West Region Report Card – Graded by Prof. DIIIWest

As we enter the later stages of this thrilling season, us bloggers are all very happy about the fact that you all not only know our favorite gatorade flavors, but you saw our attempt at trying to name every sibling duo that has ever played DIII tennis. To maintain the theme of this post, I’d give the bloggers an A- in terms of trying to name all the siblings out there. Boy, there are a lot and give a ton of praise to @newd3central for setting up what seems to be the ultimate tournament of the ages. Also, shoutout to being vegan. Everyone should be vegan, like omg. Save the planet, people!

 

I come in guns blazing with some report card grades on some of our favorite teams out west. I don’t think I am as tough of a grader as my 11th grade english teacher who would give out C’s like they were free candy, but I hope to be realistic and give everyone my thoughts on how each of the below teams are doing so far this season. Alrighty then, let’s get gradin.

 

CMS: A- (92.65%)

The Stags haven’t had the dominant season they’ve grown accustomed to, but they are sure working with what they have. A brutal loss to Emory in the finals of Indoors seemed to gut this team, especially as they were up 4-1 in that match and couldn’t find a fifth win for that clinch. But rest assured, we were ready for them to head back out outdoors and show us all their true Stag colors. CMS will take down any team they are much better than, but beatdowns from Bowdoin and Williams are very un-Stag like. Now, that doesn’t mean they are far worse than these two teams, it just means they aren’t as consistently dominant or as talented as previous years. Their most impressive win so far came against Middlebury, where they absolutely dominated that match from start to finish. A team that beats Midd 8-1 with a sweep in singles… don’t count this team out regardless of their two surprising losses. Let’s not forget their three 9-0’s against Wesleyan, Amherst, and Gustavus. Do I still see them finding a way to win Nationals? Absolutely yes, this team is still very very good and with a home court advantage come May, watch out for the Stags to seek revenge against their losses thus far.

Notable Wins: Wash U., Wesleyan, Amherst, Gustavus, Pomona-Pitzer

Losses: Emory, Bowdoin, Williams

 

Pomona-Pitzer: C (76.8%)

The Hens lost a huge senior class, but Coach Bickham was fortunate enough to find some solid replacements and maintain their national ranking within the top 12. Jed Kronenberg has been one of the best players in the country so far, but the transfers of Octave Bellet and Jacob Schoenherr have yet to prove themselves as a steady point within the singles lineup. If we start each report card at 100%, I’m going to have to deduct at least 20% (that’s two letter grades folks!) for their doubles results. It looks like the only real critical match that they took a lead in was against Williams, where they then went on to lose 5 out of 6 singles matches in that one. They went down 0-3 against Gustavus, CMS, Wash U, Chicago, Middlebury, Lewis & Clark, and even went down 2-1 to Redlands with one point automatically going to the Hens due to a default. A team that is talented but not THAT talented can never afford to go down 0-3 against such teams. They were able to come back against L&C, but the other teams listed, if you go down 0-3, it’s pretty much a done deal before singles even starts. The Hens beat the teams they need to beat, but that ONE win that will propel your season… they haven’t been able to capture that allusive win. Despite a deep singles lineup and one of the best singles players in the country at 1, this team has shot themselves in the foot on many occasions and have most likely exhausted all their chances at going to nationals due to their lackluster doubles play. Sorry.

Notable Wins: Trinity, Case Western, Bates, Brandeis, Mary Washington

Losses: CMS, Chicago, Midd, Wash U, Williams, Gustavus

 

Whitman: C (77.2%)

The Blues started their season red hot (or red blue?) in their bubble by taking out a tough Redlands team when they were in full force and Trinity (TX) at ease. They were able to take out fellow PNW teams with critical wins against Lewis & Clark, George Fox, and Pacific, but their trip down to California for Spring Break simply did not match the level and intensity we saw from them to start the season. After an impressive start to the season, going 1-4 (with the lone win coming against Whittier) during their Spring Break trip instantly ruined their chances of penetrating the top 10 and more importantly the belief that they could compete with the best of the best outside of their bubble. Losses to Bowdoin, Amherst, and two surprising, just about season-ending losses, to Swarthmore and Sewanee is what made me give this team an “average” grade. I’m happy to see they found their groove this past weekend against the Slugs. A win such as this proves that the Blues defend their home court better than any other team in the country.

