College Baseball 2014 Season

[OleMissCub]

Congrats on making it to the Champ round, toonster.

 

Regardless of who wins TCU or Ole Miss, they'll have to face Kirby Saturday. Game over.

[Guest]

Wow, he's Vandy's best offensive player (and a guy I'd love to see the Cubs take in day two next year):

 

@ChrisHarrisWSMV: Wow. Vandy's Xavier Turner has been declared ineligible for the remainder of the College World Series for violation of NCAA rules.

[shnsajax]

I like that Texas has their ace going tonight but only giving up 1 run the past 3 games has me worried they are due for an off day. Just win tonight.

[OleMissCub]

Mike Papi is a very talented baseball player. How I really hate him.

[toonsterwu]

Virginia really is in the driver's seat now. Kirby's rested for Game 1, Howard was only used for 1 inning. Lewicki is the only arm that's been used a bit hard, but he should be fine for at least Game 2 pen usage, if not Game 1, and the rest of the pen is rested. There really won't be a better situation for Virginia (and I guess, for the ACC in general) than the way it sets up now, with Vandy having to use Fulmer today.

[OleMissCub]

Congrats on winning the Nat Champ. Y'all will win against whoever comes out of the other bracket in two games. Our bracket was easily the hardest.

 

UVA has now ended Ole Miss' season 3 of the last 5 years. Sick of seeing y'all.

[hawkeyecub]

That Vandy/Texas game was sloppy without a lot of execution. Vandy failed a squeeze attempt with 1 out, 2 strikes and runners at 2nd and 3rd. Turned into an inning ending double play. There were a few great plays but overall it was probably the worst defensive game I've seen in Omaha.

 

Also the downgrade from Kyle Peterson to Aaron Boone is massive.

[Guest]

Aaron Boone is horrible but at least Mike "What's Up With Britney?" Patrick no longer is doing the College World Series. I feel like there were times Boone didn't even know relatively common baseball rules.

 

As I said in the 2015 Draft thread, the amount of high level talent in the final between Virginia and Vanderbilt is incredible, though I guess that shouldn't be a surprise since they're the two best recruiting teams in college baseball.

[hawkeyecub]

Yeah Patrick was brutal. I also think Ravech has improved a lot. He and Peterson have a pretty good rapport and can have good discussion on overall topics while not straying from the game.

[Guest]

Congrats on winning the Nat Champ. Y'all will win against whoever comes out of the other bracket in two games. Our bracket was easily the hardest.

 

UVA has now ended Ole Miss' season 3 of the last 5 years. Sick of seeing y'all.

 

Anything can happen in a best-of-3 and Vanderbilt is actually equally talented. Vandy will have Beede and Buehler set up to face Virginia's Kirby and Waddell.

 

Of course ish happens even if you have your rotation set - UCLA had Gerrit Cole, Rob Rasmussen and, if necessary, Trevor Bauer set up against South Carolina and got swept in 2010. And I still have Vietnam-like flashbacks to people saying something along the lines of "we have Z, Prior and Wood for the next three games, we're definitely going to the World Series."

[hawkeyecub]

And I still have Vietnam-like flashbacks to people saying something along the lines of "we have Z, Prior and Wood for the next three games, we're definitely going to the World Series."

 

I was saying that to everyone that listened. After winning game 4, I acted like it was a done deal. And one of the complete [expletive] idiots who was fine with Z losing in Miami because then we could celebrate at Wrigley and I had the option of going to Chicago to be there.

[OleMissCub]

Baseball....

 

Kirby one hits the Rebels, the top offense in the SEC, and today throws up a turd against Vandy.

[Guest]

Baseball....

 

Kirby one hits the Rebels, the top offense in the SEC, and today throws up a turd against Vandy.

 

To be fair, he only gave up 3 hits. Heh.

 

Don't know how he could look so dominant the first two innings (and never have walked more than 3 guys in any start this season) and then so completely lose the strike zone in the third inning.

[Guest]

Sorry, Indiana fans:

 

@jeffmetcalfe: #ASU is hiring Indiana's Tracy Smith as its next baseball coach

[OleMissCub]

Sorry, Indiana fans:

 

@jeffmetcalfe: #ASU is hiring Indiana's Tracy Smith as its next baseball coach

 

Figured that was coming.

[toonsterwu]

I'll be the first to say that was a dumb, dumb play by Mike Papi. Running into Campbell like that was unnecessary. I don't think it was malicious, but it's the 9th, you look like you are going to win and force Game 3 ... why take a risk of getting hurt? Just foolish.

 

That said, great win for UVA. I got really worried after yesterday (reminded me of Kirby last year, the Kirby that didn't have the sharp command of this year). I think a big thing for Game 1 was that they got away with only using Whit Mayberry and Austin Young (and almost came back to win). Waddell going the distance means they probably go with Lewicki over Sborz (Lewicki with better command), keeping Sborz/Howard in relief.

