Gator Baseball Gator Baseball: UF at LSU

[dz_23]

Holy Geez where did that come from??? I got in last nite and checked the score and had to look twice to make sure my eyes were focusing. I know Ocala mentioned LSU had been struggling, but we have been no great shakes, so to find that kind of offense on the road is refreshing but also surprising. Hopefully it will continue. Perhaps it was all due to @dz_23 making an appearance both in the thread and at the ball park this weekend. Hope he is wearing his O&B gear.

You know I was representing! Someone ask me for 1 win, here you go. Let me know what else I can do. El o El

 

[Ocalaman]

You know I was representing! Someone ask me for 1 win, here you go. Let me know what else I can do. El o El

Get the series win tonight. Will you be there?

 

[dz_23]

Not tonight friend, i’ll make some calls to get the W

 

[Ocalaman]

Baseball game delayed by weather. New start time is 8:30 with Christian Scott now slotted to start on the mound.

 

[Ocalaman]

Gators getting pounded 10-1 in the 6th. Our freshmen pitchers, Christian Scott and Ben Specht, have been terrible, while their freshman pitcher, Cole Henry has been great with 12 K's in 5.1 innings.

 

[Ocalaman]

13-1 Gator loss. Their freshman pitcher goes 5.1 innings, 4 hits (solo HR from Acton), no walks and 12 strikeouts. Our freshman starter, Scott, goes 3.2 innings, gives up 5 runs on 6 hits 3 walks with 1 strikeout. Freshman reliever Ben Specht then goes 1.1 innings and gives up 5 runs on 7 hits, 1 walk and no K's. JC transfer Nick Blasucci comes in and goes 1.2 innings, giving up 3 runs (none earned thanks to back to back errors by Blake Reese) on 2 hits, 1 walk and 4 k's. Langworthy threw the last 1.1 innings and looked good, giving up only 1 hit. Our pitching was terrible, theirs was excellent (including the reliever than threw the final 3.2 innings) .

I just don't buy the excuse that our pitching staff is young. There are freshmen all over the country, including the guy that shut us down tonight, who are doing great. Logan Shore was our Friday night starter as a freshman and was excellent. We had the #2 recruiting class in the country last year and I just think guys either have it or they don't coming out of high school into college. Some of our highly touted pitchers, to me, just ain't got it. Some posters early in the season said, "Oh the season is young, these young guys will get better as they mature in the program and we'll be fine by year's end." This is the worst pitching staff in the SEC and the defense isn't much better. We're still a good team and we'll still probably make the NCAA tournament. But our pitching simply isn't good enough to go very far in the post season. Still pulling for them, still watching them every chance I get. In all kinds of weather, but this is a subpar year for both our baseball and softball programs.. At least by the high quality standards set by Tim Walton & Kevin O'Sullivan.

 

[FireFoley]

It looks like the road warriors returned last nite, but as DZ said, I asked for 1 win and was granted that wish. So whatever happens Sat., we will not have gotten swept.

 

[Ocalaman]

LSU killing us again, 11-2 in the 7th. Leftwich lasted into the 2nd, but left with no outs and was charged with 6 runs, all earned, on 5 hits, a walk and 2 hit batters. Jordan Butler tossed 2 innings and gave up 3 runs (all earned) on 3 hits, a walk and 2 hit batters. Tyler Dyson went 2.1 innings and gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and a walk. Langworthy now pitching. Gators have 6 hits, 3 by Langworthy and Acton has a 2-run HR. Gators ERA against SEC teams is fast approaching 8.0 and overall is nearing 5.0 for the season. As Charles Barkley says, "Turrible, turrible, turrible."

 

[FireFoley]

Well obviously one game does not a trend make. We did break our road conference losing streak, but then we picked up right where we left off. 1-8 on the road in SEC play this year and absolutely NONcompetitive in 7 of those 9 games. Sure, whether you lose by 1 run or 30 runs it is still just 1 loss, but geez, getting skull fvkked in 7 of 9 on the road is not a good thing.

 

[deuce]

Time to start a "Fire the Coach" thread?

 

[Ocalaman]

Time to start a "Fire the Coach" thread?

Not at all. Just a down year by O'Sullivan standards. The ship will be righted in due time. It truly is a balancing act for college baseball coaches who only have 11.7 scholarships to work with and also needing to find guys who are high draft worthy and yet want to come to UF instead. Plus getting commitments and then waiting until the June draft to see which of them is going to sign with MLB, then trying to fill in gaps on the back side. And he does it all as well as anybody out there.

