UCLA

[Deleted member 2897]

Well, D1 Baseball said we had Omaha talent but had to show we know how to win.

We need to learn how play consistently. Maybe we will at some point. Early in the season but we haven't had a positive result. Maybe non-negative, but we are an average to good team maybe. Given there are 297 teams, that would put us in the 50-100 range.

Hope for better, expect less.

UCLA pitching is elite, no question about that. But we’re currently at 4 hits in 30 AB today. Mixing in 0.133 to our average for the season and we’re probably batting 0.20x YTD.

Edit: 31 AB now, 4 hits. Had 2 men on in the 9th with 1 out. Salvaging a 6-3 loss would have at least felt good. As it stands, we put up what - 5 runs in the entire series? Lucky to not get swept.

 

[THWG]

Honestly, I'm not thrilled or disappointed with the result because the guys played good baseball this weekend. Not many teams can pitch like UCLA, so I'm not worried about the hitting. I mean, how long are Murray and English going to stay under .200. Not very long, they're too talented. It was nice to see that we have pitching depth and a clear bullpen hierarchy was set in place. Hughes, English, Gibson, Bartnicki, and Chapman are clearly going to be the most relied upon guys with Shirah, Lee, and Carpenter getting some innings. I wish this series had been played next weekend so that the team would have had more of a chance to tune up the bats and fully get into the season.

Also, Hurter was phenomenal today. We will win a lot of series with the rotation of Curry, Thomas, and Hurter. We just need to get the bats going which will happen. Like I mentioned earlier, this guys didn't strike out a lot this weekend, so they have a good approach, just need to get some hits to start falling.

Only concern coming out of the series is infield defense and Waddell's health. I like the way Webb plays, but we need Waddell healthy.

 

[MWBATL]

UCLA pitching is elite, no question about that. But we’re currently at 4 hits in 30 AB today. Mixing in 0.133 to our average for the season and we’re probably batting 0.20x YTD.

Edit: 31 AB now, 4 hits. Had 2 men on in the 9th with 1 out. Salvaging a 6-3 loss would have at least felt good. As it stands, we put up what - 5 runs in the entire series? Lucky to not get swept.

Exactly.

Baseball remains a game that is all about pitching. For all of the ballyhoo, our pitching has only climbed from horrible up to decent. I wouldn’t even categorize it as good yet, not to mention being nowhere near excellent.

The hitting does not concern me, anymore than major league hitting should worry you when you face elite pitchers.

Hall continues a run of mediocricy. We may (or may not) work our way into the tournament field, but until we can pitch somewhere close to UCLA, we will be a quick exit.

 

[CINCYMETJACKET]

Disappointed that we gave away a chance at a great series win. Offensive ineptitude continues through weekend 2. Sad to say that in my almost 25 years of following Tech baseball, for the first time ever, I stopped listening to the Tech baseball broadcast and tuned into the Women's Basketball broadcast today. It didn't turn out well for them either in a must win game though, so maybe it's me.

 

[GTRambler]

At this point, it’s still very early in the season.

Next up: Georgia State this Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by Northwestern on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Hopefully the hitters will start getting in a groove over this week’s games. The pitching looks a bit better, but should improve some more.

I think Hall needs to play someone else on defense at third base. Need to put a vacuum cleaner-type fielder over there.

 

[FredJacket]

The two teams that we've lost to (UCLA & Richmond) are a combined 11-1 right now. Probably not very telling info... but info nonetheless.

We're through opening weekend & a series against the highest ranked team on the schedule. 3-3. Eyeball test says it could be worse... but probably could not really be better.

 

[MWBATL]

I don’t blame

Disappointed that we gave away a chance at a great series win. Offensive ineptitude continues through weekend 2.

You cannot blame the losses on our offense. You give up 6 runs these days to a good team you should absolutely lose the game. If we start losing games 1-0 or 2-1 then you can blame the offense. But we have given up 8,8, and 6 in our 3 Ls (iirc). That’s on our pitching and defense.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

You cannot blame the losses on our offense. You give up 6 runs these days to a good team you should absolutely lose the game. If we start losing games 1-0 or 2-1 then you can blame the offense. But we have given up 8,8, and 6 in our 3 Ls (iirc). That’s on our pitching and defense.

Well, I mean in our 3 losses we’ve scored 1 run, 1 run, and 0 runs. You can’t really expect to win with that offense.

 

[Gtbowhunter90]

Im just gonna call it "Early Season Rust". On the the next. IMO this series isn't that big of a deal. Ill be really impressed when we go get 2 of 3 from UNC, Duke and Louisville

 

[CINCYMETJACKET]

I don’t blame

You cannot blame the losses on our offense. You give up 6 runs these days to a good team you should absolutely lose the game. If we start losing games 1-0 or 2-1 then you can blame the offense. But we have given up 8,8, and 6 in our 3 Ls (iirc). That’s on our pitching and defense.

I would argue against that. Tech's offense has scored 18 runs over the first 6 games (6 of those in the first game against UIC). That's 3 runs per game. Not up to Tech offense standards, in my opinion. Although we have faced some quality pitching.

If you score runs for pitchers, their job becomes a lot easier. Pitching with a lead, fielding with a lead, is a lot easier than always believing that your next mistake could cost you a ballgame. Also, if we had scored runs in some of these games, out pitching rotation may have been different and perhaps we don't give up 6 to 8 runs each game...

It's early in the season. I like what our pitching staff has done so far. Our offense needs to step up and start getting the job done.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Here's what D1 Baseball said about this weekend's series:

"1. UCLA passes big road test
We said the Bruins would be tested over the weekend in Atlanta, and they certainly were on Friday. Georgia Tech won the series opener over the Bruins on a Kyle McCann walk-off home run, but that apparently only motivated UCLA to come out like fire-breathing dragons the rest of the weekend.

UCLA won Game Two with freshman Matt McClain hitting his first career home run and Jack Ralston putting together a solid start on the mound for a second-straight week. The Bruins bullpen also impressed. The Bruins kept the foot on the pedal in the series finale, as freshman righthander Jesse Bergin was outstanding, striking out four, walking two and allowing just two hits in six shutout innings in a 6-0 win.

Overall, the Bruins allowed six runs in three games to a good offensive club in Georgia Tech. And most impressive? John Savage’s pitching staff has now allowed just nine runs in seven games.

It’s safe to say the Bruins are the real deal."