 

The offense seems to be coming alive after the year-long malaise, but if they get good Carson Fulmer tomorrow, it's going to be tough. Stone should be ready to go as well. Fulmer's on short rest after throwing what, 90? Still ... youngsters and their ability to rebound in the short term often overshadows the "numbers" game. I admit to being a touch mystified at Corbin not pulling Beede for Papi/McCarthy/Fisher ... only to bring in the lefty to face Laprise and then go to Ferguson and the other guy whose name is slipping me (I understand wanting to save the pen for Game 3).

 

Total Side note: There's a part of me that thinks Cogswell has a shot to make it. Of course, that's not fair, as I tend to be harsh on guys that are heavily dependent on contact, as he definitely doesn't have the offensive potential of Taylor or Bruno before him. Watching him handle the bat, though ... just wonder.

 

Should be a fun one tomorrow.

[hawkeyecub]

Aside from that crazy 3rd inning of game 1, Vanderbilt has 2 runs on 8 hits in 17 innings.

[toonsterwu]

That one hurts. I don't even think Howard made a bad pitch on that play.

 

Virginia had chances, but at the end of the day, Vandy made the pitches today, and they made the pitches to hold on Game 1. Hats off to them, and they should be in line for a good few years run, as I think most of their key guys are freshmen/sophomores.

 

If Fulmer pitches the way he did today as a starter next year, he's easily my favorite for 1-1. That's a power arm with electric stuff. A nasty change-up, a good breaking ball. Of course, I wasn't impressed in the Texas game, so we'll see if he can hold it.

 

Thought UVA gave Fulmer a break by chasing some bad pitches (and while I'm not complaining, I thought Fulmer got a ton, a ton, a crapton of borderline calls). Gut instinct - I wonder if Fisher is a bust. For all his running speed/bat speed/power combination, I just don't get a great feel for him at the plate.

 

I thought UVA made a mistake to go with Sborz to start the game instead of Lewicki. Lewicki's the strike-thrower - you use him to get you to the mid-innings and save Sborz for a short role.

 

Still, UVA had their chances. 2nd-3rd ... 1 out ... I so wish Towns didn't get hit. Once he got hit, I was down. Laprise just hasn't been having good swings, and Downes will chase some pitches.

 

UVA should still be good for a nice 1-2 year run. The pitching should be superb next year, even with Howard gone, and the reality is, the lineup was never as good as expected this year, so the offense might be better if some guys develop. There's a solid freshmen class coming in. Still, this was lined up perfectly for UVA - best team in college, with their rotation rested, and a veteran, talented lineup. Just didn't work out.

[Guest]

Sorry toonster. Tough way to end the season. :(

 

You guys do look primed for another big season next year.

[OleMissCub]

Yeah that's tough. Sorry man.

 

But hey, Vandy's victory means that my rival Mississippi State is now the only SEC school without a national championship in one of the big three sports.

[toonsterwu]

Sorry toonster. Tough way to end the season. :(

 

You guys do look primed for another big season next year.

 

Really comes down to how the young bats develop. UVA should be deep at catcher next year, so one of them may move to another spot, but on the surface, there should be PT open at 1st/CF/LF/DH (with LaPrise sliding in for Cogswell at 2nd), and they need one or two guys to step up and help anchor the middle of the lineup with McCarthy. Of course, the flip side was, this year's lineup never became as good as expected ... so it's actually not that hard to have a better lineup than last year's. The pitching's going to have to carry things, though, and the ACC should be better next year (as it was a pretty bleh conference this year).

[Guest]

BA's early season preview for 2015: http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/eight-omaha-2015/

 

Eight for Omaha:

 

• Alabama
  
• Cal State Fullerton
  
• UCLA
  
• Florida
  
• Texas
  
• TCU
  
• Vanderbilt
  
• Virginia

 

Eight More For Super Regionals: Arizona State, Louisiana State, Miami, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Texas Tech

 

Nine More To Make Top 25: College of Charleston, Florida State, Houston, Louisville, Maryland, Rice, Southern California, Stanford, Tennessee

[Guest]

Kendall Rogers also tried to pick the 2015 field: http://www.perfectgame.org/articles/View.aspx?article=10187

 

Educated guess of teams for Omaha:

 

1. Virginia

2. Texas

3. Vanderbilt

4. TCU

5. Florida

6. UCLA

7. North Carolina

8. LSU

 

TEN MORE TO WATCH (in no order)

 

Texas Tech

Stanford

Nebraska

Houston

Rice

Oklahoma State

Cal State Fullerton

South Carolina

Mississippi

Louisville

[OleMissCub]

Damnit Kendall, you know we don't like being called 'Mississippi'.