MSU-Vandy Game 3

[Offshore Dawg]

Well, our coach played to win one game instead of the series, so that's exactly what's going to happen.

He played the hand he was dealt based on weak hitting

[Bulldog1]

Absolutely no reason you burn Sims last night up 7-1. That was stupid.

[msstate7]

I do think lemonis screwed up last night using sims, which led to having to extend guys today. With that said, he's a good coach. I'm happy with him.

[Saltydog]

To me, bringing in Sims was playing scared. It just was.

[KOdawg1]

I don't think Lemonis is a bad coach. I just think he makes some stupid ass decisions and has the tendency to leave guys in too long.

[Activated Alpha]

So about our elite bullpen, just can?t have bad days against good teams

[magrooder]

To me, bringing in Sims was playing scared. It just was.

I think it was wanting to beat Leiter so bad he used Sims instead of trying to save him for when he was really needed.

[EdwardDrayton]

Let’s hold our water men; no need to try and place blame. Vandy and Arky a little better than we are right now. Let’s be satisfied with one win on the road against #2 and move on. We’re on track for Omaha and we have plenty of time left to tighten up the loose ends to make the run for a national championship. Hailstate!

[Bothrops]

If we make it to Omaha it will have to be the easiest route. The team has improved some but still a ways to go.

[magrooder]

Wise move pulling the guy that's been on base all day for someone that is hitting 212. I just don't understand this shit.

[Really Clark?]

I think it was wanting to beat Leiter so bad he used Sims instead of trying to save him for when he was really needed.

I don’t think that was it at all. I think the thought was to bring Sims in for 2 outs and no runs in a very high leverage situation then pull him. 6 run lead with 6 outs needed at that point is much more doable from the rest of the pen. Then Sims is available today as well for an inning or two if needed. It didn’t work out as Sims didn’t execute well to start and they scored. Now, did Sims have enough time to get ready properly? That’s a whole different coaching discussion

[Bdawg]

We have to extend guys today bc of no sims. This game was lost last night when we played to win 1 game

I hear you but if we are soooo elite then Sims can't be the only guy. Guess let we are missing Smith too. Hope that wasn't disciplinary reasons for Smith cause that has hurt.

[magrooder]

Hatcher just gets up there and swings at EVERY F'N PITCH

[Percho]

Hatcher missed that last one by more than 18 inches

[KOdawg1]

Why in the hell would you pinch hit Skinner for Cumbest who has reached base 3 times today?

[magrooder]

I don’t think that was it at all. I think the thought was to bring Sims in for 2 outs and no runs in a very high leverage situation then pull him. 6 run lead with 6 outs needed at that point is much more doable from the rest of the pen. Then Sims is available today as well for an inning or two if needed. It didn’t work out as Sims didn’t execute well to start and they scored. Now, did Sims have enough time to get ready properly? That’s a whole different coaching discussion

I guess you may be right about that.

[Bdawg]

Does not appear like the dawgs have the best bullpen in college baseball

What I say too. If they are so elite l, why aren't we using them.

[basedog]

Vandy and Arkansas are just better. Not by much but they just are.

Funny how almost everyone was saying we hoped to win one game and now we are losing and it’s Lemonis fault. Please!

Btw, we had our chances early in the game, we left way to many on base.

But yes our starting pitchers have to be better and extend innings pitched.

I’m betting we will be ok from here on out. Playing #2 on the road and winning one ain’t the end of our season.

[WeWonItAll(Most)]

What does Cumbest have to do to establish himself in the lineup? One of few players hitting over .300. On base twice today with a hit against a righty, and still gets PH for a guy who's largely looked clueless at the plate this weekend.

[magrooder]

That was strike 4, F this ump

[Really Clark?]

Vandy and Arkansas are just better. Not by much but they just are.

Funny how almost everyone was saying we hoped to win one game and now we are losing and it?s Lemonis fault. Please!

Btw, we had our chances early in the game, we left way to many on base.

But yes our starting pitchers have to be better and extend innings pitched.

I?m betting we will be ok from here on out. Playing #2 on the road and winning one ain?t the end of our season.

This^

Our pitching is still elite, but Vandy can really hit and as of right now the are hitting like .215 for the weekend against our pitching. About 90 points below their avg for the year. Walks and bad timing on errors have hurt us more than them hitting us.

