For those interested in this weekend's SEC baseball slate...

[CadaverDawg]

​

#2 Vanderbilt
#11 Oregon

Washington
#3 LSU


Central Arkansas
#6 Mississippi State


Rider
#8 South Carolina


Michigan State
#10 Kentucky


Texas A&M
#13 Cal State Fullerton


Lipscomb
#15 Mississippi


San Diego State
#16 Arkansas


Alabama
#20 Louisville


Alcorn State
Tennessee


Brown
Auburn


Indiana
Florida


Liberty
Georgia


San Francisco
Missouri

The Vandy/Oregon series should be great. I think we will get all we want from UCA, may even lose a game (hopefully not 2). San Diego St may hand Arkie another loss, and Indiana could give Florida fits. I think every SEC team except Tennessee and Ole Miss could lose a game this weekend potentially. Every SEC team worth talking about anyway.

 

[pDigital32Dawg]

So Vandy is traveling to Oregon? That is a bold decision for OOC. I'm excited about some good weather this weekend for our series in Starkville

 

[Railin Jemmye]

Tennessee is playing Alcorn in a 3 game weekend series? Guess they really need victories. There again, I can't remember which one it is, but either Alcorn or Valley has a good coach and is fairly competitive year in and year out now.

 

[CadaverDawg]

Tennessee is playing Alcorn in a 3 game weekend series?

Ha, yep. Exciting weekend series there.

 

[Philly Dawg]

It's Valley. (nm)

d

 

[KurtRambis4]

I think it's

a great call. Once you get you become an elite program, I see no problem with playing other elite programs. Vandy has a pretty solid squad. It's amazing what that program has turned into. I remember us playing Arizona a while back at the Dude. While they were down that year, it wsa still fun to see. I can't remember if we swept them or took 2 of 3. I think once we get back (which Cohen has us on the road to do) we should start playing a name team each season. This isn't football where a loss could kill your chances of doing great.

 

[Railin Jemmye]

We played the tournament with Purdue/Samford. Not sure what else you want. Purdue hosted a regional last year and are a rising program. We all knew Samford was good. Schedule was made after they destroyed us last year in Tallahassee.

 

[patdog]

Thought you were joking about Central Arkansas. Then I checked out their schedule. 11-1 with the only loss to Vandy and a win against Wichita St. The rest of the schedule is weak, but they have been pounding those teams. It should definitely be a more competitive weekend than I was expecting.

 

[futaba.79]

we should've played.......

a series with an SEC caliber OOC squad. LSU is going to be a shock, especially if we're undefeated going in.

 

[Railin Jemmye]

I'd be lying if I didn't, deep down, feel like a SE Louisiana-esque weekend was possible. I know we're good, but who am I kidding, there is still some 'We Are Miss Stake' left over.

 

[pDigital32Dawg]

I would be more concerned about the weather for this trip. Just checking it though, it appears Vandy should have good temperatures next weekend. I am all for us scheduling good squads as long as we do not get swept. What happened to Arkansas last weekend was an abomination

 

[patdog]

Screw that attitude. We may possibly lose 2 of 3 this weekend, but if we do it will just be because sometimes the better team does lose 2 of 3 to a pretty decent team. Arkansas got swept in 4 games to 2 unranked teams last weekend. LSU has been swept by Kansas and come back to win a national title before. It happens.

 

[KurtRambis4]

If you

can't see the difference between a consistantly to 25 program througout history and Purdue/Samford, then I'm done.

 

[futaba.79]

might do us some good...........

to lose 1 of 3. I'd like to see us rebound after a loss.

 

[Coach34]

a series with an SEC caliber OOC squad. LSU is going to be a shock, especially if we're undefeated going in.

St Joe had a very good pitching staff and was a good series for us.

 

[Railin Jemmye]

Should I list the number of teams that did get swept by lesser teams and then didn't win ****? It would be 100x the amount you listed. Teams that go to Omaha don't get swept by UCA. The 2009 LSU Championship team only lost 2 games in a row ONE time the whole season.

