College Baseball Season

[Bulldogs4]

The seventh inning was a bit strange. Johnson usually has good control but I wonder if his focus drifted a bit with the six run lead. The BB and HBP gave Vandy an open door and they took advantage.

But after Sims settled in, he pitched very well the rest of the way. 
He threw 38 pitches. That is a lot. I think he might could throw one inning today but Lemonis is conservative with our pitchers (which I appreciate and I think that has helped our recruiting with pitchers because he does not overthrow them). In any case, hopefully everybody that pitches will throw well and we can pick up a win. 

[Dawg83]

If it was just about any other coaching staff you’d see probably see Sims at one point today. But that’s just not how Lemonis does things. Like you said, he tends to be conservative, at least when you’re still in the middle of the season. I do seem to remember him using Cole Gordon almost every game in the postseason two years ago, so I do wonder if Sims’ usage will go up once we get to May and June. But clearly Lemonis is trying to keep him fresh until then.

Edited April 25, 2021 by Dawg83

[Bulldogs4]

But even then, he was careful with his pitch count. I know it is hard to do but he will sacrifice some in the short term for the long term when it comes to our pitchers and I am glad that he does so. 
 

Very seldom will one of our starters exceed 100 pitches under him.  I think Ethan Small may have a couple times but overall it is a rarity for it to happen. 
 

A couple of keys today. Just throw strikes and continue to play good defense. I believe we will score some runs. But just pound the strike zone. If they beat us by getting 15 hits with zero BB/HBP/errors so be it. 

 

[MSTSatchmo]

12 hours ago, Wcchaingang said:

They have lost 4 weekends in a row which sucks but in each series a couple things go different it’s totally different. They gotta figure out how to get the big hit at the right time it get the out when needed.

Even with the last 4 weekends, OM can get it figured out and make a run at the right time. 

[Dawg83]

5 hours ago, MSTSatchmo said:

Even with the last 4 weekends, OM can get it figured out and make a run at the right time. 

Yes, no matter what this OM team has Omaha potential. Issue is the host sites are being decided in about two weeks. Gotta get right soon or you’ll have to make your postseason run on the road.

[Dawg83]

Barring a late comeback looks like Vandy will take the series from State. Had chances today for sure, led 4-0 at one point but then the bats went cold and there were a few defensive plays to be made that weren’t. Many are questioning the decision to not pull Fristoe sooner, I could go either way with it. Hindsight is always 20/20, to me it was less a bonehead move and moreso something that just didn’t work out.

 

8-4 in the last 12 should get State a Top 8 seed comfortably. I think that’s very doable given the remaining schedule.

[Bulldogs4]

Disappointing that we did not get the win today after having a 4-zip lead. 
Vandy is really good and like Arkansas they take great advantage when you make a mistake. 
The first inning was huge because even though we scored 3 runs, we could have scored 5-6 runs and then the game has a different feel to it. We let them off the hook by not taking more advantage of what could have been. 

 

I was concerned after that just because I knew that was not going to be enough to win this game. 
 

Any word on how Cerantola is coming along? If he gets back to form that could be the difference come post season. 
 

But overall like you said 83, we needed at least one win this weekend and we did get that. 
 

Going forward, a sweep over A&M would be great but it is tough to sweep any SEC team. 2/3 is always the RX on any given weekend. 
 

Certainly some concerns for OM but the huge comeback against LSU could spark you guys on a run now. That kind of a game can do wonders for your psyche. 

[rebmus]

1 hour ago, Bulldogs4 said:

 

Certainly some concerns for OM but the huge comeback against LSU could spark you guys on a run now. That kind of a game can do wonders for your psyche. 

True, but it's a wait and see what happens. 

Win 2 vs USC next weekend, and this weekend won't matter too much in the hosting picks. 

USC is a better team than LSU. Is Ole Miss capable? Sure. Will they pull off a series win? Not if they keep playing like the past few weeks. 

[Dawg83]

Add another wrinkle to the hosting process, apparently they are now going to use the May 10th date to announce 20 "possible" host sites and then pick 16 from that group at the end of the season. Not really sure what the point of naming 20 possible sites is if you're just picking 16 at the end of the year like always. But at least they are using the entire body of work for host selection instead of ignoring the last 3 weeks of the season.

