South Carolina

Chop said:
Blair has had rough outings lately, no doubt.

I’d like to see Stewart start mid week this week.
Click to expand...

Rough outings is putting it mildly - he literally cannot get anyone out. With the roster or arms we have, it is mind boggling that Pierce keeps trotting Blair out there. At a minimum, I can't imagine that any of them could do any worse.
 
In these pre-conference games, Coach has to find out who’s going to work for us in a jam and who’s not. Obviously, Blair is going to be on a short leash, as is DuPlantier. Although I think DuPlanrier keeps one of the midweek starting positions—for now. Loading the bases then giving up a grand slam is tough to come back from. Still, we need him to do well, and I hope he bounces back.

Gordon did so so. Not good, but not too bad. Based on the trainer’s attention he received today—there must be something going on with Gordon physically.

I want to see Stewart in there as often as possible. He has the highest ceiling of any of our pitchers.
 
Its March, bad days happen and they especially can happen on the road. Sucks that it happened on a day with a double header. How a team reacts to those bad days is what ultimately defines a season and we saw last year this team can respond and respond well. There is no shame in going 6-2 in 8 games against the SEC as part of your non-conference schedule (still have aggy to maybe get to 7 wins). The Horns have two more games in SC against teams they should beat and then 4 more against equally lesser opponents before Big XII play starts. Win those 6 and they sit at 19-4 heading into conference play, heck even one more loss has them at 18-5 which should have them at the 2 to 4 national seed line and ultimately its all about staying in the national seed lines through May. Today was no fun but its March and there is a lot of baseball ahead.
 
That’s right. The loss of Witt was huge, but we’re still one of the top programs in the nation and certainly the top program in the state. Gotta nail down starters 3, 4, 5. I think Gordon will get the job done most outings. I am concerned with the trainer attention he got on the mound today. Anybody k is about that??? And you know I’m gonna push Stewart—the biggest raw young talent we have.
 
A few players have had cold starts, Daly and Messinger come to mind. They need to get off the snide and that will help. Losing Witt stinks but this team has enough pitching talent even with the loss of Tanner to challenge not only to get to Omaha but to win it all. I think this past week with the loss of Witt, the Hoffart distraction, the shoulder seperation of Todd and then a long trip to SC that was altered by weather anyway just set up a bad week for Texas. The key is remembering it is March and they havent even started conference play yet so nobody needs to be freaking out or crying that the sky is falling, it isnt.
 
Meanhwile the Horns are rallying here in the ninth with three runs to make it 9-4 and runners on second and third with two outs.
 
#1 - Make the tournament (you have to be in it to win it)
#2 - Host both tournament rounds (much easier chore if you play at home)
 
b8d28c01c312d70f5fc097e8686a5892.jpg
 
LonghornCatholic said:
#1 ranking toast?
Click to expand...


Yes, definitely drop, I prefer not to be number 1 anyway, that puts a big target on your back. Arkansas dominated last season and was clearly a very good team but didn't even make it to Omaha. Its not where you are now, its where you end up that counts.

We must work on finding or developing a third game starter and middle relief and offense HAS to be more consistent. Cant count on Stevens or Hansen to hold every team to 0 or 1 run.

I would be real interested in looking at Harrison as the third starter and then middle relief by committee trying to get to Nixon.
 
Crotchety old man get off the lawn comment.

We won the bat flip but lost the series. What if SC took the field in mass after the 3rd game, lined up in front of our dugout and each player flipped a bat at our team for the scoreboard?

If I was on SC I would have loved to do that.
 
Last edited:
Ivan largely carried the offense. I would put no blame whatsoever on him.

Daly and Skye Messinger need to jump out of their slumps.

Faltine has been our #2 power hitter thus far (it certainly seems that way).
 
Things will be different without Witt, but I think our young and talented arms will step up on the mound. We'll get that Regional and Super-Regional on the way to Omaha.
 
Eckhardt, Olivares, and Cobb need longer looks.
I’ve seen enough of Blair for the year. Not keen on the Duplantier or Lucas.
Pierce lost some games already by pulling people early and putting the wrong people in.
The sky is falling if he can’t put together a winnable plan with all these pitchers. You also can’t make it to Omaha with starters hitting 100’s or low 2’s.
 
