Thanks but I should be clear that my Gaucho is an engineering student who hung them up after scoring the winning run in his LL Majors championship at age 12.
Thats ok - actually in many ways thats even better!! 
You will save a lot of travel money that is for sure. A lot of people don't realize how good the engineering program is at UCSB, as well as how hard it is to get into it. I think the Mechanical department only takes 300-400 kids per year, (at least that was the case 5 years ago) The view is incredible tho!
I am really hoping they keep the magic going, but that is one tough road starting in the loser's bracket, but hey "Why not UCSB" ! BTW my wife grew up in SB and we have a pretty good handle on all of the great restaurants in the town so PM me if interested.
BOF posted:How fun would that be!!!
Not fun at all... LOL!!!
Go POKES!!!
BOF posted:You will save a lot of travel money that is for sure. A lot of people don't realize how good the engineering program is at UCSB, as well as how hard it is to get into it. I think the Mechanical department only takes 300-400 kids per year, (at least that was the case 5 years ago) The view is incredible tho!
I am really hoping they keep the magic going, but that is one tough road starting in the loser's bracket, but hey "Why not UCSB" ! BTW my wife grew up in SB and we have a pretty good handle on all of the great restaurants in the town so PM me if interested.
BOF, there are only @1400 undergrads in the school of engineering so it's a small school for a big university, and yeah, it's excellent.
As for the view, about a week ago I was parked in the lot across from my son's dorm helping him move out and leering like the dirty old man I am at the wonderful scenery on the beach right below. As for restaurants, in a few days I'll be traveling back to IV to help the kid move into his apt and teaching him how to cook a few things before I go. Should be fun as his current repertoire doesn't extend much past grilled cheese. If that goes sideways I'm thinking of La Super Rica or Brophy Bros, depending on how many roommates I have to buy dinner for.
JCG posted:BOF posted:You will save a lot of travel money that is for sure. A lot of people don't realize how good the engineering program is at UCSB, as well as how hard it is to get into it. I think the Mechanical department only takes 300-400 kids per year, (at least that was the case 5 years ago) The view is incredible tho!
I am really hoping they keep the magic going, but that is one tough road starting in the loser's bracket, but hey "Why not UCSB" ! BTW my wife grew up in SB and we have a pretty good handle on all of the great restaurants in the town so PM me if interested.
BOF, there are only @1400 undergrads in the school of engineering so it's a small school for a big university, and yeah, it's excellent.
As for the view, about a week ago I was parked in the lot across from my son's dorm helping him move out and leering like the dirty old man I am at the wonderful scenery on the beach right below. As for restaurants, in a few days I'll be traveling back to IV to help the kid move into his apt and teaching him how to cook a few things before I go. Should be fun as his current repertoire doesn't extend much past grilled cheese. If that goes sideways I'm thinking of La Super Rica or Brophy Bros, depending on how many roommates I have to buy dinner for.
Much luck to your son.
I come from an engineering family so I know its not an easy path!
Enjoy!!
Yowza! The SEC Champion, Florida, is the 2nd team eliminated from the CWS, beaten 3-2 by Texas Tech. SEC and ACC teams are the first sent home from Omaha.
The Big 12 looks strong. OSU's pitching has been impressive...if we call 18 innings with no runs impressive and two 1-0 wins impressive. The winners bracket is huge advantage in Omaha so the TCU/Coastal game is made bigger, in my view, because of the impact on pitching by winning or losing.
In past years, these games and results would light up the HSBBW from early in the morning into late in the evening!
Times change, I guess. 
Maybe higher employment numbers among current posters? I'm watching it, and enjoying it, especially the success of the underdogs. Just juggling a lot of other stuff and don't have a lot to say I guess. Soooo many HRs in the regionals, but only a couple so far in Omaha that I've seen. It'll be interesting to see the final numbers on that and if the new ball has really changed that aspect of the game.
infielddad posted:Yowza! The SEC Champion, Florida, is the 2nd team eliminated from the CWS, beaten 3-2 by Texas Tech. SEC and ACC teams are the first sent home from Omaha.
The Big 12 looks strong. OSU's pitching has been impressive...if we call 18 innings with no runs impressive and two 1-0 wins impressive. The winners bracket is huge advantage in Omaha so the TCU/Coastal game is made bigger, in my view, because of the impact on pitching by winning or losing.
In past years, these games and results would light up the HSBBW from early in the morning into late in the evening!
Times change, I guess.
I think you are right but here is my theory on lack of discussion.
