Tonights loss

[maroonmania]

Seth Heck stepped up with his 3 K's.

Yep, it was a total team loss tonight. Biggest lesson is that there is no excuse for scheduling this many SWAC games. Nothing good can come from scheduling a lot of games where there is nothing to gain and a lot to lose. This was our 4th SWAC game (would have been the 5th without a weather cancellation). Two is the absolute max we should be scheduling in that league.

[Todd4State]

Yep, it was a total team loss tonight. Biggest lesson is that there is no excuse for scheduling this many SWAC games. Nothing good can come from scheduling a lot of games where there is nothing to gain and a lot to lose. This was our 4th SWAC game (would have been the 5th without a weather cancellation). Two is the absolute max we should be scheduling in that league.

I agree. I would much rather have played Delta State because then we wouldn't have the RPI hit if we lose to them and by playing them we get to do the same things that we would normally do against a SWAC team.

And I would only play Delta State twice.

[msstate7]

What about Tulane, ull, la tech, etc? Why aren't we playing teams like this?

[maroonmania]

What about Tulane, ull, la tech, etc? Why aren't we playing teams like this?

I don't know. Some have said we had a real scheduling problem when we pulled out of the tournament in Houston.

[Smitty]

Quit with the speeeeeed shit Todd we need players that can HIT! Or woukd you have us teach Brandon Holloway how to bunt. "Speed" is way down the list on what hitters need and your continued insistence on either power or "speed" is pre-Vietnam baseball thinking.

Speed... Damn.

Heck Collins Smith Hump Rooker Rea hit 1-6. Then plug in your Gridleys Vickersons Robsons Hollands.

When I said this is the most unknown team we've had in recent memory.... Yeah. Can we hit great or suck, we still don't know.

[GreenheadDawg]

Yep, it was a total team loss tonight. Biggest lesson is that there is no excuse for scheduling this many SWAC games. Nothing good can come from scheduling a lot of games where there is nothing to gain and a lot to lose. This was our 4th SWAC game (would have been the 5th without a weather cancellation). Two is the absolute max we should be scheduling in that league.

Hold on. Is APB in the SWAC? Please tell me they're not.

[Skydawg1]

Hold on. Is APB in the SWAC? Please tell me they're not.

If you watched the game on SEC+ you may not believe they are in the SWAC, but they are.

[Todd4State]

What about Tulane, ull, la tech, etc? Why aren't we playing teams like this?

It's fine to play teams like that too- but every team plays a few SWAC caliber teams. Those teams are a lot better than a SWAC team with the exception of maybe La Tech. La Tech wouldn't really help us out that much. The other two would be fine.

[Todd4State]

Quit with the speeeeeed shit Todd we need players that can HIT! Or woukd you have us teach Brandon Holloway how to bunt. "Speed" is way down the list on what hitters need and your continued insistence on either power or "speed" is pre-Vietnam baseball thinking.

Speed... Damn.

Heck Collins Smith Hump Rooker Rea hit 1-6. Then plug in your Gridleys Vickersons Robsons Hollands.

When I said this is the most unknown team we've had in recent memory.... Yeah. Can we hit great or suck, we still don't know.

Go to bed.

Probably shouldn't do this- but I don't want either/or- I want BOTH power and speed. If that's pre-Viet Nam baseball thinking, speed wouldn't be one of the five tools that scouts look for.

[Todd4State]

I don't know. Some have said we had a real scheduling problem when we pulled out of the tournament in Houston.

Well, the NOLA Tournament folding hurt maybe more. But where the Houston Tournament comes in is that tournament is a lot more stable- and thus less likely to fold than a first year tournament.

We replaced the Houston Tournament with San Diego- a typically solid mid major, as they may be this year. But when the NOLA Tournament folded about a year ago we had to scramble and we ended up with Alabama A&M and Marshall.

[preachermatt83]

We've played 14 games. If this was game 50, you might have a point. I'm not trying to argue that we are a power club- but I am saying that the power that we do have has been out a lot this first month.

What we are intended to be is a team that has 4-5 power guys and 4-5 speed guys. We need both Humphreys and Rooker in the lineup the majority of the time.

