(05-23-2013 10:35 PM)CoatzaOwl Wrote: The Owls have given up 4 runs in the last 45 innings! If I'm a No. 1 seed in a Regional, I'd hate to see the Owls in my bracket. Rice can win a Regional if they keep playing like this! Go Owls!
Houston Owl: I like the way you put it even better!
Yup; my thoughts exactly. I'm pretty convinced at this point we've locked up one of the lower (worst) #2 seeds going into the regional round, which likely means we'll be sent to one of the national seeds next weekend. IMO, anybody BUT Baton Rouge (we'll be limitted to our required quota of 250 tickets and no more given they sell out every game), Nashville (Vandy may be the best team in the country) or Chapel Hill (ditto).
Really well-played all-around game by the Owls for the first 6 innings, then the offense decided to go into hibernation against a sub-par, second-tier reliever (9 of 10 batters made out, and nobody hit the ball squarely), and the defense (well, one position) lost focus.
Game Ball #1: Jordan Stephens (W, 7-4, 5.2 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 2 BBs, 4 Ks), who continues to be our most consistent pitcher-- game in, game out. I'm still perplexed how the home plate up ruled that runner safe at the plate as Rat had him beat by over a foot, and Perrott appeared to get the tag down. Jordan was in total command, and incredibly efficient. I'd be surprised if his pitch count exceeded 80 pitches when he was pulled.
Game Ball #2: The bullpen duo of Blake Fox (1.2 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BBs, 2 Ks) and Matt Ditman (1.2, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 BBs, 1 K), who got us out of a pair of late jams without surrendering a run. Blake's curveball was killing UCF's left-handed batters (something that didn't happen when we last played the Knights) and Ditman was forced to retire 7 batters thanks to the back-to-back errors in the 8th inning.
Game Ball #3: I could have given it to Shane Hoelscher for his offense (1-2, 2 BBs, run scored, RBI), but I'm giving it to to Michael Ratterree (1-3, sac fly, RBI), who was instrumental in the scoring of our first two runs, and who made one heck of a throw from RF in what appeared to be a shutout-saving assist (only for the ump to rule the runner safe)?
Win streak now up to 7 games and counting, tying our longest of the season. Our pitching (both starters and bullpen) has been consistently dominant the past two weeks. We got our revenge for our earlier series loss to UCF, and now get to do the same to Memphis on Saturday....and we actually had a good offensive game against a left-handed pitcher! What's more, we're now just one win from achieving our 19th consecutive 40-win season...and have pretty much locked up that post-season birth (as a #2 seed), regardless to what transpires the rest of the weekend.
Having said that, from a confidence and momentum perspective, I think it's important we continue to run the table. If we can go into the post season winners of our last 9 games and playing our best ball of the season, i can tell you no one-- not even any of the national seeds, which I think will be our likely destination as one of the lowest ranked (worst) #2 seeds-- will want to see us in their regional.
Let's get a well-deserved day of rest tomorrow, and come ready get that 40th win of the season on Saturday morning, and extend our weekend yet another game. Go Owls!