You constantly hear on this site about websters kids wanting to play for power conferences, one big reason is the lure of the next level. Why not, thats where most of the top players come from.
Proof this week is that to get to Omaha these days you dont have to play in the top conferences to win a national championship. Grit, team commaraderie, having fun with the game, staying loose wins. You dont have to be the best team, but you should have a chip on your shoulder.
No excuses, but son went to Omaha as a top seed. Lots of pressure on everyone, players, coaches, ADs, boosters. Its probably more fun to be the underdog. Looking back I get it.
So folks sticking to what I have always said. Go where you will get a great education, play the game at your skill level and not sit the bench. Make a difference, have fun and remember that you dont have to be a first rounder to be the next National Champs!
No love lost for UM, but I was hoping Florida could get it done. I really think the draft process just can suck the life out of any player when you are in the heat of trying to get to Omaha and trying not to be distracted.
With that being said, I am now all in for OSU.
JCG posted:Soooo many HRs in the regionals, but only a couple so far in Omaha that I've seen. It'll be interesting to see the final numbers on that and if the new ball has really changed that aspect of the game.
It has definitely... But this park wasn't built for BBCOR and ONLY when the wind blows out (like last year) will you see a decent amount of long-balls... I have said since they opened this park that they need to bring the fences in 10-15 feet to bring at least the threat of a homer back into the games there... It takes away something from the game when the homer is virtually eliminated for the most part, I feel...
Bolts-Coach-PR posted:JCG posted:Soooo many HRs in the regionals, but only a couple so far in Omaha that I've seen. It'll be interesting to see the final numbers on that and if the new ball has really changed that aspect of the game.
It has definitely... But this park wasn't built for BBCOR and ONLY when the wind blows out (like last year) will you see a decent amount of long-balls... I have said since they opened this park that they need to bring the fences in 10-15 feet to bring at least the threat of a homer back into the games there... It takes away something from the game when the homer is virtually eliminated for the most part, I feel...
Agree, and to go withball the other stuf if you are a power hitting team who relies on the long ball, you are SOL.
The fences could have been just behind the infield in the OSU/UA game last night and there would not have been any HR's. Those starting pitchers were really good with great command on every pitch. The UA pitcher had incredible late movement. OSU's guy had a breaking ball that was lights out.
With that said, and I am happy it did not make the difference in the game, having the 1B umpire give the safe call because he saw the 1B pull his foot off the bag at 1st, and then get overruled, without video, by umpires who were all 90 feet away (at least) was a puzzler.
...Except for Luken Baker #INCREDIBLEHULK
infielddad posted:Yowza! The SEC Champion, Florida, is the 2nd team eliminated from the CWS, beaten 3-2 by Texas Tech. SEC and ACC teams are the first sent home from Omaha.
The Big 12 looks strong. OSU's pitching has been impressive...if we call 18 innings with no runs impressive and two 1-0 wins impressive. The winners bracket is huge advantage in Omaha so the TCU/Coastal game is made bigger, in my view, because of the impact on pitching by winning or losing.
In past years, these games and results would light up the HSBBW from early in the morning into late in the evening!
Times change, I guess.
One of the main reasons I haven't been commenting is I have skin in the game this year and don't want to be accused of homer-ism.
For those of you saying the home teams and the high ranked teams have more pressure, get a shovel. All of the SEC and ACC are out and now the reason is they have more pressure playing at home under "high" expectations? LSU has more pressure on them playing at home in front of 12,000 fans? Florida has more pressure on them with more high draft choices (including 2 #1's) on their pitching staff than any other team? They scored a grand total of three runs in two games. Also, the draft didn't cause any problems for anybody. The draft was completed before the super regionals began.
There is pressure no doubt. The pressure comes when the other team takes it to you and from you and you are powerless to do anything about it.
I guess thats directed at me and i never said there was more pressure at home.
Theres more pressure when the expectations are higher for top ranked teams.
Yes, the draft causes issues. There is discussion of moving it to the week before the CWS.
TPM posted:
Yes, the draft causes issues. There is discussion of moving it to the week before the CWS.
http://www.baseballamerica.com...mlb-draft-omaha-work
Oklahoma State Head Coach Josh Holliday absolutely NAILS the issue of the MLB draft during the NCAA Super Regionals with these comments on this subject... MLB NEEDS to address this issue, ASAP!!!
TPM posted:I guess thats directed at me and i never said there was more pressure at home.
Theres more pressure when the expectations are higher for top ranked teams.
Yes, the draft causes issues. There is discussion of moving it to the week before the CWS.
