Welcome to SEC baseball.

[chew1095]

</p><table class="news2" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2"><thead><tr><th class="no-sort" colspan="2"></th><th class="top-header" colspan="3">Conference</th><th class="top-header" colspan="2">Overall</th><th class="top-header" colspan="3">RPI</th><th class="top-header" colspan="2"></th></tr><tr><th class="no-sort">#</th><th class="no-sort">Team</th><th class="no-sort">W - L - T</th><th class="no-sort">Pct</th><th class="no-sort">GB</th><th class="no-sort">W - L - T</th><th class="no-sort">Pct</th><th class="no-sort">Rank</th><th class="no-sort">Pct</th><th class="no-sort">vs 1-50</th><th class="no-sort">Last 10</th><th class="no-sort">Streak</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="spacer"><td height="20">East</td></tr><tr><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="leftdata">Vanderbilt</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.000</td><td class="centerdata">-</td><td class="centerdata">17 - 1 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.944</td><td class="centerdata">17</td><td class="centerdata">0.6212</td><td class="centerdata">3 - 1 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">10 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">10 Wins</td></tr><tr><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="leftdata">Florida</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.000</td><td class="centerdata">-</td><td class="centerdata">15 - 2 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.882</td><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="centerdata">0.6953</td><td class="centerdata">7 - 1 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">8 - 2 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">5 Wins</td></tr><tr><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="leftdata">Tennessee</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.000</td><td class="centerdata">-</td><td class="centerdata">15 - 2 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.882</td><td class="centerdata">103</td><td class="centerdata">0.5272</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">9 - 1 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">9 Wins</td></tr><tr><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="leftdata">South Carolina</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.000</td><td class="centerdata">-</td><td class="centerdata">12 - 3 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.800</td><td class="centerdata">19</td><td class="centerdata">0.6121</td><td class="centerdata">4 - 2 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">7 - 3 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">1 Win</td></tr><tr><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="leftdata">Kentucky</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.000</td><td class="centerdata">-</td><td class="centerdata">10 - 7 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.588</td><td class="centerdata">203</td><td class="centerdata">0.4547</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 2 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">7 - 3 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">4 Wins</td></tr><tr><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="leftdata">Georgia</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.000</td><td class="centerdata">-</td><td class="centerdata">8 - 9 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.471</td><td class="centerdata">43</td><td class="centerdata">0.5760</td><td class="centerdata">2 - 4 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">6 - 4 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">1 Loss</td></tr><tr class="spacer"><td height="20">West</td></tr><tr><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="leftdata">LSU</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.000</td><td class="centerdata">-</td><td class="centerdata">16 - 1 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.941</td><td class="centerdata">13</td><td class="centerdata">0.6265</td><td class="centerdata">8 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">9 - 1 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">5 Wins</td></tr><tr><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="leftdata">Arkansas</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.000</td><td class="centerdata">-</td><td class="centerdata">14 - 2 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.875</td><td class="centerdata">82</td><td class="centerdata">0.5404</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">8 - 2 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">2 Wins</td></tr><tr><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="leftdata">Ole Miss</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.000</td><td class="centerdata">-</td><td class="centerdata">14 - 4 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.778</td><td class="centerdata">4</td><td class="centerdata">0.6429</td><td class="centerdata">3 - 3 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">7 - 3 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">4 Wins</td></tr><tr><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="leftdata">Mississippi State</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.000</td><td class="centerdata">-</td><td class="centerdata">14 - 4 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.778</td><td class="centerdata">47</td><td class="centerdata">0.5735</td><td class="centerdata">4 - 2 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">7 - 3 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">2 Wins</td></tr><tr><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="leftdata">Auburn</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.000</td><td class="centerdata">-</td><td class="centerdata">12 - 5 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.706</td><td class="centerdata">10</td><td class="centerdata">0.6315</td><td class="centerdata">1 - 3 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">7 - 3 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">2 Wins</td></tr><tr><td class="centerdata">1</td><td class="leftdata">Alabama</td><td class="centerdata">0 - 0 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.000</td><td class="centerdata">-</td><td class="centerdata">11 - 6 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">0.647</td><td class="centerdata">130</td><td class="centerdata">0.5111</td><td class="centerdata">1 - 5 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">7 - 3 - 0</td><td class="centerdata">1 Loss</td></tr></tbody></table>
People want to point out that our competition has been pretty ****** thus far, but I would like to note that Tennessee and Arkansas have yet to play a team with a top 50 RPI. I would also like to note that Kentucky, Georgia, Ole Miss, Auburn and Alabama have .500 records or below against RPI top 50 teams. We are 4-2.

And yes, I know it is probably still too early to extrapolate anything from this info. Just thought I would share.

 

[patdog]

I don't care what RPI says, we haven't played anybody even halfway worth a **** yet.