 

This seems to be significant from an Ole Miss perspective. I don't think they're currently in the Top 16 but I bet they would be on that list of 20 if the season ended today. I've been under the impression that they needed to go 4-2 in the next two weeks to get in the Top 16, but at this point 3-3 is probably good enough to make the initial cut. Then you've just got to play well down the stretch to lock down a host. State should be safely locked in as a host barring a major collapse the next few weeks, more about trying to nail down a national seed now.

Edited April 29, 2021 by Dawg83

[Dawg83]

Obviously a massive series in Oxford this weekend with Ole Miss and South Carolina. Major hosting implications for both teams. Really feels like OM can't afford to drop five series in a row. At a certain point you've gotta start winning some of these series. That said, I tend to think OM does that this weekend. I'm not really sold on SC, and if OM can avoid further bullpen meltdowns I think they have a great chance to win the series.

 

I like the matchup for State against A&M this weekend if they can keep the ball in the strike zone and play clean defense. A sweep is very much on the table, but as long as you win the series you'll at the very least hold serve in the national seed discussion.

 

I'll be keeping my eyes on Arkansas-LSU and Vandy-Florida as well this weekend.

Edited April 30, 2021 by Dawg83

[rebmus]

Hoglund was back this week and picked up a much needed win tonight. 

 

 

[Dawg83]

State wins in 12 innings. On one hand they played sloppy defense and left a million guys on base again, on the other hand they were down 7-3 in the 7th and came back to win without allowing a hit the rest of the way, Odd game,

 

Doubleheaders in Starkville and Oxford tomorrow, should be a fun day.

[Wcchaingang]

Hugh series win in Oxford. Would be really nice to get the sweep.

[Dawg83]

Would think that puts OM back on the right side of the hosting bubble and possibly knocks South Carolina off of it.

[Wcchaingang]

That was a much needed sweep. And Elko just missed hitting one a mile.

Edited May 2, 2021 by Wcchaingang

[rebmus]

Very big sweep by Ole Miss and yes 83, it should definitely put OM on the right side of the hosting discussion. 

 

A lot was made of the 4 straight series losses, but look at the opponents using the current rankings. 

1-2 @ #15 Florida. 

1-2 vs #1 Arkansas

1-2 @ #4 MSU. 

^None of these series losses are bad losses in any way for a tourney host team. 

 

1-2 vs LSU is a bad series loss, there's no debate about that one. 

 

This weekend the LSU series loss was offset by sweeping #11 USC. 

OM also has that opening weekend sweep of #3, Texas, #5 Texas Tech, and #8 TCU. 

 

 

 

[Dawg83]

Four straight series losses isn’t good, but you’re right, no sweeps in that stretch was big. And 9-0 in conference play outside of that four week stretch is very loud. And I’m here to tell you Ole Miss might sweep again next weekend, A&M is not good whatsoever.

 

State gets the sweep at home against a bad team, didn’t play great but took care of business like a good team should. May have found some more guys out of the pen they can count on too, I was really impressed with Simmons and Tullar. And I think maybe after weeks of tinkering it’s possible they’ve finally found the right combo in the field. Brad Cumbest impressed me a lot this weekend, and I think moving James to DH with Leggett at 3B is a better trade off than sticking witch Hatcher in the lineup. I really feel bad for the guy because he’s not a bad player at all but is having a brutal year.

 

SEC title race is really getting interesting, we’ll finish the weekend with 4 teams within a game of first, and either 5 or 6 teams within two games of first (depending on how UF/Vandy goes tomorrow).

[rebmus]

Looking ahead, as bad as I hate doing that, at OM's schedule: 

2 road series at A&M and at Georgia. As mentioned, A&M isn't very good this year and a very winnable road series. Georgia is better than A&M, but certainly isn't a Florida/Arkansas/MSU... it's also a winnable series. 

In the middle is a series in Oxford vs #2 Vandy. This is likely a 1-2 series loss for OM. 

 

IF OM goes 5-4 the next 3 weekends, I feel like they should easily be a host. 

IF OM doesn't win 2 of the 3 remaining series, I feel like they will not be a host. 

IF OM somehow wins all 3 remaining series, I feel like they sneak in as a NS host. This is the biggest IF, I just don't see this one playing out. 