Notable Wins: Trinity (TX), Redlands, Lewis & Clark,

Losses: Bowdoin, Amherst, Sewanee, Swarthmore

 

Trinity (TX): C- (71.23%)

Trinity is simply not the same team we are used to seeing. They very much challenged themselves right out of the gate this season by traveling to Walla Walla and Indoors. They went 1-5 during that Indoor stint, with their lone win coming against Lewis & Clark. The Tigers got absolutely smacked around by Whitman, Redlands (twice), and subsequent losses to Carnegie and CMS to end their Indoor season. Not the greatest start to a season to say the very least. Trinity’s trip out to California was somewhat successful, where they went 3-2. Their two losses, however, were huge opportunities to get their season back on track, where they lost to Pomona-Pitzer and Wesleyan. They were able to regain Texas supremacy by taking out Texas-Tyler this last week, BUT that Texas reign was just stripped away with a surprising defeat coming from the hands of Southwestern! This team has a lot to work on and an 11-10 record for the 14th ranked team in the country is what I call a C- season.

Notable Wins: Swarthmore, Case Western, Texas Tyler, Lewis & Clark

Losses: Redlands (twice), Whitman, Pomona-Pitzer, CMS, Carnegie, Southwestern

 

UT Tyler: B+ (88.8%)

The Pats may be 16-3 and have an incredible record on paper, but this squad hasn’t had any standout wins and their three losses (RPI, Trinity(TX), and St. Edwards) are to me a big disappointment. Coming off their impressive fall tournament where this team essentially dominated the Texas ITA, I, personally, was expecting this team to make a run into the top 15 on a national scale. With that being said, their schedule does limit them from making those big jumps, however, their loss to Trinity(TX) essentially knocks them out of making such leaps. They’ve been able to take out teams such as Caltech, Colby, and Kalamazoo, but I am most looking forward to seeing how this Texas team competes against the likes of Wash U next week considering this will be their first test of the season. They could very well be 19-0 and receive a perfect report card, but a loss to a fellow Texas team, 7-2 nonetheless, makes me think this team isn’t all we expected. The Pats look forward to their big match against Wash U, where a win would propel them in the national ranks despite their loss to Trinity(TX).

Notable Wins: Colby, Caltech, Kalamazoo, Millsaps

Losses: Trinity(TX), RPI, St. Edwards (DII)

 

Lewis & Clark: B+ (88.5%)

I absolutely love this story, considering just a couple years ago, they weren’t even on the map. Now, this is a PNW powerhouse in the making and no better team to make such inroads in the DIII land than from this great group of guys coming out of Portland. Though the Pios haven’t been able to take out teams such as Gustavus, PP, Redlands, or Whitman, they have been able to take care of business against the likes of Caltech, George Fox, and Pacific. The Pios’ have been able to improve each and every year and the fact that they are competing for a NWC title is a true testament to how hard their players work and the dedicated support system they have in their coaches. Watch out for this team out west over the next few years.

Notable Wins: Pacific, George Fox, Caltech, Southwestern

Losses: Pomona-Pitzer, Gustavus, Whitman, Redlands

 

UC Santa Cruz: B (84.1%)

The blog is hypppeeed about the Slugs and that excitement is completely warranted as this team is sure on the up and up. The only reason this team is not getting an A is well because they are 4-9. Sorry, but though this team has improved and they are really playing better than ever when compared to the last four years, they haven’t been able to get that one monumental win that will propel them high into the national ranks. They may have ended up on the losing end against PP, Middlebury (5-4!), CMS, and Whitman, but their statement wins against George Fox, Whittier, and Cal Lu, along with their close encounters with Midd, CMS, and PP makes me believe this team has a ton of potential to make some noise in the coming years. A disappointing loss to Whitman this past weekend nonetheless where a win against the Blues would have solidified them as one of the best out in the West region. Also, Le Duff is definitely the real deal and we got Chad Stone at 3?! That’s how we like our Slugs.

