For those who care..through 8 games last year we were....

[CadaverDawg]

6-2 with losses to Washington St and Memphis.

We had scored 44 runs.

We had given up 26 runs.

Through 8 games this year...

We are 8-0.

We have scored 51 runs.

We have given up 13 runs.


Doesn't say a whole lot since the competition is different, but I was surprised to see that we had already given up 26 runs at this point last year. Goes to show that there is still plenty of time for our starters to lock in and get rolling. I feel really good about our pitching right now though, and the hitting is no doubt improved. Get Woodruff 100% and back in the weekend rotation...and Rea healthy and back in the lineup...and we should be in really good shape.

 

[Todd4State]

Graveman kind of had a rough day today- but the errors didn't help him any either. He will be fine. I was impressed with Lindgren. It looks like he is winning the third spot in the rotation unless Will Cox takes a huge step forward tomorrow. Woodruff looked really good on Tuesday. I suspect we will start him Tuesday against Rhode Island.

One thing to also consider about the pitching- these four game series really thin you out. When we go to SEC play, we will have Woodruff, and guys like Evan Mitchell, Will Cox, etc. will go to the bullpen making us that much deeper.

I don't know what Purdue will do in the Big 10 just because they are so young on the pitching staff- but I'm pulling for them. I do think Samford is a really good team and will have a good year.

Getting Wes Rea back will help the hitting out as well.

 

[CadaverDawg]

Todd, who do you see first out of the pen tomorrow? I know we have a deep staff, but I'm not a big fan of playing 4 in 3 days, and then turning around and having two midweek games and then another weekend slate. We're talking about 9 games in 10 days...not only does that deplete pitching, but it also damn near guarantees a loss or two. If we manage to be undefeated through next Sunday, I will be super impressed. In fact, winning tomorrow and sweeping the weekend would impress the **** out of me. Wins against tourney teams from last year can only help our resume.

 

[Requiem For A Dawg]

Agreed. Woody just needs to sharpen up his breaking ball a little more and he'll be fine. Pretty impressive for someone who hasn't thrown in awhile.

 

[Todd4State]

Trevor Fitts will probably be the first out of the bullpen. I think they are only expecting 3-5 innings out of Cox.

I agree on the schedule in that it probably does cost us a win or two early in the year, but at the same time it gets us ready for SEC play because it gives us an opportunity to see what our players can do and figure out what our best lineup is. Also, most years the NCAA selection committee will forgive an early season loss or two especially since most everyone else will end up with a few of those as well. Much like basketball, how you finish counts a lot. This kind of schedule also kind of simulates a regional, so it helps us in that regard later in the year.

 

[CadaverDawg]

Trevor Fitts will probably be the first out of the bullpen. I think they are only expecting 3-5 innings out of Cox.

I agree on the schedule in that it probably does cost us a win or two early in the year, but at the same time it gets us ready for SEC play because it gives us an opportunity to see what our players can do and figure out what our best lineup is. Also, most years the NCAA selection committee will forgive an early season loss or two especially since most everyone else will end up with a few of those as well. Much like basketball, how you finish counts a lot. This kind of schedule also kind of simulates a regional, so it helps us in that regard later in the year.

Yea, I definitely like that the schedule is testing us. A win tomorrow would be a big A+.

Also, I feel like playing guys like Hann, Robson, Detz, etc, will pay huge dividends later in the season and if we have any injuries in SEC play. Detz played really well today in my opinion, and the others were solid. Frost even made an argument for some playing time. Our bench is FAR deeper than it was last year. By the way, I'm sure you liked seeing Flair rip another base hit like I did. That guy should be DHing...especially against lefties.

 

[patdog]

One thing to also consider about the pitching- these four game series really thin you out. When we go to SEC play, we will have Woodruff, and guys like Evan Mitchell, Will Cox, etc. will go to the bullpen making us that much deeper.

I really like that Cohen does schedule the 4-game weekends early in the season. It forces you to pitch a lot of pitchers and develop depth on the pitching staff. Helps get you ready for regional plays.

 

[MetEdDawg]

Totally agree, especially for the young guys we will have to rely on.

Some of our young guys are probably getting the nerves of a regional right now just by playing very early in the season and it being the first few appearances of their career. The weekends have a regional feel just by the way they are set up. Then you bring in schools like Purdue who hosted last year and Samford who beat us twice in a regional and you treat those games with the importance of a regional.

I love doing it this way in baseball because you get a lot of games and can really learn a lot about your team in early weekends like this. First year guys like Gentry, Detz, Hann, Robson, Armstrong, Pirtle, and a few others need this time to play quality competition to get ready for SEC and regional play and will only benefit from this. And so far it's paid off. Win today and I will feel really good about what we have going forward.

 

[NTDawg]

Agree that we are playing better but last year to start the season Stratton wasn't a starter because he wasn't good enough. Who knows what would have happened if he had logged more innings in the beginning of the season. Maybe we have a better record or maybe he runs out of gas at the end of the season or maybe he doesn't come out pissed off and throw the game of his life at LSU (his first start of the year).

 

[dogeatdog]

Flair seems to swing it well and needs some repetition to see where he fits

in going into league play. Again, we've got a lot of good problems to have, sorting out this lineup.

 

[Todd4State]

I did like that. Flair is going to be a good player for us. Like I said in the other thread, the coaches think that Hann might be our third baseman of the future, but I really think it's going to be Flair at third and Hann at SS. Flair will find a spot and will play though.

I do want to see what Flair can do as a right handed DH this year, and it seems like he may be a very good pinch hitter for us already. If he keeps hitting like this, he will find a spot.

 

[Todd4State]

Actually, Stratton logged quite a bit of innings coming out of the bullpen. It was almost like he was a starting pitcher that came in to start the fourth inning. The thing is, this year we don't have Woodruff starting a lot of these tougher weekend games, so we've really been doing this with just Graveman and the rest of the guys competing for the Sunday spot.

Otherwise, we probably would be starting Evan Mitchell today.

 

[YardBarker]

in going into league play. Again, we've got a lot of good problems to have, sorting out this lineup.

we've got to find a way to get Flair in the lineup (DH,3rd,2nd, or 1st when Rea is out). His bat is too good to not have in there somewhere.