TPM - with all due respect, when you come on here and appear condescending when your teams are doing well, you can't turn around and make excuses like that. Here's a direct quote from you in the Coastal/LSU thread.
"I think that most of the seeds or regional hosts played too tight. Too much pressure. Sometimes home advantage can work against you."
It bothered me when you made that comment then and I was going to say something (but chose not to) and now you're back in this thread making the same excuses. It's tough being Clemson, NC State, Miami, Florida, LSU, etc.
I am not being condesending or making excuses, I am giving my opinion.
You must have missed my comment on being tough and having a chip on your shoulder to win championships and all the other things involved. And I didnt have a dog in this fight.
Kendal Rogers wrote an article on the ACC and the SEC having some humility. For what? These top RPI teams beat each other and then some more in conference play and still win and have nothing to be humble about. This is baseball, when you are hot, when you are not you're hot.
Love the CWS, and I don't mind losing sleep to watch tremendous baseball and coaching. The Big 12 teams, Coastal Carolina, AZ, and UCSB are really showing me something....they want it more. I wish I could watch these teams on a more regular basis because they are really, really good. Talent can take you to incredible places but you've got to want it. Some of these other teams (Florida, Miami) look like they were waiting for something to happen or for someone to hand it to them. I say that because they are not doing the little things at the plate or on the base paths to move teammates. JMO.
fenwaysouth posted:Love the CWS, and I don't mind losing sleep to watch tremendous baseball and coaching. The Big 12 teams, Coastal Carolina, AZ, and UCSB are really showing me something....they want it more. I wish I could watch these teams on a more regular basis because they are really, really good. Talent can take you to incredible places but you've got to want it. Some of these other teams (Florida, Miami) look like they were waiting for something to happen or for someone to hand it to them. I say that because they are not doing the little things at the plate or on the base paths to move teammates. JMO.
I agree with you, but some have different philosophies. You have lots of power hitters in the lineup, their job is to drive the ball.
Would you ask Ortiz to bunt?
Would you ask Ortiz to bunt?
Yes. If it meant getting up 2-0 in the CWS (thereby saving pitching), I would instruct Gandhi/Buddha/Jesus/Mother Teresa/David Ortiz to bunt! ;-)
fenwaysouth posted:Would you ask Ortiz to bunt?
Yes. If it meant getting up 2-0 in the CWS (thereby saving pitching), I would instruct Gandhi/Buddha/Jesus/Mother Teresa/David Ortiz to bunt! ;-)
Lol. I totally agree with you, my husband was screaming bunt, bunt when FL had basis loaded. I dont think they bunt. I think they rely on ace pitching and power and to me it looked like they wanted to go home.
Do you think Ortiz even knows how to bunt?
Odd year. I fully admit that despite my longstanding West Coast bias I really thought the West was way down this year. Yet somehow they've managed to 'punch through' to Omaha with two really good teams! (AZ and UCSB).
Big 12 looks the strongest at the top at this point as OSU and TCU...and even TTU look like the strongest of the bunch to me. (They will all lose now - just you watch!!).
Has seeding become nothing better than a random number generator at the top-25 or so level? Is there an SEC/ACC bias? Are SEC/ACC teams built the wrong way for double elimination play? For the new Omaha ballpark?
I can make arguments in my head both ways on all of those questions. My naked eye test, having been a Pac12 fan for 20+ years and recently watching a lot of ACC games living in Carolina - my naked eye test says the teams/leagues are about the same. But I do see more power pitching in the Southeast.
I dunno - parity is a great thing. It gives us a new champion most years and it gives underdogs a chance to be there and win. These are good things IMO. I am enjoying this CWS and like fenway, losing a few winks to do so!! 
Personally, I have difficulty with a view that all the ACC and SEC teams succumbed to pressure or were not hot at the end of the season, or any other reasons they did not perform. If we were only talking about one of their teams, those reasons might apply. We are literally talking about nearly every team in each conference failing to perform to their "rankings."
Stated differently, whatever national competition exists in college baseball occurs in February and is done by about March 15. Between March 15 and the end of the season, teams change so much. However, we don't really have any type of competition during those periods to validate the power ratings, etc.
Perhaps what this post season truly shows is the "gap" which the media and rankings seem to suggest "existed" in college baseball between the ACC and SEC and the rest of college baseball really isn't a gap at all.
As this quote attributed to Coach Morris of Miami suggests, maybe there is reason to rethink the perspectives and wake up to how college baseball and parity in the game is changing, "even TCU?"
