(02-26-2014 09:27 AM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:25 AM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:16 AM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:07 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(02-25-2014 07:19 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  These kind of games (along with the UH loss) are what causes teams to go on the road for Regionals....just very disappointing.

At this point, I would agreed to being on the road for the Supers. I guess the team didn't mind being on the road in June last year because you don't see the the spark to avoid being road warriors this year.

How exactly would you see that spark? Just by winning?

The 2003 club and others up to a few years ago always seemed to pull out games like this. Very rarely did the game go the B 9th and did you feel like they weren't going to pull it out. As I commented at the Texas St game this is like watching the '59 Go Go Sox as far as hitting goes. However the Sox would manage to score runs because they got walks, SBs, Sac flies and put pressure on the defense whenever they got someone on base. We just struggle at times getting on base and when we do we can't move them forward.

Well, we pulled out the Texas State game. And we gave ourselves a chance last night. Isn't always going to happen. As RiceLad said, it is 9 games into the season. I want to see a bit bigger sample before I push the panic button.

I really don't think anyone's panicing at this early juncture; especially, with the pitching so consistently strong. However, our offense simply must learn to make adjustments in game, and not take the same approach against the same pitcher (who has been baffling them) for 3 or 4 consecutive times through the lineup. Yesterday's game was virtually a replay of the UH game the week before. And in both cases we were not exactly going against elite pitchers (until Sam brought in their co-closers after the 7th inning).

The best thing about Wayne Graham-coached teams is that they always seem to improve as the season wears on - as you would expect from a great teacher. I'm not worried one iota.

(02-26-2014 09:27 AM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:25 AM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:16 AM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:07 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(02-25-2014 07:19 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  These kind of games (along with the UH loss) are what causes teams to go on the road for Regionals....just very disappointing.

At this point, I would agreed to being on the road for the Supers. I guess the team didn't mind being on the road in June last year because you don't see the the spark to avoid being road warriors this year.

How exactly would you see that spark? Just by winning?

The 2003 club and others up to a few years ago always seemed to pull out games like this. Very rarely did the game go the B 9th and did you feel like they weren't going to pull it out. As I commented at the Texas St game this is like watching the '59 Go Go Sox as far as hitting goes. However the Sox would manage to score runs because they got walks, SBs, Sac flies and put pressure on the defense whenever they got someone on base. We just struggle at times getting on base and when we do we can't move them forward.

Well, we pulled out the Texas State game. And we gave ourselves a chance last night. Isn't always going to happen. As RiceLad said, it is 9 games into the season. I want to see a bit bigger sample before I push the panic button.

No panic button is being pushed. Do you see a team with a low teen loss record when you watch Rice play? If not, you are probably seeing a team that will not be a protected eight. It doesn't mean they aren't good, or fun to watch - it just means that they will have yo do it the hard way to get to Omaha.

(02-26-2014 09:16 AM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:07 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(02-25-2014 07:19 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  These kind of games (along with the UH loss) are what causes teams to go on the road for Regionals....just very disappointing.

At this point, I would agreed to being on the road for the Supers. I guess the team didn't mind being on the road in June last year because you don't see the the spark to avoid being road warriors this year.

How exactly would you see that spark? Just by winning?

Perhaps I am wrong. And to quote the philosopher Nuke, "Winning is, like, better than losing."

(02-26-2014 09:17 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  WE ARE NINE GAMES INTO THE SEASON.

GET YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM THE RED BUTTON!

Do you know where I can get one of these panic buttons? I have watched a lot of Rice baseball over the years and have had no previous need for one.

BTW, even with UT barely escaping in the 11th inning, yesterday was Upset Tuesday nationally-- with VMi beating #1 Virginia, Western Kentucky beating #5 Vandy, UC-SB beating #14 UCLA, UT-A beating #16 TCU, Kennesaw St. beating Georgia, Virginia Commonwealth beating ECU, Elon beating previously undefeated UNC-Wilmington and amongst ranked teams, #24 ULaLa beating #9 LSU.

At least we lost to a formidable and consensus Top 35 program.

(02-26-2014 09:25 AM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:16 AM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:07 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(02-25-2014 07:19 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  These kind of games (along with the UH loss) are what causes teams to go on the road for Regionals....just very disappointing.

At this point, I would agreed to being on the road for the Supers. I guess the team didn't mind being on the road in June last year because you don't see the the spark to avoid being road warriors this year.

