A couple of baseball thoughts....

[War Machine Dawg]

I know it's just the first game, but I thought tonight was a fairly big W. Yeah, I know, it was URI. But they are picked to win their league, I believe. Regardless, it's more about the "how" we won tonight for me. Got behind early and just never really seemed to have it all working at any point in the game. Got down by 3 and had the chance to fold like we have in so many previous seasons and like at times last season. Instead this team kept battling, scratching, clawing and wouldn't go away. They gave themselves a chance to win and pulled it off. Any time you commit 5 errors, you should lose, so stealing one like this is a good sign.

Defensively, it looks like we've got some work to do. But like Todd said, I'm not going to panic yet. I suspect tonight's 5 error performance was more an aberration than our real D. Plus, we probably didn't start the lineup we'll be trotting out there on a more regular basis later in the season. Cohen is playing with the lineups early on to see what he's got to work with. Brownlee didn't play and the staff has been talking him up as "the best defensive OF in the SEC." We all know Sneed isn't exactly a Gold Glover at 3B, but he's not nearly as bad as he played tonight, either. We'll see how Ogden & Vickerson develop. Don't forget we've got Rawdow that can play 2B, 3B, or SS as needed and is pretty solid defensively. I suspect we'll get a look at Jet Butler over on the hot corner before too long. I'm interested to see how he looks there.

Offensively, we look to have a pretty good lineup. Scoring 9 runs in the season opener is pretty impressive. We seem to have good balance throughout the lineup. Hopefully Connor Powers gets hot early and doesn't let up. Looks like we're going to have some real options in terms of baserunning this season, too. I was really impressed by the bunt Thigpen laid down in the 9th. Absolutely perfect. Offense is really the one thing I"m not worried about with this team. (Now watch us struggle to score this season.)

As for pitching, we'll just have to wait and see. I'm not going to hit the panic button on Routt after one night. Now a couple more outings this bad in his next 2-3 starts and I'll get concerned. Caleb Reed really did a nice job in long relief. Greg Houston looked pretty good in his inning of work. I think he's going to be a big key to how the bullpen performs this season. I can see us using him in pretty much every role out there as he's needed - occasional long relief, occasional spot save, but mostly as a setup guy in the 7th/8th inning, I suspect. I'm ready to get a look at Stratton and some of the other freshmens this weekend. I doubt we'll go with Whitney on Sunday now, after the way URI hammered Routt. But I'd be very comfortable sending him out as our regular Saturday starter.

Too small a sample size to make any predictions based on one game, but I think we're going to be dramatically improved this season, even with all the freshmen arms we'll be using. Assuming the D really isn't as bad as it showed tonight. Todd, feel free to chime in. What did I miss?

 

[Steakonastick]

im pretty sure we came out nervous and a little to excited. then when we got behind you try to press with it especailly being the first game, you dont want to loose. Rawdow is pretty much out for the year from what i have heard. thus making jet butler all that more important this year since he will proably be the backup at all infield postions if not starting at third. we did seem to have good at bats and hit the ball hard tonight which is a good sing considering it usually takes longer for the bats to come around. i still think were going to have to out slug most teams to win. I think our pitching is going to be better but I still feel we lack that friday night ace to walk out there knowing he is only going to give up 3 or 4 runs at most. routt is a good pitcher but i hope we pitch him on saturday to give us the best chance to win on a weekend. but maybe alot of sec teams have started throwing their aces on sat. was great to see a bullpen keep us in the game and wait for our bats to come back with the win. knew we lost a lot of games last year late, but to only have one comeback win in 24 games trailing is bad. so glad we have tied that record already.

 

[beachbumdawg]

surgery and RS</p>

 

[Coach34]

.

 

[Thick]

Damn, that hurts, he was really coming on as a serious contributor last year. I was expecting him to be have a strong season for us.

 

[beachbumdawg]

has had a nagging injury

 

[KurtRambis4]

real pleased with our new guys. Shepherd, Ogden, & Vickerson had solid days (combined 4-8, 3 r, 3rbi). Our hitters were very patient and we had a lot of bb and hbp's. I think Shepherd was on base every ab but one and Thigpen got on base a good bit. Reed was amazing, too. He started throwing side arm about a week ago and apparently its working because he had 7 k's in 5. Adkins really had a nice game, too (3-6, 4, rbi). Collins had a shaky day in the field but was efficient at the plate (2-6, 3 rbi). Sneed sucked, besides a bb and scored off a Powers (2-5, 2 rbi). Duffy didn't do much. I think Routt was a throwing a little too hard and didn't really have much movement, thus he got into trouble. I was pretty pleased with the bottom of the lineup, overall. I'm pretty sure offense won't be much of a problem this year. Defense and pitching, we'll have to wait and see. We're gonna have to rely on some talented younger arms.

 

[basedog]

He was toldthey would apply for a medical redshirt. Also, Reed was lights out, what is so impressive about his delivery was he just started working on the drop down motion last Friday. He looked so good doing it that he pitched again on Sat and Sunday (last week). I was told by a parent at the game the coaching staff thinks he could pitch on consecutive days without too much problem (don't expect after 5 inning he'll pitch today).

Routt just didn't have much movement on his ball nor was his control very good. He had some bad luck and that contributed to some of his problems (errors). Collens in right was real shakey to say the least (2 errors). Sneed could be a liability in the late innings on 3rd, not sure Butler will be any better. I had heard so much about Wes Thigpen's ability to throw, didn't see it last night as he short hopped a couple of throw, but it's only one game. He did swing the bat good.

Btw, Ogden layed down the perfect bunt not Thigpen. Sheppard looked good in CF, showed his speed one time and has a strong arm. Let's hope our JuCo's can hit, that could be the key.

 

[Todd4State]

and I pretty much agree on all points. I don't think the defensive problems were due to nerves, like someone else said. I only saw three of the errors because a patient needed something at the last minute at work. (I know baseball comes first over the sick, but I was in a good mood) But, on Ogden's, I think he had more time than he thought and he rushed the throw a little and it went off of Powers webbing on his glove. Sneed just misplayed the ball on his second error. He should have at least caught it. I couldn't tell on M2M if it took a bad bounce or what, but it looked like he should have at least got in front of it. And I don't know what the heck Ryan Collins was doing throwing behind the runner. To me, that was the worst error that I saw (the three mentioned) because that's baseball 101 and it looked like the runner didn't really turn the base all that hard and wasn't that far away from the base to start with. Hit the cutoff man, and save the team a base.

But yes, I was impressed with the bullpen and I was also impressed with the way that our team fought and pulled it out. Another thing I was imressed with was the way we ran the bases. I like how Ogden took third on the passed ball, which was right in front of the catcher and I like how we had two guys score from first base on a double- including Wes Thigpen. I know that those are things that you would say "should happen" but under the last coaching staff, those guys probably only move up two bases and require another hit to drive them in.

 

[Todd4State]

is thinking "Rawdow wouldn't have hurt himself lifting weights if Raffo was the coach because they wouldn't have been lifting weights in the first place. That's not baseball."