Notable Wins: Cal Lutheran, Whittier, George Fox

Losses: CMS, Pomona-Pitzer, Middlebury, Whitman

 

George Fox: B (84.8%)

This team has been under intense speculation this year from the blog after allegations about their home court crowd. I’m not going to count that into my grade for the Bruins so I’ll just talk strictly tennis because we at the blog let the rackets do the talking. All in all, however, Fox has had a very successful season, where they sit at a healthy 12-4 record. Similar to Cruz, the Bruins have not been able to get that one huge inter-regional win that would propel them up the western ranks. Losses to Santa Cruz, L&C, and Whitman inhibit this team from climbing the regional rankings. What is most promising, however, and what I find B worthy, is how they are able to take care of business against teams they are expected to take down. Whether those are fellow PNW teams or wins against Southwestern and Whittier, is is exciting how much this team is improving and becoming a prominent team out in the West region.

Notable Wins: Southwestern, Whittier, Pacific

Losses: Caltech, Whitman, Santa Cruz, L&C

 

Caltech: A- (91.2%)

Another West region team that has made major inroads over the past few years. Usually a last place finish in the SCIAC conference, the Beavers are now expected to finish third in their conference which is a major accomplishment for this team. They started off their season with a tough 5-4 loss to Pomona-Pitzer, and though upsetting, was definitely a statement loss showing that the Beavers are at a totally different caliber as years previous. I find their loss to L&C a bit surprising, however, wins against Vassar and Christopher Newport, along with dominating wins against Whittier, Chapman, Redlands, and Occidental (all SCIAC teams they would have lost to in the past) shows that the Beavers are moving in the right direction.

Notable Wins: Christopher Newport, Vassar, Occidental, Whittier

Losses: Pomona-Pitzer, L&C, Texas-Tyler, Mary Washington, George Fox

 

Southwestern (TX): B (83.9%)

Wow! What a weekend for the Pirates as they take down Trinity (TX) – the team that pretty much owns DIII tennis in the Lone Star state. I don’t want to take any credit away from the Pirates after an incredibly impressive weekend, but I remain hesitant about giving them a sparkling report card grade due to their lopsided losses against inter-regional teams in Lewis & Clark, George Fox, and Pacific (Ore.). After their 2-7 defeat to the hands of Kalamazoo on March 30th, the Pirates are currently on a 5 match winning streak, the BIG win coming against Trinity! After a subpar season, that win against the Tigers jumps them up into B territory. I’m super excited to see that the Pirates are going to be heading out to Ojai for the historic Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament!

Notable Wins: Trinity(TX), Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin Simmons, Schreiner

Losses: George Fox, L&C, Kalamazoo, Millsaps

 

Singles:

 

• Jed Kronenberg (PP) – Well, this freshman has sure stepped in and made some noise this year. His only three losses have come from the hands of Cuba (Midd), Al Houni (Gustavus), and Parodi (CMS), while his wins have been nothing short

  

  of dominant. His victories are extremely one-sided which shows he is head and shoulders above his competition. However, his three losses all in straight sets to the players mentioned above shows he still has work to be done if he wants to be the best player in DIII. Still, mighty impressive for a freshman nonetheless.

• Chad LeDuff (UCSC) – I love seeing Chad step in as the top guy for the Slugs and prove throughout this season that he is #1 for a reason. His most recent win against Hewlin of Whitman proves that him playing #1 is no fluke. That win against Hewlin has pretty much cemented him into individual nationals… the first time a Slug has qualified in quite some time. A great story for the Slugs this year and a fantastic story for Le Duff as well as he hopes to ride this momentum into his senior year.

• Niko Parodi (CMS) – By far one of the most talented players in recent time. When Parodi wants to play ball, it is a sight to see. His recent win against Kronenberg will most likely catapult him to #1 in the west region when the next rankings come out and that is exactly where he is meant to be. If Parodi has his head on straight, he is my favorite to win the individual national championship this year, considering his beatdown against Cuba a few weeks back.

• Zach Hewlin (Whitman) – Zach is having himelf a solid senior year. Despite losses to Fallati (Swat), Le Duff (UCSC), Wei (Amherst), and Watanabe (George Fox), I’d say Hewlin is finishing off his college career on a good note. He is officially part of the Century Club which is an incredible accomplishment for any player to earn. It looks like as of now, he’ll qualify for singles nationals for the

  

  fourth year in a row, along with a doubles qualification as well with partner, Robert Carter. The Blues will definitely miss Zach next season, but there is no arguing how much success he has brought to Whitman over his four years.

