From 5-10 in the conference after the USC series, to 12-11 as of right now. Unbelievable the turn around....lots of credit to the pitching staff, and to the guys scrapping to score the few runners we get in scoring position every game.
The first 15 games we played teams that are 62-53 in the league. The last 8 have been against teams that are 25-47. We're playing (pitching) great. The 7-1 in the last 8 games is better than the rest of the league has done against those teams. But we're going to need the bats to step up a little the last 2 weekends.
Iwant to clarify that I'm not posting this to be negative in any way. It's just a long-time theory of mine that a lot of the difference between what people say is a hot team and a cold team in any sport can be explained away if you just look at the schedule. We've won every series against sub .500 teams except Auburn and lost every series against .500+ teams. Which, in the SEC, ain't bad at all.
now hear this: I am not one of those that says, "well if we had this, then so and so....". No, the W's and L's are what they are for a reason. That being said, we did in fact damn near give away the LSU Fri. night game, one of the Arkansas games, the Carolina Fri. night game, and the Ole Miss Sat. game. We could be much better, but I also acknowledge we have caught some breaks as well.
We're getting 0 contributions from Bradford, Norris, Henderson, Bracewell, etc now, just like the first series. We surprised OM, but Bama and UT are ****.
In the first series Daryl Norris was 5-13 (.385) with a double, 2 RBI, and 2runs scored. CT went 4-14 (.286) with an RBI and a run scored. Saying Norris is no different right now than he was at the beginning of the season sounds ignorant and uninformed. He was batting .375 and had 12 RBI through 14 games when he went down. CT hasn't had a great year but he's been struggling for most of the year. But please don't say Norris did nothing at the beginning of the year because that is just a lie and it makes you look stupid.
ETA: Bracewell has given upone earned run this year in 12 innings pitched. What the hell else would you like him to do. The guy is injured and since the UCONN series has only pitched in 1.2 innings. Of course he's not doing anything now because he can't play. But again, don't say he didn't do anything because he pitched 3 scoreless against Kansas and UCONN. Not the best, but still pretty good and would be a huge asset to this team ifhe were healthy.
Not a single one of those guys was at 100% when they came back, and I would sayat bestNorris was probably 80%. Norris' first SEC series was the Vandy series where he went 6-10 with 4 RBI. I would say that's pretty damn good.
I'll give you CT, but that guy has played hurt most of the year. I doubt he's been 100% more than 7 or 8 games this year. Bracewell doesn't count because he's been hurt pretty much all of SEC play. Only 1.2 innings pitched in SEC play.