NCAA Baseball Regionals (Poll)

[MWBATL]

Odd …my weather app shows no rain until 5 PM

 

[DecaturJacket]

I don’t love this if McKee is healthy as was said. We’re probably going to win anyway, but it just seems like an unnecessary risk. And unnecessarily messes with the rest for a potential super next weekend.

Yeah but the lowest ranked RPI team has a legit ace. And Ballard has been good but he’s the least established of the 3 starters and hasn’t played a key role in a NCAAT before. We’re a nervy start away from having to burn key bullpen arms even if we still win. We have the depth to not mess around like this. I don’t like it.

This is how I feel too. I'm not "worried," but it seems unnecessary. If we're going to lose the regional (we're not), this seems like the way it would happen. We're too good to go messing around with this stuff.

Like has been mentioned previously, this increases the risk of having to use the bullpen. Taxing the bullpen in game 1 is not a winning recipe.

Regardless, I have faith in Ramsey and this team. Hopefully Carson goes out there and shoves. I'm getting ready to head over to campus any minute now.

 

[FredJacket]

Odd …my weather app shows no rain until 5 PM

This remind me of my time in the navy. We had a thing we'd say .... timing was critical (down to the second) for some missions we were on. Everyone had a watch ... there were clocks everywhere in our aircraft. This was back in the days before GPS synched up everything. We'd say ... "If you have one watch/clock, you know what time it is. If you have more than one, you're never sure."

 

[MGTfan]

What do yall mean by “messing around”?

The guy we are starting has a 3.46 ERA. It’s not like this is sixth guy out of the pen.

 

[DecaturJacket]

What do yall mean by “messing around”?

The guy we are starting has a 3.46 ERA. It’s not like this is sixth guy out of the pen.

He’s our consensus third starter who started mostly midweeks and ended the season pitching against a couple of the worst offenses in the ACC. I like Carson, but he’s inarguably our third best (or worse) starter. Starting him is throwing off and thus “messing around.”

Not all starts or stats are created equal.

 

[stinger78]

He’s our consensus third starter who started mostly midweeks and ended the season pitching against a couple of the worst offenses in the ACC. I like Carson, but he’s inarguably our third best (or worse) starter. Starting him is throwing off and thus “messing around.”

Not all starts or stats are created equal.

Maybe Ramsey is trying not to burn a weekend starter against a clearly inferior foe? I dunno, but maybe he sees this game with UIC as equivalent to a weekday game? That's dangerous, but maybe IIWII.

 

[apatriot1776]

If the regional only plays one game today (or completes one game), then schedule two or three games tomorrow with more light rain? Then a triple header on Sunday? I don't see two games being completed today which would be bad for OU and The Citadel. Could go to Monday now.......... but good for us with pitching depth.

Really good that we have the first game!! Just need to win it. (Duh)

View attachment 22201

Are the games completed in order or is it timeslotted? Eg. if it rains until 6, does GT-UIC play or does OU-Citadel play?

 

[apatriot1776]

Additionally for those heading in

 

[THWG]

Are the games completed in order or is it timeslotted? Eg. if it rains until 6, does GT-UIC play or does OU-Citadel play?

Games are completed in order.

 

[DecaturJacket]

Maybe Ramsey is trying not to burn a weekend starter against a clearly inferior foe? I dunno, but maybe he sees this game with UIC as equivalent to a weekday game? That's dangerous, but maybe IIWII.

Well, yeah. Either that or he sees they don’t hit something Carson throws well or something.

My thing is that we don’t NEED to do this. This is what desperate teams do. 2/3 seeds who aren’t as good as the 1 seed who have one stand out starter. Or maybe 1 seeds who know the 2/3 seed has a standout first day draft pick type guy that they know they are saving. Neither of these situations apply here. We are far and away the best team in our regional. The guy pitching for UIC is actually one of the better pitchers in the bracket.

Again, this seems like an unnecessary risk and if we were to lose this bracket this would be the way it would happen - we do this and lose and have to fight back through the losers side and waste a bunch of extra pitching.

We SHOULD win regardless. We’re VERY good. It’s still baseball though. Those of us who follow this stuff closely and have for a long time have seen this scenario screw teams many times. Hell, it happened to Ole Miss in our regional last year.

Once again, I trust Ramsey and this team, this just seems like an unnecessary risk. Hopefully Carson steps up and has his best game. This isn’t meant as a slight to him or a lack of confidence in him.

 

[GTJon]

I do wonder if the weather is playing a role in starting Ballard. Intended or not, I think that is setting up better to have him go than Tate. Given his history of relief and starting, midweek and weekend, he is used to uncertainty of when he is pitching and warming up and sitting down and waiting. Tate has been very much the same routine on Friday night every year for 2 years. Then, if you have a long rain delay after a couple of innings and you lose your starter, it might be more comfortable for Ballard to come back on Sun or Mon that it would for Tate. Plus you really hate taking the risk of burning your top starter for just 2-3 innings due to weather.

 

[stinger78]

Well, yeah. Either that or he sees they don’t hit something Carson throws well or something.

My thing is that we don’t NEED to do this. This is what desperate teams do. 2/3 seeds who aren’t as good as the 1 seed who have one stand out starter. Or maybe 1 seeds who know the 2/3 seed has a standout first day draft pick type guy that they know they are saving. Neither of these situations apply here. We are far and away the best team in our regional. The guy pitching for UIC is actually one of the better pitchers in the bracket.