Creek said:
Eckhardt, Olivares, and Cobb need longer looks.
I’ve seen enough of Blair for the year. Not keen on the Duplantier or Lucas.
Click to expand...
Agree on Eckhart, Olivares, and Cobb - all of whom have done well in limited action. Lucas Gordon has done fairly well--but I'm very concerned when the trainer takes a trip to the mound... Something is going on with him physically.

I think Coach will give DuPlantier another shot (like tonight for instance), but DuPlantier has got to get consistent and he won't get chance after chance after chance. He's got the raw talent, and was really good before his injury. He's got to get into the groove.

I don't know WTF is going on with Daly and Skye's bats lately. Both are good hitters, but both are in a very long slump. Maybe we see more of Freshman power hitter Gavin Kash. Campbell covers a lot of ground in the outfield had a decent series vs SC, and he can steal bases, but his bat must continue to improve.

:bevo:
 
Creek said:
Eckhardt, Olivares, and Cobb need longer looks.
I’ve seen enough of Blair for the year. Not keen on the Duplantier or Lucas.
Pierce lost some games already by pulling people early and putting the wrong people in.
The sky is falling if he can’t put together a winnable plan with all these pitchers. You also can’t make it to Omaha with starters hitting 100’s or low 2’s.
Click to expand...

Completely agree on Pierce, and no kidding on Blair - he shouldn’t be let anywhere near the mound again unless it is a non-con/midweek game and we’re up by 10 runs. Still have no idea what Pierce was thinking brining that guy in what was a tight game this past weekend. And by the way, he needs to take himself off of third base coaching - he’s made several terrible calls that have cost us runs already this season.

This is NOT to say that the sky is falling, but I’m seeing concerning reminders of 2019 David Pierce (you know, when we finished LAST place in the Big XII - which should NEVER happen at The University of Texas). This team is loaded with potential, and deserves better.
 
WJHorn said:
Completely agree on Pierce, and no kidding on Blair - he shouldn’t be let anywhere near the mound again unless it is a non-con/midweek game and we’re up by 10 runs. Still have no idea what Pierce was thinking brining that guy in what was a tight game this past weekend. And by the way, he needs to take himself off of third base coaching - he’s made several terrible calls that have cost us runs already this season.

This is NOT to say that the sky is falling, but I’m seeing concerning reminders of 2019 David Pierce (you know, when we finished LAST place in the Big XII - which should NEVER happen at The University of Texas). This team is loaded with potential, and deserves better.
Click to expand...

Sky is definitely not falling. The Witt injury threw a kink in things for Pierce, hes forced to develop pitchers on Sunday now instead of the midweek games.

We're just going to have to hold on, its going to be rougher now without Witt but pitching cant get developed without seeing live bats which means we are going to lose more games until they get the innings they need to develop into trustier pitchers. I prefer the adversity myself than the cake walk it looked like before, now they have to fight harder and they may not see the level of play from the opponents they were seeing before when they were ranked #1, although being #2 probably isn't much different ha.
 
The future SEC will be quite a step up for TX baseball. Looking at this D1 poll, #1-4, 6 of the top 10, and 10 of the top 25 are conference foes once Texas is there. Quite a step up from the Big 12 - one in the top 10 (TX) and 4 in the top 25.
 
As much as I find it odd that we Texans (Westerners) would join the South-EAST conference, the college baseball is going to be very, very good. They seem to really give a flip about college baseball in a way that only some teams from the Plains States do.
 
Chop said:
As much as I find it odd that we Texans (Westerners) would join the South-EAST conference, the college baseball is going to be very, very good. They seem to really give a flip about college baseball in a way that only some teams from the Plains States do.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I would love to take a trip to Ole Miss, Miss. St. and LSU and may do so after we join.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

Predict TEXAS-ARIZONA STATE

CFP Round 2 • Peach Bowl
Wed, Jan 1 • 12:00 PM on ESPN
AZ State game and preview thread


Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl website

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top