Texas at Texas Tech March 25-27, 2022
- Thread starter FWHORN
- Start date
I disagree. We are a very talented team, and based on that "potential", we should be that good. We all know what DKR said about "potential".
I don't think anyone, anywhere thought this team was that damn dumb. When my son was 7, the coach of his team moved out of state three days before the season opener. I was out of town on business, and despite having never seen them practice was asked to fill in until the league could find a coach. Opening game:
Kid hits the ball and doesn't know what to do. I yelled "run", which he did to third base. Next kid hits the ball, runs toward first, detours across by the second baseman out to center field, loops around SS over the pitcher's mound and slides into home plate. That, Ladies & Gentleman, is the only team I have ever seen dumber than this year's Longhorns.
I understand, but I disagree about being average. I don’t know how far they are going to go in the playoffs but I expect these issues to get tidied up and we go deep.
I’ve told this before on this forum but we lost a three game series to Kansas either the last championship year or the one before that, my memory slipped a little bit, but Kansas!! They aren’t good at baseball, wrong sport, but when the playoffs started they refused to lose and won it all.
This team stepped it up in the playoffs last year and I expect they will this year. Time will tell but average they are not.
0ur relief pitchers come in and walk batters, hit batters, throw wild pitches, etc.
When you are up by 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th you don’t come in and walk and hit batters. You challenge hitters and go straight at them. We beat ourselves.
Our pitchers had 7 walks, 4 hit by pitches, 2 wild pitches, Thats11 free base runners, and 2 wild pitches where runners moved up.
we had 21 hits and 12 runs and can’t win the game.
When you are up by 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th you don’t come in and walk and hit batters. You challenge hitters and go straight at them. We beat ourselves.
Our pitchers had 7 walks, 4 hit by pitches, 2 wild pitches, Thats11 free base runners, and 2 wild pitches where runners moved up.
we had 21 hits and 12 runs and can’t win the game.
That is definitely David Pierce-type thinking and it works when you have leaders on the team (e.g. Kody in 2018 and Mike last year). Otherwise, when the team is looking to this coach for leadership, you are going to get the 2019 season (dead LAST in the Big XII), and that is apparently where we are headed this year, too. It has to be demoralizing to a team to have players who repeatedly do not perform (e.g., Daly, Duplantier, Blair, Nixon) continually trotted back out there, and for some reason, Pierce seems to be intent on tanking the season rather than demanding that those players perform or else have their playing time opportunities taken away. Mark my words, this team will be an also-ran in the Big XII, and will be lucky to make a regional (and if they do, the exit will be prompt). Sucks, given the talent on this roster...
I’m not sure why nixon was pulled. Maybe because he also threw the night before.
I was never sold on duplantier. He’s been roughed up seems like every time he comes in. I’m also not sold on Gordon but he will get a chance to show us what he has tomorrow. At this point, we’ve already lost the series so we might as well see what some of these pitchers have, I’m expecting several pitchers tomorrow.
I was never sold on duplantier. He’s been roughed up seems like every time he comes in. I’m also not sold on Gordon but he will get a chance to show us what he has tomorrow. At this point, we’ve already lost the series so we might as well see what some of these pitchers have, I’m expecting several pitchers tomorrow.
I like Gordon. He’s a smart and crafty pitcher and generally gets the job done. He won’t be on anyone’s All-American list this year, but he’s a competent, capable, stable, good performer. Tomorrow will be a big day for him, and yep, we’ll learn a lot more about Gordon tomorrow. Tech has one of the best lineups in the college game.
As for DuPlantier, 3 grand slams against him thus far leads me to believe he should be used sparingly and brought along slowly…
Lucky to make a regional?
Stevens and Hansen are the same people they were last year when they were shutting down the regionals opposition. Gordon doesn’t have the fiery stuff Witt had, but I figure he’ll get the job done.
Relief: Nixon has been in a bit of a funk, but he’ll work out of it. He was a Freshman All-American last year. Harrison is another capable late reliever. Morehouse and Eckhardt are looking pretty good. And Sthele is too.
Bats: better than last year where we finished national runner up.
