As good as this team is- winning a Regional is going to be tough

[Coach34]

Our bullpen is garbage. Mental midgets and inexperience abound in the bottom half of our pitching staff. Yes- we beat Fla in Game 3 and that was huge- but the other 5 weekends we just look like plain shit in Game 3 of series.

Its can be done- but it is going to be tough. This team is similar to alot of Polk's older teams from the 70's and 80's. Good hitting, 2 really good SP's, a good RP, and a crapshoot from there.

We cant win a Game 3 of a series- who in the hell would we throw in a Game 4?

[Tripp McNeely]

Schizophrenic fanbase

[msstate7]

Game 1 -- pilkington vs 4-seed
Game 2 -- Hudson
Game 3 -- sexton

[lefty96]

Schizophrenic fanbase

It is a fair assessment. I was just thinking the same thing myself. Great team, maybe not a great tournament team.

[Coach34]

Schizophrenic fanbase

We are 1-5 on Sunday...We also lost to Fla Atl in Game 3 and tied a bad Oklahoma team in Game 3 of a weekend

Those are just facts

[Coach34]

Game 1 -- pilkington vs 4-seed
Game 2 -- Hudson
Game 3 -- sexton

unless we play a SWAC- there is no way Pilk starts Game 1 of a Regional

[klong-dog]

Boy Houston definitely seems to fit the category as a mental midget. So much potential to be dominant.

[the59dawg]

Our bullpen is garbage. Mental midgets and inexperience abound in the bottom half of our pitching staff. Yes- we beat Fla in Game 3 and that was huge- but the other 5 weekends we just look like plain shit in Game 3 of series.

Its can be done- but it is going to be tough. This team is similar to alot of Polk's older teams from the 70's and 80's. Good hitting, 2 really good SP's, a good RP, and a crapshoot from there.

We cant win a Game 3 of a series- who in the hell would we throw in a Game 4?

Agree completely. Reliefers look scared out there. I don't know of that really good reliever on this team. Hump can close with 3 out or less.

[PassInterference]

No pitching depth.

We're a good team. We're not a dominant team.

[Dawg61]

Start Hump vs the 4th seed. We need to give him a couple tries as a starter before then though.

[HSVDawg]

Game 1 -- pilkington vs 4-seed
Game 2 -- Hudson
Game 3 -- sexton

This is pretty much our only path out of the first weekend, I think. That is why hosting as a #1 seed is very important for this team.

[msstate7]

Even if we go Hudson/sexton in games 1-2 and win, it would be our #3 vs a team's 4. If that team beat our 3, they would have to turn around and beat us with their 5th starter to win regional. I'm not near as nervous as you guys

[BossDawg]

I don't know. I think our bullpen has the talent and ability, and I'm thinking (well, hoping) they'll get better as the season goes on.

[99jc]

I disagree c34 we are made for regional play....take a drink!

[MarketingBully]

I don't think it's the pitching that screws us on Sunday's. That 4 spot that LSU put up in the fourth inning was a direct result of shitty infield play. It's our mantality on Sunday's after taking the first two games. We just seem to lose focus in the field once we have won the series. I don't think we will have that same mantality in regional play.

[MafiaDawg]

I don't know. I think our bullpen has the talent and ability, and I'm thinking (well, hoping) they'll get better as the season goes on.

The reg season is about 75% over. Running out of time.

[Saltydog]

I don't see it. We don't have a lock down closer, our bp is young, we have a 3b that is error prone and our ace (at least recently) is getting his brains beat in and we don't have a reliable 3rd or 4th SP. Yes, we have a solid lineup 1-9 but not sure this team is mentally tough enough to close things out in a regional against good teams.

[msstate7]

I don't see it. We don't have a lock down closer, our bp is young, we have a 3b that is error prone and our ace (at least recently) is getting his brains beat in and we don't have a reliable 3rd or 4th SP. Yes, we have a solid lineup 1-9 but not sure this team is mentally tough enough to close things out in a regional against good teams.

