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I'm gonna go there and hopefully not be blasted this year.  I watched a D1, not great team, play yesterday who only threw 1 pitcher over 90.  The starter RHP topped at 84 but had great location and offspeed, LHP topped 81, RHP 91-94 with little control, LHP topped 71, RHP topped 81.  It is possible to play at a D1 without having the great velo if you are willing to play at a lower level D1 who might be rebuilding or struggling.  We make it seem at times like you have to throw 90 to be able to pitch at D1, especially RHP's.  That may be true for the top teams and P5 teams but not the case in lower level D1's.  Hope this encourages some parent or player out there who has the dream of D1.

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This should get interesting. I would expect that the conversation will devolve into the same old discussion of: if you aren't throwing 90+ by your senior year of high school, you might as well play another sport. I have literally seen that comment before. It aligns with the same argument that if you aren't 6' there is no place for you in this game. That is another discussion taking place on this same forum. Don't get me wrong, I get it. Here's the thing, there are thousands of kids playing this game and they all have a chance to play at the higher levels if their work ethic and ability can get them there. Do you need velocity, absolutely. Is it required that velocity needs to be 90+ as a senior in high school, absolutely not. It's nice to have that ability and it will get you additional attention, but you can still play at many D1 level schools sub-90. I personally know pitchers that played at D1 schools that never touched 90. I know pitchers that are currently pitching at D2 that have never broke 85. With that said, control and command of multiple pitches is required of those who can't bring 90+ to the bump at the D1 level. 

And around and around we go...... so I'll try to keep this brief and off blast mode

From personal experience:

I have never seen a RHP with a low to mid 80's FB be actively recruited by a D1 college program. I'm sure there was this one exception to the rule, as with life, but they are extremely few and far between and my best guess is almost exclusively a lefthanded specialist. Now if the school is at rock bottom, and is having trouble getting kids to come and play, then you gotta take what you can get. I can understand that point of view. However, I'm not sure why someone would want to play for that team. Especially when there are better options/fits at the D2-D3-NAIA-Juco levels. Is it just to say that I played D1 college baseball??? You got to get over yourself if that's the reason. 

I guess it is that time of year for this topic to come up.   I'll agree that velocity isn't everything in D1, but it really, really, really helps to get recruited having 90mph velo, control, and a variety of pitches to set yourself up for having college selection leverage.  Also, it really, really, really helps when you have 90mph and two plus secondary pitches when you take the mound in college.   The velocity is there to show you have it when needed, and create a greater marginal of error.

Yes, there are outliers everywhere if you look hard enough.  The founder,Chairman and CEO of my employer never went to college...he's a bazzilionaire genius.  There are always exceptions to any rule.  Ten years ago, my oldest son was consistently hitting over 90mph prior to his senior year in high school playing on a national level travel team.  Nobody was beating down his door initially when we talked to the RCs.   90mph RHPs were a dime a dozen.  It was still incumbent on us to find programs that were a good fit.

Once my son started playing college baseball there was quite a few in conference starters touching 90mph with 3 pitches and some relief pitchers touching mid-90s with 2 pitches.   These were your top pitchers with a high success rate that the Coach didn't want to take out of the game.

Just my experience....

Last edited by fenwaysouth

I think people mistake in game Velo for recruited Velo.  However, yes, there are exceptions.

A pitcher is going to be much more likely to be recruited to a D1 if he throws 90+.  Lots of pitchers who can throw 90-91 cannot control that velocity or sustain it for very long, which is why you will see D1 pitchers throwing 85 in game.

Also, there are 300 D1 programs.  The random Wisconsin-Milwaukee vs North Dakota State game is much closer in terms of Baseball quality to a matchup between the Top Two D3 teams than it is even remotely close to the level of Vandy vs LSU.

So yes, there are exceptions.  If you top out at 85 in a Showcase setting though, you are a longshot from being recruited D1.  That may change in the coming years when it becomes easier to get data on every recruit’s spin rate.