"There’s so many good teams that I’ve never heard of 15 years ago, one being Santa Barbara,” Morris said. “I wouldn’t have known anything about them. But this is their first time, and I want to congratulate them. It’s a great thing. And them getting here or even TCU, to the point you heard of them, but they weren’t a baseball school. And the coaches have gone in there and done a great job. There’s so many teams out there battling that are on the edge to get to Omaha. It’s really tough.”
Awesome post infielddad. I'm buying all of it especially about the media, rankings and the early non-conf games. I will add my two cents that I think this year is a "warning shot of sorts" to the traditional baseball powerhouses that player and coaching talent is everywhere and they need to figure it out. There is more to a team than putting together lots of top round draft picks. That is where the excellent coaches make their hay.
Somehow these emerging schools got behind their baseball programs and recruited a lot of talent that possibly didn't want to go at the traditional baseball powerhouses. Coastal Carolina and TCU have about 10K students. That's it, 10K undergrad students. Reading between the lines....what I see are coaches/kids possibly wanting to be big fish in little ponds rather than deal with the hassles of big fish in big ponds. A big tip o' the cap to them!
TPM posted:Do you think Ortiz even knows how to bunt?
Bolts-Coach-PR posted:TPM posted:Do you think Ortiz even knows how to bunt?
Alrighty then.
But maybe some of you missed my point thats ok.
And yes, definetly go where you will make an impact and not be the little fish in the big pond.
Coastal has been very good for a long time. This is not the best Coastal team I have seen play. I can think of 2 that imo were more talented and better overall teams. So much of this thing is it just being your time. Or it just not being your time. A critical hit in a critical situation. Executing a pitch when you have to execute or not executing a pitch when you have to.
There is great baseball from coast to coast. Do some programs stand a better chance to be very good more often than others? Of course they do. But the fact is there are really good programs not in the power conferences. When you have the "Big Time" programs signing guys who end up in MILB instead of on campus and the kid who signed with another school because he didn't want to be caught in a log jam at the "Big Time" school then you can see how this happens. Add in the 35 man roster limit where programs can no longer stock pile talent - it gets spread around more.
Have you guys seen Coastal's facilities? Liberty's? They call some of these schools Mid Major's but there is nothing Mid about their programs. I think we will continue to see the talent spread around and parity to continue to grow in college baseball. Personally I think its good for the game.
TPM posted:fenwaysouth posted:Would you ask Ortiz to bunt?
Yes. If it meant getting up 2-0 in the CWS (thereby saving pitching), I would instruct Gandhi/Buddha/Jesus/Mother Teresa/David Ortiz to bunt! ;-)
Lol. I totally agree with you, my husband was screaming bunt, bunt when FL had basis loaded. I dont think they bunt. I think they rely on ace pitching and power and to me it looked like they wanted to go home.
Do you think Ortiz even knows how to bunt?
Ortiz has bunted a handful of times. What he has done successfully is started using more of the field to hit. He's going the more way more. I believe it's the Chili Davis influence. Jackie Bradley and Travis Shaw are lefties who use the whole field. Their stock has jumped considerably in the past two years. Look what using the whole field has done for Bogaerts.
Anyone watch this kid, Trevor Bettencourt (UCSB), dominate AZ for the 2nd half of that game last night?
I've known Trevor and his dad since he was about 9/10 years old. Great dad, nice kid. I have to tell you that at age 10...12...14, I would have never thought he would be pitching in CWS and dominating. Not that he wasn't good, he was! But he did not stand out to me. He was not 'that guy' on his team. Middle of the pack on a middle of the pack all star/regional travel team.
He then went on to play at one of the top HS programs in Northern CA. I thought he might get lost in the shuffle there. Good player, decent, but again didn't stick out to me. Middle of the pack on a very good team. When he committed to Tennessee, I was surprised. Thought of him more as a D2 guy.
Bottom line, I doubt Trevor would have been an eye popper at a showcase at any age. 5-11, 86 mph fastball in HS. In fact, PG shows him as a 2B and 209th ranked player in CA in his class in 2012.
Not sure what happened at Tennessee, but last night for UCSB he sure showed me what a competitor and fine pitcher he is!! 25th round draft pick by the Phillies. I think Trevor has a track record of breaking the 'eye test' and will be a solid player in their system. He's already proven he can exceed perceptions. I'm betting he will do it again.
Thanks for giving that background on Trevor. He was lights out last night.
+1 on Trevor. That CB was working, fun to watch.
justbaseball posted:Anyone watch this kid, Trevor Bettencourt (UCSB), dominate AZ for the 2nd half of that game last night?