You don't go to vandy, Florida, and lsu and win series without being mentally tough. When a Sunday win was required to win a series, we beat perhaps the best team in the country (Florida). I'm not sure what our problem is with sweeping teams, but we're a good, maybe really good team

[LC Dawg]

Even if we go Hudson/sexton in games 1-2 and win, it would be our #3 vs a team's 4. If that team beat our 3, they would have to turn around and beat us with their 5th starter to win regional. I'm not near as nervous as you guys
This is the way I also feel. If we win the first two games of a regional I think we'll be fine. If we lose one of the first two we will probably be in trouble.

[maroonmania]

The ironic part is that Cohen specifically puts emphasis allotting the scholly money in order to have pitching depth. Yet, we still don't have it. Our defense is average at best as well. I'm tickled with the progress we've made since last year but we will be vulnerable in a regional probably even moreso than a Super regional.

[Coach34]

We've got a month for some of these pitchers to get it figured out. But time is running out

[basedog]

Competition in the Sec is brutal, winning two this weekend was huge. Sweeps are tough against top 10 teams on the road.

I'm pretty happy about winning two, yes 3 would have been nice.

[Tbonewannabe]

Improved offense gives us a chance against anyone. We get Robson back and we can be dangerous.

[Brando]

Game 1 -- pilkington vs 4-seed
Game 2 -- Hudson
Game 3 -- sexton

Exactly what I was thinking...

[aerodawg]

I disagree c34 we are made for regional play....take a drink!

I would feel confident in a Regional and Super Regional format. Wouldn't waste money on the trip to Omaha though.

[HSVDawg]

unless we play a SWAC- there is no way Pilk starts Game 1 of a Regional

Pilk has gradually gotten better each outing except for last week against A&M, and even then we had a pretty quick hook. I think by the end of the year he will be somewhat reliable. I definitely don't want us to burn Hudson or Sexton against Middle Tennessee State or some other slap dick team like Polk did in '03 with Maholm.

[Coach34]

I would feel confident in a Regional and Super Regional format. Wouldn't waste money on the trip to Omaha though.

Omaha would easier on our pitching than a Regional or Super. You dont play everyday in Omaha

[raymond21]

O
Our bullpen is garbage. Mental midgets and inexperience abound in the bottom half of our pitching staff. Yes- we beat Fla in Game 3 and that was huge- but the other 5 weekends we just look like plain shit in Game 3 of series.

Its can be done- but it is going to be tough. This team is similar to alot of Polk's older teams from the 70's and 80's. Good hitting, 2 really good SP's, a good RP, and a crapshoot from there.

We cant win a Game 3 of a series- who in the hell would we throw in a Game 4?

[raymond21]

Bullpen is nothing short of embarrassing. What the hell has happened to Houston and Young? With the struggles of Rigby in his last three outings, we have zero SEC pitchers in the bullpen

[Coach34]

Pilk has gradually gotten better each outing except for last week against A&M, and even then we had a pretty quick hook.

Pilk has 4.1 IP in his last 2 starts with 6 ER's allowed. We arent starting him in Game 1 of a Regional against someone's Ace unless it's a Swac team.

[preachermatt83]

We will be fine in a regional.

[Coach34]

We will be fine in a regional.

based on what?

[Todd4State]

We've got a month for some of these pitchers to get it figured out. But time is running out

We need Houston to take the mantle for the third spot.

The good news is whomever we face in a regional probably isn't going to be SEC good. See Pilkington's performance against a good USM team this year.

Now if we are fortunate enough to get to a SR and no one steps up and takes the third spot- that could be a huge issue for sure.

[Todd4State]

Bullpen is nothing short of embarrassing. What the hell has happened to Houston and Young? With the struggles of Rigby in his last three outings, we have zero SEC pitchers in the bullpen

I don't think Houston is a relief pitcher. And our coaches need to come to grips with it. They also need to come to grips with the fact that Pilkington isn't read to be a SEC weekend guy yet.