I'm not saying these were highly recruited guys but we have the conversation on here all the time that you have to be such and such to play D1.  I have realized watching mid-week games that that is not the case.  You can be a smaller player or not have the velo and still play D1.  I doubt any of these guys were recruited by anyone including the team they play for but they are playing.  They were on the same field as P5 guys last night even though they got beat badly.  I'm just reminding parents that if their son's dream is to play D1 there are schools out there that will take them.  They may never compete for a championship and may not even play on the weekend but they can play.

Everybody has their dream and many others will not understand the dream.  My son had the dream of competing in SEC.  He could have gone mid-major and been a starter and the man but he wanted to compete with and against the best.   He also desires to be a college HC some day so he believes he will learn more and get more opportunities to experience more on and off the field.  Some would disagree with his choice and do not understand it.  He has been blessed in his first two years to be a part of the SAC program and VolLeaders which is a leadership program for athletes at UT.  Has been blessed to meet and dialog with some great athletes and businessmen/women.  Some smart kids go to Ivy schools and some go to the local school.  All according to your dream and goal in life.  I just want to remind parents that dreams are possible.

@PitchingFan posted:

I'm gonna go there and hopefully not be blasted this year.  I watched a D1, not great team, play yesterday who only threw 1 pitcher over 90.  The starter RHP topped at 84 but had great location and offspeed, LHP topped 81, RHP 91-94 with little control, LHP topped 71, RHP topped 81.  It is possible to play at a D1 without having the great velo if you are willing to play at a lower level D1 who might be rebuilding or struggling.  We make it seem at times like you have to throw 90 to be able to pitch at D1, especially RHP's.  That may be true for the top teams and P5 teams but not the case in lower level D1's.  Hope this encourages some parent or player out there who has the dream of D1.

I do appreciate the message, but these guys gave up 21 runs.  I'm not sure that's living the dream.

@PitchingFan posted:

I'm not saying these were highly recruited guys but we have the conversation on here all the time that you have to be such and such to play D1.  I have realized watching mid-week games that that is not the case.  You can be a smaller player or not have the velo and still play D1.  I doubt any of these guys were recruited by anyone including the team they play for but they are playing.  They were on the same field as P5 guys last night even though they got beat badly.  I'm just reminding parents that if their son's dream is to play D1 there are schools out there that will take them.  They may never compete for a championship and may not even play on the weekend but they can play.

Everybody has their dream and many others will not understand the dream.  My son had the dream of competing in SEC.  He could have gone mid-major and been a starter and the man but he wanted to compete with and against the best.   He also desires to be a college HC some day so he believes he will learn more and get more opportunities to experience more on and off the field.  Some would disagree with his choice and do not understand it.  He has been blessed in his first two years to be a part of the SAC program and VolLeaders which is a leadership program for athletes at UT.  Has been blessed to meet and dialog with some great athletes and businessmen/women.  Some smart kids go to Ivy schools and some go to the local school.  All according to your dream and goal in life.  I just want to remind parents that dreams are possible.

I'm going to try to sum up the idea of this post as it comes up quite frequently:

If you are a RHP that throws in the low to mid 80's your dream of being a  D1 pitcher is on life support, but technically still considered alive. However, you have to be a week-day starter for a really bad D1 college team, and then be OK with getting your teeth kicked every time you take the mound. Now you won't be highly recruited, so you basically made this team because you are the best they can get. This isn't a good thing. To top all this off, it would seem to me the only reason you have this dream/nightmare is because you value D1 baseball above all other divisions. As if there isn't better options out there. There are great D2-D3-NAIA-Juco programs with proven track records of success. Finding the right fit both academically and athletically is where true balance exist. To those parents reading this, please stop believing that it's D1 or bust.

Sure, but the OP was  talking about an Ohio Valley Conference team that got boat-raced by an SEC team.  That's going to happen, and it's no fun for anybody. But maybe they do great in conference, and it maybe it's a better slot, educationally and otherwise, than JuCo, or D2, or whatever, for a particular kid.

At least it's not a football game and they are literally getting beaten up.

