Super Regional Comments

I was watching the Cardinals and my 2013 lefty pitcher runs in and turns on the Florida State/Stanford game. The FSU guy was throwing low 80s, about as hard as my son.

I said three words: location, location, location. And a good change up helps.

The way people talk you can't succeed in D-1 if you don't hit 90.

So true Mizzoubaseball. Obviously, I wanted Stanford to win this game, but Leibrandt is just the type of pitcher that will give them fits.

What about that wacky LSU-Stony Brook game? Wow! Stony Brook goes up a run to take the lead late in the game and a LSU player hits a homerun to tie up....this happens over a couple innings. I think the bottom of the 10th LSU players hit 2 HR's.

They came into their SR vowing to not be pushed around by such a storied D1 program as LSU. I love gritty teams. It's why they play the game!

I also watched some of the St Johns - Arizona game. Watching those OF's for St Johns made me wonder for a moment if I was watching a LL game. They were unable to catch some fly balls or had them pop out of their glove! You could literally see the despair on the St John's pitchers face as their lead of 5-0 dwindled quickly.

It'll be interesting to see what Giant slayers rise up!

Mizzou, we were having the same reaction in our house! Wow that was some pitching performance. LOVE when it is not all about the 90+ mph FB.

But ow, what a bad night for the Cardinal.

Stanford going to FL is just silly. I don't get a top team having to fly 3000 miles to play super regionals to get to Omaha. I am an ACC fan but this IMO is crazy.

In defense of the pitcher for Stanford, with a son going through the same process a while back on a lessor scale, the kid must have just been plane exhausted physically and mentally.

Mike Martin doesn't recruit pitchers with high velocity, he builds his team on offense. I have seen it work against him, but the pitcher was spot on and that is baseball.

The Oregon vs Kent game was a fun one late last nite....

quote:

Originally posted by trojan-skipper:
The Oregon vs Kent game was a fun one late last nite....

Yep! Sure was.

Pulling for Kent State and Stony Brook.

The Kent State game didn't start until 11:00pm here in Ohio...kinda tough staying awake to the end, but sure was worth it! Great game...Go Kent!

Rain has sure had an impact on today's NC State--UF game. Sure wish it hadn't intervened, as it was looking to be a good pitching duel.

quote:

Originally posted by smalltownmom:
Rain has sure had an impact on today's NC State--UF game. Sure wish it hadn't intervened, as it was looking to be a good pitching duel.

Good Luck to Florida as they advance ...

Looks like that 2 hour rain break had it's effects on Crawford. Hopefully it will be a good game after all. I sure was enjoying Rodon vs Crawford prior to rain. Gator's pitching depth is something else.

Not sure it's over yet...

You're right!

State can hit the ball, plus they play to the very last out. Just don't think they are deep enough to win two at this point. Sure am proud of those guys though.

quote:

Originally posted by Mizzoubaseball:
I was watching the Cardinals and my 2013 lefty pitcher runs in and turns on the Florida State/Stanford game. The FSU guy was throwing low 80s, about as hard as my son.

I said three words: location, location, location. And a good change up helps.

The way people talk you can't succeed in D-1 if you don't hit 90.

So true. There is less margin for error, but there are many more successful guys under 90 than over 90, at that level, even in June. They just have to power nibble.

Let's Go Seawolves!!!

quote:

Originally posted by smalltownmom:
Looks like that 2 hour rain break had it's effects on Crawford. Hopefully it will be a good game after all. I sure was enjoying Rodon vs Crawford prior to rain. Gator's pitching depth is something else.

That team is post-season constructed.

55mom-- Whatever happens-- I have enjoyed watching your boys. They do play with heart. This is a good game.

Very good game!

I need some pepto! ha Wish the outcome was in the Pack's favor, but Florida plays hard as well. Good Luck Gators!

Still plenty of ball to play!

(oh, something funny, UF's 3rd base is from NC - and got the winning run - NCSU's 3rd base is from FL)

Go Gators! Congrats to Sully!

Is it just me, or is Pay Payton a fantastic color analyst?

It was a very good game.

