What the hell happened to Florida?
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@RJM posted:What the hell happened to Florida?
I read an article a few minutes ago, that the UF catcher said that the energy was low in the dugout. Pretty crummy for the team that for the past week it's all over the internet about Sully leaving for LSU. I feel badly for the team.
Mark Calvi was the first coach who offered my son a scholarship to FIU, but he chose to go to Clemson to be with Sully. He would have been devastated if he had left, because Sully is one tough cookie, but the kids love him.
With that being said I think that Calvi would make a great HC at UF!
I think I have to change the question to ...
What the hell happened in Florida?
There are lots of rumors all over the forums of schools thinking they wanted O’Sullivan. True or not, I would think the talk could be having an effect.
S Alabama and U of South Florida. Two mid D1 programs!
Texas Tech looks pretty impressive... good hitting team.
I think you can expand the question quite a bit to....What the hell happened to Florida, Michigan, TCU and South Carolina? Horrible, just horrible. One of the announcers during the Florida/South Alabama game commented that the reason the umpires wouldn't toss Sully after his tirade / outburst ( where he clearly intended to get himself tossed) was that staying in the blowout game was far worse punishment than sending him to the clubhouse. I think they were right.
Georgia Tech impressed me by hanging with Vandy. Fairfield came up short but they played about as good as they could against Texas. NC State is hot, and I would not want to play them in the Super Regionals. I didn't see any of Notre Dames games, but they appeared to make quick work of everybody (CT, Central Michigan and Michigan) in their pool.
Apologies to my West coast brethren as there clearly is an East coast bias here due to my curfew. I did catch some of the Arizona games, and they look good. There are some great games on tonight.
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I had Squeeze Play or a specific game on from 4pm to 1am. It’s June Madness. I was reading some of the time.
Greetings from CWS land! You all are focused on all the wrong details. Our Huskers forced a game 7 on Arkansas for tonight. The rubber match between David and Goliath...
@fenwaysouth posted:I think you can expand the question quite a bit to....What the hell happened to Florida, Michigan, TCU and South Carolina? Horrible, just horrible.
South Carolina got beat straight up by ODU on the their own field, both teams had a couple of opportunities missed. Both pitchers were outstanding the kid from ODU was just a bit better. It was great game.
it is funny but i know the ODU kid, i recall his father telling a couple of guys in 16U that his son wasn't pitcher...i also recall one the dads looking at him just flatly stating yes he is. Pretty sure that is exactly what he is!!
@DanJ posted:Greetings from CWS land! You all are focused on all the wrong details. Our Huskers forced a game 7 on Arkansas for tonight. The rubber match between David and Goliath...
Good point and I will be watching the Huskers/Arkansas game tonight mostly because I don't get ESPNU. I live in Virginia and I'd really like to see ODU take UVA to the woodshed. Liberty, VCU, Norfolk State are not going to the super regionals which would have made it more interesting in the Commonwealth.
Go Huskers and go Monarchs! Let's get some Cinderella teams to the super regionals.
I've seen ODU play 4 times in person this year and 4 times on a web broadcast. They're VERY good. Everyone seems to want to focus on their hitting, and I understand that given their gaudy numbers. However, their pitching is very capable, also.
I agree with Fenway, the umpires knew Sully was trying to get tossed, a tactic usually used when the team needs a pick me up. However we found out from a players parent that would not have worked anyway.
ODU is the real deal. Found out that they never put in for a regional because they never expected they would be a top seed.
CUSA was represented by OD, Charlotte, LaTech and SoMiss. No matter what the outcome. they did our conference proud!
Also USF is the real deal!
It's always about the Big Programs but there is great baseball being played at many mid D1 conferences. Do you want to sit or play?
Way to go Fairfield!
Fenway, Arizona is really good. The program that opened my eyes was NC State. Haven't seen them previously but they looked great in the regional
@RJM posted:I think I have to change the question to ...
What the hell happened in Florida?
Really surprised by Miami. I watched them play 3/4 years ago and I believe 6 of the 9 starters were freshmen. They looked like they were going to be the team to beat moving forward. Last year they were scary good and it looked like it, but covid ruined that. But they did not play up to their level this year for whatever reason. I'd like to say their two weekend starters getting drafted in the top 30 didn't help, but they didn't hit the ball at all
On the other hand a Notre Dame wasn't playing games and they've been all over the place for the past 6 years. Michigan laying an egg helps, but ND looks like they may have turned a corner.
UM ends with a 20-15 record in the ACC and and 33-21 record overall and today an RPI of 30.
I think, all things considering they did well and deserved to be in a regional.
UF and UM came across two very hot teams. USF is legit.
@TPM posted:UM ends with a 20-15 record in the ACC and and 33-21 record overall and today an RPI of 30.
I think, all things considering they did well and deserved to be in a regional.
UF and UM came across two very hot teams. USF is legit.
No doubt, Miami is still very good baseball wasn't a dig at them more of a - I expected more out of them. They have a few key pieces heading out this year, I expect to see them in a similar position to the one they were in a few years ago.
Kevin O'Sullivan staying in Gainesville.
I dig ND's helmets. Surprised they were allowed to wear it.
Last night betting on the underdog and being given a touchdown would have been a break even night.
House divided here...but #HailState!!
@PTWood posted:House divided here...but #HailState!!
Crowds there are crazy! Over 14,000 today. Same in Fayetteville.
@adbono we experienced the Dude two years ago...Stanford super regional. The most hospitable, passionate, knowledgeable fans ever. Definitely factored into our son's final choice. He finally found a place where everyone was more excited about him playing baseball than basketball. lol
Anyone notice how one sided the umpiring was for the Vandy series or was it just me?
@pdogg1 posted:Anyone notice how one sided the umpiring was for the Vandy series or was it just me?
I’m pretty sure the HC from ECU noticed
@pdogg1 my son played with Moylan (on ECU) and his Dad is one of my son’s favorite coaches. I’m so happy he went yard but so frustrated by the calls in both Vanderbilt games.
