JB to start Friday

[MarketingBully]

Imperative that we win on Friday and hope Ark. has to play again on Sat.

Pull for Florida and it could work out that both Knight and Singer will be burnt. We will face OSU?s 3rd or 4th best pitcher on Friday so the stars could align for us to face a team with our pitching situation in the final in 2013 and us be setup like UCLA was.

[Political Hack]

OSU is going to hit whoever you put on the mound. Don't let them see anyone twice unless someone is just on fire. I'd pitch by committee both games and try to save Small and Pilk to the extent possible, but even using them in spots or for an inning wouldn't be all that bad.

No matter who is on the bump, we're going to have to be lights out on defense. Maybe the wind will be blowing in...

[DawgFromOxford]

OSU is going to hit and we need to accept that. The key is for our pitchers minimize damage and keep our bats hot. No way we hold OSU to only 1 or 2 runs in a game.

[smootness]

OSU is going to hit and we need to accept that. The key is for our pitchers minimize damage and keep our bats hot. No way we hold OSU to only 1 or 2 runs in a game.

I mostly agree with this. I certainly think it's possible to hold their offense down. They've definitely been hot the whole tournament, haven't scored fewer than 6 yet. But they also scored a total of 7 runs in their last 4 regular season games.

But no, it is not likely we're going to shut them down. We need to go into the game with the mindset that we're going to have to keep constant pressure offensively and, as you said, minimize damage defensively.

They've played well late in games, just like we have. It should be some good baseball.

[msstate7]

Kwan being out is a good thing with us being RH heavy pitching tomorrow.

[smootness]

Kwan being out is a good thing with us being RH heavy pitching tomorrow.

I won't ever say an injury to an opponent is a good thing. Just don't want that out there. But yes, you're right haha.

But the bottom line is, we're one of the last 4 teams in this, and if Florida wins tonight, the other 3 will have been the 3 best teams all year long. So we're going to be in a dogfight to win this no matter what. Time to see what we're really, truly made of. Need 3 wins in 5 games.

[smootness]

Also, starting Billingsley tomorrow is the right call. Pilkington won't be able to go by Saturday, so regardless, if you end up playing 2 against OSU, you're going to have to start Billingsley in one of them. And if we have to start Small Saturday, you're talking about only a difference of pitching on 3 days rest vs. 4 days rest in Game 3 next week.

It's worth it to give ourselves the chance of winning without Small on Friday and having him and Pilkington fully rested for the championship series than going with the better chance of winning Friday. You have to give yourself the best chance of winning it all, and I think the chance of having Small fully rested in the finals is worth it compared to giving yourself a better chance Friday but knowing he won't be fully rested for the finals.

[msstate7]

Also, starting Billingsley tomorrow is the right call. Pilkington won't be able to go by Saturday, so regardless, if you end up playing 2 against OSU, you're going to have to start Billingsley in one of them. And if we have to start Small Saturday, you're talking about only a difference of pitching on 3 days rest vs. 4 days rest in Game 3 next week.

It's worth it to give ourselves the chance of winning without Small on Friday and having him and Pilkington fully rested for the championship series than going with the better chance of winning Friday. You have to give yourself the best chance of winning it all, and I think the chance of having Small fully rested in the finals is worth it compared to giving yourself a better chance Friday but knowing he won't be fully rested for the finals.

Pitching JB first could decimate the pen though. I see it both ways, but I'd go for kill shot tomorrow with small on 5 days rest.

[smootness]

Pitching JB first could decimate the pen though. I see it both ways, but I'd go for kill shot tomorrow with small on 5 days rest.

Eh. You'll use your pen, sure, but anybody you use tomorrow would have two full rest days before Monday. And if you go Small on Saturday, he should give your pen more of a rest, and even then you still have a rest day in between.

Our pen should be fully rested at this point. You'll either use one or two for multiple innings and won't have them Saturday if needed (though they should still be ready by Monday or Tuesday), or you use several for an inning each, and they're still good to go.

I'd rather set it up to be more reliant on the pen Friday than Saturday if you play that one. And honestly, we have several guys in the pen who need a little work.

[msbulldog]

Pull for Florida and it could work out that both Knight and Singer will be burnt. We will face OSU?s 3rd or 4th best pitcher on Friday so the stars could align for us to face a team with our pitching situation in the final in 2013 and us be setup like UCLA was.

The Pedo is going to pitch.

[Activated Alpha]

OSU can mash against anyone's pitching. We better be ready to hit as well.

[DawgFromOxford]

The way I see it is you are now playing to win a national championship. Yes, you have to make the final series first, but we've already been there done that. We have a second place trophy, so play to win it all. Not a chance we win a National Championship without Small pitching in game 1 or 2. Your odds are better of winning the championship if you win game 1 so that's where I want Small pitching. Pitch the whole pen tomorrow. Hold Small out until game 1 of the finals.

[msstate7]

Knew this was a bad decision.

[5049]

Knew this was a bad decision.

Yep you and I were the original pro-Small-start guys

Now he?s hurt and probably can?t go tomorrow anyway

I doubt we?ve got any pitcher that can beat OSU though

[msstate7]

Yep you and I were the original pro-Small-start guys

Now he?s hurt and probably can?t go tomorrow anyway

I doubt we?ve got any pitcher that can beat OSU though

At least Henderson didn't turn a bad decision into a fatal one by using key guys in a losing effort. Still hurts we didn't go with our best. You have to win 2 in championship series, so even if you save small for game 1 you still have to win another. Correct rotation was small today, pilk Monday, JB/France Tuesday, and small again Wednesday. Now even if we win tomorrow with small, he is done for series

[5049]

At least Henderson didn't turn a bad decision into a fatal one by using key guys in a losing effort. Still hurts we didn't go with our best. You have to win 2 in championship series, so even if you save small for game 1 you still have to win another. Correct rotation was small today, pilk Monday, JB/France Tuesday, and small again Wednesday. Now even if we win tomorrow with small, he is done for series

You have to consider Smalls surgically repaired arm in the decision, going today and then next week might not work

That said, I still say start him today

Have to hope Flarrda can force Arky to use Knight

[Todd4State]

Knew this was a bad decision.

The bad decision was the guy that half our fans think should be our coach because leaving him in to allow six runs.

[Todd4State]

At least Henderson didn't turn a bad decision into a fatal one by using key guys in a losing effort. Still hurts we didn't go with our best. You have to win 2 in championship series, so even if you save small for game 1 you still have to win another. Correct rotation was small today, pilk Monday, JB/France Tuesday, and small again Wednesday. Now even if we win tomorrow with small, he is done for series

There's no guarantee that we play Weds. See 2013.

[CoachT14]

The bad decision was the guy that half our fans think should be our coach because leaving him in to allow six runs.

This! This game is 100% on Henderson. Starting JB wasn’t really a bad decision itself. But when it was obvious that he didn’t have his stuff after the 1st inning, there should’ve been some down in the pen ready to get loose fast. But instead Henderson stayed with him until it was way too late and set Keegan James up for failure.

[MarketingBully]

There's no guarantee that we play Weds. See 2013.

Helps if we score more then 2 ****ing runs against a depleted staff. Bats should have kept us in it. JB will never not allow less then 5 runs. The biggest disappointment to me was in the third inning when we had two on no outs and Jordan fouls off six balls. He could have easily walked there and we could have had the bases loaded no outs and who knows where this game goes. Henderson always does that though not get our guy out before the big big inning happens. He’s just not wired that way.