Nashville Regional - Vandy, Ga Tech, Indiana St, Presbyterian

[CINCYMETJACKET]

Has Hall always started the ace against the 3/4 seeds in regional play? I guess if you save the ace but lose game 1 then your ace either pitches against the 4 or not at all

We saved Buck Farmer for Vandy when we were last in the Nashville regional back in 2013, and lost in the 2/3 game to Illinois. So Farmer pitched against #4 seed East Tennessee State in a lightning delayed game. I was there.

We managed to get a well pitched game from freshman Jonathan King in the re-match against Illinois (looked that one up), but still needed a come from behind win to have the pleasure of trying to beat Vanderbilt twice. Josh Heddinger stepped up and threw a 2 hit shutout in the first of those 2 games against Vandy to force a final game. I'd say the best game I've ever seen from a Tech pitcher. Brought back Farmer on short rest for the regional championship, and it didn't go as well as we would have hoped.

Perhaps Hall has learned from that experience. Beat Indiana State. That's all that matters at this point. Win your next game. Figure out the game after that when it shows up.

 

[bensaysitathome]

I know he saved Conner Thomas in 2019 for the second game. Worked like a charm until there were 2 outs in the 9th against Auburn....

I think other years in past decade have been #1 going in first game, but usually we have been in the 2/3 game in those years.

Thomas was going on a complete game, if I remember correctly? At that point the debate was "should he still be in the game"?

 

[FredJacket]

Thomas was going on a complete game, if I remember correctly? At that point the debate was "should he still be in the game"?

Uh oh. You did it now. ....

 

[CINCYMETJACKET]

Thomas was going on a complete game, if I remember correctly? At that point the debate was "should he still be in the game"?

Yes, he should have still been in the game, in my opinion. Was dominating Auburn. 2 strikes, 2 outs when the HR happened, if I recall. Earlier that inning, Waddell made an error that helped set the inning up for Auburn. Ironically, one of our best defensive players makes an error that leads to a game winning HR against our best pitcher that year. I don't blame Hall for that. Just baseball. Wasn't our time.

 

[bensaysitathome]

Uh oh. You did it now. ....

Haha I was at a buddy's bachelor party, following the box score in my phone. Was unable to participate in the collective frustration.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Haha I was at a buddy's bachelor party, following the box score in my phone. Was unable to participate in the collective frustration.

I was watching till the ninth. Just walked around the outside of the house till it was over. Never watched and never ever will.

The Force was not with us (among other things).

 

[GTJon]

Thomas was going on a complete game, if I remember correctly? At that point the debate was "should he still be in the game"?

The issue was that English was our closer and first baseman and you can't get him ready in the middle of an inning. Thomas was dominating after 8 and it didn't feel right to pull him at the start of the inning.

 

[GTJon]

I was watching till the ninth. Just walked around the outside of the house till it was over. Never watched and never ever will.

The Force was not with us (among other things).

Ha, I'll never forget my situation. Was on a trip back from Hawaii during the game. As soon as the plan hit the runway to land, I turned the phone on, went to Watch ESPN, the very first pitch I saw was the HR. Didn't even really have time to process the score and situation so it took a few seconds to realize the game was over.

My kids still bring up the "airplane meltdown" I had that night....

 

[CINCYMETJACKET]

I was watching till the ninth. Just walked around the outside of the house till it was over. Never watched and never ever will.

The Force was not with us (among other things).

I was there. The force was strong for us to finish that game off. Just didn't work out.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

Yes, he should have still been in the game, in my opinion. Was dominating Auburn. 2 strikes, 2 outs when the HR happened, if I recall. Earlier that inning, Waddell made an error that helped set the inning up for Auburn. Ironically, one of our best defensive players makes an error that leads to a game winning HR against our best pitcher that year. I don't blame Hall for that. Just baseball. Wasn't our time.

Yep that wasn’t a coaching thing. It wasn’t a player thing. It was why the **** does the home team not bat last thing.

I was physically ill after that game for the players.

 

[FredJacket]

@bensaysitathome ...you have any other turds you want to drop on a perfectly good "regional eve"?

 

[bensaysitathome]

@bensaysitathome ...you have any other turds you want to drop on a perfectly good "regional eve"?

Haha I think of it more as exorcising my demons. Getting all the bad vibes out before the games start.

But I'll tell you what - if I've learned anything from this board, it's that every last one of you buys into the concept of a baseball team being "due." And if that's a thing, well we're effing due.

So in preparation for tomorrow, get ready to take the afternoon off. Find your lucky shirt (doesn't even have to be clean), and pour yourself a whiskey. Let's have some fun.

 

[CINCYMETJACKET]

Haha I think of it more as exorcising my demons. Getting all the bad vibes out before the games start.

But I'll tell you what - if I've learned anything from this board, it's that every last one of you buys into the concept of a baseball team being "due." And if that's a thing, well we're effing due.