Not sure if it is true, but it was told that the 1st umpire was a Vandy alumni. One would think that is a conflict of interest. Not taking anything away from them, but I think it looks bad on them. Looks like they needed help.
I'm sure it's a money thing like always.
I am a fan of baseball. I am all in for the home teams passion for their team, but I dont care for fans being nasty.
That's just a poor reflection on the coaching staff.
JMO
Anyone up watching USF and Texas? USF just tied it up top of 9th with a two-run moonshot. I love college baseball!!
And then Texas hit a double with a runner on first. Game over. 4-3 Texas.
@PTWood posted:And then Texas hit a double with a runner on first. Game over. 4-3 Texas.
Texas will win their Super and move on to Omaha for a number of reasons. Above all they are a pretty good team. But the NCAA badly wants Texas in Omaha - just as they do Vanderbilt. So if a little home cooking becomes necessary it will magically appear.
TEXAS TECH getting smoked twice is a shocker.
ARKANSAS has strong potential to win it all. But for the second straight weekend they’re in lose once more and you go home mode.
@pdogg1 posted:Anyone notice how one sided the umpiring was for the Vandy series or was it just me?
That was bad. Leiter was getting strikes way off the plate. The view from the ump cam was ridiculous on a few calls. They looked a foot outside from his view. Then ECU gets squeezed in the 9th.
Kevin Kopps is an almost 25 year old 6th year senior ( or graduate). That's AA maybe AAA age. Remember that when your freshman player is sitting on the bench not playing. Arkansas wasn't the only team with older players. ND brought in older players from last years portal. It's going to take a few years until things get back to normal.
The age inequality among teams this year is astounding. Your P5 committed or freshman player may have better chances playing at a Juco or mid D1 to play.
JMO
In that case DBU is in trouble today
@TPM I looked at that last week. ND has 9 graduates students on their team...most of them pitchers.
Still thinking that the lead question of the CWS is “how can a coach justify putting in an arm that threw 119 pitches less than 48 hours ago?” I was in shock.
@edcoach posted:In that case DBU is in trouble today
If Virginia was hosting I would agree with you. But since it’s at a neutral site DBU has a punchers chance.
@RJM posted:TEXAS TECH getting smoked twice is a shocker.
ARKANSAS has strong potential to win it all. But for the second straight weekend they’re in lose once more and you go home mode.
Considering how many key players Tech lost for the season due to injuries it’s more shocking (to those familiar with their season) that they were able to win a regional. Tech was playing w/o two of their top arms and a couple of their best position players too. Injuries are part of the game but it played out very fortunately for Stanford.
@adbono posted:If Virginia was hosting I would agree with you. But since it’s at a neutral site DBU has a punchers chance.
It's all about selling seats in Omaha. I dont see UVA fans in the seats and they are not far, do they care whether they go or not? DBU is a D2 school with D1 baseball. Are they loyal fans? Would they travel?
@TPM posted:It's all about selling seats in Omaha. I dont see UVA fans in the seats and they are not far, do they care whether they go or not? DBU is a D2 school with D1 baseball. Are they loyal fans? Would they travel?
DBU is a very unconventional school. They have a really good baseball program but the culture of the school is extremely religious - borderline cultish IMO. They don’t have a big fan base. They have a small loyal following. But they play hard and play the game the right way. They are well coached and fun to watch. Hard not to root for them.
These announcers that are announcing these super regional games from Connecticut are just awful. Get the announcers in the stadiums my goodness
Wow! And here comes the questionable calls to help Virginia
@TPM posted:Kevin Kopps is an almost 25 year old 6th year senior ( or graduate). That's AA maybe AAA age. Remember that when your freshman player is sitting on the bench not playing. Arkansas wasn't the only team with older players. ND brought in older players from last years portal. It's going to take a few years until things get back to normal.
The age inequality among teams this year is astounding. Your P5 committed or freshman player may have better chances playing at a Juco or mid D1 to play.
JMO
Kopps is a 6th year senior. He received a medical exemption and a Covid exemption. He turned 24 in March. He’s also 5’10 and throws 90-91.
He is the age of an Advanced A or AA player. He better advanced very quickly or he’ll age out of MLB prospect range. His upside is likely limited due to his size and velocity.
My understanding is once a player hits 27 he better be in AAA or close to returning to AAA. When a friend’s son was in the Mets organization they released every 27yo who wasn’t in AAA.
The VA DBU series has been good. Game one ended with a diving, game saving catch. Game two ended with a long drive to right, down four with the bases loaded. Plus for seven innings (0-0) it was an incredibly pitched game.
The only time I’ve pulled for a team is the one down a game so the series can go three games.
Notre Dame!!!!!
What is Arkansas doing? Is the bullpen that thin they need use Friday night starter in relief on Sunday?
they throw starter tonight 120 pitches after throwing 20 last night in relief, obviously a fake ranking.
Rough day to be an SEC fan.
I wonder how many 24yo college players there will be over the next two, three years. Kopps is 24. I’m watching the Ole Miss-Arizona game. Broadway (P-UM) is 24. All it takes is start school late, come out of high school at nineteen and get a Covid redshirt year.
@RJM posted:I wonder how many 24yo college players there will be over the next two, three years. Kopps is 24. I’m watching the Ole Miss-Arizona game. Broadway (P-UM) is 24. All it takes is start school late, come out of high school at nineteen and get a Covid redshirt year.
And, coaches are manipulating their rosters to accommodate (seemingly) as many 5th & 6th year seniors as they can get. It gives them a better chance to win.
@adbono posted:And, coaches are manipulating their rosters to accommodate (seemingly) as many 5th & 6th year seniors as they can get. It gives them a better chance to win.
It’s all about winning. The coaches pay their bills by keeping their jobs. I wonder how many kids (and their parents) get to college ball before they realize it’s more than an extra curricular activity like high school even at the D3 level.
- @TPM posted:
Notre Dame should have been a national seed.
NC State can hit the ball. Could be anyone's game.
Have no clue what Arkansas was doing, but it didnt work. But that's ok, it won't be the SEC College World Series!