[magrooder]

Error making machines

[msstate7]

Error making machines

Who cares? This game was over at 5-4

[Saltydog]

This^

Our pitching is still elite, but Vandy can really hit and as of right now the are hitting like .215 for the weekend against our pitching. About 90 points below their avg for the year. Walks and bad timing on errors have hurt us more than them hitting us.

Our pitching is good but by no means is it "elite". I keep hearing that word used and early in the year I would've agreed w/you but the last month we have been so, so. Our pitching staff is good, not great and by no means "elite".

[msstate7]

1 more shot. Come on dawgs... at least get tying run to plate

[Cooterpoot]

I'm going to say something that will get some groans, but Foxhall is overrated. He gets some talent, but he babies his pitchers and then leaves them in. I'm not sure we have more than two pitchers can can got through a lineup twice.

[KOdawg1]

Let's see if they're dumb enough to throw Kam a fastball

[Saltydog]

Vandy and Arkansas are just better. Not by much but they just are.

Funny how almost everyone was saying we hoped to win one game and now we are losing and it?s Lemonis fault. Please!

Btw, we had our chances early in the game, we left way to many on base.

But yes our starting pitchers have to be better and extend innings pitched.

I?m betting we will be ok from here on out. Playing #2 on the road and winning one ain?t the end of our season.

Yes, they are. Then you have us, USC, UM, UF and UT.

[KOdawg1]

Haha James is so bad right now

[msstate7]

Our pitching is good but by no means is it "elite". I keep hearing that word used and early in the year I would've agreed w/you but the last month we have been so, so. Our pitching staff is good, not great and by no means "elite".

Well who is elite? 3rd in sec in era, 1st in Ks, 2nd in opposing BA

[maroonmania]

So we only scored 1 run on a Sunday after the first inning? That won't win many rubber games.

[Maroonthirteen]

Oh well. Frustrating to lose that game after the fast start but not a bad weekend for State.

Take 1 and compete very well in the other two. Onward to the next one and get better for the NCAAs.

[Bulldog1]

Well who is elite? 3rd in sec in era, 1st in Ks, 2nd in opposing BA

Sims skews our bullpen's numbers

[msstate7]

Sims skews our bullpen's numbers

Does kumar and leiter skew vandy's?

[Really Clark?]

Our pitching is good but by no means is it "elite". I keep hearing that word used and early in the year I would've agreed w/you but the last month we have been so, so. Our pitching staff is good, not great and by no means "elite".

I mean I guess if you specify certain criteria you might be right and we are not perfect, but overall when you are talking staff if we are not elite then not many are. We just held the best hitting team in the league to like a .215 avg for the weekend and struck them out 39 times. That’s around 10% of all of their K’s this season happened this weekend.

[Saltydog]

Look how much the ERA has jumped since we've gotten deep into league play over the last month. What starter do you have confidence in being able to give you 5-6 or more strong innings when they take the hill?

[Bulldog1]

From sps:

James, Skinner, Hatcher, and Forsythe: 9 for last 80

[Really Clark?]

Sims skews our bullpen's numbers

He is still part of the bullpen that helps make it elite? I don’t understand that argument. But we have a lot of guys who avg above a K per inning.

[basedog]

Not blaming any one player or two but James had a terrible weekend. Hancock is somewhat productive but he isn?t hitting the ball hard. Hatcher, well it seems to be way more than a slump! Skinner isn?t a Sec everyday play.

Our pitching wasn?t terrible against maybe the best or second best team in the country. We didn?t clutch hit enough today and errors hurt us today. Fristoe will be good in time, Bednar is our best starter, Damn I wish Certania was what we hoped he would be!

We got a chance to win every series the rest of the way. Not sure we will but maybe we can get another sweep.

Regardless this team want quit!

[Bulldog1]

Not having B Smith hurt us too. He could have pitched last night instead of Sims

[Bdawg]

From sps:

James, Skinner, Hatcher, and Forsythe: 9 for last 80

That's tough. Like I said before, 3 hole guy can't be that bad for the weekend. He's got to figure it out. Cumbest looked steady and patient at the plate today. He deserves time over Skinner right now. Forsythe has to play. Can't remember the kids name but maybe he should get some playing time at first. Commerce mentioned him earlier.

