The Heels have already clinched a double bye for the ACC tourney. Looks like a win today plus Clemson taking rubber match over the Noles will lock us into no worse than the two seed. It’s possible just a win does that as unsure how the tiebreakers go. Pretty good with an entire weekend to go.
Non UNC game thread
- Thread starter Coby_goat_white
- Start date
They got swept by GT, so we'll have the tie breaker over FSU. A win today, or a Clemson win, and we're locked into the #2 seed.
UCLA is for real. They swept through a tournament early in the season beating 3 SEC opponents in a row .
The bubble does look weak this year, but it usually shrinks a couple spots after bids are stolen in conference tournaments.
They are very good and are led by the top draft prospect in the country. But, your example of the one very early season tourney where they faced some SEC arms, they’ve gone over two months without seeing electric stuff. Maybe it won’t matter. But just maybe it will. There’s no way to argue against them getting the #1 overall seed. I just think there is a chance that a sudden step up in competition could shock their systems over a single weekend.
I wouldn’t pick UCLA to win it all, but they’ve got to be the #1 seed unless they fall apart down the stretch.
There is talent in the B10. I’m not saying there isn’t. And the addition of the west coast teams certainly strengthened the top of the conference in terms of baseball. But the conference is still #4 in RPI even with UCLA running away with the individual metric.
It’s still primarily a northern conference geographically and many rosters are filled with a lot of northern kids who are talented and scrappy but aren’t at the level that ACC and SEC players are at. Sure, best on best (even at a player level), the B10 doesn’t lag too far behind the ACC. But there are 6 TEAMS in the B10 with a lower RPI than the worst ACC team (Stanford at #105). There were several series this year that UCLA was able to sweep without playing much better than their “C” ball.
Saying the B10 isn’t at the level of the ACC/SEC and that the gap is material isn’t saying all B10 teams and players suck.
UCLA reminds me of our 2013 team. They jumped on every body early and have not looked back but may have peaked to soon ? Who knows but UCLA has won every single weekend and traveled across the country to do it and that's not easy look no further then FSU getting swept at Stanford.
ECU cancelled middle week game with Campbell and VT also cancelled their midweek. Playing Sunday and again big conference series on Thursday a day ahead of schedule and with conference tournaments starting as early as Tuesday? Do you really need a midweek game this late in the season?
Mercer beating GT midweek isn’t that big of a deal…it was a huge chance for Mercer to bank some RPI points and credit them for succeeding. Also…worth noting…they have a very good team.
On the GT side, If just be very nervous with my lack of pitching…even on the weekend…and that a game like last night could repeat itself as early as the Regional round. They have an elite offense (probably best in the nation). They have an electric closer. But is that going to be enough if they face a team with even above-average arms?
On the GT side, If just be very nervous with my lack of pitching…even on the weekend…and that a game like last night could repeat itself as early as the Regional round. They have an elite offense (probably best in the nation). They have an electric closer. But is that going to be enough if they face a team with even above-average arms?
GT weekend ERA is very very good. I expect with a big series at BC they didn't use the top relievers like we did last night.BC is tough and especially at home this season as they have not lost a ACC series at home.
Very, very good is a stretch…but their ERA is slightly better in conference-only games (they rank 4th in the ACC in that stat). Overall, they have the 8th best ERA in the ACC.
I guess, for me, it comes down to this…there will be at least 20 teams playing in the NCAA Tourney with a better Friday arm than Tate McKee. And maybe they view Blakely as their ace heading into the postseason. But he still isn’t a nomadic ace imo. I think we have three guys (DeCaro, Lynch, Glauber) who I’d want starting a big postseason game over anyone on GT. Can they hit their way to Omaha with all games being played in ATL? Very possible. But their pitching against another elite team (whether that is Supers or in Nebraska) should be a huge concern for Yellow Jacket fans.