 

[Railin Jemmye]

Oregon has only had a baseball team for like 5 years, genius.

Couple that with the fact that history means nothing when we're talking about competition level in 2013.

Given those two facts, yeah, you're done.

 

[Railin Jemmye]

These guys are more concerned with playing name teams instead of playing actual competition, I believe. Our schedule thus far has not been easy. Has it been overly difficult? No, but no SEC team has played an overly difficult schedule thus far.

 

[Coach34]

a great call. Once you get you become an elite program, I see no problem with playing other elite programs. Vandy has a pretty solid squad. It's amazing what that program has turned into. I remember us playing Arizona a while back at the Dude. While they were down that year, it wsa still fun to see. I can't remember if we swept them or took 2 of 3. I think once we get back (which Cohen has us on the road to do) we should start playing a name team each season. This isn't football where a loss could kill your chances of doing great.

We've had this discussion a million times around here. I'm the same way for the most part and why it bothered me that Stansbury never would improve the schedule. Once you get the program on solid ground- you have to play some names to help you recruit elite talent.

I'm not upset we play Oklahoma State in football. We've been to three straight bowls, have some talent to put on the field, and are getting some big exposure for it. People want us to take the next step- well games like this are part of that. I support Mullen fully, but his *** better have us in a bowl again this Fall.

Basketball? Rick Ray and Strick need to schedule the easiest schedule possible in the OOC. Our guys need confidence and need to experience some early success, as our fans do. In season 3 for Ray we can go back to improving the schedule again. We need to get on our feet in basketball.

Baseball? It's time to get a big series with a West coast team next year. Or have State and OM meet UCLA and USC in Vegas for a Tourney. Something creative. But we should get a marquee match-up next year- especially with our pitching

 

[patdog]

Agreed. Our schedule looks like crap if you just look at the names. But the teams have for the most part been pretty decent.

 

[CadaverDawg]

St Joe had a very good pitching staff and was a good series for us.

Kendall Rogers is also high on Portland's pitching staff, and does everyone realize that Samford swept Purdue this past weekend and out scored them 25-7 on the series? We may not have played a powerhouse program yet, but we have played a far better schedule than many of you realize. Don't let OM idiots saying "your schedule sucks" influence the way you look at our schedule.

MSU's opponents records are a combined 21-48 (15 of the 48 losses are to MSU)
Ole Miss's opponents records are a combined 26-40 (11 of the 40 losses are to OM)

As you can see, there's very little difference in SOS. The best team OM has played record-wise so far is Memphis(7-4) and OM lost that game. The best team we've played record-wise is Samford(8-5), and we swept them.

And for those interested...TCU is 3-7, so that sweep looks no better than our Purdue wins at this point.

 

[futaba.79]

you said it.........

they've been "pretty decent." I agree 100%, our schedule is OK and some of those teams may very well have good seasons. However, none of them are top 10 in the SEC caliber teams.

 

[Wooly17er]

Agreed. I don't want our first loss to be against an SEC team. We need to see how we can rebound from a loss. I attribute these feelings to our football season collapse. Speaking of, I am still very nervous that our marketing department has been using the hashtag #Omadawgs.

 

[patdog]

We play plenty of top 10 teams this season. Probably more games against the top 10 than any other school in the country this year.

 

[futaba.79]

you're right..........

we certainly do. I just wished we'd played somebody close to that before we see LSU.

 

[patdog]

Why? We'll be fine against LSU. It's not like they've scheduled anyone even remotely as good as us so far this year either.

 

[KurtRambis4]

My bad,

but can you refer to where I said Oregon was a top 25 program, throughout history? I said that I had no problem with us playing a top25 program.

Our program is to the back to the point where playing one or two teams that are in the upper echelon of college baseball in OOC games isn't a big deal. Go take your meds, goat.

 

[BiscuitEater]

Well ...

Should I list the number of teams that did get swept by lesser teams and then didn't win ****? It would be 100x the amount you listed. Teams that go to Omaha don't get swept by UCA. The 2009 LSU Championship team only lost 2 games in a row ONE time the whole season.