Arkansas didn’t hit tonight. There was no sense saving Kopps to be rested for later in the game. He pitched well.
After all the hype there’s a chance there could be more ACC than SEC teams in Omaha.
@adbono posted:And, coaches are manipulating their rosters to accommodate (seemingly) as many 5th & 6th year seniors as they can get. It gives them a better chance to win.
I was talking with a local kid from our high school after he washed out in A ball. Going in he didn’t understand as a signed out of high school he was going to be competing against 21 and 22yo men in short season and 22 and 23yo men in Low A. He just saw himself as a hot shot high draft choice.
I believe a lot of high school players entering college the next couple of years are going to have the same experience.
@RJM posted:I was talking with a local kid from our high school after he washed out in A ball. Going in he didn’t understand as a signed out of high school he was going to be competing against 21 and 22yo men in short season and 22 and 23yo men in Low A. He just saw himself as a hot shot high draft choice.
I believe a lot of high school players entering college the next couple of years are going to have the same experience.
I think so too. It’s going to be much harder for HS players to find opportunities to play too. I posted in another thread about a mid major PC telling me last week that they weren’t even recruiting HS players right now. Only JuCo players.
@JCG posted:I was glad to see Arkansas go home. If that’s how they manage their arms, their pitchers are better off watching it on TV.
My husband said that he read somewhere that if they didnt use him then they would always wonder if they made the right choice to use their best guy. However their best guy wasn't a starter, he had even said he didnt like starting.
So now they know that they didnt make the right choice.
@adbono posted:I think so too. It’s going to be much harder for HS players to find opportunities to play too. I posted in another thread about a mid major PC telling me last week that they weren’t even recruiting HS players right now. Only JuCo players.
That's why you are going to see JUCO/Portal camps and not just in mid D1 programs.
However, big programs will alway recuit talented HS players, so that they can develop them as the type of player that fits their program.
JMO
@TPM posted:That's why you are going to see JUCO/Portal camps and not just in mid D1 programs.
However, big programs will alway recuit talented HS players, so that they can develop them as the type of player that fits their program.
JMO
For the sake of discussion let’s say that the most talented HS players make up 10% of all the HS players that are good enough to play college baseball. That top 10% is not going to have any problems finding good opportunities. It’s the other 90% that will.
And back to the topic of Super Regionals and CWS. I watched most of the UVA/DBU game and it was a fantastic pitchers duel. Griff McGarry pitched the game of his life. He was 0-5 on the year with an ERA over 6.0. He was fantastic yesterday and kept UVA (the cockroaches of the ACC...they can't be killed!) alive for a College World Series bid. I also watched the NC State/Arkansas game and that was incredible as well. The Wolfback broke the hearts of the Razorbacks. Just a great game.
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In a winner take all game 3 in a Super Regional DBU has 4 freshmen position players in the starting lineup - hitting in the 3, 4, 5, & 9 holes. Very, very unusual
@RJM posted:I was talking with a local kid from our high school after he washed out in A ball. Going in he didn’t understand as a signed out of high school he was going to be competing against 21 and 22yo men in short season and 22 and 23yo men in Low A. He just saw himself as a hot shot high draft choice.
I believe a lot of high school players entering college the next couple of years are going to have the same experience.
I think you are also going to see the birth of the "career college players" at the highest level. Players who normally would have gone in the 25th round and signed for 60k but now choose to play college ball over the 10-20k bonus. Instead of the minor league grind they play in front of packed college stadiums and get their masters degree. College baseball will look a lot more like you described and how college basketball now looks. 21-23 year old grown men dominating the sport with impact Freshmen sprinkled in.
@adbono posted:I think so too. It’s going to be much harder for HS players to find opportunities to play too. I posted in another thread about a mid major PC telling me last week that they weren’t even recruiting HS players right now. Only JuCo players.
It makes perfect sense for the mid majors. If you are a mid major you can grab a 2019 HS grad from JUCO who has 4 years of eligibility. Typically those guys don't have a lot of pro potential so you may end up with a 24 year old man on your team who dominates.
@adbono posted:In a winner take all game 3 in a Super Regional DBU has 4 freshmen position players in the starting lineup - hitting in the 3, 4, 5, & 9 holes. Very, very unusual
USF has 10, 11 true freshman on their roster but not sure who is or is not playing. It's not unusual, IMO, to see freshman in the lineup this time of year. Technically this time of year they aren't even considered freshman anymore.
I'm watching the DBU/UVA winner take all on ESPN3. Good game so far as it is 2-1 in the top of the 6th with DBU leading. Apparently, the English broadcast is not available through my provider and I'm forced to listen to the Spanish broadcast. Remind me again, why I took 6 years of French? I should have listened to my best friend's mother and taken Spanish in junior high. These guys are so entertaining to listen to, but i have no idea what they are saying.
They're saying "great play by the shortstop!" :-)
@fenwaysouth posted:I'm watching the DBU/UVA winner take all on ESPN3. Good game so far as it is 2-1 in the top of the 6th with DBU leading. Apparently, the English broadcast is not available through my provider and I'm forced to listen to the Spanish broadcast. Remind me again, why I took 6 years of French? I should have listened to my best friend's mother and taken Spanish in junior high. These guys are so entertaining to listen to, but i have no idea what they are saying.
I bet they went nuts on that play by the DBU SS.
And the second baseman
and then the CF. What a game.
@fenwaysouth posted:I'm watching the DBU/UVA winner take all on ESPN3. Good game so far as it is 2-1 in the top of the 6th with DBU leading. Apparently, the English broadcast is not available through my provider and I'm forced to listen to the Spanish broadcast. Remind me again, why I took 6 years of French? I should have listened to my best friend's mother and taken Spanish in junior high. These guys are so entertaining to listen to, but i have no idea what they are saying.
Where are you that you dont get english on espn3?
Kinda disappointed that half inning ended with a routine pop fly to left. Defense this whole game has been outstanding!
@TPM posted:Where are you that you dont get english on espn3?
