Area College Baseball Playoffs

[FirefightnRick]

I know we have a forum for baseball but it's dead since we don't have baseball, but Did anyone catch some of the great college baseball this weekend such as little Dallas Baptist giant killing Texas and Oregon State?

ULL is in the Super Regional vs LSU in Baton Rouge this weekend. There may not be enough seats for that match up.

And for some stupid reason ESPNU elected to stay with Cal vs UCLA in the first thru 4 innings late last night and ignored one of the great comebacks of the year by tcu.  We watched on espn3 at work as the frogs came from an 8-1 deficit in the 8th inning to win 9-8 in the 10th.  The frogs will host A&M in Fort Worth in the Super Regional there.

 

 

Rick

[oldguystudent]

I'm torn on the TCU/A&M super.  For me, TCU can go suck rocks, but on the other hand, I really don't need the Aggies prancing around the office.  

Dallas Baptist put up a great fight.  This would've been their second super.  The first time is the reason they got that new stadium.  They had earned the right to host the super that year, but had no facilities to do so.

I've been to supers at LSU.  Crazy environment.  I mean crazy.  And yes, it'll be standing room only.  No way ULL gets past them playing at the Box.  No way.  The state government won't allow it.  I had a LOT of fun watching post season baseball in Baton Rouge, but they really, really game the system to their advantage.  

Of the remaining teams, I'm obviously pulling for Big West conference mate Fullerton, and I always have a soft spot for Virginia.  My school has lost in the post season twice to Virginia, both times just barely, and it was heart wrenching, but their program and their fans are about as classy as it gets.

[FirefightnRick]

Curious why you were at the Supers in BR?  Your first school playing there?

 

 

Rick

[oldguystudent]

Curious why you were at the Supers in BR?  Your first school playing there?

 

 

Rick

​Yep.

[FirefightnRick]

​Yep.

That is so bad ass!  ---sigh--- Now I feel even worse for giving you shit years ago for posting about your other school.  Seriously,... I've mentioned it before but I hope you'll accept my apology for being such an organ head about all of that.

Rick

Edited June 2, 2015 by FirefightnRick

[oldguystudent]

It's all good man.

[oldguystudent]

And the most bad-assed thing I've seen in person is my school eliminating Texas from the 2007 regionals, in Texas, in front of 10,000 screaming burnt orange fans and little ole' me sitting there in a solitary blue cap.  

Stunning LSU in game 1 of the supers was nearly as exciting, but considerably more dangerous after the final pitch.   They tried to overturn the visiting team bus after all the players had boarded!

[Coffee and TV]

DBU's field is a joke. Turf batter's boxes should be illegal. Also aluminum bats suck. 

[FirefightnRick]

And the most bad-assed thing I've seen in person is my school eliminating Texas from the 2007 regionals, in Texas, in front of 10,000 screaming burnt orange fans and little ole' me sitting there in a solitary blue cap.  

Stunning LSU in game 1 of the supers was nearly as exciting, but considerably more dangerous after the final pitch.   They tried to overturn the visiting team bus after all the players had boarded!

Damn!

 

 

 

 

 

Rick

[oldguystudent]

DBU's field is a joke. Turf batter's boxes should be illegal. Also aluminum bats suck. 

​They haven't been aluminum for quite some time.  They are composite bats, BBCOR, which must match specifications to be identical to the performance of wood.  That is why they've lowered the seams on the balls this season because run production hit an all-time low last year with something like only 2 homeruns during the entire world series.

You're thinking of the trampoline bats in the nineties, culminated by the 1998 championship game that ended with a score of 21-14.

I also don't like the turf batter's box, but it's pretty common in the middle of the country because rain.  Oregon was the first to do it.  Prior to this trend, things were ruh-heally bad.

[Coffee and TV]

OH GODDDDDDDDD KILL IT WITH FIIIIRRRREEEE

[Coffee and TV]

​They haven't been aluminum for quite some time.  They are composite bats, BBCOR, which must match specifications to be identical to the performance of wood.  That is why they've lowered the seams on the balls this season because run production hit an all-time low last year with something like only 2 homeruns during the entire world series.

​Just that ping in general. No reason they can't use wooden. 

[oldguystudent]

They don't ping anymore.  They click.

[Army of Dad]

​Just that ping in general. No reason they can't use wooden. 

There is a good reason-there is not enough quality wood available if college went to wood bats.

[oldguystudent]

There is a good reason-there is not enough quality wood available if college went to wood bats.

​That actually is a valid reason. All the quality wood goes to MLB.  The vast volume of bats needed for 330 D1 teams plus who knows how many D2, D3 and Juco teams would be astounding, not to mention cost prohibitive for many teams.  There is one Juco league, the one that Bryce Harper attended, that is all wood bats.

Also, the sponsorships from the composite bat companies is pretty sweet, and they would lobby pretty hard to not lose all that marketing.

[forevereagle]

there is not enough quality wood available

​

All the quality wood goes to MLB. 

​

[FirefightnRick]

Damn!...what a game between A&M and TCU tonight.. The frogs win it 5-4 in the bottom of the 16th inning to go to Omaha.  One of the grittiest games I've ever seen.  THe frogs have won some barn burners.  They may be the toughest team to get by in the series?  

 

 

 

Rick

Edited June 9, 2015 by FirefightnRick

[Harry]

Damn!...what a game between A&M and TCU tonight.. The frogs win it 5-4 in the bottom of the 16th inning to go to Omaha.  One of the grittiest games I've ever seen.  THe frogs have won some barn burners.  They may be the toughest team to get by in the series?  

 

 

 

Rick

​Was a great game Rick for sure.  Enjoyed watching that.

[FirefightnRick]

Frogs are tough, sends #1 LSU to the loser bracket 10-3.

 

 

Rick

[oldguystudent]

 #1 LSU 

 

 

Rick

​Here is LSU's schedule.  Note the 32 home games in the regular season plus three neutral site games (of 56 total).  

Bow to the staggering OOC schedule (all but three at home) against such stalwart titans of the game as New Orleans, Northwestern State, Grambling, Southeastern Lousiana, Princeton, McNeese St.

Year after year after year LSU stacks the deck in their favor via advantageous scheduling.  Year after year after year they end up hosting a regional and super regional with a preferential lineup of opponents like almighty Lehigh and UNC Wilmington.

The strategy then used to be disregard pitching and defense, recruit huge linebackers from the football team, put a trampoline bat in their hands, and watch "Gorilla Ball" do its magic.  Now with BBCOR bats, teams kinda sorta need to know how to actually hit and play defense.  LSU's put big dumb football players at the plate strategy doesn't hold much water when up against actual competition.

[oldguystudent]

In the conclusion of a weather suspended game from yesterday, a freshman on Vanderbilt hits a walk-off homer to defeat Fullerton.  Fullerton vs. LSU in the loser's bracket tomorrow.  Arkansas is the first out with the two and Q.

[FirefightnRick]

What a shame for TCU's pitcher to get a loss to Vandy like that.  Pitches a no hitter thru 7 2/3rds innings with 12 K's then gives up a solo HR that ends up the game winner.  Vandy wins 1-0.

 

 

 

Rick

Edited June 17, 2015 by FirefightnRick

[oldguystudent]

Last year's mummified dead ball era notwithstanding, a 1-0 affair in the CWS is quite a thing.  College ball is all about pitching depth.  By this time of year, arms are frequently on their last legs.  Great performance by both teams.