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@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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