Duke Baseball

[GTNavyNuke]

This weekend we should play 3 games against #9 Duke; 6, 4 and 1 PM. Weather looks nice with moderate cloud cover, low probability of rain and in the 70's. Great weather for baseball.

Duke is about the same as us batting - OBA and BA are very close. Fielding % is essentially the same. Duke has much better pitching - ACC only 4.19 (2nd ACC) versus our 5.96 (10th ACC).

Last 4 ACC series going back - lost 1-2 to FSU, won 2-1 @VT, won 2-1 @Pitt, won 3-0 to Miami. So they are good and consistent. My best guess is 1 win for us since we faced similar good pitching @Clemson (4.24 ACC only ERA) and were fortunate to pull out a come from far behind win in one game while getting smooshed in two others. Good pitching usually beats good hitting.

Weather looks great and we'll be three games closer to a new head coach by Sunday night. 7 games left in regular season, at least two in the ACCT. NCAAT bid possibility to be decided in those 9 games.

 

[gtbeak]

Has anyone heard any reports on Bobby Zmarzlak? He was lifted from the game on Sunday and didn't play last night, so I assume there is some type of injury going on there.

 

[Killerbees]

Has anyone heard any reports on Bobby Zmarzlak? He was lifted from the game on Sunday and didn't play last night, so I assume there is some type of injury going on there.

Parker hit a homerun the game prior. CDH loves the long ball.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Game notes out. WiIey on WREK all weekend. Pitching rotation FInateri, Jones, McKee. Interesting that Duke has TBD on Sunday. https://ramblinwreck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-Baseball-Game-Notes-Duke.pdf

 

[gtbeak]

Game notes out. WiIey on WREK all weekend. Pitching rotation FInateri, Jones, McKee. Interesting that Duke has TBD on Sunday. https://ramblinwreck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-Baseball-Game-Notes-Duke.pdf
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It looks like Duke has been using the Sunday games as a staff day since they lost Healy at the end of March. They've had 2 different Sunday games (Miami & Virginia Tech) where they used more than 10 pitchers in that Sunday game.

 

[Killerbees]

Our Sundays are pretty much a staff day as well on most weeks

 

[GT33]

We've played much better than them. We've played a lot worse.

Damn, we're 18-3 in games Burress hits a HR. Go yard young man.

 

[gtbeak]

Our Sundays are pretty much a staff day as well on most weeks

I suspect your comment was not to be taken literally, but since I don't have a good sense of humor I will point out that our Sunday pitching results actually haven't been too bad. Since the end of March we have averaged using 4 to 5 arms/game on Sundays, and only once have we used more than 5, that being the 7 we used against Clemson this past Sunday. By comparison Duke has averaged using between 8 and 9 pitchers on Sundays, twice reaching 12 pitchers used. As to results, we've allowed 33 runs in the 5 Sunday games since the end of March, Duke has allowed 35 runs in just 4 Sunday games (they played out of conference last week and only got in 2 of the games, probably on purpose to minimize the RPI hit).

TL;DR, Sundays have not really been our issue. Our biggest issue is that we don't have a top-of-the-rotation Friday guy. That and inconsistency across the board, but I'd suspect that all but maybe 10 or so schools have that issue.

 

[Killerbees]

ERA in ACC play. Keep telling yourself Sunday isn’t bad

Friday starter 6.99
Saturday starter 5.14
Sunday starter 10.22

 

[Techwood Relict]

ERA in ACC play. Keep telling yourself Sunday isn’t bad

Friday starter 6.99
Saturday starter 5.14
Sunday starter 10.22

So your saying our Sunday pitching could be better....

 

[bensaysitathome]

ERA in ACC play. Keep telling yourself Sunday isn’t bad

Friday starter 6.99
Saturday starter 5.14
Sunday starter 10.22

I'm not disagreeing, but also, record in ACC series, by day (well, by game. Double headers and Easter weekend aside).

Friday: 3-5
Saturday: 4-4
Sunday: 5-3

 

[gtbeak]

ERA in ACC play. Keep telling yourself Sunday isn’t bad

Friday starter 6.99
Saturday starter 5.14
Sunday starter 10.22

Good point that the Sunday starter hasn't been good since the end of March. I admit I doubted your numbers, but can confirm they are correct. Yet somehow the overall pitching performance hasn't been bad, and as Ben pointed out, the team result has been better on Sundays. Quite interesting.

Runs by game for these past 5 weekends (since McKee became the Sunday starter):

Friday (or Game 1): 33 runs
Saturday (or Game 2): 26 runs
Sunday (or Game 3): 33 runs

 

[78pike]

ERA in ACC play. Keep telling yourself Sunday isn’t bad

Friday starter 6.99
Saturday starter 5.14
Sunday starter 10.22

That's a little deceiving because you are just using the ERA's of the Sunday starter. I have a feeling if you take the ERA of the Sunday staff that number comes down a bit.

 

[FredJacket]

That's a little deceiving because you are just using the ERA's of the Sunday starter. I have a feeling if you take the ERA of the Sunday staff that number comes down a bit.

Numbers deceiving? In baseball? Crazy talk.

 

[gtbeak]

That's a little deceiving because you are just using the ERA's of the Sunday starter. I have a feeling if you take the ERA of the Sunday staff that number comes down a bit.

It does, or at least for the past 5 weeks it does, and the past 5 weeks was where I was focused since we were comparing Tech's Sunday pitching to Duke's after they lost Healy. But then the question becomes "why?". Is it just random that we get better bullpen work on Sundays (that would be my first guess), or does the management of the bullpen change on that day leading to better results from them? That's an analysis too deep for me to delve into, but Hall & Company should probably be looking at it.

But to Killerbee's point, I was incorrect when I said the Sunday pitching is fine, as that implies the Sunday starter is fine. And Killerbee showed that isn't correct. The bullpen doesn't change much from day-to-day, other than perhaps who is available.

 

[Richland County]

I know this unrealistic but outside of basketball I truly feel Tech should clean their clock in every other sport. Baseball should and yes should be dominated by MaTech. Baseball was the one sport Tech excelled above most programs. Sadly I wake up from a glorious dream.

 

[FredJacket]

I know this unrealistic but outside of basketball I truly feel Tech should clean their clock in every other sport. Baseball should and yes should be dominated by MaTech. Baseball was the one sport Tech excelled above most programs. Sadly I wake up from a glorious dream.

I'm with you. Watching Duke do well in "athletics" seems to always mess with my head.

 

[bensaysitathome]

That's one. Just need 3 more wins in 6 more games.

Happy to take advantage of their pitching situation.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

When we score enough runs, we can beat anyone. Who needs pitching anyway? ERA stats don't matter as we saw.

Great win, gotta find some clips of Laskey making the throw out to end the 5th.

385 RISP. Runners on 3rd - 750 (6-8). (I think RISP is mean reverting.) Stole 3 bases to their 0. Neither team threw a lot of strikes (58%). Don't understand pulling King when all he did was come in and strik out side. Maybe want him Sunday. But Brett Thomas made it exciting.

 

[FredJacket]