Interesting stat from Boyd's World...

[msudogsrule01]

http://www.boydsworld.com/baseball/rpi/rpineeds.html

Team RPI 8 16 32 45 ROWP Mississippi State 27 25-7 21-11 15-17 11-21 0.665

Basically what this says is the record needed the remainder of the season to get to these important RPI positions. Ideally, we would remain in the top 32, virtually guaranteeing a berth, but top 45 gives us a puncher's chance as well. So if we finish off the SEC season no worse than winning one game in each series, then we will remain in the hunt for a bid. Looking at our remaining schedule below, I think we can finish 11-21 or better. In fact, I have us finishing 16-16 below. We could get swept five times or lose a midweek game here or there and still be ok according to the math that Boyd did.

W Alabama A&M
L at Georgia
W at Georgia
L at Georgia
W vs. Southern Miss
L Florida
W Florida
L Florida
W at UAB
L at Arkansas
W at Arkansas
L at Arkansas
L vs. Ole Miss
L So. Carolina
W So. Carolina
L So. Carolina
L Alabama
W Alabama
L Alabama
W at South Alabama
W at Tennessee
W at Tennessee
L at Tennessee
W Mississippi Valley St.
W Mississippi Valley St.
L at Ole Miss
W at Ole Miss
L at Ole Miss
W at Memphis
L LSU
W LSU
L LSU

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I don't like that prediction one bit. Looks like we'll be on the outside looking in unless the NCAA goes for 9 SEC teams in the regionals.

 

[State82]

Although it would be a definite improvement, that record, historically, gives us little chance to make Hoover. 14 wins boosts that chance up quite a bit, and as someone on here over the weekend researched (and quite well I might add) 15 wins pretty much assures a spot in the SEC tourney and the NCAA's. 13 conference wins means we only pull off 9 wins in the 8 series that are left. That would not be real impressive at this point, but, like I said, it would be improvement over the past few years. As far as midweek games, I don't see us beating USM at Trustmark Park. Governor's Cup could go either way. We are down by 2 when the UAB game resumes, but we will have 2 runners on with nobody out so that could go either way also. If the team can just continue to improve even a little bit each week (and that includes the coaching staff) we have an opportunity to make it to postseason. I realize, however, that with a bunch of freshmen, they could flame out toward the end of the season. Here's hoping Routt is nearing his potential and everyone's confidence stays on a high level. This weekend will answer a few more questions, I imagine.

 

[msudogsrule01]

I just don't see who on our schedule conference-wise we would be favored against. Maybe LSU if they remain in a slump.

 

[maroonmania]

when it resumes, 4-3 in the top of of sixth.

 

[State82]

like Alabama. I think right now they may just be the beneficiary of the early schedule. However, that doesn't explain their series win at UM, which was the big surprise to me the first SEC weekend. I really thought Bama would be somewhat down this year and they could still struggle. LSU, like you said, could be a maybe, but at the end of the year I expect them to be hitting on all cylinders, just like UM. This weekend at UGA is a possibility for a series win, but probably not a big possibility. Just can't get swept. It will definitely be a fight for us all year long, but it can be done if slight improvement is made as each week goes by.

 

[State82]

That one could end up important by season's end.

 

[Todd4State]

Of course, why not remove all doubt and just get in the SEC Tournament.

As far as the rest of the series, for the rest of the year, our most difficult series are at home- Florida- for SBW, which is an advantage for us, and South Carolina. LSU may get hot at some point, but I'm thinking that they are going to struggle this year just because they are so young, and we have them at home. We have Alabama at home as well.

We can win the series vs Georgia and UT on the road. Ole Miss and Arkansas will be difficult- but as far as a road schedule in the SEC, we can't really complain about that because everyone is going to have some tough road series.

As far as non-conference- I see the two games at Trustmark Park as toss ups. I think the USM/UM game tommorrow may change my opinion one way or the other about either of our games with them because we will be facing their midweek guys and we will probably be throwing Graveman or possibly Busby. Our bullpen might be the difference in those two games good or bad.

South Alabama and Memphis are both on the road and are against respectable teams that could beat us if we don't bring our A game, but those are two games that we should win. They could be very important to our RPI at the end of the day because they are both in quality conferences. I'll lump the end of UAB in with this group too- we really need to get that win to help us out because UAB appears to be a pretty decent team, and a road win against them should help us out a little bit- they beat Alabama for whatever that's worth.

We better win the Alabama A&M and Valley games.