 

83...The sweeps are a big indicator to me. You don't want to get swept, you want top pick up a few here and there while knowing they are rare. 

Remember when week 2 happened and I mentioned 6 of the 7 series were sweeps and how that likely won't happen again all season? 

Week 1 had 2 sweeps.

Week 3 had 2 sweeps.

Week 4 had 2 sweeps.

Week 5 had 1 sweep.

Week 6 had 0 sweeps. 

Week 7 has 2 sweeps so far, with a chance of Bama sweeping Mizzou tomorrow for 3 sweeps. 

 

A&M is definitely a bad team, but for MSU to sweep... that's a very nice weekend. 

[Bulldogs4]

A&M’s record is 5–16 in the conference but all three games were tight (finally in the 7th inning of the third game we opened up a lead). So for OM on the road if you win two of three that will be a good series although you guys are certainly capable of a sweep. 
 

@USCe is a good opportunity for State to beat a good team on the road. 

[Dawg83]

State is a Top 4 seed if the season ended today. 5-4 down the stretch should lock them into the Top 8.

 

I think pretty similarly for Ole Miss and hosting, 5-4 in the last 9 should be enough. 4-5 could be too with a decent showing in Hoover.

 

Don’t rule out USM for a host spot just yet either. C-USA has four teams very much in contention to get a host, and my guess is whoever wins the league probably gets it. Charlotte has the edge right now but if USM can find a way to finish strong, they are very much in the mix. Just gotta make the Top 20 cut in a couple of weeks first, and it’s probably going to be really close.

[rebmus]

Ole Miss picked up the midweek win yesterday, but dannnnnnng that bullpen. 9 pitchers total and used weekend reliever Diamond in the 9th to close it out. 

 

Outside of Broadway and Diamond, the bullpen just hasn't been good. Well, Dougherty has been pretty good in limited action since his redshirt was pulled a few weeks ago. 

 

 

[Dawg83]

Final weekend before the 20 "possible" hosts are announced so I'm curious to see what happens around the league. Not really any marquee series honestly, it's mostly the good teams playing the lesser teams. State-SC is the only matchup of two ranked teams. Florida dropped Game 1 to Kentucky last night, that seems like a series UF can't really afford to lose if they want to host. Would also be a huge series win for UK if they can take one more, I know they are squarely on the bubble just to get in the tournament.

 

State-SC is a series I'm not sure what to expect. I fully believe State is the better team, but on the road, in that stadium, I could see SC taking the series. Not to mention SC is the more desperate of the two teams right now, given that they are on that hosting bubble too. I guess I'll say State wins two games but anything other than State getting swept wouldn't shock me.

 

I think Ole Miss sweeps A&M. The Aggies are bad, have no hope of making the NCAA Tourney, their coach is seemingly on the way out, and I think getting swept by State last weekend may be what makes them lay down and tap out for this season. If I had to call it today I don't think they even qualify for Hoover.

Edited May 7, 2021 by Dawg83

[Dawg83]

State dominated Carolina last night 9-0. MacLeod was outstanding, one of the better starts of his career. State got ahead by multiple runs early and SC never really threatened that much. Strong showing all around.

 

Really bad night for Ole Miss, not only did they lose on a walk-off homer, Hoglund exited early with an injury. Really hope he ends up being ok, he’s a very talented guy poised to make a lot of money in the very near future.

 

Everything else in the league went about like you’d expect it to. No movement among the Top 4,  all of those teams won last night.

[Bulldogs4]

I sure hope Hoglund is okay. Just hate to see any injuries to any player but especially pitchers. Ole Miss has been kind of snake bit this year. I remember several years ago State having a bunch of pitchers injured that really threw a wrench into the season. Does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to why injuries happen but is just unfortunate to the players who are hurt. 
 

Tremendous win last night for State and McLeod easily had his best outing of the year. On the road, you always want to win two so I hope we can sustain the momentum today and get another victory. 
 

Not all is lost for Ole Miss. I look for you guys to bounce back and win today and tomorrow and still take two of three. A&M is better than their record indicates. 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Bulldogs4

[Wcchaingang]

Reba bounce back to even the series 12-7. Awesome moment for Elko to hit the bomb.