GAME 7 THREAD: #3 Arkansas (5-1, 0-0 SEC) @ San Diego (4-2, 0-0, WCC)

[ricepig]

Haven't posted much just been reading the game threads. What's some of the regulars here opinion on why the bats have cooled off this past 3 games? Thanks.

Well, Bucknell basically threw BP for the first two games when they found the plate. As has been mentioned, I think the team's took advantage of our over aggressiveness at the plate and had us chasing breaking pitches out of the strike zone, or pitcher's pitches.

[Dr. Starcs]

I think we have guys trying to do to much. We were real impatient at the plate this weekend. I hope that is addressed.

We don't have to try and hit every pitch out of the yard.

The younger players seem to have a better approach this weekend

Gotta start going the other way. Gonna continue to get soft junk on the outside until we show the maturity to do that.

Our lefties struggle so much against lhp.

[Kenny Dowell Loggains]

Lots of baseball left, but I sure hope these guys will prove that they are every bit deserving of the preseason hype in what is considered a CWS championship caliber team, and poised as DVH's most talented team he's ever had here.  They've got the next 13 at Baum against some solid competition & 2 historically elite programs visiting the next 2 weekends.

Right the Ship.

[SPAL]

Understood. I'll try to take a deep breath before next time. Just a very frustrating weekend.

Thanks. It is very frustrating. I just about lose it when we need to move runners or need a hit and they hit a dribbler back to the box. It's cool to be frustrated. We just wanna keep it from becoming jump ball where it's a free for all.

[DoubleReedHawgCaller]

Thanks for the input Kevin and rice.

[TheyCallMeHogLuver]

Haven't posted much just been reading the game threads. What's some of the regulars here opinion on why the bats have cooled off this past 3 games? Thanks.

Everybody seems to be sitting fastball and swinging for the fence.  Bucknell pitching was garbage.  They are exhibiting an uncanny ability to either A) sit and watch off-speed pitches float right down main street for strikes or B) decide ahead of time that they are swinging and chase junk out of the zone.  I see very little ability to adjust to what pitchers are trying to do to them.

IMO, the fact that there were a boatload of scouts there all weekend was a major factor in folks trying to do too much.

[Hogz87]

So, for someone like me who isn't very in-tune with how college baseball polls work and how much you're penalized for a one or two loss week, how far do we stand to drop in the rankings after two losses this week? 

[Knot2brite]

How many runs were scored/allowed or set up by errors and walks? West coast teams makes their bones off good pitching and small ball. Very rarely do you see a west coast team at the top of the home run chart in the NCAA. Pitching usually has the early advantage in baseball and then things get righted after a couples weeks. PFP's are extremely important early and when you are playing west coast teams. I read where there were some problems fielding the bunts and that happens when you don't see as much small ball in your conference. We will hit the ball with some power this year. How many balls that would leave most any ballpark we play in the year got caught in the marine layer? We did not adjust to west coast strike zones and that is something we have to prepare for as well. I usually hate when we play a west coast tourney because of all these reasons. I hate hate hate the Stanford regional. We get screwed there every time. Things will even out soon. The lineup is about to get set for weekends and mid week and then we go from there. Martin will be playing third and I figure you see a platoon at first with McFarland and Gates. Lee is going to have to get in where he fits in and you will probably see a Koch weekend Opitz midweek and maybe a Sunday if Koch is struggling or banged up. Kenley and Wilson will be midweek and defensive replacements on weekends. I foresee Fletcher moving down and Martin moving up although I like him nine because he is a leadoff at the bottom. They MUST MUST MUST play better defense. I am really wondering about McKinney...I wonder if he came back too soon and hurt himself the other weekend or if they are being super conservative with him

[WBOBO]

I felt bad for Fletcher.  He got hosed on a couple of calls and expressed his displeasure and the
ump piled it on.  I hope that umps ego gets brought down a notch IF and when he watches the replay of the game.

[BroyledNutts]

So, for someone like me who isn't very in-tune with how college baseball polls work and how much you're penalized for a one or two loss week, how far do we stand to drop in the rankings after two losses this week? 

Probably 8-12ish range across all polls - D1 and BaseballAmerica will be a little more understanding and not move us too far (6-7ish), CBWA, USA, and Coaches' may move us 10-12 range ...

Any further drop than that will be an overreaction or just an excuse to move LSU up ....

[ricepig]

Probably 8-12ish range across all polls - D1 and BaseballAmerica will be a little more understanding and not move us too far (6-7ish), CBWA, USA, and Coaches' may move us 10-12 range ...

Any further drop than that will be an overreaction or just an excuse to move LSU up ....

The later is probably the correct analysis, lol.

[BroyledNutts]

I felt bad for Fletcher.  He got hosed on a couple of calls and expressed his displeasure and the
ump piled it on.  I hope that umps ego gets brought down a notch IF and when he watches the replay of the game.