Last edited by JCG

I believe people often confuse max and cruise velocity in these conversations. They also confuse there are various levels of D1. There are various levels of D3. I remember stopping on bikes to watch a D3 game with my son. He begged to leave. He stated (probably accurately), “These teams couldn’t beat my high school team” (3 D1 recruits, a D2 and 8 D3).

Back to D1 ... Maxing 90 in a top 100 opens the door. It means when adjustments are made a kid can lIkely cruise 87/88 with some semblance of command. I wouldn’t use opening weekend as a marker for velocity. Pitchers aren’t in mid season form.

I remember a few years ago Cal State Fullerton had a couple of studs who cruised 84/85. They took CSF to the CWS. They could spot a pitch in a dime. I believe both were drafted.

But if a pitcher doesn’t cruise 90 in the minors the only way he moves up is being perfect. One stumble and it’s release time. Mistakes thrown in the upper 80’s end up in the bleacher seats. Mistakes thrown mid 90’s are often fouled off with the hitter’s facial expression, “Damn I missed my pitch!”

If you’ve ever seen Louisville play you know what a constant parade of mid 90’s out of the bullpen looks like.

Last edited by RJM

A few years ago I was watching the NESCAC tournament at Tufts. The Middlebury pitcher was 6’4” 215. It was so freaky to watch a kid this size only throwing low 80’s. But he had great command.

When my son was in high school if you looked at the team one kid in a uniform looked more like a ball player than all the rest. He was 6’4” 215. Twelve players from the junior year roster played college ball at some level. He wasn’t one of them. He kept getting chances. In two years of high school he never finished an inning. My son told me one time the coach commented, “He can’t keep sending him out to the mound to get his **** ripped off.”

From 8th grade on I gave the dad instructions (per his request) on how to increase velocity. The kid wouldn’t do the work. I told the dad in this league (large classification has) a kid throwing 80 has to have pinpoint command and a great breaking pitch. This was our third starter twice through the lineup. He was reliable for 4+ innings. The kid went on to D3 ball.

Last edited by RJM

PF, I'm assuming that this D1 team is the one your son's team played. A couple things to note:
- on PG, this team shows about 4 commits per year, most with no FB velos posted. It's perfectly possible for a high school recruit to go look at PG's list of commitments and see which schools are committing players hitting 90, and which are not
- on this team's roster, 19 players previously played in college elsewhere, mostly juco.  So, they may have had juco experience that trumped velo; which goes to support the argument for going to a juco if your velo is not where you want it.

That said, given they are a regional state university, they have players from all over the country, which is mildly unusual.

As was said by some above, there is a big difference between in game velo early in the season vs. max velo. Once you get 90+mph in a Showcase or recorded game then that is there for life, even if you normally cruise at 83-4. Funny thing is that I have seen radar gun misreads at PG and PBR Tournaments, and seen the results posted for all to see. I once had my son at 100 MPH on my Pocket Radar  at a time when he was sitting 74-5.

    Velo is a mysterious thing. Some kids are very stable, and pitch within a small range. Others can have big jumps. My HS jr. has a buddy who just touched 90 in a workout that they were both at. He usually maxes at 83-4, and has only hit 90 on pull downs a couple of times. I have no doubt that i will see him at a game this spring and he will have a FB or two at 79-80.

    Another kid, now in college, threw 86-87 like clockwork during games in HS, and maxed out at 88. It took him two more years before he hit 90, which he then blew by, and is now hitting 95.

Last edited by 57special
@JCG posted:

Sure, but the OP was  talking about an Ohio Valley Conference team that got boat-raced by an SEC team.  That's going to happen, and it's no fun for anybody. But maybe they do great in conference, and it maybe it's a better slot, educationally and otherwise, than JuCo, or D2, or whatever, for a particular kid.

At least it's not a football game and they are literally getting beaten up.

I think the one that I saw was from the bottom of the SWAC, but that isn’t really the point. It’s the false arrogance of having to go D1 in order to have some kind of amazing college experience? Just rubs me the wrong way as it steers a lot of kids astray.

