Hate to start a topic, BUT>>>>>>>>>

[12247]

I have been doubtful far more than optimistic about this team and then they go win the Regional in 3 games.  I still worry about our lack of hitting against quality pitching but this team, overall, is far better than I ever thought they could be.  I never believed they could win a Regional and for sure not without losing a game.  It appears the SEC is the cream of the crop in baseball this year.  Anyway, many said if the Hogs did well at Regional all us naysayers would go hide.  I didn't go hide and I am eating a bit of crow.  I hope we don't lose again this year. 

[Iwastherein1969]

when a team fails to hit well it makes the fans nervous....who wouldn't be ?   the staunchest supporters of this particular Razorback baseball team will likely tell you they can be frustrating to watch....if this team can somehow make it to the CWS and then win a couple of games there, they will have a better chance at winning the whole thing than any other team we've had since the late 70's....why ?  how ?  PITCHING, we have it in abundance....just think, we allowed only one earned run in 27 innings at Houston WITHOUT Cade Lynch....unbelievable.....these kids may just prove us all wrong and that would be perfectly fine with me

[bphi11ips]

It's baseball.  Never get too high or too low.

[HogWall Jackson]

Hitting problems with this team are not resolved. Our pitching has been really great, with some timely hitting we could make a decent run.

[mj4president]

Any chance Trent Daniel gets a start in the Super?

[Brewerfan10]

Any chance Trent Daniel gets a start in the Super?

0%

[Hogtropolis™]

It's baseball.  Never get too high or too low.

Exactly.

[Hog Fan...DOH!]

Hitting problems with this team are not resolved. Our pitching has been really great, with some timely hitting we could make a decent run.

True.  But you know what, we're making a "decent" run right now.  Welcome to the Sweet 16 of college baseball.   

[nwarazfan]

The tourney committee could not have put Arkansas in a better regional in terms of chance for success.  Watching some of the other regionals, it was like some programs were playing at a much higher level of baseball especially offensively than the teams in the Houston Regional.  Hopefully DB can win tonight and the path to Omaha will stay as fortunate as it has started.

The defense this weekend was a pleasant surprise.  If it continues given the Hogs pitching depth, they'll have a chance.

If I'm an opposing pitching staff, I give the Hogs hitters nothing on the inner half.  Maybe they drove a ball to the opposite field this weekend but I don't remember many.  They have the same swing no matter pitch location or pitch.  Pitch them near the strike zone on the inner half and they can hit the ball hard to their pull side.   

[jry04]

Any chance Trent Daniel gets a start in the Super?

Where did that come from? We will start Bax, Stanek, and Fant.

Trent will only see the mound if the team we are playing cannot hit lefties, and we are in a 15 inning game.

[bsking]

I could name a list of 8 strong that were half of this boards posts while we were losing that haven't shown their face here yet.  Kudos to you but overall, they have hid.

[Knot2brite]

I am here...still worried that we can't hit with two strikes and that we don't hit to the opposite field very well...really concerned that our catcher tried to lay down two drag bunts yesterday ....but he did hit a double so I feel better

[nwarazfan]

I could name a list of 8 strong that were half of this boards posts while we were losing that haven't shown their face here yet.  Kudos to you but overall, they have hid.

No reason to hide and no reason for I told you so's as not much changed this weekend except the competition and some good defensive play. 

[bsking]

No reason to hide and no reason for I told you so's as not much changed this weekend except the competition and some good defensive play. 

My point exactly.  I've been saying that this team could make it to Omaha exactly as it is.  And was laughed at.

[Scott7703]

I have to  say that ive been skeptical about this team and still am to a degree but what they did this weekend says alot about there toughness. After having multiple bad sec weekends and then an awful sec tournament they could have just folded up. Instead they pulled it together and found a way to sweep a regional.

There were some on here who questioned the leadership on this team and the team chemistry. I would say some of those questions should be answered. If our offense will show up somewhat and the pitching is maintained we have a chance to go a long ways.

