For all of the people that think there is an East Bay Bias in the North Coast Section, you can rest your case by looking at the North Coast Section Division 2 baseball bracket. When I first saw the bracket, I thought there was something wrong with my computer.
It is almost as if the committee decided to place the North Bay League teams first where they could be screwed, and then went from there.
Another explanation would be that the committee was full of members from the Diablo Foothill League.
The committee is in love with the Diablo Foothill League and has no respect for the North Bay League. Never mind in the power rankings, the North Bay League was ranked much higher.
Some differences between the power rankings and seedings are pretty stunning.
The best place to start looking at how this bracket doesn’t make sense is the game between No. 11 Montgomery at No. 6 Concord. When previewing this bracket I commented, “Montgomery should get a first round home game”. If I was to comment on Concord, which I didn’t, I would have said they are a bubble team, not for a home game, but to make the tournament.
Concord is ranked No. 16 in the power rankings, they have a losing record against Division 2 teams and according to the computer numbers they had the second easiest schedule of the sixteen teams that made the playoffs. They have a record of 13-11 and lost their last three games, one of them to a team that is 9-15, which is one of two teams that they lost to with that record.
That is a No. 6 seed? Are you kidding me?
Meanwhile Montgomery is No. 6 in the power rankings, has an 11-5 record against Division 2 teams. Since a 4-4 start they are 13-3 with their only losses to Maria Carrillo.
Then there is Cardinal Newman. In the preview I wrote they were a bubble team for a home game. It turns out in the committee mind they were a bubble team period. They are a No. 15 seed, even though they had the third toughest schedule of any team in Division 2 and did finish third in the NBL race. They also had a better record than Concord, but then most teams did.
Cardinal Newman is No. 15 and they finished higher than No. 16 Casa Grande. Casa Grande, who had the fourth toughest schedule of the Division teams in the playoffs, get to go to No. 1 and four time Campolindo a team they have already played and lost 3-2. Cardinal Newman also has a head-to-head win over Washington, at Fremont. The Huskies at 15-9, are the 8 seed.
Then there is Maria Carrillo who has that twenty two game winning streak. They haven’t lost since March 14th, which is over two months ago. That’s only good enough for a No. 4 seed.
I am waiting for someone from the North Coast Section to jump out and scream April Fools and announce a new bracket. It would make more sense that what we have now.
This is a high school playoff, but this bracket is a joke.
Good job NCS.
My email address is jacpasquini@comcast.net
With all due respect, I think you need to look a lot closer at the reason for Concord's placement. Not only did they beat the #2 college park, as well as Livermore, but they also lost 4-3 in extra innings to Clayton, 7-6 to D1 Castro Valley and 4-3 to D1 Granada on a walk off. The only reason their D2 record is sub-.500 is the best 2 teams they played, Clayton and College park, are D2. And they played them a combined 5 times. And if you're talking about Max preps power rankings, that site is consistently off. Bay preps is a site that takes into account much more relevant factors and they're usually right on the money.
The Freeman rankings at calpreps.com is a national based ratings system. Max preps is fairly close to that and doesn't come close the the NCS decisions.
If all that is true why is their strength of schedule the second easiest in the entire division?
Exactly, a NATIONAL ranking system that takes nothing into account but record and record of teams played. No run differential, no close wins/losses, no best wins. Prep2prep (bay preps) focuses specifically on Norther California, so they can look much more closely at each team. Which means that max preps also has a flawed strength of schedule, not to mention the fact that max preps is consistently not close with rankings for nearly all NCS sports. I urge you to take a look at the prep2prep rankings and criteria.
Well said Joe!!!
Let's prove the bracket's wrong Monty! Go Vikings!
Thanks committee for motivating the NBL.