After re-watching yesterday's game, a few thoughts going into Monday...

[CadaverDawg]

First of all, I think we are going to explode offensively on Monday night. Why? Because the only thing keeping us from exploding yesterday was that Detz, Pirtle, CT, and Ammo, weren't hitting early on. Well, Detz crushed that line drive base hit on his last at bat to get on and be the tying run. CT smoked a line drive toward the gap that was caught in his last at bat...and Ammo crushed a ball to the warning track in one of his last at bats as well. We know Pirtle will do his thing, but it looks like even the guys that didn't do a whole lot yesterday, are seeing the ball REAL well right now.

The negative to all of this is that it may take an offensive breakout to beat Indiana. They have a great hitting team with a few key lefties, and we really don't have a go-to starter in is situation. I'm assuming we go with Fitts and then hand it to Girodo early. In my opinion, the key tomorrow will be getting an early lead before handing it over to Girodo. Indiana looked bad against the Louisville lefty last night, so I like our chances if we have a lead when the pen takes over.


*Also, I had an epiphany that in a tied game against Indiana, we would have 2 outs and Frazier and Renfroe on 2nd and 3rd for Wes Rea. Indiana will intentionally walk Rea and load em up for Bradford. Bradford is going to hit a triple into Right field and clear the bases, and we will proceed to win by 4-5 runs. I'm still going to predict us to lose because it has been working, but I wanted to throw that out there so that if it happens, my psychic skills are documented.

 

[CadaverDawg]

And as for IU's starting pitcher.....

If they go with Aaron Slegers, he is 9-1 with a 2.13 ERA, but I think he is a perfect matchup for our hitters. He is a RHP that in 97 innings has only struck out 54 batters. To put that in perspective, Luis Pollorena has 5 more strikeouts in 77 innings than their guy has in 97 in the Big 10.

Slegers also has several wild pitches and has walked 15. He is not a big strikeout guy, and he has not thrown a complete Game all season. Also, he has the highest opponents batting average of all but one pitcher on the entire staff. If they start this guy, we need to jump on them early, and if we get a lead, bury their asses. Don't allow Fitts or whoever starts to give up anything....get to our pen ASAP if we grab a lead. We don't play again until Friday if we win, so no need in wasting time and holding arms back.

 

[57stratdawg]

If Girardo is dealing like he did against UCA and UVA, it's going to be tough on them. His slider can result in some very bad ABs by LH.

 

[was21]

Not to hijack the thread....and not so fast....who do we pull for today and tonight?

 

[CadaverDawg]

Not to hijack the thread....and not so fast....who do we pull for today and tonight?

I want to win the damn thing, so I'm pulling for UCLA and NCState. I wouldn't mind facing LSU, but after what I saw from Oregon State, the Pac12 doesn't scare me.

 

[was21]

My first choices too, but if NC stays alive, they may have a better chance of outing lsu...and I'm not interested in a final SEC faceoff.

 

[GOOD_DAWG2.0]

I want LSU.

 

[Barkman Turner Overdrive]

If we can somehow win tomorrow night and are in the driver's seat, then I'm rooting for the Corndogs. I would like nothing more than beating Paul woManeri and Corndog Nation for the title. However if we are not in the Chammionship Series I sure as hell don't want the Corndogs there.

 

[Heawww]

So do I, but I won't cry if they don't make it. The team I absolutely do not want to see is N.C. State, because you can almost take it to the bank that Rodon is going to win. Especially this time of year.

 

[patdog]

I thought OSU looked like a pretty good team. The PAC-12 is easily the 2nd best conference in college baseball. There's a big gap between them and #3.

 

[CadaverDawg]

I thought OSU looked like a pretty good team. The PAC-12 is easily the 2nd best conference in college baseball. There's a big gap between them and #3.

Yea I thought they did too, and they could easily come back and knock us out of this thing...But, I'm just thinking in terms of pitching staff. Oregon State is supposedly the top staff in the Pac12 by far, so I couldn't imagine UCLA having a better pitcher to throw against us than Moore and Boyd. Also, Nola and Co. Would seem to be a tougher matchup for us. It would definitely be sweeter to beat LSU in the Championship though.

 

[shoeless joe]

Without a doubt we barreled up more balls yesterday than did the beavers. We had one inning where we hit it on the nose three straight times but went 1-2-3. With our errors early combined with the at-em balls we continuously hit they were actually lucky it didn't get out of hand. We looked like our hitters were dialed in and hopefully that continues.

But as they say...momentum is only as good as your next days starting pitcher, or middle reliever in our case.

 

[messageboardsuperhero]

I want LSU.

I've just got this funny feeling that if we do make it to the championship round, fate will somehow make sure LSU is there with us. You can call me crazy, and you might be right in doing so, but for whatever reason, that's just what I think. If that is the case, nothing would be sweeter than beating the corndogs for the whole thing.

 

[patdog]

Got you. And yeah, compared to LSU, nobody else at Omaha worries me all that much. They're all good teams, but LSU looks to be in a different class than the rest.