Again, this seems like an unnecessary risk and if we were to lose this bracket this would be the way it would happen - we do this and lose and have to fight back through the losers side and waste a bunch of extra pitching.

We SHOULD win regardless. We’re VERY good. It’s still baseball though. Those of us who follow this stuff closely and have for a long time have seen this scenario screw teams many times. Hell, it happened to Ole Miss in our regional last year.

Once again, I trust Ramsey and this team, this just seems like an unnecessary risk. Hopefully Carson steps up and has his best game. This isn’t meant as a slight to him or a lack of confidence in him.

I don't disagree. In a way it's curious, but in a way it's not. Granted, I don't follow baseball nearly as closely as I used to, but I played a *lot* of ball back in the day and it just doesn't surprise me that Ramsey would try to grab an extra day of rest for the top of his rotation when they are playing a team that we really ought to be able to beat as a bullpen game. But... as you typed... baseball is baseball and these things have a way of getting away from you and creating an unnecessary hardship, possibly costing you the regional. You underestimate a team in a playoff at your own risk. What see this convo doing is evaluating the risk vs. the reward of using a guy who can sometimes fling it with the best, but who has had a bit of trouble at times this season. Like I said, I just dunno. If he pulls it off and we can nail this regional down, then he's got a pretty rested staff for the super and he looks like a guru. You also don't want to find yourself having to use the bottom of the rotation if you find yourself in a doubleheader with OU to get out of the regional. I see some pros as well as some cons here.

 

[gtrower]

I do wonder if the weather is playing a role in starting Ballard. Intended or not, I think that is setting up better to have him go than Tate. Given his history of relief and starting, midweek and weekend, he is used to uncertainty of when he is pitching and warming up and sitting down and waiting. Tate has been very much the same routine on Friday night every year for 2 years. Then, if you have a long rain delay after a couple of innings and you lose your starter, it might be more comfortable for Ballard to come back on Sun or Mon that it would for Tate. Plus you really hate taking the risk of burning your top starter for just 2-3 innings due to weather.

I suppose I could see this. You definitely don’t want Tate pitching Monday unless it’s the absolute only thing that will get us through. I think it’s outweighed by the fact that UICs starter is probably single biggest threat to us advancing (however big or small that is). Hopefully we put up 15 and it ends up a moot point.

 

[Beeski]

Well, yeah. Either that or he sees they don’t hit something Carson throws well or something.

My thing is that we don’t NEED to do this. This is what desperate teams do. 2/3 seeds who aren’t as good as the 1 seed who have one stand out starter. Or maybe 1 seeds who know the 2/3 seed has a standout first day draft pick type guy that they know they are saving. Neither of these situations apply here. We are far and away the best team in our regional. The guy pitching for UIC is actually one of the better pitchers in the bracket.

Again, this seems like an unnecessary risk and if we were to lose this bracket this would be the way it would happen - we do this and lose and have to fight back through the losers side and waste a bunch of extra pitching.

We SHOULD win regardless. We’re VERY good. It’s still baseball though. Those of us who follow this stuff closely and have for a long time have seen this scenario screw teams many times. Hell, it happened to Ole Miss in our regional last year.

Once again, I trust Ramsey and this team, this just seems like an unnecessary risk. Hopefully Carson steps up and has his best game. This isn’t meant as a slight to him or a lack of confidence in him.

Again, I disagree. Starting Ballard against the worst team we've played this season (according to RPI) makes sense. Save your Ace for the Saturday game. Carson has been pretty good thru 4 innings. He has had issues going deeper than that. Hopefully we have a big lead and can pitch some of our more high-risk arms after the 4th.

 

[GT33]

Too much GT PTSD today, we're going to extinguish the Flames with no issue. Get ready to watch them play OU tomorrow.

 

[FredJacket]

Too much GT PTSD today, we're going to extinguish the Flames with no issue. Get ready to watch them play OU tomorrow.

Eh... I don't really see it that way. I don't really feel any panic with these posts. Noone seems to be operating on any extreme here where there is a clear and obvioius choice among the 3 weekend guys. Some have opinions on what wouuld be there 1st choice among 3 good choices for today's game/opponent.

The PTSD will kick in when Ballard walks the 1st batter.

 

[bensaysitathome]

The guys at d1 baseball waxed philosophically this morning about the strategies of pitching off. Starts at the 11:00 mark, for those interested.

 

[GTRambler]

Interesting detailed chit-chat. Lol

I just watch the games and see what happens.

Lol

 

[4shotB]

Eh... I don't really see it that way. I don't really feel any panic with these posts. Noone seems to be operating on any extreme here where there is a clear and obvioius choice among the 3 weekend guys. Some have opinions on what wouuld be there 1st choice among 3 good choices for today's game/opponent.

The PTSD will kick in when Ballard walks the 1st batter.

I agree 100% with this. No matter how good this team is, they haven't proven that they can win when it matters most. Don't need them or the coaches second guessing themselves. Other people will scoff at this, but I say there is simply no way if I am the coach of this team that I want to get into the loser's bracket, especially being the heavy favorite that we are. That will introduce demons of the past. Ghosts. memories. Too much pressure.

In the golf analogy, playing a safe iron off the tee and snapping it into the woods seems to have a far more detrimental effect on the outcome of a hole than it should vs hitting the driver there. At least for me and golfers of my ability. I think being 200 yards back and in trouble causes pressing rather than being 150 from the pin, knowing you can chip out and still have a reasonable shot at no worse than a bogey.

 

[DecaturJacket]

Let’s do this!