• Chase Lipscomb (Redlands) – Poor Redlands. I don’t quite know what is going on at Redlands and I am not sure if Chase will be able to compete at nationals, but regardless, Lipscomb is having a successful year despite all that has happened. He beat Parodi in a 10 point TB a couple weeks ago which pretty much cemented him into the top 8 in my opinion. Coming off an amazing fall, it is a shame Chase hasn’t been able to use that fall play to help his team break the top 10. I guess the Dawgs learned their lesson the hard way.

• Spencer Watanabe (George Fox) – Spencer has only lost three matches this spring and those have come in the hands of Parodi, Le Duff, and Powell of L&C. It’s worth noting that he hasn’t played one third set match this year, which shows that players he’s supposed to beat… he takes care of business in straights. However, matches he might be the underdog in, he can’t quite put himself in winning positions. Nonetheless, a fantastic year for the Bruin and a great way to go out for the senior.

• Wilson Hamilton (Trinity(TX)) – Hamilton has been struggling at the top of the lineup so far, but here we find him at the seventh spot in the region. His biggest wins of the season took place a couple weeks ago where he was able to take out Metzler of Kalamazoo and Fagundes of Texas-Tyler. He got absolutely rocked by Fallati, Chen, and Kronenberg, but for the freshman to step in and provide some pivotal wins over the past few weekends shows this kid will be a rock for the Tigers over the next few years.

• Jack Katzman (CMS) – Not only seen as one of the best freshman in the nation and one of the best #2’s as well, Katzman finds himself on the cusp of making nationals. We are no longer in the age where CMS qualifies 4 players for nationals, but I expect Katzman to secure this eighth and final spot and make some noise come May.

 

 

Doubles:

 

• Carter/Hewlin (Whitman) – After a third place finish this past fall, Carter/Hewlin have picked up right where they left off in October. This duo has only lost three pro sets all season (two of them 9-7 and 9-8), meaning they were just a few key points away in each of those lost matches from only having one loss on the season. Notable wins over Trinity (TX), Redlands, L&C, and Santa Cruz have pretty much solidified this team into nationals come May. With the Blues’ upcoming schedule, I don’t see this team falling out of the top 4 anytime soon. Big ups to the success coming from this team up in the PNW.

• Parodi/Gordy (CMS) – Though this dangerous team is sitting pretty at #2 in the region, they have a couple of inter-regional losses that leave you shaking your head. Losses to George Fox and UC Santa Cruz might leave you puzzled, but the way they take down most other teams is something to be impressed about. CMS has one of the toughest schedules of any team in the country and the fact that Parodi/Gordy have taken out #1 doubles teams in Emory, Wesleyan, Tufts, Williams, Middlebury, and Gustavus shows that Parodi/Gordy will definitely compete for a doubles championship on their home courts later in the year.  

• Lambeth/Pitts (Trinity(TX)) – Lambeth and Pitts started their spring campaign going a mediocre 4-5 out of the gates. Since then, boy have they caught fire. They have won 13 straight matches making them one of the hottest doubles teams in the country. A lackluster season from the Tigers, the performance coming from Lambeth/Pitts must be one of the more sparkling moments of Trinity’s season. The only reason this team isn’t ranked #1 in the region is well because they lost to the two above teams! If it wasn’t for that slow start, they very well could be seen as the best team in the West. Looking forward to seeing how far this team can extend their winning streak as the season comes to a close.

• Barrows/Barrows (L&C) – The Barrows Brothers have been playing extremely impressive doubles this season and have really been overlooked as one of the premier doubles team in the PNW. Unfortunately, I don’t see this team moving any higher than #4 in the region due to the fact that they have direct losses to each of the above teams. However, their most recent comeback win against Bellet/Chadalavada (PP) saved their chances of getting kicked out of national berth contention. A loss to that PP team would have made the Barrows’ chances of making nationals slim. A must win against George Fox looms for this Pios team in the near future, and if they are able to secure a win in that one, they’ll have nothing to lose against Whitman in the NWC conference tournament as they pretty much would have cemented themselves as the #4 team. Happy to see a L&C team contending for a national berth!