(05-25-2013 04:28 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I'm wondering if Wayne thinks he has to win the tournament to get a softer #1 seed (like perhaps Kansas State or perhaps someone like Indiana or Louisville?). I personally don't think we'll get LSU, nor does LSU want us, but maybe if we lose tomorrow, that gives the committee more leeway to send us to Baton Rouge?

I was thinking the same thing. Plus, I bet that Wayne keeps up with conference rankings and wants to leave no doubt that we're still the class of CUSA. If we win this tourney and end the regular season with 41 wins and a 9-game win streak, it'll be hard for any pundits to say it's a down year for us. Let them focus on UT and TCU. :)

It will also be interesting to see how many teams from Texas make it to the tournament. I don't think any have clinched a spot yet - Sam Houston State might make it still but they went 0-2 in the Southland tournament. It's quite possible we're the lone team from Texas.

(05-25-2013 04:35 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Most of the pundits agree that it would be surprising if we were sent to a southeastern regional, as there are a disporportionate number of SE teams amongst the 64 post-season births this year, and the NCAA will seek to minimize travel budgets to the extent possible. Consequently, most of the pundits (but not all) are projecting us to either go out West (e.g., ASU/Tempe, UCLA, CSF or Oregon/Oregon St.) or to Indiana, who will likely earn a national seed (if you can believe that). I think all of us are in agreement where we'd like to go, given the options; especially, if Rider and Notre Dame are the other schools in the Bloomington regional. That would be a gift from the Gods (though it would be up to our guys to unwrap to our advantage!).

Hmmm. I wonder if any former Indiana ADs on the NCAA D-1 baseball tournament selection committee are interested in playing God and making this seeding happen.

(05-25-2013 03:07 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 02:47 PM)MemOwl Wrote:  Who gets the ball on Sunday?

McDowell
Fox
McCanna

+ Lemond and Ditman. In Thursday news conference, The OG hinted that Jordan Stephens could be available for 2 - 3 innings (which is why he was pulled after only 5.2 innings of work the other day, and with a relatively low pitch count).

Any of the above a lefty? (Know Lemond is a righty and want nothing to do with him, but don't think he'd start?)

(05-25-2013 05:11 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 04:35 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Most of the pundits agree that it would be surprising if we were sent to a southeastern regional, as there are a disporportionate number of SE teams amongst the 64 post-season births this year, and the NCAA will seek to minimize travel budgets to the extent possible. Consequently, most of the pundits (but not all) are projecting us to either go out West (e.g., ASU/Tempe, UCLA, CSF or Oregon/Oregon St.) or to Indiana, who will likely earn a national seed (if you can believe that). I think all of us are in agreement where we'd like to go, given the options; especially, if Rider and Notre Dame are the other schools in the Bloomington regional. That would be a gift from the Gods (though it would be up to our guys to unwrap to our advantage!).

Hmmm. I wonder if any former Indiana ADs on the NCAA D-1 baseball tournament selection committee are interested in playing God and making this seeding happen.

Well said, Mike. I think that would be a very worthwhile place for Greenspan to exert some of his juice. Oops, didn't mean to create that image of Greenspan's juice or of him juicing himself. Sorry. Carry on...

(05-25-2013 05:42 PM)eaglenjxn Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 03:07 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 02:47 PM)MemOwl Wrote:  Who gets the ball on Sunday?

McDowell
Fox
McCanna

+ Lemond and Ditman. In Thursday news conference, The OG hinted that Jordan Stephens could be available for 2 - 3 innings (which is why he was pulled after only 5.2 innings of work the other day, and with a relatively low pitch count).

Any of the above a lefty? (Know Lemond is a righty and want nothing to do with him, but don't think he'd start?)

Fox is a lefty.

I wouldn't be surprise to see Wayne give Kubitza an inning - just to keep him sharp for Regional Friday.

Great, dominant win. Congrats, Owls, keep rolling.

Tomorrow a good opportunity to give pressure innings to guys that may need them next week.

(05-25-2013 04:43 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  It will also be interesting to see how many teams from Texas make it to the tournament. I don't think any have clinched a spot yet - Sam Houston State might make it still but they went 0-2 in the Southland tournament. It's quite possible we're the lone team from Texas.