TPM - I don't think it is a where question. It is a who question. My internet provider is Comcast/Xfiunity and when I click on the English button nothing happens.
All - How about that Grand Slam in the bottom of 7. The Spanish commentators were going crazy. Clutch. I'm telling ya, UVA baseball are cockroaches. They shouldn't even have qualified for the tournament, yet here they are on the verge of CWS. Great defensive plays by both teams.
Weird Fenway. That's how I'm watching and it's in English.
@fenwaysouth posted:TPM - I don't think it is a where question. It is a who question. My internet provider is Comcast/Xfiunity and when I click on the English button nothing happens.
All - How about that Grand Slam in the bottom of 7. The Spanish commentators were going crazy. Clutch. I'm telling ya, UVA baseball are cockroaches. They shouldn't even have qualified for the tournament, yet here they are on the verge of CWS. Great defensive plays by both teams.
That's weird. Game on my comcast/xfinity is espnu . On other devices on ESPN 3 its in english. You need to change your battery or get a new remote.
When we went to Omaha, the Beavers won for the first time. No one could even figure out how they got there. It's that time of the year when anything can happen.
@fenwaysouth posted:TPM - I don't think it is a where question. It is a who question. My internet provider is Comcast/Xfiunity and when I click on the English button nothing happens.
All - How about that Grand Slam in the bottom of 7. The Spanish commentators were going crazy. Clutch. I'm telling ya, UVA baseball are cockroaches. They shouldn't even have qualified for the tournament, yet here they are on the verge of CWS. Great defensive plays by both teams.
In reply to the “All” portion : it seems like there is a team like this every year - often California teams (like Fullerton, Fresno, UCSB) and they always seem to go a long way in Omaha.
TPM and PTWood,
So, I was watching on my computer (two screens) not on Smart TV. When I watch ESPN3 (no ESPNU) on my computer, it asks for my Internet provider (Xfinity), registered email address and password. Once I'm in I was prompted for English or Spanish. I picked English and it just sat there for minutes. I tried a number of times, and it wouldn't work. So, Plan B was Spanish. I actually found the Spanish announcers to be far less annoying than the English speaking ones when I had the volume on....I had to jump on a few business calls. It turned out to be a pretty good game.
All,
I'm very interested to see how the 2 x 4 team brackets are broken out. I can't find anything on how they do this. Is this predetermined based on the Super Regional locational results (Ie. Columbia Super Regional winner is predetermined to play the Tuscon Super Regional winner) or do they wipe the slate clean and seed the CWS based on the previous Regional and Super Regional seedings? Is this a State secret because I can't find this anywhere.
https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/baseball/d1/2021
Pre determined by region. So bracket one (let's call it the red bracket) has Stanford, Vandy, AZ and NC State. Bracket 2 (the orange bracket LOL) has TX, UVA, TN and Mississippi State or ND.
Yes, it’s predetermined. PT Wood knows that because she had the highest possible security clearance and therefore has access to that information
Thanks PTWood. Sometimes I can't see the forest from the trees.....I recall seeing that chart when the tournament first started.
Based on the teams (whether MSU or Notre Dame wins) in their current brackets, it looks pretty balanced to me. Both brackets are nightmares which makes it fair for everybody.
LOL @adbono. Just an unhealthy obsession with brackets going back to the 1990s. Nothing better than front row seats to one of the original men's basketball NCAA bracket busters! ;-)
@fenwaysouth everyone's been saying this year would be something special...we are certainly seeing it play out. For the most part, the quality of play has been incredible.
@PTWood posted:@fenwaysouth everyone's been saying this year would be something special...we are certainly seeing it play out. For the most part, the quality of play has been incredible.
My personal opinion is that this is not the end result NCAA folks were hoping for.
But....the best story of the week. Link Jarrett's son, JT, plays for NC State. Good thing they weren't in the same bracket!
Are these announcers at the ball park? There have been some bad camera selections that didn't show the play on the field until instant replay, and the announcers are silent when this happens. I've noticed this all weekend and in particular tonights ND vs MSU game. Is it possible they are hanging out at home or a local studio and not at the ball park?
@Smitty28 posted:Are these announcers at the ball park? There have been some bad camera selections that didn't show the play on the field until instant replay, and the announcers are silent when this happens. I've noticed this all weekend and in particular tonights ND vs MSU game. Is it possible they are hanging out at home or a local studio and not at the ball park?
I do no not believe they are. This gives them ability to do multiple games in a day, especially Scott Peterson.
Well, regardless of tonights game, all teams going are P5 and big money programs. Just too much depth for mid D1 programs to win. They can get close but will always fall short of their goal.
@TPM posted:I do no not believe they are. This gives them ability to do multiple games in a day, especially Scott Peterson.
You have your Peterson’s mixed up.
Scott Peterson killed his wife Laci and is in jail.
Kyle Peterson is the ex-player and current ESPN college baseball analyst that attempts to save every broadcast from being killed by Ben McDonald’s incoherent Cajun rants.
@TPM posted:Well, regardless of tonights game, all teams going are P5 and big money programs. Just too much depth for mid D1 programs to win. They can get close but will always fall short of their goal.
Coastal, Fresno St and Fullerton have won titles in the last 17 years.
@d-mac posted:Coastal, Fresno St and Fullerton have won titles in the last 17 years.
Yeah, I like it better when there are a couple teams like those in Omaha. They are often fun teams to watch & pull for
@adbono posted:You have your Peterson’s mixed up.
Scott Peterson killed his wife Laci and is in jail.
Kyle Peterson is the ex-player and current ESPN college baseball analyst that attempts to save every broadcast from being killed by Ben McDonald’s incoherent Cajun rants.
I am innocent! I typed Kyle and Scott showed up! 
@adbono posted:Yeah, I like it better when there are a couple teams like those in Omaha. They are often fun teams to watch & pull for
I was hoping DBU would make it. NC state plays 14 guys total in meaningful games. They are probably the best story of the teams left.
LOL!
Fenway "listening" in Spanish and Scott Peterson posing as Kyle from a remote location!
Who said the pandemic is over?!
