its own conference tournament should be in regionals, but it’s one thing to miss the Southeastern Conference tournament, where just eight out of 12 teams make it. The Cowboys missed the Big 12 tournament, where eight out of 10 teams qualify.

I do give Oklahoma State credit for playing a stout nonconference slate, which included wins against East Carolina, Gonzaga, Oregon State and Cal State Fullerton in early-season tournaments. But OSU’s horrific performance when it really mattered—in conference play—should trump the first three weekends, easily.
Of course, maybe I’m not giving the committee enough credit. Maybe its members are not ignorant at all—surely they must have at least glanced at the Big 12 standings. I would hope that all of those highly educated men and women can at least count to two; you need not count any higher to tabulate how many Big 12 series Oklahoma State won this year.

But if the committee’s atrocious judgment can’t be pinned on ignorance, it must be attributed to politics. It bears noting that Weiser is a Big 12 man through and through; he spent six years as Kansas State’s athletic director and now serves as the deputy commissioner of the Big 12. There’s nothing wrong with Weiser making sure the Big 12’s interests are fairly represented with the committee. But for the second straight year, the Big 12 received far more than fair treatment. It got the red carpet treatment, at the expense of logic, equity and the integrity of the NCAA tournament field.

So Baylor comes to LSU while Tulane and others are looking from the outside. As a LSU fan I am glad we don't have Tulane in the Regional. Those games make me nervous. But I do feel sorry for the Greenies.

Anyway on to the LSU Regionals (where of course anything could happen)

Baton Rouge, La. #1 L.S.U. vs. #4 Southern U.

#3 Baylor vs. #2 Minnesota

We (LSU) will be paired with Rice, who is also a number 1 seed in their Regional.

Houston, Tx. #1 Rice vs. #4 Sam Houston State U.

#3 Xavier vs. #2 Kansas State.

I think the two teams standing at the end of the Regional will be LSU and Minnesota

Here are their schedules and who they played
Minnesota Baylor Southern

Minnesota is an intriguing team. Unlike many Northern teams I believe they play in a Dome a nice part of the year when the weather i bad. Also typical of Northern Teams they come South a good bit in order to get their guys out on the field in good conditions.

Of course LSU must first get past Southern from 10 minutes down the road. I trust the Coaching staff and LSU players no not to take any game for granted

More later