Postseason outlook

[Quaoarsking]

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Top 12 teams make Hoover. This is only the 3rd year of the 14-team SEC, but in 2013 the last team in was 10-20, and in 2014 the last team in was 11-18-1.


Our remaining series are LSU, @Ole Miss, and @Tennessee
Tennessee plays Texas A&M, @Arkansas, and us,
Georgia plays Florida, @Kentucky, and Arkansas.
South Carolina plays Auburn, @Texas A&M, and LSU.
Alabama plays Arkansas, @Auburn, and Vanderbilt.


Georgia has lost 7 SEC games in a row and has a pretty tough road left, so I think they're probably done. South Carolina has a very tough schedule remaining, and we have the tiebreaker over them, but they are 2 games in front of us. Alabama's schedule is also tougher than ours, but they're a game up on us and we don't have the tiebreaker. Tennessee's schedule is about even to ours -- that series may be for the last bid to Hoover if we can't pull out one of the next two.

I think if we go 4-5 over the last 9 we should get in. Actually, 3-6 would give a decent shot too, especially if 2 of those were Tennessee. It would help a lot if South Carolina tanks.


According to Boydworld, we can reach the top 45 in RPI if we go 9-1 over the last 10. Yes, I realize that's not going to happen, but I hope the team knows it's still a mathematical possibility and plays like it. Just in case, we really need to win Tuesday and in Oxford to try to knock Ole Miss below .500 for the year -- that would open up another slot for us.

Unfortunately a strong finish to the season (say going 6-3) would leave us at 13-17 and probably an RPI in the 60s and that's just not going to be enough for us. Some 13-win (or even 12-win, like us in 2006) SEC teams have gotten in before, but nothing on our resume is going to impress the committee. Yes, we could win some games in Hoover and bring our RPI into the 50s, but it won't matter -- the Committee doesn't generally bump teams up from performance in conference tournaments. Barring an 8-1 stretch over the final 9, our only hope is to get hot in Hoover and somehow win the whole thing.

From the best I can tell, no SEC team has ever stolen a bid since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams -- all SEC Tournament champions would have most likely gotten an at-large anyway.

[justwin]

this weekend vs LSU is our postseason. The Bulldogs need to play like it and beat the chit out of the Tigahs

[DistrictDawg92]

So you're saying there's a chance???

[msstate7]

2-2 is a must this week if we want postseason. 3-1 may be too steep of a goal, but it's really what we need

[HSVDawg]

2-2 is a must this week if we want postseason. 3-1 may be too steep of a goal, but it's really what we need

I think you can throw out the 4th game in both of your scenarios. Only thing that matters is W/L in SEC play. Our only available postseason is Hoover (or the NCAA tourney if we win the whole thing in Hoover), so what we do in the midweek means literally nothing from here on out.

[Bully13]

at age 52 and growing up with Clark and Palmerio , I never thought I'd see a day where the fan base would consider not making the SEC tourney as something as a "norm" or "acceptable"

down years are part of baseball. but consistent years of suckdome should not be if you are who we are ..

who are we ? does the athletic admin and the coaches have the ability to deliver what the fans can? at this point, the only answer is that the athletic admin and the coaching staff have FAILED the fan support.. FAN support has always been a trademark of MSU Baseball.

now we have to endure getting our asses kicked by programs that don't have near the resources or a fan base that has the desire.. what an embarassment.

what a joke of a show CHOKen and company is putting on display.

[smootness]

at age 52 and growing up with Clark and Palmerio , I never thought I'd see a day where the fan base would consider not making the SEC tourney as something as a "norm" or "acceptable"

down years are part of baseball. but consistent years of suckdome should not be if you are who we are ..

who are we ? does the athletic admin and the coaches have the ability to deliver what the fans can? at this point, the only answer is that the athletic admin and the coaching staff have FAILED the fan support.. FAN support has always been a trademark of MSU Baseball.

now we have to endure getting our asses kicked by programs that don't have near the resources or a fan base that has the desire.. what an embarassment.

what a joke of a show CHOKen and company is putting on display.