I think there is a place for all who have decent talent and want to play.  I don't think playing D1 is end all for everyone.  I think all levels are options but you have to go where you are loved and want to play.  What works for my son doesn't work for others.  When you look at players not everyone needs to go D1, you have to do what is best.  I'm not trying to start a fight I just hear on here all the time that you have to be a certain size and a certain speed to play at a certain level but that is general not exact science.  I know 90 opens doors and mine was one of those that you had to watch several times to see the upside because he is not big and not consistently 90 but has been fairly successful.

Someone please explain to me what the benefit of an SEC team playing a lower level D1 is, this time of year? Who does it benefit?  The guys that got the crap beat out of them or the guys who now have decent stats?

P5 programs should be playing other P5 programs, not just the weaker conference teams.

Seriously, you DON'T have to play in D1 to have a great college baseball experience.

Try not to worry about anyone but your son.

JMO

Last edited by TPM

I can answer the why for you.  UT coach is friends with the HC at the school and allowed him to get his kids the experience of playing at a P5 school.  Clemson plays College of Charleston, Georgia Southern, East Tennessee State, Georgia State, and USC Upstate.  Vanderbilt plays Illinois-Chicago, Georgia State, Wright State, Western Kentucky, and local small D1's.  All of them do it because it is tough to get P5 teams to play SEC/ACC schools.  Many times it is relationships between the SEC/ACC schools and the other coaches to allow them to play at SEC/ACC schools.  Some times they go on the road to smaller schools to get them a big gate (not counting this year).  Many teams would love to play SEC schools and get the experience of being in that atmosphere even if they get beat, (I don't understand the mentality but I know it is true.)  It is like the players who say they would rather sit on a great team rather than play on a mediocre team.  Have a friend who begs for his son to sit varsity rather than play JV.  Only saw field 2 at bats entire season but he was on varsity.

Throwing less than 88 as a HS RHP makes it tough to get a D1's attention but it is safe to say pitchers can succeed at less than 88.  Thomas Eshelman throws a fastball at 86 and had an amazing career at Cal State Fullerton.  I think his success is shown by the 321 Ks vs 18 BB's.   It hasn't translated as well in MLB but lots of guys with overwhelming fastballs have far less success.  If you can locate pitches and not fill the bases with BB's and HBPs then a pitcher can have a very good D1 career.  Some pitchers have deception that adds to the equation which leads to success.  There are a lot of pitchers that throw 90 plus and get hammered by all levels of competition.  If you throw 86 and get great results in travel and high school games against solid competition then you may get noticed.  Be realistic and look for mid majors that look for pitchers.  The P5 schools look for velo and if you can't pitch they will put you back on the market. 

The team we played last night has 12 games scheduled with P5s, including LSU and Texas Tech.  They also played University of Houston in a 3 game set.  I don't know the mentality on their end, but I know that a lot of schools we normally play on Tuesdays aren't playing mid week games, so they were a team we played.  I do think that would be very disheartening, to continually play games that you are such a big underdog in.

I am watching Arkansas State play Ole Miss right now. It’s 5 to 1 in the top of the 5th.  The kids on Ark State look like they are enjoying the experience.  Their 1 run was a solo bomb to dead center, the kid who hit it will tell his grandkids about hitting a bomb against the #1 team in the country.  The kid who just hit a double is grinning from ear to ear and the dugout is cheering him loudly.  I would say they are very happy to be there, regardless of their chance to win.

OK I bit. Stop the insanity....

1. If you are a player who wants to compete at the D1 level stay laser focused on velocity, if  you don't you will never end up being one of the "outliers" mentioned above.
2. Program fit is so much more important than "D1".  Focus on that. (read the threads here on that subject)

3. Go where you can compete, get on the field, have a great college experience, and get a great degree. STOP the "D1" insanity.

4. Winning is so much more fun than being a "D1" loser*.

* This was 5 years ago so velos are even greater now. But my son's national championship D3 program went up to play OU in the fall. We had 6 pitchers throwing in the 90's. TU was mostly 89-94. OU was mostly 94-98. TU lost to OU 5 - 7 and was in the game the whole time. That TU team went to 4 regionals, 2 CWS trips - one CWS W, 3 conference championships. When the team walked on the field they "expected" to win. Why would you exchange that for playing for a D1 scrub team that loses 70% of their games and never plays in the post season**.