40 in Warren Millers RPI. Florida, Georgia Tech, A$M, Maryland, and Nebraska are iffy above Rice. I think Rice is squarely in regardless of the championship game results. I also do not think Sam Houston or Houston make the field of 64. I guess we shall see on Monday...

I think we're in - I'm just saying none have automatically qualified yet. Although it's looking pretty likely that a Texas team will gain the WAC's automatic spot (UTSA vs. either Texas State, UTA or Dallas Baptist in the championship is what probably will happen there).

(05-25-2013 06:58 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I think we're in - I'm just saying none have automatically qualified yet. Although it's looking pretty likely that a Texas team will gain the WAC's automatic spot (UTSA vs. either Texas State, UTA or Dallas Baptist in the championship is what probably will happen there).

Did HBU win their tourney? I don't think it gives them an auto bid.

Yes they did so congrats to them. I don't think it gets them an automatic bid however (Utah Valley State was 47-12 last year and didn't get a bid). The good news for the Huskies is that they join the Southland Conference in a month and will be playing in that conference in all sports outside of football next year. So they definitely get an opportunity to play for an NCAA bid next year.

(05-25-2013 07:19 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  Did HBU win their tourney? I don't think it gives them an auto bid.

Yes, HBU won the Great West Conference tournament today by defeating Northern Colorado, 13-3, at Riverfront Stadium on the Great West shore of that Great West waterway, the Passaic River, in that Great West city, Newark, N. J.

The Great West Conference is not listed in Aaron Fitt's latest Stock Report as one of those getting an automatic qualifying bid.

HBU finished its season with a 34-24 record. It was T2 in regular-season conference play (17-10). Northern Colorado was tops with a 20-7 conference record.

(05-25-2013 06:25 PM)CoatzaOwl Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 05:42 PM)eaglenjxn Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 03:07 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 02:47 PM)MemOwl Wrote:  Who gets the ball on Sunday?

McDowell
Fox
McCanna

+ Lemond and Ditman. In Thursday news conference, The OG hinted that Jordan Stephens could be available for 2 - 3 innings (which is why he was pulled after only 5.2 innings of work the other day, and with a relatively low pitch count).

Any of the above a lefty? (Know Lemond is a righty and want nothing to do with him, but don't think he'd start?)

Fox is a lefty.

I wouldn't be surprise to see Wayne give Kubitza an inning - just to keep him sharp for Regional Friday.

Good point, Coatza-- didn't even think of that, but...yeah...tomorrow would be AK's normal bullpen session after a Wednesday start. If Wayne REALLY wanted to win this one (without impacting our rotation for next weekend's regional), he could start Kubitza and have him go no more than 3 innings...then hand the ball to Fox for a couple innings...and then on to Stephens for 1 - 2 (which The OG has already said is why he pulled Stephens after only 5.2 strong innings on Thursday)...and, finally, Lemond for anywhere from 1 - 3 innings. Keep all the guys sharp.

Thinking about it now, I wouldn't be at all surprised if that's the way The OG goes tomorrow. The only downside in such a strategy would be that McDowell and McCanna (save for his one batter today) would not have seen competitive action in two weeks...and both are going to be needed in the regional round.

(05-25-2013 07:56 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 07:19 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  Did HBU win their tourney? I don't think it gives them an auto bid.

Yes, HBU won the Great West Conference tournament today by defeating Northern Colorado, 13-3, at Riverfront Stadium on the Great West shore of that Great West waterway, the Passaic River, in that Great West city, Newark, N. J.

The Great West Conference is not listed in Aaron Fitt's latest Stock Report as one of those getting an automatic qualifying bid.

HBU finished its season with a 34-24 record. It was T2 in regular-season conference play (17-10). Northern Colorado was tops with a 20-7 conference record.

HBU will love the Southland...their travel in the Great West was nasty.

(05-25-2013 06:45 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 04:43 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  It will also be interesting to see how many teams from Texas make it to the tournament. I don't think any have clinched a spot yet - Sam Houston State might make it still but they went 0-2 in the Southland tournament. It's quite possible we're the lone team from Texas.

40 in Warren Millers RPI. Florida, Georgia Tech, A$M, Maryland, and Nebraska are iffy above Rice. I think Rice is squarely in regardless of the championship game results. I also do not think Sam Houston or Houston make the field of 64. I guess we shall see on Monday...