HR by Notre Dame 1st baseman was one of farthest I’ve seen in a long time.
@Smitty28 posted:Are these announcers at the ball park? There have been some bad camera selections that didn't show the play on the field until instant replay, and the announcers are silent when this happens. I've noticed this all weekend and in particular tonights ND vs MSU game. Is it possible they are hanging out at home or a local studio and not at the ball park?
They’re not at the park. When the pairs are shown on the screen the backgrounds are different. They look like home backgrounds. I guess ESPN isn’t over Covid. It’s not allowing them to do more games. I looked up the announcers. There are eight announcing teams. One for each location.
It would be interesting to see how many players on the field for final 8 teams are transfers and how many were already there. I would but on the road. I know all of UT’s guys have been there and their pitchers. They only have one grad transfer and he is backup catcher from Knoxville. None others from transfer portal.
@TPM posted:I do no not believe they are. This gives them ability to do multiple games in a day, especially Scott Peterson.
That's lame. I read an article that MLB announcers are doing this because they got used to a much easier lifestyle of less travel. Fans deserve better.
The question I've been asking myself since Mississippi State recorded their last out last night is...
Can anybody take out Vanderbilt and their two starting pitchers? The two best starting pitchers at the CWS are on the same team. I sure hope so. We'll find out soon enough as Stanford and NC State are both offensively built.
BTW...Congrats to all the teams and their supporters!
@fenwaysouth posted:The question I've been asking myself since Mississippi State recorded their last out last night is...
Can anybody take out Vanderbilt and their two starting pitchers? The two best starting pitchers at the CWS are on the same team. I sure hope so. We'll find out soon enough as Stanford and NC State are both offensively built.
BTW...Congrats to all the teams and their supporters!
Once past Rocker and Leiter their starting pitching looks a little light. The key is going to be getting to a game three. Every team that gets to Omaha is capable of getting to game three. I would guess if it comes down to it pitching would be an inning by inning proposition using as many as necessary.
Before getting to the championship round best of three if Rocker or Leiter get out pitched in one game early is Vanderbilt in trouble?
Rocker/Leiter are an amazing duo. They have not been invincible this year (they each lost 3 games). If Kumar isn't 100% locked in and the hitters are patient/don't chase the slider, he can be hit. Leiter is overall more efficient but has been a little vulnerable to the long ball. If the umps don't squeeze the batters, it's possible. The lost series to GA, FL and Ole Miss this year.
@PTWood posted:Rocker/Leiter are an amazing duo. They have not been invincible this year (they each lost 3 games). If Kumar isn't 100% locked in and the hitters are patient/don't chase the slider, he can be hit. Leiter is overall more efficient but has been a little vulnerable to the long ball. If the umps don't squeeze the batters, it's possible. The lost series to GA, FL and Ole Miss this year.
Great scouting report.
A shame though that many of the pitchers on team sat more than they played while Jack and Kumar ate innings.
So, here we go. I love this time of year. CWS, Fathers Day, my anniversary....happy fathers day to all the Dad's out there. Here are the most up to date odds (below) I could find without wasting a lot of time. The first games are key every year but they are extremely important in 2021 based on the matchups and seedings. After looking at the brackets (https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/baseball/d1/2021) and matchups a little longer, the first games...Vanderbilt vs Arizona and Texas vs Mississippi State is going to set the tone real quick. Tennessee and Stanford get a nice draw in that they don't play a seed but it is still tough sledding against opportunistic ACC teams NC State and Virginia.
I should be pulling for Virginia but I just can't do it even though I love wine and cheese. My dark horse pick is Stanford....everybody loves a cute and cuddly....tree for a mascot. I've only seen a few of their games, but they were impressive in every one.
Enjoy the CWS!
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This is always a bittersweet time of year for us. FWIW, I am admitting that son was the losing pitcher that sent us, as the first team to go home. The road to Omaha is grueling. The atmosphere electric.
I had a text conversation with bacdorslider last weekend. This will be his son's SECOND trip to Omaha. I hope that he gets to pitch.
As an ACC ex parent, I have to go with either one of the teams. But my gut tells me Vandy.
Fenway, thanks for the post. Enjoy and make sure you get the games in English, not Spanish!
Happy Father's Day!
TPM,
I understand your ACC backing...admirable. My reluctance to root for Virginia is actually a positive for their team and chances. In 2015, I bet my wife that if Virginia won the College World Series I would eat meatloaf. I despise three foods...meatloaf, brussell sprouts and liver. All three things I was forced to eat as a kid, and I'll just come out and say it....my Mom was no Julia Child. Virginia's Cinderella run in 2015 was incredible. They were lucky and opportunistic from the regionals all the way to the CWS. After every game I would tell my wife how lucky they were, so we made a bet before the CWS. Clearly she is the brains of the operation....
Thankfully she served my "2015 UVA meatloaf" hot with lots of mashed potatoes and thin asparagus.
Enjoy the CWS!
We went in 2015 when PTWoodson was 12. Happened to be staying at the same hotel with the Vandy boys who were very sweet with our guys. Sons has a couple of HS teammates on UVA. But cowbells ring true so we gotta go with Hail State! We are actually trying to figure out if when can get out there for games…
NC State off to a very quick start!
Been 2 years, obvs, but don’t they usually have velo up?
@PTWood posted:NC State off to a very quick start!
100% my fault. I picked Stanford as my dark horse.
@fenwaysouth posted:100% my fault. I picked Stanford as my dark horse.
If you have that much influence on what happens to the teams you root for please pull for Texas.
@fenwaysouth posted:100% my fault. I picked Stanford as my dark horse.
Thanks Fenway!
It sounds like the Vanderbilt whistler is in Omaha so I'm going to have to root for Arizona tonight.
The Whistler is the worst thing about college baseball. 😂
- I’m with a couple of friends who aren’t college ball viewers. One played college ball. They hated the Whistler by the second inning. I’ve hated him since the second inning of the first time I heard him years ago.
Vandy fans hate the whistler. Neutral site, no whistling, no cow bells!