Stony Brook is making a real bid for the CWS... what a tatement by the northeast that it can be done.

Playing in the America East, I was on and played against many teams that seemed just one or two players away from making this type of run. Looks like Stony Brook has finally figured it out.

Joe Nathan certainly got his money worth

Ken Jacobi

Author of "Going with the Pitch: Adjusting to Baseball, School and Life as Division I Athlete"

Stony Brook is loaded, a very solid and balanced team. I would not be shocked if they went very deep in Omaha. They have fought their way from a 4th regional seed. They're 63 RPI makes that ranking system a complete joke, imo.

I can pull for the Seawolves!

(LSU shot themselves in the foot on the hbp v. 2rbi double)

Any reason the umps would restart the OU v. S.Carolina game after a 40-50min rain delay, knowing that even heavier rain was on the way. Could it be they were trying to see if S.Carolina could steal a run in the driving rain?? But, they don't let OU bat in the bottom half of the inning??...doesn't seem quite fair.

quote:

Originally posted by 55mom:
I can pull for the Seawolves!

(LSU shot themselves in the foot on the hbp v. 2rbi double)

They shot all their toes off twice. They look awful, no offense at all. They look very bad for a 7 RPI team.

Congrats Stony Brook!!!! What a run

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:

quote:

Originally posted by 55mom:
I can pull for the Seawolves!

(LSU shot themselves in the foot on the hbp v. 2rbi double)

They shot all their toes off twice. They look awful, no offense at all. They look very bad for a 7 RPI team.

They looked flatfooted for sure. :-)

LSU can enjoy their summer now. Didn't Stonybrook send Miami to the beach as well? They were awesome.

I don't believe what I just saw!

Oh, it's been used before. It applies again. OK. follow me! ESPNU now for Kent State.

Is Stony Brook, St Johns and Purdue's deep run somewhat due to the very mild NE winter this year? I think it made a huge difference and it's proof that the college season needs to be moved back a month to make college baseball more competitive. Draft aside.

No, don't think so. Far more related to talented players and good coaching.

quote:

Originally posted by BK_Razorback:
Is Stony Brook, St Johns and Purdue's deep run somewhat due to the very mild NE winter this year? I think it made a huge difference and it's proof that the college season needs to be moved back a month to make college baseball more competitive. Draft aside.

Dont forget to add Kent State to the list.

I dont think you can move it back an extra month. Wouldnt that be an extra month of feeding and housing the team?

Stanford had the most talented individual players I think I saw over the past two weeks. Their results show that individual talent does not mean much when it comes to baseball. Team play, execution, pitching, defense, intangibles, play a huge part of the game, particularly tournament ball. For some reason they looked flat this weekend and the results showed. Stonybrook on the other hand did the unthinkable, they ground out every at bat, and had a never give up attitude, and went in to LSU and took it to them. Congrats to them.

You can't simply move the season back a month, remember these are STUDENT-athletes.

This ran before this weekend's games, but worth reading. Like how the Stony Brook kids used the taunts from their big-school opponents as motivation.

At Stony Brook, Talent if Not the Reputation

Wow! The opposing teams had no idea what was coming their way! Nice story, hope they keep rolling!

quote:

Originally posted by BK_Razorback:
Is Stony Brook, St Johns and Purdue's deep run somewhat due to the very mild NE winter this year? I think it made a huge difference and it's proof that the college season needs to be moved back a month to make college baseball more competitive. Draft aside.

I don't think he has anything to do with the mild winter. I do think it has something to do with opening of many, many indoor facilities in the northeast over the last 10 years. I can't speak to Purdue and Kent St.

Serious players might not be outside from November to March but they are working indoors almost everyday during that time of year. Working on swings, pitches, fielding and getting bigger, stronger and faster. It probably will never be even but I think the gap is closing between the talent level between the north and south.

Watching the LSU game it looked like LSU was feeling more pressure than Stoney Brook when they fell behind. I think the thought of losing to a smallish northern school tightened them up.

Stanford looked over matched as much by the atmosphere in the stadium as they did by FSU. They did not look like a perennial powerhouse by any means.