It should be:

C- Collins
1B- Rea
2B- Gridley
3B- Spruill
SS- Heck
LF- Humphreys
CF- Robson
RF- Vickerson/Smith
DH- Rooker

I think RF should be a platoon of Brown/Vickerson... Im just not nearly as high on Smith as some of you guys are. In all but 1 of his ab's this year he has looked completely lost. Cody Brown is a ball player.

[I seen it dawg]

When I say every ****ing game matters, every at bat, every pitch….. Its nights like tonight that I look to!

Inexcusable and lets start at the top. Reynolds has a hole in his swing. Get him out of the damn lineup. Rooker! Where are you! We KNOW who can hit for power put them in the lineup! Is Gridley, Robson, or Vickerson a 1-5 SEC hitter? No. Stop the bullshit Cohen. Don't **** around for one game, don't give one inch or you get the shit like tonight.

Ohhhhh Fitts is our clooooooooooser so we HAVE to bring him in there.. WRONG. Fitts is not the K guy we've had the last 2 years.

Horrible strikeouts tonight.. We thought we were so badass we could roll up and rope a shitty team, got away from an approach, and ****ing sucked.

Why couldn't Smith DH? Start? He did this weekend…

****

Well that's been brewing awhile. Hopefully you take a nap

[I seen it dawg]

Leading our team in hr isn't a huge accomplishment. We aren't a power club, I think I said that. It's true. If you are saying you want him to get hump's at bats fine, but we don't need a 3rd k guy in the lineup all the time.

One of these days you might pick up some baseball knowledge in these threads and maybe become a baseball guy. I learn all the time from them....

[Todd4State]

I think RF should be a platoon of Brown/Vickerson... Im just not nearly as high on Smith as some of you guys are. In all but 1 of his ab's this year he has looked completely lost. Cody Brown is a ball player.

Smith just has to get healthy and get some at bats which is what he is doing now. If he can't make it back- we have options.

[Smitty]

Being faster is preferable obviously but it's down the list on what a hitter needs to be successful. Your classification of "speed" guys is way off. I mean was CT a "speed" guy stealing 2-5 bases? It's a bad classification. If you want a couple guys with the ability to drag bunt or steal a base that's one thing, given that hopefully they can HIT good pitching as well.. But I don't want Brandon Holloway to put on the spikes just because he has speed.

[maroonmania]

You know baseball is a strange game, APB only made solid contact on one ball the entire 8th inning where they took the lead and it resulted in us ending their inning with the DP. Biggest issue from last night was Fitts coming in and hitting a guy and then walking a guy on 4 straight pitches. That is not what you want a see from a guy that wants the closer role. The 2 "hits" that Ross Mitchell gave up in that inning were just weak hit balls on the infield that went in the right places for them.

[SouthMsDawg]

I still think 50 plus. We have numerous guys who will hit 5-10.

We will be lucky to hit 30 as a team. No way possible we hit 50

[engie]

The bottom line is -- this game was a shitburger that we forgot how to hit in. Holder, Fitts is not. The amount of pitches we are taking and the amount of count working we are doing is making us timid at the plate. We didn't have very many good swings last night of note.

This is what many of us were complaining about in our scheduling model. Had this been to UAB or Memphis, it wouldn't be a big deal. But it was to Arkansas Pine Bluff at home -- and that loss is going to haunt our RPI all season. Scheduling doesn't matter -- until you lose a couple. We can't afford a single additional loss like this on the season if we are to be playing postseason baseball in Dudy Noble.

[ConkyMSU]

Cal State Fullerton lost to a SWAC team this year as well. Bad shitty game, but get over it.

[maroonmania]

The bottom line is -- this game was a shitburger that we forgot how to hit in. Holder, Fitts is not. The amount of pitches we are taking and the amount of count working we are doing is making us timid at the plate. We didn't have very many good swings last night of note.

This is what many of us were complaining about in our scheduling model. Had this been to UAB or Memphis, it wouldn't be a big deal. But it was to Arkansas Pine Bluff at home -- and that loss is going to haunt our RPI all season. Scheduling doesn't matter -- until you lose a couple. We can't afford a single additional loss like this on the season if we are to be playing postseason baseball in Dudy Noble.

That's why its asinine to schedule like we did this year. You play enough games against ANY kind of competition in baseball and eventually you are likely to drop one. You just need enough good wins to make up for it and outside of conference games we won't have many opportunities to get good wins. Let's just hope that AZ has a good year.