So in preparation for tomorrow, get ready to take the afternoon off. Find your lucky shirt (doesn't even have to be clean), and pour yourself a whiskey. Let's have some fun.

We're never "due" to win. We just need to take care of business. That's been an issue for us recently.

 

[MWBATL]

Haha I was at a buddy's bachelor party, following the box score in my phone. Was unable to participate in the collective frustration.

I was at that game. We were shocked. But I felt SO sorry for our pitcher, who was absolutely CRUSHED by what had just happened.

 

[augustabuzz]

Yep that wasn’t a coaching thing. It wasn’t a player thing. It was why the **** does the home team not bat last thing.

I was physically ill after that game for the players.

Just unlucky on the coin toss.

 

[JacketOff]

Just unlucky on the coin toss.

I’m so tired of hearing about how Tech was the “road” team against Auburn. It’s just how regionals work. There was no NCAA conspiracy trying to stop Tech from winning. If Tech and Vandy both win, Tech will be the home team against Vandy on Saturday, in Nashville. The #1 seed in a regional is always the “road” team in game 2 if they win game 1. It happened to UCLA, Stanford, Louisville, West Virginia, and Georgia in 2019, and to every #1 seed since the start of the current Regional/Super Regional format. It’s a non issue. You either win the games or you lose them. You’re playing on your own field, in front of mostly your own fans, sleeping in your own bed, using your own locker room. Whether you bat first or last is irrelevant. Be ahead at the end of the game and you win.

 

[augustabuzz]

I’m so tired of hearing about how Tech was the “road” team against Auburn. It’s just how regionals work. There was no NCAA conspiracy trying to stop Tech from winning. If Tech and Vandy both win, Tech will be the home team against Vandy on Saturday, in Nashville. The #1 seed in a regional is always the “road” team in game 2 if they win game 1. It happened to UCLA, Stanford, Louisville, West Virginia, and Georgia in 2019, and to every #1 seed since the start of the current Regional/Super Regional format. It’s a non issue. You either win the games or you lose them. You’re playing on your own field, in front of mostly your own fans, sleeping in your own bed, using your own locker room. Whether you bat first or last is irrelevant. Be ahead at the end of the game and you win.

We are also the home team against ISU. If 1 and 2 win, there will be a coin toss for home team.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

I’m so tired of hearing about how Tech was the “road” team against Auburn. It’s just how regionals work. There was no NCAA conspiracy trying to stop Tech from winning. If Tech and Vandy both win, Tech will be the home team against Vandy on Saturday, in Nashville. The #1 seed in a regional is always the “road” team in game 2 if they win game 1. It happened to UCLA, Stanford, Louisville, West Virginia, and Georgia in 2019, and to every #1 seed since the start of the current Regional/Super Regional format. It’s a non issue. You either win the games or you lose them. You’re playing on your own field, in front of mostly your own fans, sleeping in your own bed, using your own locker room. Whether you bat first or last is irrelevant. Be ahead at the end of the game and you win.

Nobody is saying it was a conspiracy. We’re just saying it’s bull****. We were the road team multiple times that regional. Either you get an advantage of being the better seed or you don’t. In regular baseball when you’re the home team, you sleep in your own bed, play in front of mostly your own fans, use your own locker room, and bat last.

 

[Buzzbomb]

GT has lost several regionals & games away from home over the years. Many of those times, we were designated the “home team.” FSU, Fla., Miss. St., etc, had good solid teams. Strong programs, just like Miami had under Frasier and Morris.

I can tell you first hand when you lead off the game, sit on a two-seamer driving it out, it’s a huge advantage to your team(Acuna has 17 dingers from the lead-off spot this season). When the club is fired up and puts some runs on the board first, it can be demoralizing to the 9 who haven’t even had a bat in their hands.
I‘ve witnessed some huge top of the first innings, when guys get back on their heels.

Just an excuse to use, when you lose a game. Negative!

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I’m so tired of hearing about how Tech was the “road” team against Auburn. It’s just how regionals work. There was no NCAA conspiracy trying to stop Tech from winning. If Tech and Vandy both win, Tech will be the home team against Vandy on Saturday, in Nashville. The #1 seed in a regional is always the “road” team in game 2 if they win game 1. It happened to UCLA, Stanford, Louisville, West Virginia, and Georgia in 2019, and to every #1 seed since the start of the current Regional/Super Regional format. It’s a non issue. You either win the games or you lose them. You’re playing on your own field, in front of mostly your own fans, sleeping in your own bed, using your own locker room. Whether you bat first or last is irrelevant. Be ahead at the end of the game and you win.

I agree being the home team and used to the surroundings probably accounts for most of the advantage. Home team is a big advantage as the RPI gives a ~30% expectation to the home team winning.

Does anyone know for a neutral field what the actual win % is for the team which bats first or second? (RPI assumes there is no advantage. Cue the about how screwed up RPI is.)