That ump won't lose any sleep. That's the way the officiating is handled when an SEC, Big12, or ACC team goes west. There's historical evidence of this. Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, even mighty LSU (just to name a few) have been hosed with a wobbly strike zone in the recent past when playing out there. I'd be willing to bet Michigan's strike zone was all over the place this weekend. That's the way they do it - in season or post ... its one of the reasons west coast teams usually get eaten alive if they come east very far ... it really is a different game out there ...

[BigBrandonAllenFan]

Errors   

[BroyledNutts]

Haven't posted much just been reading the game threads. What's some of the regulars here opinion on why the bats have cooled off this past 3 games? Thanks.

The strike zone is different out there ... and it undulates in accordance with the way the umps want to nudge the game ... I've watched many Mountain West and Pac12 games, thanks to a bonus channel in my TV sports package - umpires out there will do exactly what was done today - if one team jumps out to an early lead, usually a multiple run lead, the strike zone will change in favor of the team that's behind, and it will wobble like that the entire game - I don't know if that's an edict they're given to make small ball more interesting, or if it's just what they do - but they do it.

You noticed today that the strike zone started today rather normal. The minute the Hogs lit up SDSU's pitching the zone changed, and things that were not strikes became strikes. That caused our lineup to lunge at pitches on the outer edge that should not have been strikes, were being called such. It stayed that way until SDSU caught up, and then it changed back - suddenly our pitchers were throwing to the outer edge and getting nothing. They were forced to come back over the plate - and they got beat up ...

I know this sounds like conspiracy theory, but I've witnessed it so many times I can't help but say it's intentional and it happens out there.

[Kevin]

The strike zone is different out there ... and it undulates in accordance with the way the umps want to nudge the game ... I've watched many Mountain West and Pac12 games, thanks to a bonus channel in my TV sports package - umpires out there will do exactly what was done today - if one team jumps out to an early lead, usually a multiple run lead, the strike zone will change in favor of the team that's behind, and it will wobble like that the entire game - I don't know if that's an edict they're given to make small ball more interesting, or if it's just what they do - but they do it.

You noticed today that the strike zone started today rather normal. The minute the Hogs lit up SDSU's pitching the zone changed, and things that were not strikes became strikes. That caused our lineup to lunge at pitches on the outer edge that should not have been strikes, were being called such. It stayed that way until SDSU caught up, and then it changed back - suddenly our pitchers were throwing to the outer edge and getting nothing. They were forced to come back over the plate - and they got beat up ...

I know this sounds like conspiracy theory, but I've witnessed it so many times I can't help but say it's intentional and it happens out there.

It will be interesting next weekend with southern cal coming to town

[TebowHater]

Sorry if this has already been asked, but why didn't McKinney start today?

Bumping this. He didn't pitch at all this weekend, right? Did he get extra sore / reinjured after last weekend or anything?

[Amityvillehogger]

Bumping this. He didn't pitch at all this weekend, right? Did he get extra sore / reinjured after last weekend or anything?

Midweek I'd guess

[southarkhog06]

To be successful in baseball, you have to be great in 2 of 3 areas. You gotta be great at the plate, the field or on the mound. If you're great at only 1, you can't be successful. And you don't have to be great at all 3.

If you are great in the field and on the mound, you can be average at the plate and have success. Or, if you're great at the plate and on the mound, you can overcome deficiency in the field.

On this trip, we were pitiful at the plate, subpar in the field, and good on the mound.....and we still went 2-2 with both losses being 1 run games on the road in a different time zone in a place we never play well....

Call me crazy, but I'm still encouraged and highly anticipate a successful year. We will figure things out.

Not only that, but the strike zone we dealt with in all 4 of these games was unacceptable. we didn't help ourselves with our approach, but I cant blame them for swinging free when at any moment 6 in off the plate will be called a strike.

[jbell96]

Crappy strike zone aside, if we don't play sloppy in the field on Friday and Sunday, we go 4-0 on our west coast trip. Also, I'm sure it was said a million times yesterday, but on the WCC stream with San Diego's announcers, I was ready to choke them through my iPad.

[PorkRyan]

So, for someone like me who isn't very in-tune with how college baseball polls work and how much you're penalized for a one or two loss week, how far do we stand to drop in the rankings after two losses this week? 

Stanford will jump us, they have earned a top 5 ranking.  UNC had a much worse weekend than us.  In the polls where we were ahead of FSU and Texas Tech, they will both jump us.  Who knows with teams like Kentucky and A&M.  They haven't beaten anyone.  Ole Miss had a good sweep of a solid Tulane club.  I think we end up 7th on the D1 poll. 

[Deep Shoat]

Haven't posted much just been reading the game threads. What's some of the regulars here opinion on why the bats have cooled off this past 3 games? Thanks.

Not a regular EI poster, but the strike zone was inconsistent and the ball wasn't carrying while we still tried "launch angle" hitting when we needed to go "Charlie Lau" out west.

That, and we didn't take enough pitches.  It becomes more important to wait on a good pitch when the strike zone is fluctuating.