You play to win ...

[preachermatt83]

A competitor goes balls to the wall every play of every game. I cannot believe the number of people that are seemingly hoping we go 2 and out in the tourney. Forget rest. Go all out. Win the whole freaking thing!

[Percho]

I agree.

[Taog Redloh]

Who is saying this? Name them specifically, so we can ridicule them mercilessly for the puss balls that they are.

[AlmostPositive]

Other than being more strategic with pitchers and pitching count, I'm sure most would agree with you.

[Reason2succeed]

Anyone who is saying that is either a troll or is suffering from "afraid to win" syndrome. We want the regular season and the tourney championship before heading to Omaha if we can.

[Taog Redloh]

Anyone who is saying that is either a troll or is suffering from "afraid to win" syndrome. We want the regular season and the tourney championship before heading to Omaha if we can.

I still think it's funny that folks really believe we got 'worn out' in 2012 (a week later). It couldn't possibly be that we ran up on a senior-laden team that could rake in a bomb happy ballpark.

[starkvegasdawg]

I want us to win the whole thing, but it won't break my heard if we don't so long as we lost due to the bigger picture in mind. Sort of like MLB teams do once they have clinched the division. You let the bench guys get more work. If a starter has been fighting a nagging injury you get him some rest. You don't over extend your pitchers. The SECT is for nothing more than bragging rights. We've already locked up a national seed so we're playing at home until we're eliminated or go to Omaha. While I want to win it I don't want to try and win it at the expense of jeopardizing the big prize.

[SaintDawg]

I want us to win the whole thing, but it won't break my heard if we don't so long as we lost due to the bigger picture in mind. Sort of like MLB teams do once they have clinched the division. You let the bench guys get more work. If a starter has been fighting a nagging injury you get him some rest. You don't over extend your pitchers. The SECT is for nothing more than bragging rights. We've already locked up a national seed so we're playing at home until we're eliminated or go to Omaha. While I want to win it I don't want to try and win it at the expense of jeopardizing the big prize.

This^^^

[Taog Redloh]

I want us to win the whole thing, but it won't break my heard if we don't so long as we lost due to the bigger picture in mind. Sort of like MLB teams do once they have clinched the division. You let the bench guys get more work. If a starter has been fighting a nagging injury you get him some rest. You don't over extend your pitchers. The SECT is for nothing more than bragging rights. We've already locked up a national seed so we're playing at home until we're eliminated or go to Omaha. While I want to win it I don't want to try and win it at the expense of jeopardizing the big prize.

Your starters also need practice in a tournament atmosphere. I agree with you about injuries, but that should go without saying anyway - an injured player hurts the overall team. And no, I don't think you play your bench warmers. And better yet, whoever wins the SECT will be the #1 or #2 overall seed (if it's us, Florida, aTm or SC).

[smootness]

Your starters also need practice in a tournament atmosphere. I agree with you about injuries, but that should go without saying anyway - an injured player hurts the overall team. And no, I don't think you play your bench warmers. And better yet, whoever wins the SECT will be the #1 or #2 overall seed (if it's us, Florida, aTm or SC).

There is no way South Carolina will get the #1 or #2 overall seed, and there may not be a chance for us. Conference tournaments don't really change seeding much; the only thing they really change is who gets the automatic bids and in rare cases, an at-large bid.

That said, I don't think anyone hopes we go 2 and out, just that if we do, it's not a big deal. I think most want us to play games as normal and try to win without over-exerting our pitchers.

[starkvegasdawg]

I'm mainly referring to the injuries you would play through if they were a regular season game. I agree the pitchers need work, but I don't think Cohen needs to ride one 8 innings if he starts showing fatigue after 5. And don't blame the bench the whole game, but work them in some. They need experience in a tournament atmosphere too. You don't want someone that hasn't seen the field in 6 weeks to all of a sudden get the call in the bottom of the 8th of game three of a super.