How exactly would you see that spark? Just by winning?

The 2003 club and others up to a few years ago always seemed to pull out games like this. Very rarely did the game go the B 9th and did you feel like they weren't going to pull it out. As I commented at the Texas St game this is like watching the '59 Go Go Sox as far as hitting goes. However the Sox would manage to score runs because they got walks, SBs, Sac flies and put pressure on the defense whenever they got someone on base. We just struggle at times getting on base and when we do we can't move them forward.

I really liked the comeback win against Texas State. The 2003 team almost had an attitude of "refuse to lose" because the didn't like the way they felt at the end of the 2002 season. It was like they had a chip on their shoulder and had something to prove.

So it sort of comes down to math. If you lose a mid-wheel game each week, and you don't sweep on the weekends, you have to accumulate too many loses to be a national seed.

No one on a national level was predicting Rice to be a national seed, so Rice is pretty much (so far) where everyone thought they would be.

(02-26-2014 09:46 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:17 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  WE ARE NINE GAMES INTO THE SEASON.

GET YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM THE RED BUTTON!

Do you know where I can get one of these panic buttons? I have watched a lot of Rice baseball over the years and have had no previous need for one.

The perennial Rice early season baseball thread. There's a certain comfort in consistency.

It took UT 11 innings to down UTPA 2-1 last night.

(02-26-2014 09:43 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:16 AM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:07 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(02-25-2014 07:19 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  These kind of games (along with the UH loss) are what causes teams to go on the road for Regionals....just very disappointing.

At this point, I would agreed to being on the road for the Supers. I guess the team didn't mind being on the road in June last year because you don't see the the spark to avoid being road warriors this year.

How exactly would you see that spark? Just by winning?

Perhaps I am wrong. And to quote the philosopher Nuke, "Winning is, like, better than losing."

And make sure to breathe through your eyelids.

(02-26-2014 10:08 AM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:43 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:16 AM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:07 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(02-25-2014 07:19 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  These kind of games (along with the UH loss) are what causes teams to go on the road for Regionals....just very disappointing.

At this point, I would agreed to being on the road for the Supers. I guess the team didn't mind being on the road in June last year because you don't see the the spark to avoid being road warriors this year.

How exactly would you see that spark? Just by winning?

Perhaps I am wrong. And to quote the philosopher Nuke, "Winning is, like, better than losing."

And make sure to breathe through your eyelids.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.

I'm just happy to be here.

(02-26-2014 09:54 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  BTW, even with UT barely escaping in the 11th inning, yesterday was Upset Tuesday nationally-- with VMi beating #1 Virginia, Western Kentucky beating #5 Vandy, UC-SB beating #14 UCLA, UT-A beating #16 TCU, Kennesaw St. beating Georgia, Virginia Commonwealth beating ECU, Elon beating previously undefeated UNC-Wilmington and amongst ranked teams, #24 ULaLa beating #9 LSU.

At least we lost to a formidable and consensus Top 35 program.

And Vandy loses back-to-back mid-week games; this time to Evansville 3-8. Both losses were at home.

(02-26-2014 09:55 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  The 2003 team almost had an attitude of "refuse to lose" because the didn't like the way they felt at the end of the 2002 season.

The 2003 team was 5-1 in extra-inning games.

(02-26-2014 09:46 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:17 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  WE ARE NINE GAMES INTO THE SEASON.

GET YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM THE RED BUTTON!

Do you know where I can get one of these panic buttons? I have watched a lot of Rice baseball over the years and have had no previous need for one.

Yeah, there's clearly no need to push the panic button right now. Heck, last season was a roller-coaster ride, and we damn near made it to Omaha.

I don't know if we'll be fine or not, but it is just too early to make a prediction one way or the other. Lots of baseball to play, and I'm told we have a pretty good coach.

(02-26-2014 09:09 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(02-26-2014 09:55 AM)13thOwl Wrote:  The 2003 team almost had an attitude of "refuse to lose" because the didn't like the way they felt at the end of the 2002 season.

The 2003 team was 5-1 in extra-inning games.

More 2003 stats. I am surprised we didn't have more late inning come from behind wins but we were pretty amazing in games that were tied late.

Record when trailing after:
Inn. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
W-L 11-4 9-6 8-6 7-6 6-6 3-7 2-8 1-11

Record when tied after:
Inn. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
W-L 23-7 15-4 12-1 6-2 3-2 4-0 5-2 8-0