 

[mstatefan88]

To compareour SOSto the rest of the SEC:

Georgia: 6th
Florida: 34th
Auburn: 47th
Ole Miss: 73rd
South Carolina: 117th
LSU: 136th
Vandy: 138th
Alabama: 214th
Kentucky: 247th
Arkansas: 260th
Tennessee: 267th

We've played the 8th toughest schedule out of all the SEC teams. Also shows our strength rating is 28th. So I guess that's pretty much like our RPI. Don't know how reliable Boyds world is, but it's just another thing to add to the discussion.
</p>

 

[chew1095]

nm

 

[Hector.sixpack]

Our lineup SHOULD be shaping up. Im sure a lot of the teams with a few loses have been experimenting with their lineups.Our pitching is much improved overall. We can't really tell where we are until after a couple of SEC weekends andit wouldn't surprise me a bit to see us take 2 of 3 this weekend.Why you ask? We have a legit Friday night starter. Im anxious to find out how we will do this weekend.</p>

 

[maroonmania]

for where we are with our program. We need to get used to actually winning games again. Hard to do that when you are getting smashed by Top 10 teams in the preseason schedule.

 

[mstatefan88]

This team needs some experience learning how to win games regardless of who they are against. We play a tough enough schedule in the SEC in baseball, so I don't mind our inexperienced team playing patsies during nonconference play. In a couple years I expect us to upgrade our opponents, but for now, I'm fine having a weaker nonconference schedule.

 

[Todd4State]

We play in the SEC, which means playing people like Florida, LSU, and Vanderbilt three times, not to mention defending National Champ South Carolina.

On top of that, we have non-conference games against Ole Miss and USM- two likely regional teams. Also, C-USA is a pretty strong baseball conference, and we play three games vs teams from there- and none of those teams we play in Starkville.

To me, the main benefit of playing someone really good non-conference like say, Miami or Texas, is that it sort of gets your team a little more prepared for the SEC season. But, that's not what we need to do this year with a team that is learning how to win.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Butch has gotten, our pitching staff (with the return of 2009 Routt) will resemble a SEC staff for the first time in a while.

 

[Goat Holder II]

I'm guessing you haven't been to a single game yet.

 

[msumhsfan]

Its mentioned with every breath in basketball but I never really remember hearing it in baseball at the end.

 

[Todd4State]

but not quite as important as basketball because in college baseball, the selection committee is always concerned about making sure that there is a regional in "the north" and things like that where college baseball isn't quite as popular and making sure that they "don't look biased".

Also, the games are actually played on a college campus, so that makes a huge difference whereas in basketball most of the games are at a neutral site. And then, as we all know, the bid to host is also a factor. They do look at SOS as well.

In the regionals, they sometimes like to match teams up that are local to try to create interest- for example see USM going to a regional in Oxford.

In baseball, the selection committee takes all of those into consideration, and in basketball, they seem to focus more on RPI and SOS than anything, although they do try to reward teams by placing them in regionals that are close to their fans if possible if a team deserves it.

 

[msumhsfan]

Or would a good showing in the SEC tourny take care of it? </p>

 

[QuaoarsKing]

Coming in the top 8 in the SEC ought to lock us into a regional. It´s if we come in 9th or 10th that we bite our nails over RPI.

 

[Todd4State]

If we make the SEC Tournament, we will get in unless we make the SEC Tournament and have a losing record- which is not likely.

If we finish ninth in the SEC, we will be on the bubble, and if we finish 10th we will also still be on the bubble, but probably on the wrong side of it.

For us to host a regional, I figure that we're going to have to finish no worse than fifth, and just for fun, top two gets us a National seed.

The SEC baseball tournament matters very little as far as getting in, but the teams that do get in can maybe improve from maybe a 3 seed to a 2 or a 2 to a 1.

 

[msumhsfan]

The MS flag thing aside, the NCAA knows that State hosting a regional,or super, is a attendance record and more money for them. Like Ky getting calls in basketball or bama getting calls in football. We sell out enough to warrant the pulling of some strings to get us a regional or sup

 

[patdog]

I know we made it once when wefinished 9th in the SECand LSU (I think) got left out even though they were the #8 seed in the SECT. But generally speaking, you're right. If we make the SECT we'll almost certainly get a bid.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

It comes from something Mike Schmidt said to me long ago. He said "you can't learn to hit Major League pitching until you face Major League pitching". Same with competition, you can't learn to beat the best teams until you face the best teams. If you just face inferior competition, you will get overwhelmed when it really counts. Now obviously not every team you can schedule is going to be a top 10 team, but I always wanted to hit against the best pitchers possible so I am ready for all comers. If you been facing 85 mph fastballs with mediocre sliders and curveballs you might pad your stats and get some confidence, but that will all go away when you face 95 with nasty breaking ****. I want to see 95 and nasty breaking **** as much as possible, so I am prepared for that. It is easy to go back to 85 and mediocre.

 

[Todd4State]

I know we made it once when wefinished 9th in the SECand LSU (I think) got left out even though they were the #8 seed in the SECT. But generally speaking, you're right. If we make the SECT we'll almost certainly get a bid.

He was the head of the selection committee that year. Doing that also got LSU to fire Smoke Laval and hire Paul Manieri.

 

[Todd4State]

the NCAA allow college baseball teams to play an exhibition season one week before the regular season starts. And when I say exhibition season, I mean one weekend where we play a D-II team like Delta State for 3-4 games. Teams scheduling easier in teams in part because of the pitching staffs not being up to speed and as well as the hitters a chance to get their timing down.

By having an exhibition season, that might encourage teams to schedule more difficult teams. And I don't know why the NCAA won't allow it- they let basketball do it.