2022 College Season

@PitchingFan posted:

Ty Adbono and RJMThe guys who came got it.  Interesting there were at least 4 top 3 round guys there.  And one who had a rough week last week.  I reminded them they get to play a game.  And on their worst day on the field and probably in life that their day is better than the kids and families in there.  It was very humbling.  One of them said I almost slept in this morning but I’m glad I woke up at 8:15 to be here and experience this.  

You’re welcome. Not that I think you need my help, but that really pissed me off. To demean community service as a photo op to me was inexcusable. To insinuate that they were not observing safe health practices was ridiculous. But hey, I have said some things on here that I have walked back after realizing how they came across. A lot of us have. But to double down on those comments after the fact?! Wow!

<sigh> it's an indication of the times we live - we keep hoping people can focus on the topic at hand and it's just not possible. If you ignore it, it won't go away... If you get involved, it spirals out of control quickly. I certainly do understand why the question was asked, just the context was frustrating. This black and white (or whatever color you use ;-)) world of text on a page doesn't easily allow conveyance of meaning even with emojis.

In any case, awesome pictures and story. When these young men "get it" about giving back without being asked, it says a lot about their character. Kudos to them and their families.

I think we all agree these young men should be commended for their active community involvement...it really gives me hope for the next generation, especially when I have to go into high level labor negotiations with my younger one whenever I ask him to do a chore. Kudos to the parents for fostering this environment.

Big moment in Knoxville right now.

That was rough.  Don't know who I'm going to root for in Omaha  now.  UConn, I guess, if they make it. They have a player who my son played Legion and Connie Mack with.  Santa Rosa JC standout, right @Consultant ?  There's another with Michigan, but they are already out.

JCG;

yes, he now a Senior lives in Ukiah, CA.

Bob

They had some epic battles in HS games against each other but played summer ball together for 3 years.  Friday  night games at Anton Stadium were the best.

Top-ranked teams falling everywhere.  Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Southern Miss, UNC all out.  Stanford and Oregon State lost their first games.

@JCG posted:

That was rough.  Don't know who I'm going to root for in Omaha  now.  UConn, I guess, if they make it. They have a player who my son played Legion and Connie Mack with.  Santa Rosa JC standout, right @Consultant ?  There's another with Michigan, but they are already out.

Well, UConn will have to win tomorrow.  Yes UConn can hit and can come back tonight and Stanford pitching is in a rut but this game is already over.  Tomorrow night's starter is from my town and my son has played against numerous players (1 starter) and with one in summer ball  (reliever but stared elim game in regionals).  Since I am from CT I know a lot of these guys and would be excited if they can find a way but Stanford can hit.....

I will be an OU fan the rest of the month  (bonus, they play A&M first) and whoever is playing against Texas or A&M.

@Gunner Mack Jr. posted:

Well, UConn will have to win tomorrow.  Yes UConn can hit and can come back tonight and Stanford pitching is in a rut but this game is already over.  Tomorrow night's starter is from my town and my son has played against numerous players (1 starter) and with one in summer ball  (reliever but stared elim game in regionals).  Since I am from CT I know a lot of these guys and would be excited if they can find a way but Stanford can hit.....

Looks like the guy from my town didn't get the start but Ian Cooke did!  He's the guy who pitched great in last elim game and my son played summer ball with him.   Freshman starts again with season on the line!  Of course, I have a meeting from 5 to 6 tonight and the game just started (at 4pm EST).  I will have it up on my computer.  Go UCONN.

*Stanford is/was just too good.  Cooke only got one inning 2ER and the guy from my town 1/3rd inning, 2 hits 1 ER.  Tough one but a great run by UCONN this year.

Smart move by UConn coaching staff to get a lot of bullpen arms into the game. Unfortunately a few of them are throwing BP, but they are all getting their feet wet in a big game. It’s very unlikely that UConn comes back to even make a game of this - but even if they don’t they are building for next year right now.

I was waiting a few days to see if @PitchingFan was going to post a wrap up, but I did want to say something before the CWS starts.

As a baseball fan who never followed college baseball closely this Tennessee team really pulled me into the sport.

Unbelievably talented and entertaining team to watch. Can't say I supported some of the antics, but every good movie needs a bad guy.

By the end I found myself rooting against the Vols while pulling for @PitchingFan son. As he is one of the most helpful, classiest posters on this site and by all indications his son is following in his footsteps.

