I’m pulling for OU. If only UT and A&M could both lose tomorrow. Yesterday was a perfect baseball day for me. ND looks impressive.
@anotherparent posted:Well, the CWS is underway. Who is the favorite?
Thanks for bringing this up. For many years, this was always a hot topic this time of the year on the HSBBW. It didn't matter if your son was a player in Omaha or not. Board was jumping!
Florida had a very young team. 1 transfer, 1 grad . They struggled but got better as they matured.
They played OU 3 times, won 1 game and lost home regional. A&M 2x, split, and Arkansas 4 times, won 3.
If I were to root for an SEC team, it would be Ole Miss. But having a former ACC baseball player, I am going with the Knoxville Super Regional Champs and ACC Coach of the Year!
Go Irish!
I will be rooting for the SEC teams. Ole Miss would likely be the one I’ll root for the hardest
WHAT a beatdown of Stanford.
It's an easy choice for me...
..after the Ivy league team was eliminated.
Younger son just started a graduate program there (got his ND undergrad degree in May). And tomorrow I'll be accompanying a group of high school students (via train) for a 5 day retreat at ND.
@anotherparent posted:WHAT a beatdown of Stanford.
Correct me if I am wrong, did I hear the announcers refer to Stanford probably being the best team in Omaha?
There is no need to declare my allegiance. Pretty sure everyone knows. But what everyone may not know is how intense the ill will is between Texas A&M and Texas. Having been a part of that rivalry I can tell you that I have never seen anything like it. It’s been over 10 years since both schools were in the same conference and the two teams have never met before in the CWS. The game will be white hot and must see TV even if you have no dog in the hunt. A&M has had a phenomenal year but this team isn’t built to win a double elimination 8 team tournament. They are too thin on the mound. And every infielder is a defensive liability. But they pound the baseball and there is no quit in them. They are fun to watch. What Jim Schlossnagle has done in one year is absolutely amazing. He understands how to build a brand as well as he does the on the field stuff. The excitement is back in Aggie baseball and I expect them to be even better next year.
I’ve recorded then tuned in starting with the seventh inning each game to see where it stood. Texas A&M scoring four in the seventh held me into that game. Otherwise, I haven’t watched an inning.
Stanford should have thrown the lefty. It’s a tough decision but it was the right one. Arkansas is so much worse vs LHP’s and Matthews had dominated us earlier in the year. I’ll give DVH a ton of credit. Right now it’s one starter and all hands on deck out of the pen. The #2 starter is probably the new closer. The new #2 starter wasnt even pitching two months ago. The closer might pitch in the middle innings. The #3 starter may not pitch again. It’s all about who is pitching well right now
Arkansas and Ole Miss are both playing their best baseball of the year. Either team is capable of winning it all. Personally I like what Ole Miss has on the mound. And you gotta have great pitching to win the CWS. The gauntlet that is the SEC really prepares teams for post season play. SEC is unique in that you never face a weak opponent. Never. It’s so far and away the best conference top to bottom. Four teams from the SEC West making it to Omaha tells you all you need to know - and Tennessee was better than all four. Except for one weekend. But to quote former Texas Ranger manager Ron Washington, “that’s how baseball go”
Baseball is so unique and why I love it. It's not where you begin but how you end. Every team's goal should be to play their best baseball in May. Example from last year, Mississippi State.
I have stated that quite often over the years here on HSBBW. Ole Miss didn't even have a 500 winning percentage within their division. Were one and done in their conference championship, almost missed it, not overloaded with grad transfers yet here they are. I learned this year that in the SEC a coach can never rely on how many wins he has but how he has prepared their team for the post season. That more than likely is the goal for most programs but not every program has the resources to achieve that goal.
In 2024 Oklahoma and Texas join the SEC. Of course it's all designed to benefit football so it should be interesting.
As a baseball fan I just love Notre Dame's story. Jarrett more than likely will be leaving so those boys will be playing their hearts out. They certainly have more to lose than a game.
The past two weekends may be the first time in history America was rooting for Notre Dame to win
@PABaseball posted:The past two weekends may be the first time in history America was rooting for Notre Dame to win
Last week some sportswriter wrote this may be the first time in sports fan history the entire country rallied behind Notre Dame due to their opponent’s arrogance. I was neutral. Notre Dame sports has a lifetime of arrogance. I’m back to “just crush them.”
Obviously Stanford has a very good team. They did not play up to their seed and it was a bit disappointing given all the talent. Given all they could handle in regionals by a very good Tx St team and were very fortunate UConn ran out of arms. Some very questionable decision making when it came to their bullpen, especially in Auburn game.
Six left, I expect Oklahoma to beat up on a very depleted staff in the winner of ND/A&M and would hope they'd meet up with Ole Miss on the other end for an all underdog final.
Ole Miss may have been the last team to make it in, they look great. Would be wild in OU wins both baseball and softball.
The difference at this point between Ole Miss and Oklahoma vs all the rest is that they have legit closers.
Probably will be the reason why they might meet up in final game.
JMO
Stanford out, the curse of being called "the best team"?
I was rooting for ND up to this point, but now that their opponents are all out I see Oklahoma taking the whole thing. They are just playing some phenomenal baseball right now and their pitching staff is rock solid.
@anotherparent posted:Stanford out, the curse of being called "the best team"?
LoL. I think it was the curse of having to play 2 SEC teams.