The unofficial online home for fans of the Kent State University Golden Flashes. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Should KSU win at 1:00, who would likely start the next game or the game tomorrow? I know there are some arms left, just a matter of what to expect.

(05-27-2017 06:22 AM)burden Wrote:  We really could use a EMU win over CMU today so if we beat Ohio twice today we only need one win on Sunday. Back to back doubleheader sweeps after playing three days in a row would be too much to ask from any college pitching staff.

EMU 5
CMU 0
Bottom of the 4th

This game and season is over. The fact that we lost 4/5 games to OU is pathetic.

Anyone at the game that can maybe hold up a sign: "There is no NEXT game"?

I just can't figure out why Willeman was even on the mound to throw to the last few batters of the 3rd. Or even more so, why he be back on the mound to start the 4th. Maybe if you had no other arms available?

Well, that's the problem with baseball. You are highly dependent on the pitcher and pitchers can't go out there and play every day.

That's why the tournament is particularly problematic in baseball. For the regular season, your best three pitchers are usually your weekend starters and play against your conference opponents. You probably have bullpen pitchers that are also good, and pitchers that aren't quite as good that will start the weekday games against nonconference opponents. In the tournament where you play up to 7 games in 4 days, you are going really deep into the pitching staff and it totally changes the complexion of the team.

Basically, the basketball equivalent would be to play redshirt freshmen and walk-ons in the championship game because you've used up your best players in the first few rounds.

The bottom line is the KSU teams the last few years have not been mentally tough enough to handle the MAC Tournament. Not even close.

It is one of the dumbest tournament formats in all of sports. If there ever was a sport where regular season should decide it's baseball. In other sports the best teams rarely get beat by the worse teams in baseball it probably happens one of three times. In the major leagues you need the most pitching depth during the regular season and then cut back in the post season. Doing it the other way does make very little sense.

(05-27-2017 01:42 PM)burden Wrote:  It is one of the dumbest tournament formats in all of sports. If there ever was a sport where regular season should decide it's baseball. In other sports the best teams rarely get beat by the worse teams in baseball it probably happens one of three times. In the major leagues you need the most pitching depth during the regular season and then cut back in the post season. Doing it the other way does make very little sense.

Looking at the stats, it looks like there are still a few arms (including a couple that have successfully started) that haven't thrown a pitch in a week or more.

Losing 5-1. So gross to lose to this weak team.

I once played on a very good team that handled lost in a double elimination tournament when we reached the final. The team we were playing had to win twice. They did. It sucked, but it wasn't our day. It really wasn't mental toughness, but a blown out pitching staff (and a bit of an idiot coach). We had two really good pitchers and then a big dropoff. The dropoff killed us that day.

Well if Ohio wins this one and therefore beat us 4 out of 5 the last two weeks I guess we can't complain too much.

Im so sick of people bitching about the tournament format. Its been this way for 10 years, why is it all of a sudden a problem now? The Stricklin teams never seemed to have a problem with it.

I just hate tournaments. I think the regular season should always be how you earn that NCAA spot. Our basketball and softball team got lucky and our baseball team did not. I can understand that the East and West play different regular season schedules so a championship game (ala football) or series can make sense but having everybody or most everybody qualify just is something I will ever like. That's whether Kent benefits or does not. I just think it's stupid for a one bid league. By the way I know it will never be that way but I still hate it.

Gotta hand it to the OU pitcher. He threw strikes, we did not. Beautiful day, outcome not so good.

I was at the game today. What a nice day to watch a game.

We can complain all we want about the format and the demands on the pitching, but the bottom line is we could only muster three hits against a team facing the same pitching challenges.

(05-27-2017 05:50 PM)delflash Wrote:  I was at the game today. What a nice day to watch a game.

We can complain all we want about the format and the demands on the pitching, but the bottom line is we could only muster three hits against a team facing the same pitching challenges.

The point some are trying to make is maybe they have better and more quality depth. Clearly our 1-2-3 guys are probably better. That said, Duncan better figure out how to win the MAC tournament because 40 win seasons don't mean sh!t if you can't get to the NCAA tournament.

I agree, Danny. Our depth may be lacking.

Our lack of success at the MAC Tournament the last three years has absolutely nothing to do with pitching depth.

(05-28-2017 12:29 AM)JimJoyce Wrote:  Our lack of success at the MAC Tournament the last three years has absolutely nothing to do with pitching depth.

What does is have to do with?

This team very few "Kent guys" on the roster. Dylan Rosa playing with a hair line fracture in his thumb for 3 weeks is an exception. Eli Krause could be on any of the past Kent teams the way he battles. Just can't see why Brad Hamilton can't get on the field consistently. Luke Burch is a Jimmy Rider type player, but other than that, I dont see a lot of emotion or appreciation for the Tradition Never Graduates approach