Chill, dude. Nobody is happy with this year or finds it acceptable. But one down year doesn't equate to a down program. If the problems persist next year, there is a serious problem and will be calls for a change. As of now, it's just one down year.

[Homedawg]

at age 52 and growing up with Clark and Palmerio , I never thought I'd see a day where the fan base would consider not making the SEC tourney as something as a "norm" or "acceptable"

down years are part of baseball. but consistent years of suckdome should not be if you are who we are ..

who are we ? does the athletic admin and the coaches have the ability to deliver what the fans can? at this point, the only answer is that the athletic admin and the coaching staff have FAILED the fan support.. FAN support has always been a trademark of MSU Baseball.

now we have to endure getting our asses kicked by programs that don't have near the resources or a fan base that has the desire.. what an embarassment.

what a joke of a show CHOKen and company is putting on display.

Consistent years of suckdome? Where is that? I'm hate the year we've had- but that's a bs post. Havent had years of suckdome as you put it.

[DawgSaint]

Chill, dude. Nobody is happy with this year or finds it acceptable. But one down year doesn't equate to a down program. If the problems persist next year, there is a serious problem and will be calls for a change. As of now, it's just one down year.

In SEVEN years Cohen's team got hot one season for three weeks. How many Regionals have we hosted in those 7 years? Supers? A down year at Mississippi State should be when we don't host! This is not a down year...this is a pathetic year! This program has EVERYTHING it needs to succeed!

[Quaoarsking]

Last year we had our best SEC record since Polk's first stint.

Two years ago we were #2 in the country.

2012-14 was our best 3-year stretch in the SEC (counting Hoover) since 1988-90.

[Bully13]

In SEVEN years Cohen's team got hot one season for three weeks. How many Regionals have we hosted in those 7 years? Supers? A down year at Mississippi State should be when we don't host! This is not a down year...this is a pathetic year! This program has EVERYTHING it needs to succeed!

Preach on Saint... Cohen's shit ain't cuttin' it . this is NOT what we signed him on to do.. . his history is NOT what the deal was supposed to be. maybe we should hire the ARK PINE BLUFF coach who KICKED OUR ASS.. we need an ASS KICKER... not A DUMBASS who calls a 2 OUT STEAL from 2nd to third when you TOP hitter is at the plate. that was the dumbest call in the history of baseball..

Cohen is on crack..

[DawgSaint]

Last year we had our best SEC record since Polk's first stint. DIDN'T HOST

Two years ago we were #2 in the country. Got hot 3 weeks!

2012-14 was our best 3-year stretch in the SEC (counting Hoover) since 1988-90. Guess We Should Hang That Banner on the Stadium

[Homedawg]

Guess We Should Hang That Banner on the Stadium

I'm glad getting hot 3 weeks is meaningless. And we have been to 2 supers in the previous 4 years. Haven't missed a regional. Get to post season and hope you get hot. Yes hosting is a goal. However, it's not failure of you don't.

[Homedawg]

If one wants to really examine our host history- look how many times we hosted during the poll regime that we were the one seed. Thays how many times you host today- a 1 seed or you hit the road as a rule. So in 85, 89 and 97 we were the 1 seed.sorry left off 79. 4 times in his tenure we would have hosted today. And no, I'm not a polk hater, just giving a fair comparison.

[Coach34]

We used to host alot in Polk's day even when we didnt deserve it because the hosts were based on money. Thats not a factor anymore. We would have hosted alot less had these guidelines been in place years ago

We had a great 3 year run. This year is unacceptable. Cohen either fixes it next year or he needs to go

[Homedawg]

We hosted 2 times in the 80's where we would be host today, 85 and 89. And no one gave two shits about baseball then for the most part. Just the truth.

[Todd4State]

We hosted 2 times in the 80's where we would be host today, 85 and 89. And no one gave two shits about baseball then for the most part. Just the truth.

Yep. For example we hosted in 1987 even though we were the last team in the SEC Tournament and had to WIN the SEC Tournament just to get a bid.

[sandwolf]

Two years ago we were #2 in the country. Got hot 3 weeks!