**post season games = 10X fun of regular season.

via GIPHY

IMO people post comments for a number of reasons but 3 stand out to me:                  1) The believe the information is useful and may help another poster.                       2) They want their own opinions validated by responses from other posters.                   3) They want to stir the pot and see what comes to the top.                                             To me, this topic falls into categories 2 & 3

Watch 20 D1 games and see what the the Velos are for pitchers.  It is wide spectrum even in the P5 conferences.  P5 schools obviously have more players throwing 90 or better.  Mid Majors have a few guys throwing 90 + then 2/3s that throw 84-88 most of the time.  If they can pitch they can compete at this velo.  Then there are the guys who throw 93 and the ball is straight with no deception and they get crushed game after game.  But in a showcase they look really good.

Coastal Carolina won the CWS with how many guys throwing 90+?  Certainly not the guy who was their go to pitcher throwing a mix of overhand and sidearm in the mid 80s.

Pitchers have success at all levels, guys who can just throw hard generally fail at all levels. 

Granted any player throwing 97 is going to get drafted or signed.

mid 80's are plenty, I guess that is why all the top pitching staffs of the top programs recruit so many guys who don't light up at 90 and more likely 90 plus as recruiting number...wait what? Sorry I got confused - velo isn't everything it is only the most important thing, the 2nd most important thing and it shows up again about 5th or 6th if you mix in a few negatives at 3, 4 and 5.

Last edited by old_school

Here's a stupid question( but since nobody knows my name , i'm brave enough to ask it)- When talking about the number of different types of pitches , that a pitcher, has in his arsenal-Does a 4 Seam and 2 Seam count as two different pitches, since they move a bit differently ? Or are they both just considered a Fastball?

Thx, for your knowledge

( Oh shoot, my name is at the top! Darn it ! )

I agree this discussion happens every single year. I’ve read through most of the posts. One thing I don’t see mentioned is “expectations”.  What I mean is what are the end goal for your son?  I highly doubt every kid that plays college baseball “expects” to be drafted. I think that is why you see a lot of “plan B” recommendations.  I can assure you Dylan Crews (freshman LSU) has no “plan B”. The kid was projected as top 10 overall draft talent out of HS that took his name out of the draft the day before it started as he wanted to go to LSU. If my son were one that had none / little chance to play beyond college, but was good enough to make the team at a P5, I truly believe I would have been totally fine with him going to LSU for the “experience” as long as he was focused on his education. We both felt he had the talent to play professional baseball based on what others had said and the fact that he was getting serious professional attention in HS. So I really can’t fault a kid for picking a school that is “over his head” if he goes in eyes wide open. The overall experience you get at a P5 can’t be replicated at a small D1 or D2/D3 and juco. I realize that sounds sort of “snobby”, but I do not mean it that way. I think most posters here realize what I’m trying to get across. If you top out below 90 from either side! Just don’t expect to get many innings at a P5 or get drafted. If you wanna play, go where you are loved. If you wanna experience, go wherever you can get on. Just my opinions and observations. Take it for what little it’s worth.

Here's a stupid question( but since nobody knows my name , i'm brave enough to ask it)- When talking about the number of different types of pitches , that a pitcher, has in his arsenal-Does a 4 Seam and 2 Seam count as two different pitches, since they move a bit differently ? Or are they both just considered a Fastball?

Thx, for your knowledge

( Oh shoot, my name is at the top! Darn it ! )

Both are considered FB's, but they are different pitches. 4 seamers "ride" while 2 seamers "run". Also if thrown hard enough some guys can get their 2 seamers to "sink". However all the guys that I know of pick one or the other to try and master. Also, they usually are fundamentally good at one or the other. Depends on arm angle and a lot of other very technical pitching mechanics that I admittedly don't know enough about to comment any further.