[drunkernhelldawg]

I will be upset if we go 2 and out. I'd be afraid of that getting into our heads. Truth is, it'd be a great accomplishment to win the SECT in the deep field we have. It also reinforces our Regular Season Championship. I guess I'm in the minority that likes the conference tournaments. I guess it's my love of a lot of intense competition. We've had some great moments at conference tournaments over the years.

[preachermatt83]

I will be upset if we go 2 and out. I'd be afraid of that getting into our heads. Truth is, it'd be a great accomplishment to win the SECT in the deep field we have. It also reinforces our Regular Season Championship. I guess I'm in the minority that likes the conference tournaments. I guess it's my love of a lot of intense competition. We've had some great moments at conference tournaments over the years.

Amen!

[smootness]

I will be upset if we go 2 and out. I'd be afraid of that getting into our heads. Truth is, it'd be a great accomplishment to win the SECT in the deep field we have. It also reinforces our Regular Season Championship. I guess I'm in the minority that likes the conference tournaments. I guess it's my love of a lot of intense competition. We've had some great moments at conference tournaments over the years.

Hasn't hurt teams in the past, and winning it hasn't helped us the last couple times.

You could just as easily argue that winning it will cause us to get complacent and get a big head, or that losing it will light a fire under us to prove it was an aberration.

I like conference tournaments and would love for us to win. I'll certainly be rooting for us to win it, but I don't really care that much if we don't.

[Taog Redloh]

There is no way South Carolina will get the #1 or #2 overall seed, and there may not be a chance for us. Conference tournaments don't really change seeding much; the only thing they really change is who gets the automatic bids and in rare cases, an at-large bid.

That said, I don't think anyone hopes we go 2 and out, just that if we do, it's not a big deal. I think most want us to play games as normal and try to win without over-exerting our pitchers.

Oh Good Lord, so us, Florida or Texas A&M. Point is, there is seeding to play for. How are you going to distinguish between the 3 of us? Hoover is how.

We should not be overextending our pitchers anyway. Even in Omaha.

[JETDAWG]

It would be nice to head into a regional on a winning note, 2 and a Q would mean our boys are playing at a level they are not used to (losing)
"I guess there's only one thing left to do win the whole frickin thing" -Jake Taylor Major League

[smootness]

Oh Good Lord, so us, Florida or Texas A&M. Point is, there is seeding to play for. How are you going to distinguish between the 3 of us? Hoover is how.

We should not be overextending our pitchers anyway. Even in Omaha.

People who are paid to cover this stuff have said that conference tournaments have little bearing on seeding. Like I said, we have very little chance of being the #1 overall seed. Both BA and D1Baseball have us at #5 right now.

Results in the SECT just won't affect much of anything about the NCAAT. There's a chance LSU could ensure they get a national seed, or that SC could go 0-2 and miss out, but outside of that, not much will change.

[drunkernhelldawg]

People who are paid to cover this stuff have said that conference tournaments have little bearing on seeding. Like I said, we have very little chance of being the #1 overall seed. Both BA and D1Baseball have us at #5 right now.

Results in the SECT just won't affect much of anything about the NCAAT. There's a chance LSU could ensure they get a national seed, or that SC could go 0-2 and miss out, but outside of that, not much will change.

Why wouldn't we get to at least 3 by winning? But you're right that it usually doesn't impact the national tourney's although we did win the SECT in hoops before our Final Four run.

[smootness]

Why wouldn't we get to at least 3 by winning? But you're right that it usually doesn't impact the national tourney's although we did win the SECT in hoops before our Final Four run.

I don't know. I guess anything is possible, but I just don't think it would affect much. I wouldn't think one week would be enough to dramatically change what had happened the entire season leading up to it, regardless of what you call those games.

[preachermatt83]

Seeding will def be affected some. If we go 2 and out 5 is the highest we will be. If we win the SEC tourney u can bet we will be the 3. Possibly the 2. There is no way the season sec champs and tourney champs would have any other sec team ahead of them.