@Smitty28 posted:It sounds like the Vanderbilt whistler is in Omaha so I'm going to have to root for Arizona tonight.
The Arizona HC is about as annoying as the Whistler. Can we get rid of both of them?!?
Not the start we wanted but still a dream come true. Tried to bring son when we lived in Missouri but he said no I want my first trip there to be in a uniform. It is Mecca of college baseball.
My goodness the pitching in that State win v Vandy. Remarkable ballgame.
He did it even though they were squeezing him. Can't squeeze a double play...
Strike zone was ridiculous and seemed to favor Vanderbilt especially late
Glad to see State did not get the same root that ECU got.
TX-TN is a helluva game, despite the constantly inconsistent strike zone.
Fenway must be in hiding. UVA ahead by 4 in the 6th. Anything is possible but the pitcher is THE MAN tonight.
If the VA-MSU game holds its a perfect example of how one team may be better on paper and a hot pitcher can ruin their season. Not that VA is a bunch of stiffs. But MSU was a home seed for Super Regionals. VA was #39 in RPI.
Edit: Talk about the wheels coming off! From no hitter to behind in one out.
Ya’ll are hurting my feelings! But seriously, sports has always been about who’s hot when and the UVA pitchers AND bats are on fire. Still gotta say it…#HailState! :-)
The CWS has to come up with a better replay approach. Maybe the umpires could stay on the field with the HPU holding a red/green indicator. Someone in the booth is watching close plays as they happen. The booth buzzes the HPU. Green light the play stands. Red light it’s overturned. Or limit the number of replays that can be requested.
It’s not so much about watchability as flow of the game and momentum for the pitcher. Pitchers shouldn’t have to stand around waiting for replays so frequently.
GO AMHERST!! MAMMOTHS TO THE LEFT OF ME, MAMMOTHS TO THE RIGHT! WOOOOOOOOLY! WOOOOOOLY!
OH, wait.....
I bow to your knowledge dear friend. And Smoke, my husband and I were Spiders but Wooly Mammoths take the cake. 😂
They SHOULD be the Wooly Mammoths, but they chickened out and stopped at Mammoths.
Maybe the admin saw this clip and decided to play it safe.
What a finish for Mississippi State and now I have to go research to see if there were NON-wooly mammoths or is the wooly part just redundant?
@TPM posted:Fenway must be in hiding. UVA ahead by 4 in the 6th. Anything is possible but the pitcher is THE MAN tonight.
To the contrary. I knew something was going to happen late in the game to make this more exciting. The MSU offense was making more and more hard contact as the game went on. However, I did not expect an end to a no-hitter like that when it did happen, and I didn't expect the UVA bullpen to fall apart. I do think the UVA bullpen was getting squeezed by the umpire, but far be it for me to defend the Cavaliers. There will no meatloaf this year, if they continue to blow leads like that!
I do feel bad for McGarry and especially his parents. I know what that feels like. He certainly did his job and gave UVA an opportunity to win that game.
Unbelievable ending in Vandy/Stanford game. Gotta feel for the kid on the mound for Stanford at the end of the game. What a gut punch to end your season on a wild pitch in the CWS.
That’s when you remember they are still so very young. Definitely a tough way to end it.
The CWS is in my mind the most underrated sporting event in the nation. So much drama, regional diversity, player and coach storylines.
https://community.hsbaseballwe...32#70288824957695332
I couldn't agree more. Plus it is such fun to be there and it is so accessible (from the price point of the tickets to being able to meet players in the hotels). It's a great destination trip for any baseball lover but especially the next generation of players. I know it inspired my son to go when he was 12.
@adbono posted:Unbelievable ending in Vandy/Stanford game. Gotta feel for the kid on the mound for Stanford at the end of the game. What a gut punch to end your season on a wild pitch in the CWS.
No matter who I am rooting for, when you know a kid feels he had it all on his shoulders, I always feel terrible for them. The picture of Kershaw in the dugout with his head in his hands comes to mind. It's someone's kid out there and it's something you can't make better.
Feel terrible for Stanford, but man, you can't throw Vaz back to back breaking balls up 1-2. The kid is no threat to put it out of the park, so I'm challenging him with that 95 MPH heater. The game was lost on those 2 pitches IMHO.
My son lost the last game in Omaha.
He and his teammates felt bad for about a day, maybe less
Baseball is a team sport, or used to be. You can't blame it on one player. The coaches have to take responsibility as well.
JMO
@CTbballDad posted:Feel terrible for Stanford, but man, you can't throw Vaz back to back breaking balls up 1-2. The kid is no threat to put it out of the park, so I'm challenging him with that 95 MPH heater. The game was lost on those 2 pitches IMHO.
Bingo. Yahtzee. 100% CTbballDad. At that moment in time, my wife and I looked at each other thinking.....wtf?
@CTbballDad posted:Feel terrible for Stanford, but man, you can't throw Vaz back to back breaking balls up 1-2. The kid is no threat to put it out of the park, so I'm challenging him with that 95 MPH heater. The game was lost on those 2 pitches IMHO.
I agree. I don’t understand why he wasn’t attacking the hitter. Then the shortstop compounds the issue trying to do too much with his throw.
Up until that point Vanderbilt had handed Stanford the game with early, sloppy play. In the end Stanford handed the game back.
@baseballhs posted:No matter who I am rooting for, when you know a kid feels he had it all on his shoulders, I always feel terrible for them. The picture of Kershaw in the dugout with his head in his hands comes to mind. It's someone's kid out there and it's something you can't make better.
I haven’t even booed a professional player as long as they’re making an effort since my kid got ripped in a local paper. It’s when it hit home that’s someone’s kid out there.
It is a team sport but there is usually a player that feels the weight...justified or not. I hate to hear any kid getting heckled. I hate when people from our team do it. It is a kid out there...doing his best. How many people have strangers yelling at them and judging them while they do their job. That said, this is the greatest sport to watch. I got choked up a few times watching highlights from games the past few days. Great stories and watching guys put it all out there. It's pretty cool.