[12247]

I too am still worried about our hitting.  The D really showed up in the last 3 games and the pitching did even better than their usually very good job.  Truth is though, I have seen 8th graders with more understanding of the use of a bat than most of our hitters.  Maybe it was facing from good to great pitching that made us look soooo bad.  Maybe we just needed a little confidence builder.  I sure hope so. 

[maxre567]

honestly from my experiences here in EI thus far, ya gotta be careful who you label as what

there are those who sometimes get labelled as trolls who maybe because they just were a bit frustrated with the problems the team was having at any given time just needed to vent em out on here a lil, but the very next series come back ready to cheer on the hogs again and still deep down believe in whatever hope may be left even if it hangs on an ounce

I'll admit when things did get bad this year it was hard for me to feel good about where the team was going, guess i just had to question their heart more than anything, and im sure even the most loyal die hard fans out there even did themselves, but, i just kept hopin what bsking was predicting would happen, and so far it is, and im sure many others did too.

the trolls seem to just be more those who seem to be rejects or outcasts from MMQB who are too bored of not havin enough to troll about there or just cant find another thing better to do, you can usually tell by their IQ, and usually they state things that arent even remotely closely true to the game of baseball

bottom line, kudos to those who've continued to come week in and week out in effort to support the guys, the trolls, they'll likely not be back unless theyve thought of somethin even dumber to show off

[WhenPigsFly]

Many of the sunshiners admitted that this was the probably the best Regional Arkansas could have been put in.  And it worked out perfectly.  Only had to beat Rice once (and did it with only two hits).  And, yes, that puts us in the Sweet Sixteen of college baseball.  I don't think there are very many on here that would have argued that we weren't a top 16 team most of the year.  (But don't forget that our PERFORMANCE even caused some of the polls to say we weren't worthy of being ranked at all at the end of the regular season.)

Now the Hogs get to play a National Seed at their place for the Supers.  If they make it to Omaha now, it'll be because they deserved to be there.  And I will be a little surprised if they do get there, but also delighted.  And I'll GLADLY admit to being wrong about this team.

[Kevin]

2 more wins, and i will eat all the crow that can be served.

i will be more the happy to do so.

[bighog2255]

No reason to hide and no reason for I told you so's as not much changed this weekend except the competition and some good defensive play.

This is the sentiment I most agree with. Our pitching was incredible this weekend, and our hitting was really more of what we saw all season. We played bad defensively in game 1 and alomst got beat, but played very crisp defense in games 2 & 3.

The level of competition and the stakes step up this weekend though. I suspect we will need more offense than the 11 runs we scored in the regional. And we dont get any breaks by getting to play Sam Houston State twice.

I think Baylor is not quite as good as their ranking, but they can hit as evidenced by 3 position players being selected in the first 11 rounds of the MLB draft.

IMO we need to sweep this series. I think Baylor would have the edge in a Game 3 "do or die" situation

The theme since the end of last season has been "Omaha or bust" and it hasnt changed.

[3kgthog]

Wouldn't you prefer the naysayers stay hidden? Think about that.

Crow ain't bad with a diverse selection of Whole Hog sauces. A little gamey in taste, though. I would've come back sooner, but I suddenly developed a life after a lengthy stretch of not giving a crap. I'd like a few smites so I know I'm back home.

[bsking]

BigHog, I don't want to start an argument but I have to say this.  This is exactly what several of us had been saying all year long.  It doesn't matter that we've lost all the 1 run games and we can't hit.  Because we knew that our pitching could do what it did this weekend.  We also knew theres a good chance we don't have to go through SEC powers.

I have said it from the beginning of the season.  Without getting any better, this team could get to Omaha and I wouldn't be surprised in the least bit.  I got called every name in the book and had every color glasses on I can imagine.  I think the only thing left to say is, that's baseball. 

[bighog2255]

BigHog, I don't want to start an argument but I have to say this.  This is exactly what several of us had been saying all year long.  It doesn't matter that we've lost all the 1 run games and we can't hit.  Because we knew that our pitching could do what it did this weekend.  We also knew theres a good chance we don't have to go through SEC powers.