Here's a stupid question( but since nobody knows my name , i'm brave enough to ask it)- When talking about the number of different types of pitches , that a pitcher, has in his arsenal-Does a 4 Seam and 2 Seam count as two different pitches, since they move a bit differently ? Or are they both just considered a Fastball?

Thx, for your knowledge

( Oh shoot, my name is at the top! Darn it ! )

Not sure if you are kidding but they are 2 different pitches, IMO. 2 seam fastball has more movement whereas the 4 seam moves in a straight path to plate.

My sons 2 seam FB was actually a sinker, his money pitch.

I get into my feels a bit when i see this topic come up. Great responses so far and many had me chuckling too. I guess it matters how well a kid can pitch, locate and maintain his composure on the mound in order to compete and be successful in lieu of velocity. I've seen the gambit, mostly as son played for Clemson and they played ( as mentioned) various levels of competition. Oftentimes early, it was northern teams looking to get games in and the weather in Clemson was balmy compared to their home field. I became a fan of pitchers much more in college than i was in HS or travel ball with my son. I'm not sure you have to have 90+ velo or bust these days but it seems the elite programs look for it and frankly, these days it feels like 95+. Son was successful in a competitive larger district in Cobb county and a 2 pitch guy in HS. He didn't really have to "pitch" a lot and it showed in our state playoffs at times. Those 2 pitches got him a seat at the P5 level, a successful fall striking out almost everybody and he was given the chance and started several games as a freshman. He did well until the P5 conference games started, then the lack of the 3rd pitch stung a bit and sent him packing to a certain degree. Honestly, he pitched with a broken scaphoid in his pitching hand his freshman season (no excuses)  and after surgery, that following summer was told he'd have to compete for a spot. Several of the guys, go to starters....lefty or righty, had 3 pitches and mostly 4. You have to have something if you're not 90-95 to get that lineup out the third time around and beyond. I look back and wish he would have worked on his CU or cutter or slider back then but he didn't and he ended up a backend guy. It worked out and i guess i thankful for his opportunity, no....i am very thankful for his opportunity. He made the best of it and learned how to pitch along the way. We joke about starting and starters ( like what it would have been like to start at Clemson) and reflect when he's home and ponder the "what ifs" and usually end up laughing a bit at his inexperience back then and realizing things worked out for him and he is where he is supposed to be. In closing, I've seen local boys playing for their dream college be solid pitchers to leading the conference at times, to the "elite" heavily recruited pitchers who passed on the draft in HS to play and they never really measured up....whether or not they were given a chance, took the reigns, failed at college life discipline or couldn't handle the pressure... (lower velo) guys that showed up and performed in the spot got many more chances. Learn how to pitch, be a student of the game and outhustle your teammates and you will get a shot.

Signed,

Dad of a 5'10", RHP... commonly referred to as a "hard thrower" rather than a pitcher.

Last edited by Shoveit4Ks

My son was getting recruited by a few D1 programs last in high school, when he was sitting high 80s. A P5 program got serious when he crossed the 90 threshold his junior season. He's now entering his third season (fourth if you count last year) and I hear a lot from him about pitch design and a little less about velocity, although it continues to be something he works on.

@TPM posted:

Someone please explain to me what the benefit of an SEC team playing a lower level D1 is, this time of year? Who does it benefit?  The guys that got the crap beat out of them or the guys who now have decent stats?

P5 programs should be playing other P5 programs, not just the weaker conference teams.

Seriously, you DON'T have to play in D1 to have a great college baseball experience.

Try not to worry about anyone but your son.

JMO

My son got to start at Teas A & M in front of 7,000+ under the lights on a Saturday night.  He threw great for 5 innings....but the pressure of that kind of crowd made our defense look like a bunch of Little Leaguers lol.  He got the L and they ended up being outscored something like 60-6 in 3 games, but he'll never forget that night

@PitchingFan posted:

Last night is the perfect example why these smaller D1s play sec and other P5s. Western Illinois beat Louisville, UCF beat Ole Miss, Georgia State beat Vandy, and Tulane beat Mississippi State.  They play for nights like last night.   Several others barely lost.  