You lose all credibility when you try to use the best season in our program's history against Cohen. We didn't just inexplicably get hot for the last 3 weeks of the season.....we were a 1 seed that won 51 games (the same number of wins that Vanderbilt had last year as the CWS Champs). This year is completely inexcusable, but you look like an idiot when you try to belittle the 2013 season.

[Bully13]

ok, .. let's just accept that Cohen is God's Gift to College Baseball and accept everything he has to offer..

FUK us and the fans. just take every piece of 17ing shit he has to offer.....

just bend over and like it....


makes everything easy... how does it feel sliding in?

[Coach34]

now you go off completely in the other direction- nobody is happy about this season- but before this year- things were going very well. Calling the best season in school history a "hot 3 weeks" is still stupid.

[smootness]

ok, .. let's just accept that Cohen is God's Gift to College Baseball and accept everything he has to offer..

FUK us and the fans. just take every piece of 17ing shit he has to offer.....

just bend over and like it....


makes everything easy... how does it feel sliding in?

Congrats, you've completely gone off the rails.

[HSVDawg]

now you go off completely in the other direction- nobody is happy about this season- but before this year- things were going very well. Calling the best season in school history a "hot 3 weeks" is still stupid.

No shit. That 2013 team won what, 52 games? Lost only 5 nonconference games all year (3 of those were in the postseason). Hosted a regional. Its not like we were that Villanova basketball team in the mid 80's that won it all as a 9 seed. We were one of the top 10 teams in the country even before we went on our "3 week hot streak". Saying that we just got hot for 3 weeks is some of the most ignorant bullshit thats ever been posted here or on any other MSU message board.

[DawgSaint]

You lose all credibility when you try to use the best season in our program's history against Cohen. We didn't just inexplicably get hot for the last 3 weeks of the season.....we were a 1 seed that won 51 games (the same number of wins that Vanderbilt had last year as the CWS Champs). This year is completely inexcusable, but you look like an idiot when you try to belittle the 2013 season.

Nobody is "belittling" anything! However, with the tradition this program has that season should have been a springboard to launch us higher than ever before. Rather here we are two years later with losses to the likes of Ark Pine Bluff and attempting to steal 3rd with 2 outs and a 1 run lead.

[BulldogBear]

There are twice as many regionals now as there were in the 80s. Y'all are too quick to say we wouldn't host this year or that year. Who else was going to with 16 instead of 8? If we had a pulse...not many.

[sandwolf]

Nobody is "belittling" anything! However, with the tradition this program has that season should have been a springboard to launch us higher than ever before. Rather here we are two years later with losses to the likes of Ark Pine Bluff and attempting to steal 3rd with 2 outs and a 1 run lead.

When you say, "Got hot 3 weeks!" you are obviously trying to belittle an overall great season. Now, the point you make in this post is fair, and I tend to agree with it.

[State82]

The only route to regional play will be to win the SEC Tourney. The only way to win the SEC Tourney is to, well, make it to Hoover for starters. The whole focus for this team and staff for the next 3 weeks needs to be on making Hoover. Do whatever it takes, pull every string, coaching move/decision, scouting report, etc. just to get there and maybe save face. Our chances of playing in a regional are not much better than me picking a perfect NCAA tournament bracket, but, whatever, it has to start in Hoover. Which has to start this Thursday night.

[DawgSaint]

When you say, "Got hot 3 weeks!" you are obviously trying to belittle an overall great season. Now, the point you make in this post is fair, and I tend to agree with it.

Look...I'll admit saying "getting hot for 3 weeks" is not exactly true. However, I still believe it somewhat. Why? If you remember walking out of Dudy Noble after we lost the "Sunday Champ" game (had to be beaten twice) it didn't look good to get out of our only hosted regional under Cohen. We had already lost a series at Home to the same team. So essentially they had beaten us 3 out of 4 at Dudy Noble. Even though this was our "greatest" season under Cohen it still wasn't enough to host Supers. So, yea we did get hot for 3 weeks! Virginia was a better team than us. Very few would argue that. However, we were the better team that weekend. Then we get to Omaha and draw Oregeon State. They were the favorite to win it all. We beat teams during that 3 weeks stretch that were much more talented than we were. Of course, I will agree who cares you got the job done. The problem is there is simply no excuse two years after that run to be where we sit tonight...none!