@baseballhs posted:It is a team sport but there is usually a player that feels the weight...justified or not. I hate to hear any kid getting heckled. I hate when people from our team do it. It is a kid out there...doing his best. How many people have strangers yelling at them and judging them while they do their job. That said, this is the greatest sport to watch. I got choked up a few times watching highlights from games the past few days. Great stories and watching guys put it all out there. It's pretty cool.
Hey, you bum! That’s the second time you’ve dropped your pen today. What’s next? Spilling your coffee?
@TPM posted:My son lost the last game in Omaha.
He and his teammates felt bad for about a day, maybe less
Baseball is a team sport, or used to be. You can't blame it on one player. The coaches have to take responsibility as well.
JMO
Totally agree. Son & I have had lots of conversations after lost games where we both point out all the different ways that they could have won. Player X gets a better jump on a ball and turns a double into a single, player Y doesn't get rung up on that ball that was clearly outside the zone. When he was young and frustrated with a player, it helped him see the bigger picture. And as he's gotten older, it's helped him keep the "every play matters" mentality, and remember that lost opportunities are just as costly as errors.
How Vandy and or Stanford don’t win every year is crazy. Endless money, and incredible institutions. I know baseball, the factors, upsets and pull against them for that reason if given the chance. It’s interesting to see teams that Clemson handled while son was there are back in the CWS and Clemson not make a regional this year. As I reminisce about the glory days, I think 2017 was a legitimate shot to make a run for them and we fell short. Love the action and feel of the CWS and miss that environment.
I’m on the ropes after seven innings. It’s 12:45. I don’t think I can go nine Coach.
Ridiculous. The NCAA showed their bias last night.
@Shoveit4Ks posted:How Vandy and or Stanford don’t win every year is crazy. Endless money, and incredible institutions. I know baseball, the factors, upsets and pull against them for that reason if given the chance. It’s interesting to see teams that Clemson handled while son was there are back in the CWS and Clemson not make a regional this year. As I reminisce about the glory days, I think 2017 was a legitimate shot to make a run for them and we fell short. Love the action and feel of the CWS and miss that environment.
If you look at Vandys pitching stats, you will see that it was uneven across the board. Plus, they had a tough time with offense.
Clemson will be back on top. They had a tough year due to Covid, just like a lot of programs did.
So we are down to 4 teams : 2 SEC, 1 ACC, and 1 Big12. Just what the NCAA & ESPN want. But not what a lot of college baseball fans want - including me. I want an underdog in the mix. The long shot is so much more interesting and fun to root for. Where is Coastal Carolina when you need them. I can’t watch much more of goofy UT pitcher dad trying to high 5 his whole section after every out!
@adbono posted:So we are down to 4 teams : 2 SEC, 1 ACC, and 1 Big12. Just what the NCAA & ESPN want. But not what a lot of college baseball fans want - including me. I want an underdog in the mix. The long shot is so much more interesting and fun to root for. Where is Coastal Carolina when you need them. I can’t watch much more of goofy UT pitcher dad trying to high 5 his whole section after every out!
The days of the underdog are gone. You need plenty of quality arms to win. And that takes money and the same amount of players on each team. Mid D1 programs just don't have that.
I am going with NCState.
NC State has 5 arms and 9 hitters. They have no depth. They are more similar to Coastal than they are a Texas. Unfortunately, it looks like they may have a covid problem and are going to be missing some key players today.
@d-mac posted:NC State has 5 arms and 9 hitters. They have no depth. They are more similar to Coastal than they are a Texas. Unfortunately, it looks like they may have a covid problem and are going to be missing some key players today.
Ruh Roh! Hadn’t heard about that. Somehow the ghost of Augie Garrido has to be involved in this!! Just saying, timing is a little suspect if you ask me.
Looking a lot worse. May have to forfeit
@d-mac posted:Looking a lot worse. May have to forfeit
Wow. Okay, now I’m convinced. The ghosts of Augie Garrido & Cliff Gustafson have somehow paid off Fauci to make this happen. I wonder if NC State had a special team vaccination event recently.
NC St guy on Twitter says they will play with 14 today.
@d-mac posted:NC St guy on Twitter says they will play with 14 today.
I hope you are right but suddenly coming out of the losers bracket doesn’t look like such a daunting task, does it?
Never been a Vandy fan but definitely a NC State fan today. This will be interesting. Only 5 regular starters with 9 fielders and 5 starters.
The college umpires at CWS have been horrible IMO. The foul ball was one of the worst but there have been some bad ones. How are these guys the best that college has to offer? How does two umpires from Texas call a Texas elimination game?
Terrible job by umpires on the call on the ground ball down 3B line. Clearly fair by video evidence but not a reviewable play? Wtf?!? NC State HC deserves a ton of credit for not losing his sh$t I’ve that one.
PitchingFan wrote “how do 2 umpires from Texas call a Texas elimination game?”
Good question! Somehow things like that are common where U of Texas is concerned. They have always played politics with their athletic teams and, like politicians, are usually a step ahead of the general public.
The shortage of players is leading to some interesting scenarios. Highfill (P) playing 1B and getting the "first" hit off Rocker (second). And a third baseman playing SS short hopping Highfill who can't handle the play. Unless you or your son or someone in your family went to Vandy how can you not be rooting for NC State.
Daily covid testing at this point is ridiculous
@Gunner Mack Jr. posted:The shortage of players is leading to some interesting scenarios. Highfill (P) playing 1B and getting the "first" hit off Rocker (second). And a third baseman playing SS short hopping Highfill who can't handle the play. Unless you or your son or someone in your family went to Vandy how can you not be rooting for NC State.
I am!
@d-mac posted:NC St guy on Twitter says they will play with 14 today.
Can't believe that NC State wasn't able to call up guys not on the 27 man roster
How do you get that far and not require/strongly encourage everyone to take vaccination? If you had vaccine you did not get tested.
If you have no symptoms you don't get tested.
@PitchingFan posted:How do you get that far and not require/strongly encourage everyone to take vaccination?
