2021 College Baseball Season

It's not as good as we had hoped at Iowa. Eight games in, we are 5-3. As my dad keeps saying, in a normal season, we would have worked out the kinks in some preseason games. instead, we started the season with a four-game series against Michigan, so we're working out the kinks in real time, which is rough.

Son kind of reflects that, went 3.1 innings against Michigan the first weekend and gave up four runs. Then this week threw 5.1 innings of no hit baseball. Nebraska finally bunted their way to first. Ended up with one run charged to him and two hits over 6 innings.

Nice win and fun to watch.

Waiting to see what the schedule will look like this week. It's our first three game series, up to now it's all been four game weekends, which is different. Home opener!

There are some good and bad parts to you guys not playing non-conference.  But it does not allow you room to figure out lineups and allow young guys to get time in the box or on the mound.  We have a true freshman who has hit 100 in fall and has hit 97 in games.  I cannot imagine throwing him right in against SEC teams.  Even for my son, he has built up confidence in the non-conference stuff so he is ready for SEC knowing it will be tough.

The good part is fewer teams to take a chance of getting COVID from but I don't think college students are doing very little to stay away from each other.  As I've been on various campuses so far this year, they are looking like every other time pre-covid with just about 50% wearing masks at any time.  The Cumberland Avenue scene in downtown Knoxville is still packed as always.

Good luck.  I keep up with his stats each week.

Conference games with double headers start soon and RPI comes out tomorrow. 

Then it's a brand new ball game.

If anyone has been paying attention, there has been a lot of teams having to cancel due to covid.

Son pitched longest inning in his life this weekend.  He came in down 1 in top of the 9th against LSU.  Had full count on batter and lightning hit so delay.  Came back on Sunday at 12:30 in the afternoon to finish out game.  Struck out the batter and continued to pitch 2.2 innings.  UT won on walk-off in 11th.  He said it was the weirdest thing to come back that long afterwards and throw one pitch to get strikeout.  There was much debate as to what that one pitch would be whether curve, slider, change-up or fastball.  Went with fastball up.  I'm sure it was just as stressful on the batter wondering for 14 hours what pitch would be thrown.

@PitchingFan posted:

Son pitched longest inning in his life this weekend.  He came in down 1 in top of the 9th against LSU.  Had full count on batter and lightning hit so delay.  Came back on Sunday at 12:30 in the afternoon to finish out game.  Struck out the batter and continued to pitch 2.2 innings.  UT won on walk-off in 11th.  He said it was the weirdest thing to come back that long afterwards and throw one pitch to get strikeout.  There was much debate as to what that one pitch would be whether curve, slider, change-up or fastball.  Went with fastball up.  I'm sure it was just as stressful on the batter wondering for 14 hours what pitch would be thrown.

Congrats to your son.  I was watching that game when the delay hit and had to see what happened the next day.  Also, I was watching the game on the walk off with no sound.  Did the ball hit that little metal piece on the back of the fence? 

TTU is 19-4 and ranked #4 in a couple polls. Lost their first three to SEC teams opening tournament. Have been rolling since. Son has been OK, with a few good outings and a few "mixed" outings. (If you call giving up a 3 run HR a mixed outing). Unbelievably, they brought him in to start the 8th inning with a one run lead vs Arkansas in the opening game of the year in Globe Life. They also brought him in to start the 7th with a one run deficit to Texas State. He finished the game, Tech scored several times and he got his first win. No midweek games for four weeks, so the bullpen has gotten more crowded.

He seems to have a similar problem to a lot of freshman pitchers.  Starts out strong but has difficulty closing out an appearance. Pitcher list is going to get shorter during conference. We'll see how it goes. Lots of arms.

I am batting 20 for 23 in appearances at games. Lubbock is 547 mi from my front door. TTU has had two neutral site series in Houston and Dallas, and the rest of the games have been in Lubbock. The miles are racking up on my speedometer. I leave for Manhattan, Kansas tomorrow morning for three vs Kansas State.  Looking forward to seeing Jordan Wicks pitch.

If anyone has knowledge of the great plains, particularly near Manhattan, I'm up for recommendations.  Human and natural history are a foremost interest. I am thinking of staying in Milford State Park just to the west of Manhattan.