I've known Trevor and his dad since he was about 9/10 years old. Great dad, nice kid. I have to tell you that at age 10...12...14, I would have never thought he would be pitching in CWS and dominating.
Great to read what you wrote about Trevor. I've seen that kind of thing over the years, especially as it pertains to the perceptions that people have of pre-teen players. There is a player in the Twins system, Logan Schaefer, who has said in interviews that he has never been the best player on any team he's ever played on, from T-Ball through Little League to JUCO (Cuesto) to Cal Poly up through MiLB. He is currently hitting .304 for the Twins' AAA team. He's had over 500 MLB at-bats in his career with the Brewers.
With the College Game, it is great to see "smaller schools" doing well. In a short series, anything can happen in Baseball, especially in a game where pitching & defense prevail over power hitting.
Coach_May posted:Coastal has been very good for a long time. This is not the best Coastal team I have seen play. I can think of 2 that imo were more talented and better overall teams. So much of this thing is it just being your time. Or it just not being your time. A critical hit in a critical situation. Executing a pitch when you have to execute or not executing a pitch when you have to.
There is great baseball from coast to coast. Do some programs stand a better chance to be very good more often than others? Of course they do. But the fact is there are really good programs not in the power conferences. When you have the "Big Time" programs signing guys who end up in MILB instead of on campus and the kid who signed with another school because he didn't want to be caught in a log jam at the "Big Time" school then you can see how this happens. Add in the 35 man roster limit where programs can no longer stock pile talent - it gets spread around more.
Have you guys seen Coastal's facilities? Liberty's? They call some of these schools Mid Major's but there is nothing Mid about their programs. I think we will continue to see the talent spread around and parity to continue to grow in college baseball. Personally I think its good for the game.
Perfect example is Virginia last year. That may have been their worst team in the last 12 years and they go and win the title. Vandy's team that won it wasn't nearly as good as the team that lost in the Super the year before. There are a lot of good players and good teams out there. It just takes one guy on the mound.
Have to mention, love watching all the short kids on these rosters
Coach_May posted:
Do some programs stand a better chance to be very good more often than others?
I expect to use this nicely phrased sentence to avoid many arguments about which conferences or programs are great or awful based on who won or lost a particular regional, super, or CWS. Thanks, coach.
Like the interview posted. He sure seems like a great coach. Josh Holiday
Would of loved my son to play for a coach with his philosophy and mentality.
Loves his players and compliments them.
Would of loved my son to play for someone like him. Thank God that was rectified since son left.
I love the parity and seeing some different teams these last few years.
"we treat our kids like a million bucks every day" wow
Great Interview
fanofgame posted:Like the interview posted. He sure seems like a great coach. Josh Holiday
Would of loved my son to play for a coach with his philosophy and mentality.
Loves his players and compliments them.
Would of loved my son to play for someone like him. Thank God that was rectified since son left.
I love the parity and seeing some different teams these last few years.
"we treat our kids like a million bucks every day" wow
Great Interview
Yup... Even a better guy in person... It was the easiest non-decision, decision we ever had to make...
I'm glad you watched the entire press conference, but the link I provided was supposed to start at the 26min 47sec mark, where he was reacting to the MLB Draft date problems... For some reason the YouTube link is defaulting back to the start of the press conference...
Here's the link again (maybe it will work in this form):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...outu.be&t=26m47s
Here's a nice article on Coastal from a national perspective:
http://espn.go.com/college-spo...college-world-series
Here's another one about the character of Coach Gilmore and how hard he worked to build the program:
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.c...article84641987.html
I am guessing many who are not familiar, figure this is a one year wonder for Coastal. That couldn't be further from the truth. I would ask any potential recruits or families who have thought about or been contacted by Coastal to give them serious consideration. Their facilities, southern beach location, and coaching are as good as it gets - if not better. They are also moving into a more competitive conference next year which will only help them in the future. Thanks for the shout-outs from Coach May and others who have said nice things about them in this thread.
Bolts-Coach-PR posted:fanofgame posted:Like the interview posted. He sure seems like a great coach. Josh Holiday
Would of loved my son to play for a coach with his philosophy and mentality.
Loves his players and compliments them.
Would of loved my son to play for someone like him. Thank God that was rectified since son left.
I love the parity and seeing some different teams these last few years.
"we treat our kids like a million bucks every day" wow
Great Interview
Yup... Even a better guy in person... It was the easiest non-decision, decision we ever had to make...
Do you or will you have a player at OSU. Josh Holiday is awesome.