I have said it from the beginning of the season.  Without getting any better, this team could get to Omaha and I wouldn't be surprised in the least bit.  I got called every name in the book and had every color glasses on I can imagine.  I think the only thing left to say is, that's baseball. 

For the record, I was never one to say we "couldnt" make it to Omaha. You can look it up. I only said it would be a lot more difficult 1) with this offense and 2) without hosting.

I still think we have to hit better than we did this last weekend. We wont be fortunate enough to play the lowest rated at large team this weekend (Sam Houston)

If we are playing the "remember what I said" game, you said we would "skip to our lou to Omaha" if we had to go to Baylor for supers. I hope you are right

[Kevin]

again, for the record.

i was the only one who said this offense cannot get us to omaha.

2 games to go. we shall see.

go hogs go

[maxre567]

BigHog, I don't want to start an argument but I have to say this.  This is exactly what several of us had been saying all year long.  It doesn't matter that we've lost all the 1 run games and we can't hit.  Because we knew that our pitching could do what it did this weekend.  We also knew theres a good chance we don't have to go through SEC powers.

I have said it from the beginning of the season.  Without getting any better, this team could get to Omaha and I wouldn't be surprised in the least bit.  I got called every name in the book and had every color glasses on I can imagine.  I think the only thing left to say is, that's baseball. 

I wouldnt be all that worried tho if we had to face SC again tho, and maybe even lsu, our series even tho we got swept down in alex box was pretty even, Bax just was in a little bit of slump which everyone deals with, our guys maybe were dealing with the 11th man, being the crowd in that environment, and just the overally timing of that series probably benefitted them.  Put us on a neutral field together and in a completely different environment, and the results might be a lil different, key word might.  Also our series against SC we were tearin it up at the plate, and had some season high hit totals in that one, we probably woulda won that one too if Stanek just hadnt been hurt and our bullpen gotten so taxed there.  Cuz i really felt our guys definitely had as good a chance as any to knock em down bigtime, and we already have a good history vs florida, so.... all in all, im not terribly worried

the team i might be a lil worried about facing is Arizona if we ended up doing that, they seem to have some real ringers on that team and if they got the best of our pitching, that could be bad

[dbhog]

Any chance Trent Daniel gets a start in the Super?

Let's hope not.

[urkillnmesmalls]

It's funny right?  Before the season started everyone said that our pitching staff was going to be at the top of CBB, and it warranted a top 4 ranking at one point.  Then we had some minor injuries, trouble with faulty mechanics, and hit some bumps along the way.  We still ended up with a pretty good record despite all of that.   

FFWD, and here we are winning games where opponents don't put up more than 1 or 2 runs due to our pitching staff being on their game.  With those guys on their A games, I think we have a great chance at beating anyone.  If they continue those types of outings, who knows how we might end up?  I like our chances if we only need to find a way to score 2-3 runs.      If we need 6 or 7...  . 

[pigture perfect]

Great pitching beats great hitting everytime. It's when good pitching meets great hitting that you get beat. It wouldn't hurt for us to be good hitting occasionally either.

[HogsonHicks]

On a related note, people should be able to offer constructive criticism and areas of improvement without being labeled a "hater".  I questioned plate discipline by many of the starters during the Regional, and I stand by my comments. 

We have too many non-constructive at-bats, and it really limits us offensively.  Those types of comments don't make me, or others with similar comments, less of a fan.

[12247]

I started this thread and even now, I doubt we can advance with the hitting we have shown most of the season against good to great teams.  Most of the season, we have really failed to hit much at all or failed to string together hits to bring in runs against real competition.  Eventually this should catch up to us in this tourney.  I will say it again though, I didn't expect the pitching, defense or timely hitting we got in the Regional and by golly we just might do it again at Baylor.  I sure hope so.  I love all the Hog teams but I don't believe I have ever seen so much swinging wild at bad pitching, taking good hittable pitches and punching out mishit balls that are easy to gather up for the putout.  Just maybe we've learned a bit from all that and are mostly ready to at least go to bat smart if not overly talented.  Also maybe what appeared to be a team without much heart really does have what it takes when the stakes are high.  Maybe we are coming to the plate with our heads truned on.