@Go44dad posted:

If anyone has knowledge of the great plains, particularly near Manhattan, I'm up for recommendations.  Human and natural history are a foremost interest. I am thinking of staying in Milford State Park just to the west of Manhattan.

Your son has done well.  I have been looking forward to conference play.  We've had a rockier road

Husband and BIL played at K-State and most all of both families went there.  Rock-a-belly Deli was one of my favorites (still go there at least once a year).  Kite's is a staple sports bar but not great on food. Taco Luche is also really good.  We always stay at the Bluemont Hotel, which is across the street from those Aggieville spots.  Off Campus on Poyntz Street, Tallgrass Tap House is good.  Bourbon and Baker is good. El Patron is good Mexican food.  I can't help you much on the Cultural front, but I like to eat.

Son's team, Crowder College, is #6 in most JUCO polls.  They are 23-4 and have won 15 in a row.  Son's role is late inning high leverage and he has done well up until his last outing.  7 appearances 7.1 IP, 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA so far.  He's pretty much a one inning guy and get it to the closer.  It's the same as everywhere else, lots of talented players with not a lot of margin for error.   

@d-mac posted:

Congrats to your son.  I was watching that game when the delay hit and had to see what happened the next day.  Also, I was watching the game on the walk off with no sound.  Did the ball hit that little metal piece on the back of the fence?

Never have seen what it exactly hit other than the back of the top of the fence which they declare a home run.  It takes way too long for reviews in college baseball right now, even with all the camera angles in the SEC.

@baseballhs posted:

Your son has done well.  I have been looking forward to conference play.  We've had a rockier road

Husband and BIL played at K-State and most all of both families went there.  Rock-a-belly Deli was one of my favorites (still go there at least once a year).  Kite's is a staple sports bar but not great on food. Taco Luche is also really good.  We always stay at the Bluemont Hotel, which is across the street from those Aggieville spots.  Off Campus on Poyntz Street, Tallgrass Tap House is good.  Bourbon and Baker is good. El Patron is good Mexican food.  I can't help you much on the Cultural front, but I like to eat.

Thanks.  Hope to see you guys weekend after next in Lubbock.

Coach son's .500 mid-major has been able to keep a great non-conference schedule in tact so far.  They upset then-seeded Alabama and face three of the top four teams in the country with remaining games.  I'm going to try to head over to Vandy next week.

They had last weekend's conference series cancelled due to opponent Covid issues so they made a last-minute trip to Grambling.  He sent me a text with an image and I could tell he was excited about something.  I was expecting to see some Eddie Robinson statue or the like.  Nope.  The team was staying in West Monroe and they had taken a group tour of the Duck Dynasty business

Keep em coming, love to hear about the players, parents and teams.

2020 RHP made his collegiate debut yesterday in 35 degree weather ;-). Came in with team down 3 runs in the 7th. K'd first batter, stood up a hitter trying to bunt and eventually got an IF pop up. Overall a good outing. 2IP, 0R, 3K, 2BB, 1H. One of 2 freshmen that have seen time this year.

I did make it to Vandy last night.  Wow... they rolled out four guys who are not weekend starters, all big bodies and 97, 98 from the left, 95 and 95.

@cabbagedad posted:

I did make it to Vandy last night.  Wow... they rolled out four guys who are not weekend starters, all big bodies and 97, 98 from the left, 95 and 95.

Close game! That's why I like mid week games.

I think any college baseball fan would enjoy the 11.7 podcasts. Two young former players are very knowledgeable and entertaining. They know a lot about many players and programs, and something about most of the rest. Sometimes PG13 or more rated. Especially if you have a D1 connection, because that is most the content, you should check it out. Very keen insights, occasional guests, series reviews and predictions, and rankings.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/...podcast/id1452000247

https://community.hsbaseballwe...22#69302817929244822

Our son is buddies with the first Vandy pitcher. He’s a young 2021 who went to college early. Great kid and great family.

BIG HSBBWEB/SEC matchup this weekend. Should be a great series.

The SEC battles of TN and MS - big time fun