[R2Dawg]

So about our elite bullpen, just can?t have bad days against good teams

If you don't use all your bullpen doesn't matter how good you are. We made decisions like we had no one else to pitch all weekend. Left Mac and Fristoe in too long.

[The Federalist Engineer]

From sps:

James, Skinner, Hatcher, and Forsythe: 9 for last 80

James is the key man to fix, he has to hit. Seems Ole Miss and Vandy found his kryptonite. He is looking like Reid Humphries lately.

Forsythe is a freshman, gotta pay the price for his glove because the next man up at SS was bad defensively. Doesn’t Leggett play SS?

Skinner, Hatcher, and Hancock are matchup guys. They should be on a platoon with Cumbest and McDonald.

[Commercecomet24]

We're 9-3 in our last 4 sec series, we've got some warts just like every team in the country. Watch other teams around the country and you'll find out how good we really are. It's the reason we're ranked so high because compared to other teams around the country we're that good. Yeah we've got stuff to work on but all in all we're playing pretty well.

[Bdawg]

We're 9-3 in our last 4 sec series, we've got some warts just like every team in the country. Watch other teams around the country and you'll find out how good we really are. It's the reason we're ranked so high because compared to other teams around the country we're that good. Yeah we've got stuff to work on but all in all we're playing pretty well.

We are playing fairly well but our averages up and down the lineup doesn't scream championship team. I thought the cumbest change was warranted and I think Clark to first is warranted. And if our pen is so good and deep, why were we so slow to go to it today? Lastly, Geatreau(sp) needs to get James back on track if he's our 3 hole guy. Just seems like a lot of holes to me to be elite. But maybe like you said, other clubs are just not as good as us.

[HoopsDawg]

1. Cumbest needs to be in the lineup everyday. Of course I've been saying this since early March

2. James and GoTro are going to have to get in the lab and figure out a plan agains the curveball b/c he is not going to see many fastballs going forward

3. Time to play Clark at 1B. By the Regionals, he will be able to help us and he can run into a pitch for a homer

4. Need to have a plan for Sundays and I think that plan should be to pull Fristoe after 1 trip thru the order. If our bullpen is our strength, then let's use it.

[StarkVegasSteve]

1. Cumbest needs to be in the lineup everyday. Of course I've been saying this since early March

2. James and GoTro are going to have to get in the lab and figure out a plan agains the curveball b/c he is not going to see many fastballs going forward

3. Time to play Clark at 1B. By the Regionals, he will be able to help us and he can run into a pitch for a homer

4. Need to have a plan for Sundays and I think that plan should be to pull Fristoe after 1 trip thru the order. If our bullpen is our strength, then let's use it.

This is probably our best bet. Let him go through the lineup one time, let Harding go through it one time, and then have some sort of combo of Simmons/Smith/Stinnett/Tullar/Tepper to be able to bridge you to Landon for the 9th.

[msstate7]

1. Cumbest needs to be in the lineup everyday. Of course I've been saying this since early March

2. James and GoTro are going to have to get in the lab and figure out a plan agains the curveball b/c he is not going to see many fastballs going forward

3. Time to play Clark at 1B. By the Regionals, he will be able to help us and he can run into a pitch for a homer

4. Need to have a plan for Sundays and I think that plan should be to pull Fristoe after 1 trip thru the order. If our bullpen is our strength, then let's use it.

I like the 1-time thru plan for fristoe. The problem is coaches always fall for the he's-in-a-groove, and then before you know it, we're in a bind. Gotta have the discipline to stick with the plan

[R2Dawg]

I like the 1-time thru plan for fristoe. The problem is coaches always fall for the he's-in-a-groove, and then before you know it, we're in a bind. Gotta have the discipline to stick with the plan

That is exactly what happened Sunday. We were up big, Fristoe was in a groove and they said hey lets try it. I was fine with that until he got in trouble, the meeting on the mound should have been the change but we stayed with it and cost us 3 runs and maybe the game in one decision.

We have the arms to go one inning at a time if we need to. Vandy pulled their starter in middle of first inning. That was the game.