Mid D1 college coaches such as the ones named schedule games based upon where they might fall in RPI.

Last year FAU played 4 top RPI teams in this order 2 games FSU, 1 Texas Tech, 1UF, 1 UM, which was the only win, ouch.  Coach doesn't schedule for any other reason than RPI.

Too bad season ended early, FAU ended up with 30 RPI because of those games.

UCF scheduling with Ole Miss was brilliant.

@PitchingFan posted:

Last night is the perfect example why these smaller D1s play sec and other P5s. Western Illinois beat Louisville, UCF beat Ole Miss, Georgia State beat Vandy, and Tulane beat Mississippi State.  They play for nights like last night.   Several others barely lost.  

I think you have it backwards.  In our area, P5s schedule D1 mid-majors and smaller D1s so they don't have to travel, and it gives the coaches an opportunity to evaluate underclassmen, competition for starting positions, solidify hitting lineups, and pitching roles and rotations before their regular P5 conference games starts.   For the D1-mid majors, this is probably the biggest game they will play all year.   Some teams sink and some swim on these big moments.   Like Buckeye2015, my son's first college appearance was against #1 ranked UVA back in 2011.   This was the only time he was every noticeably nervous on a college mound.  As the saying goes, sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield. 

I'm not terribly surprised with these results from the other night as the season is ramping up.  Upsets happen early every year. 

As always, JMO.

Mid majors having P5’s on the schedule is a recruiting tool. If a kid isn’t a genuine P5 prospect he can be recruited on, come here, we play them, you will have times where you play in the excitement of that environment.

When it’s a weekend series you can get an upset on a Friday night. The mid major’s Friday night starter might be an underrated pro prospect on his game that night.

Years ago a friend’s team drew Eastern Michigan in the first game of the CWS. They figured they drew a break. The reality was they drew a first round pick in the draft the following week. He held them to two runs and beat them.

Bucknell once beat FSU in the first game of the CWS 7-0 with a stud pitcher. A couple of games later FSU beat Bucknell 24-0.

@fenwaysouth posted:

I think you have it backwards.  In our area, P5s schedule D1 mid-majors and smaller D1s so they don't have to travel, and it gives the coaches an opportunity to evaluate underclassmen, competition for starting positions, solidify hitting lineups, and pitching roles and rotations before their regular P5 conference games starts.   

I agree 100%.

Saw this at D1baseball.com today (March 3) and reminded me of this thread:

Baseball is not a cookie cutter sport. And that is one of my favorite things about our game. This week, I saw dominance that reflected nearly opposite strengths and styles. It is a joy to watch players become the best version of themselves.

In this week’s Roons Report, I take an in-depth look at impressive players from Arizona, Grand Canyon, Oregon State and Southeastern Analysis.

Check it out:

Pierson Ohl, RHP, Grand Canyon

Ohl dominated Oregon State on Friday night and he did it with an 88 mph fastball. His pitch sequencing was off the charts good and he was 2-3 pitches ahead of the Beaver hitters all night long. Ohl finished with an astonishing six strikeouts looking. Here is the remarkable part: the first three were on curveball and next three were on fastball. Ohl’s elite strike-throwing comps to former Fullerton star Thomas Eshelman. This outing was a clinic on pitchability.

I don't think he threw hard in college.  He just had incredible control or at least the ability to throw strikes.  18 walks in 376 innings would be hard to accomplish even with Eric Gregg doing his "wide" strike zone.  His dominance would lead me to think he had a good mix and command of the pitchers.  With the Orioles I don't remember him throwing more than 86.   Greinke now works mostly at 88 but can still put a 92 in when he wants but he just pitches and pitches.

A comparable would have been George Kirby at Elon walking 6 in 88 innings his Junior year, but he would still throw 92 in the seventh inning.  I here he is now 97 in the camps last year.  They rarely have the big inning due to walks.  Then there is Bartolo Colon throwing nothing but fastballs at 90 and having good success hitting corners at age 43 or whatever it may have actually been.

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