Just wanted to say congratulations on your son's amazing season and please keep us updated on his career.

Gave social media and message boards a few days off.  I have agreed on here that a couple of the players took the "antics" overboard but that does not diminish the team as a whole.  I've never been one to agree with the bad apple spoils the entire container mindset.  We had a couple of guys who did some things that were over the top by almost everyone watching, definitely including me.  But the team as a whole were good guys who put together a great season and it ended with a myriad of distractions the one weekend you could not have distractions.  ND is a great team that played a great series and we did not.  But my was a part of a great team, can't win that many games and not be, that will be a part of a great journey for him.  He still has 2 years left and I do not think he will be drafted high enough this year, if he is drafted, to draw him away.  He is looking forward to a great offseason and a great season next year but you never know.  A lot of things have to fall into place.  He has done a good job of finding his niche and using it for a platform that has done a lot of good and will continue that path.  Thank you to everyone on here that has supported him.

Well, the CWS is underway.  Who is the favorite?

No idea, but after taking down the heavily favored #1 team last weekend and upsetting Adbono's favorite team last night the guys with the shiny gold helmets have to be in the mix.  And it would be very appropriate for the 2022 champs to be a bunch grad students playing with Covid year eligibility.

@anotherparent posted:

Well, the CWS is underway.  Who is the favorite?

Well after the first two games the favorite to win it all is actually Notre Dame at +300.  Oklahoma is +400. That will change if Stanford wins game 1 is my guess.  Stanford is the fav to come out of the other bracket at +500 but Arkansas is the #2 fav in that bracket, not Auburn.   

For personal reasons, anybody but Arkansas for me.  They should have won a few years ago too but dropped a pop up.... One of my favorite former bosses was recruited to play at Auburn, with Bo Jackson, but injuries took him down.  I will be pulling for Auburn.  Also, their first baseman is a blast, 6' 1" 263 pounds!  He's worth the price of admission.

Anybody but Auburn please...

In the 2017 my kid was the surprise Friday/Saturday starter for Arkansas (a reliever in juco), and my eldest schedules his wedding in season on Saturday afternoon (and expects his brother to attend). It took some time explain that his brother couldn't blow off his Auburn start to attend the service... The game started a couple hours before the nuptials, and it wasn't long before I wished he'd blown off the Auburn start to attend the wedding - he got rocked and it was the shortest outing of his college career (only game that season I didn't attend). I still tense at the mention of Auburn baseball...

Wait, anybody but Stanford too...

I went to HS and lived in the shadow of Stanford (Portola Valley) think the movie Breaking Away, except we were still in HS and the quarry was a spot on private property called Felt Lake. I can neither confirm or deny that the Stanford campus grass is the best for doing donuts... We hated those arrogant kids, but I'd have been first to do a cartwheel if my kids had an opportunity to go there...  

So for me it's GO RAZORBACKS! Everyone has different experiences, the kid's 2017 team missed the supers by a single W - but for him and the family, that season was the most fun we've had in the baseball journey!  

@JucoDad posted:

Anybody but Auburn please...

In the 2017 my kid was the surprise Friday/Saturday starter for Arkansas (a reliever in juco), and my eldest schedules his wedding in season on Saturday afternoon (and expects his brother to attend). It took some time explain that his brother couldn't blow off his Auburn start to attend the service... The game started a couple hours before the nuptials, and it wasn't long before I wished he'd blown off the Auburn start to attend the wedding - he got rocked and it was the shortest outing of his college career (only game that season I didn't attend). I still tense at the mention of Auburn baseball...

So for me it's GO RAZORBACKS! Everyone has different experiences, the kid's 2017 team missed the supers by a single W - but for him and the family, that season was the most fun we've had in the baseball journey!  

I will ignore my petty and personal negative experience from a HUGE Arkansas baseball fan that roomed with the Dave Van Horn at Arkansas.  Go Razorbacks but still prefer Auburn...

@JCG posted:

No idea, but after taking down the heavily favored #1 team last weekend and upsetting Adbono's favorite team last night the guys with the shiny gold helmets have to be in the mix.  And it would be very appropriate for the 2022 champs to be a bunch grad students playing with Covid year eligibility.

Yes, I very much appreciated ND doing that last night.