FredJacket
Helluva Engineer
- Messages
- 6,244
- Location
- Fredericksburg, Virginia
We open ACC play against NCST this weekend.
NCST is 2-1. Played a quickly arranged DH v Davidson last weekend (after original opponent had to cancel). Swept that DH; but followed that up with a 16-13 loss to UNC-Greensboro. NCST was picked to finish 2nd (behind Louisville) in the Atlantic. So... a great team (on paper).
I have to believe we are catching them at a good time (early) as they have to still be figuring things out. CDH in his post-game interview (after Mercer) commented that a 50 game season with fewer non-conference games and immediately getting into ACC play has forced him to manage differently. Paraphrasing... he said he has not been able to play many guys because the starters needed the reps. That makes sense; but the downside (reading into his words) is you have to "hope" you have identified the correct 'starters'. He was asked about the changes to the lineup he made for the Mercer game (namely Malloy at 2B)... and he said he was not able to "see much"... he was referring to their defense, mainly. That Malloy just didn't get that many chances.
The point (my view)... everybody is still figuring things out; and hopefully, Ga Tech is farther down that road than NC State. I feel really good about the depth of our pitching after this small sample size. Entering the 9th inning yesterday (which was a bit of a debacle).. I think Wiley said Ga Tech had not given up an earned run in like 18-19 innings. Contrast that to NCST who has only played 3 games and their last one they gave up 16 runs... let's hope that is a sign that Avent will be rolling the dice whenever he has to go to the bullpen.
NCST is 2-1. Played a quickly arranged DH v Davidson last weekend (after original opponent had to cancel). Swept that DH; but followed that up with a 16-13 loss to UNC-Greensboro. NCST was picked to finish 2nd (behind Louisville) in the Atlantic. So... a great team (on paper).
I have to believe we are catching them at a good time (early) as they have to still be figuring things out. CDH in his post-game interview (after Mercer) commented that a 50 game season with fewer non-conference games and immediately getting into ACC play has forced him to manage differently. Paraphrasing... he said he has not been able to play many guys because the starters needed the reps. That makes sense; but the downside (reading into his words) is you have to "hope" you have identified the correct 'starters'. He was asked about the changes to the lineup he made for the Mercer game (namely Malloy at 2B)... and he said he was not able to "see much"... he was referring to their defense, mainly. That Malloy just didn't get that many chances.
The point (my view)... everybody is still figuring things out; and hopefully, Ga Tech is farther down that road than NC State. I feel really good about the depth of our pitching after this small sample size. Entering the 9th inning yesterday (which was a bit of a debacle).. I think Wiley said Ga Tech had not given up an earned run in like 18-19 innings. Contrast that to NCST who has only played 3 games and their last one they gave up 16 runs... let's hope that is a sign that Avent will be rolling the dice whenever he has to go to the bullpen.