I agree. NCAA should have sent out a notice about being vaxed. Asked son, he said you can't make anyone get the vaccination, but you will suffer the consequences.
Also a question, you mentioned umpires from Texas. It's a mixed crew. I understand most of the crew was from the west coast. Was it a Big 12 umpire?
Just curious.
Why are some of you assuming that those who tested positive didn’t get the vaccine? Vaccination is not a guarantee that you won’t get Covid. Didn’t several Yankees players and staff test positive despite being vaccinated?
ETA: The announcers for the UT vs MSU game just said that protocol is to not test those vaccinated. So yeah, seems dumb not to get vaccinated.
Two tested positive. The rest were removed for contact tracing and have to test negative before they can play. If they had been vaccinated, they would have been able to play without testing. And before someone asks, I have first hand knowledge that at least one of the players who tested positive is symptomatic.
@PTWood posted:Two tested positive. The rest were removed for contact tracing and have to test negative before they can play. If they had been vaccinated, they would have been able to play without testing. And before someone asks, I have first hand knowledge that at least one of the players who tested positive is symptomatic.
Do not question the omnipotent PTWood!
😂
If you have taken the vaccine you do not have to be tested at CWS. Everyone else has to be tested every two days.
@adbono wish someone would tell my kids that. 😂
@PTWood posted:@adbono wish someone would tell my kids that. 😂
Sometime around twenty-seven years old they will figure it out. Or they knew long before and didn’t want to admit it. My son was the former. My daughter was the latter.
When my son was a kid I enjoyed teasing him with the line from Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid where they were cornered on top of a mountain with jumping the only way out …. Do you ever get tired of being wrong?
NC State eliminated. No game tomorrow. What a brutal ending to their season
Per Kendall. 4 vaccinated players tested positives so enough with the “this wouldn’t have happened if they had been vaccinated” talk.
Not a State fan for sure, but the NCAA has screwed them over for Vandy. With all the advantages that they have anyway, having to have a series fixed is pitiful. Tim Corbin as a man and his team should stand up for their fellow college players right to play. If not, they should go home and give it to Texas. I could not as a player look at that ring and be proud as a player and know I won it fair and square. Texas should just forfeit and go home. They will have no chance to beat Vandy due to the NCAA. Vandy is a good program and have talented kids, but this is going to shadow them for a long time. They should have not been there anyway. It started with ECU, that should have been the end for them. To have a Vandy umpire alumni is fair against ECU? Hummmm, and just get a 2 game suspension and a fine? All paid back by Vandy. Hope the rest o f the baseball teams take note and decide not to send alot of chin music their way next year like the Astro's.
@d-mac posted:Per Kendall. 4 vaccinated players tested positives so enough with the “this wouldn’t have happened if they had been vaccinated” talk.
Not quite. According to the same sources that you quote above: Two unvaccinated players tested positive. That prompted the NCAA to test the entire team, and they had more positives come back, all 4 of which were from vaxxed players.
As the NCAA policy clearly states, non-vaccinated players get tested per NCAA protocol, vaccinated ones (or players not showing symptoms) don’t. Entire team is vaccinated = no tests get performed (barring them being symptomatic). And they are playing a full team yesterday and today.
The “this wouldn’t have happened if they had been vaccinated” talk is, in this specific case with the information at our disposal, 100% correct.
With that info that probably is true what is the point of making a big deal about it an political? The fans are not all vaxxed, the NCAA was not protecting them. Are all Vandy's vaxxed? They were exposed to players from state and should be sent home as well. If you can still test positive from being vaxxed, what is the point anyway. It's about the money, all it has ever been. Vandy was in for another ass kicking and did whatever they could to get out of it. Just my opinion.
Did not even mention the different size strike zones they got.
Anyone wanna bet money Vandy don't win?
@d-mac posted:NC State eliminated. No game tomorrow. What a brutal ending to their season
Whole situation is terrible for NC State and sounds to me like little to no effort was made to try to find a way for them to play. Very unfortunate for the NC State players, coaches & fans. I think there is no doubt that the NCAA and ESPN wanted Vandy in the finals so it’s easy to speculate that Covid rules were selectively enforced to create that result. No way to know for sure but it’s a bad look for the NCAA - and I will now root against Vandy in the finals ……….unless they play Texas.
@Senna posted:Not quite. According to the same sources that you quote above: Two unvaccinated players tested positive. That prompted the NCAA to test the entire team, and they had more positives come back, all 4 of which were from vaxxed players.
As the NCAA policy clearly states, non-vaccinated players get tested per NCAA protocol, vaccinated ones (or players not showing symptoms) don’t. Entire team is vaccinated = no tests get performed (barring them being symptomatic). And they are playing a full team yesterday and today.
The “this wouldn’t have happened if they had been vaccinated” talk is, in this specific case with the information at our disposal, 100% correct.
Supposedly Link Jarretts son went home ill on Tuesday. This prompted the tests early. Also more than likely they suspected that those who were vaccinated may have not been through the full course. NCAA had the right to test vaccinated if they suspected they were not compliant.
The first problem here, in my opinion, is that there is a vaccine out for a reason. The team that isn't vaxed plays at a risk.
The second problem is that the NCAA needs to make a clear policy one way or the other. You get the vaccine, you can come to school or and play a sport, you don't, you can't come. That's it.
Period.
Coach Avent from yesterday's post-game press conference:
"On if he got vaccinated himself
I'll tell you what, I'm not going to talk about that. If you want to talk baseball, we can talk baseball. If you want to talk politics or stuff like that, you can go talk to my head of sports medicine, Rob Murphy."
It's too bad that someone didn't pull Coach Avent aside some weeks ago and explain that vaccinations are overwhelmingly about individual and public health. I'm not arguing that he had any responsibility to divulge whether or not he had been vaccinated; but, I do think it unfortunate that he appears to have been confused that the choice to get vaccinated was at least as much a political as a medical one.
In the end, his team could have been protected...from both the virus and elimination...after making one of the gutsiest playoff runs in NCAA DI baseball history. A sad chapter.
100% Prepster^^^, 100%.