All that being said, It’s a cruel game. Arkansas was the best in the regular season and NC State took them out. Result—No pigs in Omaha. Could happen to anyone.
Sorry, I should clarify - lucky to HOST a regional. We have already played ourselves out of hosting a super-regional, and things are continuing to trend in the wrong direction since the UCLA loss.
Your assessment above leaves out coaching which has been atrocious this year, both in terms of player and game management. Case in point: yesterday when Daly came up with runners on second and third with one out in the top of the eighth inning, rather than have him bunt to try to manufacture a run, Pierce has him swinging away. Normally that would be the smart play, but this is 2022 Daly, who has pretty much perfected the art of striking out with runners in scoring position. Daly of course then proceeds to K, effectively ending the rally. An extra insurance run there, that late in the game, and we probably don't go to extras and end up losing. Not to mention that it could also have been a way to give Daly a little boost in confidence to help him break out of his terrible slump. As it is, he can just add yet another RISP fail to his resume this year.
Coaching matters, and Pierce is getting pantsed this weekend by Tadlock. Tech won the game Friday night by scouting our pitching and creating the opportunity to steal home off of Nixon, a possibility which our staff apparently never even considered.
FWHORN
10,000+ Posts
Strange things happen in Lubbock and sometimes that means losing two games that clearly could/should have been won. Baseball is a weird game and who knew Stevens would roll out his worst game ever at Texas and it certainly doesnt help when the bullpen/errors by team leads you to blow leads in the 8th inning on consecutive days. I worry about Nixon as closer because he gives up just way too many free base runners and that was always going to catch up to him even with his elite level stuff. The Horns need to find a way to get at least one win up in Lubbock later today and then just get out of there and refocus. You cant overreact too high or too low based on one weekend, its a long season and its just the first series of conference play. Texas dropped two of three to Tech last year in Austin so again to all you "the sky is falling" crowd, slow your roll this is baseball not football and its how you play in May/June not March that matters.
For perspective number one Ole Miss this weekend has dropped first two to Tennessee by scores of 12-1 and 10-3, number four Vanderbilt dropped two of three in Columbia to South Carolina. Win or lose today, Texas will not fall out of super regional host slot after this weekend (probably fall to 6 or 7, but maybe only 5 given losses below Texas) and that is most important goal for any team. Doesnt mean Texas cant still fall out if they dont turn things around, but losing in lubbock to a good tech team doesnt mean that all is lost. Tennessee will probably move up to number one and Texas beat the Vols earlier this year. Arky will be two or move to one themselves and then you have four teams with Texas in the mix that will fill out 3-7.
For perspective number one Ole Miss this weekend has dropped first two to Tennessee by scores of 12-1 and 10-3, number four Vanderbilt dropped two of three in Columbia to South Carolina. Win or lose today, Texas will not fall out of super regional host slot after this weekend (probably fall to 6 or 7, but maybe only 5 given losses below Texas) and that is most important goal for any team. Doesnt mean Texas cant still fall out if they dont turn things around, but losing in lubbock to a good tech team doesnt mean that all is lost. Tennessee will probably move up to number one and Texas beat the Vols earlier this year. Arky will be two or move to one themselves and then you have four teams with Texas in the mix that will fill out 3-7.
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Well put. The idea that any of the Top 10-15 has dropped out of anything yet is laughable. Gotta keep developing those young bullpen arms, and keep the bats hot, and we’ll be in a good position.
Good start. Lead off single, then “get the ground-out” Gordon gets two ground outs (fielders choice) in a row, then he fans the four spot. Keep this up and we’ve got ourselves a winner.
0-0 into the 2nd.
I realize we ultimately have to play everyone, but the Big 12 continues to troll us with scheduling. The first two conference series are on the road, beginning with one of the best teams in the conference. The two last place finishers from the 2021 season (WVA and Kansas) are loaded on the back-end. It’s like someone wants us to dig a hole for ourselves to start the season.
While it’s clearly a recruiting ploy, I think the Sooners did us a favor by playing their home series against us in Arlington. A split crowd with neither team all that used to the park.
I wish Moreland would throw something at the chick you can hear on the radio. She just yelled something about wanting pork nachos, so maybe her mouth will be full and she won't be heard.
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