I think UH is out with their back-to-back losses to USM and Tulane to end the tourney. Maryland is out. Nebraska's only shot is winning the Big 10 tourney, as they had a below .500 regular season. Given all the SEC and ACC teams in, I think both Florida and A&M are out...and two reasons are their home-baked and powderpuff OOC schedule and their sub-par road records.

(05-25-2013 08:27 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 06:45 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 04:43 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  It will also be interesting to see how many teams from Texas make it to the tournament. I don't think any have clinched a spot yet - Sam Houston State might make it still but they went 0-2 in the Southland tournament. It's quite possible we're the lone team from Texas.

40 in Warren Millers RPI. Florida, Georgia Tech, A$M, Maryland, and Nebraska are iffy above Rice. I think Rice is squarely in regardless of the championship game results. I also do not think Sam Houston or Houston make the field of 64. I guess we shall see on Monday...

I think UH is out with their back-to-back losses to USM and Tulane to end the tourney. Maryland is out. Nebraska's only shot is winning the Big 10 tourney, as they had a below .500 regular season. Given all the SEC and ACC teams in, I think both Florida and A&M are out...and two reasons are their home-baked and powderpuff OOC schedule and their sub-par road records.

Now 39 at Warren Miller.

(05-25-2013 08:22 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Good point, Coatza-- didn't even think of that, but...yeah...tomorrow would be AK's normal bullpen session after a Wednesday start. If Wayne REALLY wanted to win this one (without impacting our rotation for next weekend's regional), he could start Kubitza and have him go no more than 3 innings...then hand the ball to Fox for a couple innings...and then on to Stephens for 1 - 2 (which The OG has already said is why he pulled Stephens after only 5.2 strong innings on Thursday)...and, finally, Lemond for anywhere from 1 - 3 innings. Keep all the guys sharp.

Thinking about it now, I wouldn't be at all surprised if that's the way The OG goes tomorrow. The only downside in such a strategy would be that McDowell and McCanna (save for his one batter today) would not have seen competitive action in two weeks...and both are going to be needed in the regional round.

Well, I don't have a prediction about who will pitch tomorrow. However, my guess is that Wayne will use tomorrow to get his staff best positioned for the regional (vs. going all out to win). If he feels that means an inning a piece for McCanna, McDowell, Kubitza, Stephens, Fox, Lemond, etc., then I guess that's what we'll see. If Wayne things its best to extend Fox 4-5 innings and give Kubtiza, Stephens and Lemond an inning to tune up, then I guess that's what we see - and no McCanna and McDowell.

I don't think tomorrow's outcome has anything to do with where we're seeded. So, IMO, tomorrow is only valuable as a regional tune up.

(05-25-2013 08:45 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 08:27 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 06:45 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 04:43 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  It will also be interesting to see how many teams from Texas make it to the tournament. I don't think any have clinched a spot yet - Sam Houston State might make it still but they went 0-2 in the Southland tournament. It's quite possible we're the lone team from Texas.

40 in Warren Millers RPI. Florida, Georgia Tech, A$M, Maryland, and Nebraska are iffy above Rice. I think Rice is squarely in regardless of the championship game results. I also do not think Sam Houston or Houston make the field of 64. I guess we shall see on Monday...

I think UH is out with their back-to-back losses to USM and Tulane to end the tourney. Maryland is out. Nebraska's only shot is winning the Big 10 tourney, as they had a below .500 regular season. Given all the SEC and ACC teams in, I think both Florida and A&M are out...and two reasons are their home-baked and powderpuff OOC schedule and their sub-par road records.

Now 39 at Warren Miller.

Now 35 and Rice has passed Maryland. Stanford's win versus UCLA must have helped.

(05-26-2013 05:30 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 08:45 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 06:45 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  40 in Warren Millers RPI.

Now 39 at Warren Miller.

Now 35 ...

Did you mean, perhaps, Warren Nolan? I don't see any RPI projections by a Warren Miller.

(05-26-2013 10:34 AM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(05-26-2013 05:30 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 08:45 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(05-25-2013 06:45 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  40 in Warren Millers RPI.

Now 39 at Warren Miller.

Now 35 ...

Did you mean, perhaps, Warren Nolan? I don't see any RPI projections by a Warren Miller.

[maxwell smart's voice] missed it by that much...[end maxwell smart's voice]