 

[g8tr72]

I'm just stunned at the terrible pitching on this staff this year. I know we are worst in the SEC, but the team ERA is close to the bottom in the nation too - 280th out of 297 teams.
NCAA College Baseball DI current team Stats | NCAA.com

In 18 SEC games we've given up 147 runs, 29 more than the next worst (ALA-118.) We are last in SEC pitching stats in ERA, Opposing team Strikeouts, Opposing team batting avg, innings pitched.....
http://a.espncdn.com/sec/baseball/2019/ ... istics.pdf

The runs allowed per game in SEC competition has to be at an historic high.

Good news - we can only go up from here.

One last comment, you can tell the lack of passion for Gator baseball as compared to other sports. If the other sports teams were performing this badly, even in a historic perspective, there would definitely be the "fire threads." Simply, the majority of fans care nothing about baseball.

 

[Ocalaman]

In spite of our struggles, UF baseball is still ranked #23 in the latest RPI. Our schedule is brutal, including the mid week dames throughout the year. Barring a total collapse down the stretch, this team will still make the NCAA tournament, probably as a #2 seed in another region.

 

[NorthsideGator]

In spite of our struggles, UF baseball is still ranked #23 in the latest RPI. Our schedule is brutal, including the mid week dames throughout the year. Barring a total collapse down the stretch, this team will still make the NCAA tournament, probably as a #2 seed in another region.

Unfortunately, it's not that simple as the Selection Committee has shown Conference record is a determining factor. We need to do better in SEC play, or we'll be left out, even with a good RPI.

Last year, Kentucky had a RPI of 32 and went 13-17 in SEC and missed the field. Meanwhile SCar had a RPI of 44 and made the field with a 17-13 SEC mark.

In 2017, SCar and Ole Miss missed the field with RPIs in the 30s and losing SEC records. A&M and Auburn made the field with RPIs in the 40s and winning SEC records.

Going further back, LSU missed the field in 2011 with a RPI of 18 and a 13-17 SEC record.

Yes, RPI matters and we're in good shape there. But we really need to get to .500 in SEC play to feel comfortable about not getting left out

 

[Ocalaman]

Unfortunately, it's not that simple as the Selection Committee has shown Conference record is a determining factor. We need to do better in SEC play, or we'll be left out, even with a good RPI.

Last year, Kentucky had a RPI of 32 and went 13-17 in SEC and missed the field. Meanwhile SCar had a RPI of 44 and made the field with a 17-13 SEC mark.

In 2017, SCar and Ole Miss missed the field with RPIs in the 30s and losing SEC records. A&M and Auburn made the field with RPIs in the 40s and winning SEC records.

Going further back, LSU missed the field in 2011 with a RPI of 18 and a 13-17 SEC record.

Yes, RPI matters and we're in good shape there. But we really need to get to .500 in SEC play to feel comfortable about not getting left out

You're probably right and I don't see us going 8-4 in the SEC down the stretch. The pitching just ain't there. Would like to see us get in, sort of like with the basketball team. But even if we do, we're going going to go far - just like the basketball team.

 

[Ocalaman]

UF baseball gets 21 hits and scores 11 runs, but gives up 4 runs in the 9th and loses to FAU 13-11. This pitching staff ( 7 of them tonight) absolutely SUCKS!!!

 

[FireFoley]

I was out there. We had like 37 hits and FAU had like 21 hits. There were 2 grand slams. The UF pitchers, as Ocala so correctly stated, is horrendous. They even tried Langworthy in the top of the 9th, with a 2 run lead to close out the game. Where as a lefty , he promptly walked the leadoff hitter in the 9th, who was a lefty hitter on 4 straight pitches and the flood gates opened. Another terrible display by a host of arms.

 

[maheo30]

Langworthy pitched all of 6.2 innings last season. He pitched 17 the year before. If Sully is turning to him to close a game, he is at a loss as to what to do. This doesn't come across as young pitching to me. I just think this crop of freshman aren't very good. Sully's gonna age years with this staff.

 

[deuce]

So, we stink?

 

[Ocalaman]

So, we stink?

Worst pitching and defense since Kevin O'Sullivan became HBC. Offense is pretty good. The pitchers, as a staff, seem to have lost their collective confidence and really do stink.