Teams that get to Omaha get swept all the time. But, you used LSU, the team with the #2 best winning % at the CWS as your example. LSU has been to the CWS 15 times and won it all six times. Impressive. Only USC has a better win % at the CWS and they have won it 12 times.

What about Fresno St? They won it the previous year with a 42-29 record. What about Florida State? They have been to the CWS 21 times including last year and still haven't won.

I would submit that 'getting to the CWS' is huge. It's the elite eight. LSU has 'averaged' 17 losses for their 15 appearances and they 'averaged' 16 losses in the years they won it all. Getting HOT @ Omaha is a lot more important than whether or not you lost some games during the season.

 

[Coach34]

Agreed. I don't want our first loss to be against an SEC team. We need to see how we can rebound from a loss. I attribute these feelings to our football season collapse. Speaking of, I am still very nervous that our marketing department has been using the hashtag #Omadawgs.

our football collapse had more to do with a ****** DL, a poor offensive plan, and a questionable defensive strategy than it did who we had played earlier in the season

 

[KurtRambis4]

Exatly.

This is all I'm saying. i understand we play plenty of top 25 programs once conference play begins. Also, I'm not asking that we play 4 OOC opponents in the top 5. I just would like us to play ONE series against an annually top 25 team, before SEC play starts. That won't kill us.

Also, I'm not trying to say our schedule sucks or that we haven't played anyone that is worth a damn. So go take your meds goat, and let adults have a conversation.

 

[57stratdawg]

We played the tournament with Purdue/Samford. Not sure what else you want. Purdue hosted a regional last year and are a rising program. We all knew Samford was good. Schedule was made after they destroyed us last year in Tallahassee.

We also knew that Purdue would be losing a great deal off their 2012 squad. Also, pretty sure Samford finished 4th or 5th in their conference last year until they went on a run and won the conf tourney.

Not saying the schedule upsets me. Just that I don't think we were looking for powerhouses with those teams.

 

[patdog]

No, you're wrong Coach34. Don't you realize that playing tough competition early in the season would have magicly turned Cherringon into a dominant defensive tackle? **

 

[Xenomorph]

LSU should blow the doors off Washington. The Huskies are awful this year..

They're 3-8 with multiple losses to UC Davis and UC Poly.

 

[Todd4State]

I like the idea of playing a big name series

We've had this discussion a million times around here. I'm the same way for the most part and why it bothered me that Stansbury never would improve the schedule. Once you get the program on solid ground- you have to play some names to help you recruit elite talent.

I'm not upset we play Oklahoma State in football. We've been to three straight bowls, have some talent to put on the field, and are getting some big exposure for it. People want us to take the next step- well games like this are part of that. I support Mullen fully, but his *** better have us in a bowl again this Fall.

Basketball? Rick Ray and Strick need to schedule the easiest schedule possible in the OOC. Our guys need confidence and need to experience some early success, as our fans do. In season 3 for Ray we can go back to improving the schedule again. We need to get on our feet in basketball.

Baseball? It's time to get a big series with a West coast team next year. Or have State and OM meet UCLA and USC in Vegas for a Tourney. Something creative. But we should get a marquee match-up next year- especially with our pitching

in baseball non-conference, so my question is would people prefer us go somewhere or maybe have a tournament in Starkville where we play USCw, Texas, and Miami? I think that would be an awesome round robin tournament. I'd also like to play Tulane on the road if Rick Jones isn't still pissed at Cohen for stealing Jarrod Parks.

 

[Todd4State]

How about this?

First weekend- Samford four games in Starkville.

Second weekend- Army four games in Starkville. Army is a very good Northern school that has made the regionals several times in recent years.

Third weekend- At Tulane Three games. Mardi Gras meets Dudy Gras?

Fourth weekend- Tournament in Starkville with USC Trojans, Miami, and Texas. Three games.

The rest of the midweek schedule could be made up of 2-3 SWAC teams, and some local mid majors like Louisiana-Monroe, Austin Peay, etc, and maybe a Northern school like Harvard for a couple of games.