Young just needs to trust his stuff. When he challenges hitters, he is usually successful.

[preachermatt83]

based on what?

The fact that we have only one series in the SEC. We won't be playing teams like Florida, Vandy, LSU, and aTm in the regional.

[preachermatt83]

We need Houston to take the mantle for the third spot.

The good news is whomever we face in a regional probably isn't going to be SEC good. See Pilkington's performance against a good USM team this year.

Now if we are fortunate enough to get to a SR and no one steps up and takes the third spot- that could be a huge issue for sure.

^^THIS

[Coach34]

The fact that we have only one series in the SEC. We won't be playing teams like Florida, Vandy, LSU, and aTm in the regional.

but we are going to be facing most likely a top 32 team in Game 3. And that means we have to have a big game from Pilk. Monroe held us scoreless for 13 innings the other nite. Other teams do have some bullpen pitching

[Tripp McNeely]

Game 1 -- pilkington vs 4-seed
Game 2 -- Hudson
Game 3 -- sexton

^^^^ This

[Jack Lambert]

Game 1 -- pilkington vs 4-seed
Game 2 -- Hudson
Game 3 -- sexton

You pitch your best two the first two games and get into the winner bracket and rest.

[bulldogcountry1]

Start Ryan Cyr in game 1.

[Homedawg]

Start Ryan Cyr in game 1.

Cyr has been very good in his outings. Problem is he isn't on sec rosters....therefore, unless something changes, one would presume he won't be on regional roster either barring an injury.

[bulldogcountry1]

Cyr has been very good in his outings. Problem is he isn't on sec rosters....therefore, unless something changes, one would presume he won't be on regional roster either barring an injury.

Is the regional roster that same as NCAA? If so, I can think of a pitcher or two that can make room for him.

[preachermatt83]

Breax making sec roster and Cyr not is just dumb.

[Johnson85]

Omaha would easier on our pitching than a Regional or Super. You dont play everyday in Omaha

??? Isn't a Super just a three game series? That seems like the best scenario for our pitching. Granted, it puts a lot of pressure on us to win when Hudson and Sexton pitch, but we've been pretty good at grabbing at least two out of three so far.

[aerodawg]

Still not enough time for your best starters to play two full games like we need. Just look to our last Omaha trip. We had deeper pitching then, although it was kinda skewed more towards our bullpen rather than our starters, but we still struggled putting people that were fresh and ready for the mound against UCLA. Typically your Sunday and Midweek guy has to see the mound in the CWS and frankly I don't really see any way in hell they standup against any of the other top 8 teams. If we somehow beat Ole Miss this Tuesday, I will feel much better about it.

[BB30]

This team is better than given credit. You don't just waltz into Gainsville, Nashville, and Baton Rouge and take the series very often if ever. There are some question marks in our staff but there are also a lot of guys that on any given day have the stuff to be absolutely dominant. I think we will be more than ok in regional and super regional play. The CWS could get tricky if we make it there. Out of the A&M,UF,Vandy, and LSU series the A&M series is the clear outlier. They were just extremely hot that weekend and hit everything. Hopefully someone steps up and figures the Sunday gig out. As for making Houston the starter I don't know if I agree with that. He has not pitched well in either role and I think he just mentally does not have it. If you start him you very well could dig yourself a 4-5 run hole in the first inning and have to rely on an unproven pen to keep you in the game. I think the Sunday game you have to run someone out there who is going to fill the zone up and give you a chance to make it to the 3rd-5th inning and then pitch by committee and hope for the best. It is a lot harder to string 4-6 hits together than it is to walk 2 and get a hit, walk 2 get a hit.

[Political Hack]

Game 1 -- pilkington vs 4-seed
Game 2 -- Hudson
Game 3 -- sexton

Yep. I can see that working. I'm more worried about the SECT rotation.