[Todd4State]

Look...I'll admit saying "getting hot for 3 weeks" is not exactly true. However, I still believe it somewhat. Why? If you remember walking out of Dudy Noble after we lost the "Sunday Champ" game (had to be beaten twice) it didn't look good to get out of our only hosted regional under Cohen. We had already lost a series at Home to the same team. So essentially they had beaten us 3 out of 4 at Dudy Noble. Even though this was our "greatest" season under Cohen it still wasn't enough to host Supers. So, yea we did get hot for 3 weeks! Virginia was a better team than us. Very few would argue that. However, we were the better team that weekend. Then we get to Omaha and draw Oregeon State. They were the favorite to win it all. We beat teams during that 3 weeks stretch that were much more talented than we were. Of course, I will agree who cares you got the job done. The problem is there is simply no excuse two years after that run to be where we sit tonight...none!

Ummm.....technically we split the season with Central Arkansas. And that was obviously a good team. And I don't know about Virginia- we pretty much kicked their ass on the road. Oregon State may have been favored, but we were better than they were that year. I wasn't surprised at all when we beat them twice.

[DistrictDawg92]

Look...I'll admit saying "getting hot for 3 weeks" is not exactly true. However, I still believe it somewhat. Why? If you remember walking out of Dudy Noble after we lost the "Sunday Champ" game (had to be beaten twice) it didn't look good to get out of our only hosted regional under Cohen. We had already lost a series at Home to the same team. So essentially they had beaten us 3 out of 4 at Dudy Noble. Even though this was our "greatest" season under Cohen it still wasn't enough to host Supers. So, yea we did get hot for 3 weeks! Virginia was a better team than us. Very few would argue that. However, we were the better team that weekend. Then we get to Omaha and draw Oregeon State. They were the favorite to win it all. We beat teams during that 3 weeks stretch that were much more talented than we were. Of course, I will agree who cares you got the job done. The problem is there is simply no excuse two years after that run to be where we sit tonight...none!

In 2013 we had shut down pitching, and shut down pitching will keep you in the game against anyone. Yes, some of the teams we beat in the postseason that year may have been more "talented" than us, but if you're pitching is shutting down the other teams hitters, you have a great chance to win. It's kinda like Jackie's good teams, our offenses were never flashy and may have been less talented than other teams, but our defense was shut down and gave us a chance to win every game.

[Todd4State]

In 2013 we had shut down pitching, and shut down pitching will keep you in the game against anyone. Yes, some of the teams we beat in the postseason that year may have been more "talented" than us, but if you're pitching is shutting down the other teams hitters, you have a great chance to win. It's kinda like Jackie's good teams, our offenses were never flashy and may have been less talented than other teams, but our defense was shut down and gave us a chance to win every game.

Girodo coming on at the end of the year was a huge difference between the first time we played Central Arkansas and when we played them in a regional. I remember saying on this board that the best way to shut down a small ball team like that was with a power arm and just overpower them and keep them off base. Girodo pitched like he had a power arm against them for sure.

As far as defense though- we had a BIG weakness at third base. Detz was below average. And Frost could get to most of the balls that were hit to him- but his arm was a huge liability. It took everything he had to get it across the diamond. And even then thank God Wes Rea is a good defender and scoop it. It was a big issue against UCLA because they liked to bunt so much- and everyone knew where they were going to try to bunt the ball to.

[RBritt]

Girodo, Graveman, Latino Heat, holder, and Ross were all clutch. Renfroe, Frazier, Rea, and Henderson all provided some clutch hits and D. That team did way more than be hot for 3 weeks. Technically we were hot for Carolina series, Sec tourney, our regional, Uva super, and first week of Omaha.

[Homedawg]

There are twice as many regionals now as there were in the 80s. Y'all are too quick to say we wouldn't host this year or that year. Who else was going to with 16 instead of 8? If we had a pulse...not many.

Yes there were twice as many. However when you are a 3 seed like we were in 87 it's not hard to do the math. As for 84 and 88, I believe we were a 2 seed in 84 to North Carolina. And 88 likewise a 2 to texS a&m but. So no guarantees on either.