(01-17-2018 11:19 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 08:46 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Wow-- Perfect Game doesn't even include us in the Top 40, releasing their #26 - 40 rankings today...

https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/Vie...icle=14831

33-31

Yup.

(01-17-2018 04:08 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 11:19 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 08:46 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Wow-- Perfect Game doesn't even include us in the Top 40, releasing their #26 - 40 rankings today...

https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/Vie...icle=14831

33-31

Yup.

Yes, it was a cause, but does anybody think Alabama would be left out of the preseason football polls after a 7-6 season?

It's more than just the one season fall off.

(01-17-2018 04:26 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 04:08 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 11:19 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 08:46 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Wow-- Perfect Game doesn't even include us in the Top 40, releasing their #26 - 40 rankings today...

https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/Vie...icle=14831

33-31

Yup.

Yes, it was a cause, but does anybody think Alabama would be left out of the preseason football polls after a 7-6 season?

It's more than just the one season fall off.

Really? That's total B.S.. We finished the previous season ranked in the Top 25, and almost defeated LSU on the road in the regional championship game. Yes, we were 33-31 last year, but entered the post-season on an 18-4 run, which included sweeping through the CUSA tourney. We were 2-2 vs. UT, 2-2 vs. Stanford, 2-2 vs. USM, 2-2 vs. FAU and 2-1 vs. UH-- all post-season teams. And due to injuries to Salinas, Parthasarathy and Otto (for the first half of the season), our pitching staff was heavily reliant on pitchers with little or no previous D1 experience (Canterino, Moss, Jefferies, Garcia, Esquivel). Consequently, our bullpen was a disaster, especially the first half of the season with an injured Otto.,

(01-17-2018 04:35 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 04:26 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 04:08 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 11:19 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 08:46 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Wow-- Perfect Game doesn't even include us in the Top 40, releasing their #26 - 40 rankings today...

https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/Vie...icle=14831

33-31

Yup.

Yes, it was a cause, but does anybody think Alabama would be left out of the preseason football polls after a 7-6 season?

It's more than just the one season fall off.

Really? That's total B.S.. We finished the previous season ranked in the Top 25, and almost defeated LSU on the road in the regional championship game. Yes, we were 33-31 last year, but entered the post-season on an 18-4 run, which included sweeping through the CUSA tourney. We were 2-2 vs. UT, 2-2 vs. Stanford, 2-2 vs. USM, 2-2 vs. FAU and 2-1 vs. UH-- all post-season teams. And due to injuries to Salinas, Parthasarathy and Otto (for the first half of the season), our pitching staff was heavily reliant on pitchers with little or no previous D1 experience (Canterino, Moss, Jefferies, Garcia, Esquivel). Consequently, our bullpen was a disaster, especially the first half of the season with an injured Otto.,

Walt, I love your enthusiasm, but I think you've overrated the team in the preseason the last couple years. I hope you are right this time, but I will believe it when I see it.

As far as to your quote above, we lost 5-0 to LSU in the first of 2 games we would have to win against them. From looking at the box score (http://www.riceowls.com/sports/m-basebl/...01b.html), we were never close to getting it done. And while the run at the end of the year was nice, that run was helped by a softening schedule. We beat exactly 1 team that made the NCAA tourney (USM) in that run.

I hope we see a bounce back to say 2014 form (regional host). But, I'll believe it when I see it.

(01-17-2018 04:48 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 04:35 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 04:26 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 04:08 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 11:19 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  33-31

Yup.

Yes, it was a cause, but does anybody think Alabama would be left out of the preseason football polls after a 7-6 season?

It's more than just the one season fall off.

Really? That's total B.S.. We finished the previous season ranked in the Top 25, and almost defeated LSU on the road in the regional championship game. Yes, we were 33-31 last year, but entered the post-season on an 18-4 run, which included sweeping through the CUSA tourney. We were 2-2 vs. UT, 2-2 vs. Stanford, 2-2 vs. USM, 2-2 vs. FAU and 2-1 vs. UH-- all post-season teams. And due to injuries to Salinas, Parthasarathy and Otto (for the first half of the season), our pitching staff was heavily reliant on pitchers with little or no previous D1 experience (Canterino, Moss, Jefferies, Garcia, Esquivel). Consequently, our bullpen was a disaster, especially the first half of the season with an injured Otto.,

Walt, I love your enthusiasm, but I think you've overrated the team in the preseason the last couple years. I hope you are right this time, but I will believe it when I see it.

As far as to your quote above, we lost 5-0 to LSU in the first of 2 games we would have to win against them. From looking at the box score (http://www.riceowls.com/sports/m-basebl/...01b.html), we were never close to getting it done. And while the run at the end of the year was nice, that run was helped by a softening schedule. We beat exactly 1 team that made the NCAA tourney (USM) in that run.

I hope we see a bounce back to say 2014 form (regional host). But, I'll believe it when I see it.

??? I was talking about the 2016 Baton Rouge regional, where we lost the first game to LSU due to Dup's first inning wildness, the controversial ground rule non-call and the rain delay (which allowed their stud ace to refocus after we were starting to get to him)...and then forced a winner-take all championship game in which we had a 5-0 lead though 6 innings before running out of pitching (due to our 2 days of rain outs earlier in the regional).

BTW, I agree we should not be preseason Top 25; I have already said I think we should be in the #30 - #40 range based on last year and the departures of Myers, Gray and Otto. Having said that, we have considerably more proven talent returning (Canterino, Salinas, DiCaprio, Proctor, Chandler, Dunlap, Gneitting) than many of the teams Perfect Game has in their Top 40....and I have seen first hand during Fall Ball the improvement in Jefferies, Moss, Silber and Gayle.

(01-17-2018 05:09 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 04:48 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 04:35 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 04:26 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(01-17-2018 04:08 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  Yup.

Yes, it was a cause, but does anybody think Alabama would be left out of the preseason football polls after a 7-6 season?

It's more than just the one season fall off.

Really? That's total B.S.. We finished the previous season ranked in the Top 25, and almost defeated LSU on the road in the regional championship game. Yes, we were 33-31 last year, but entered the post-season on an 18-4 run, which included sweeping through the CUSA tourney. We were 2-2 vs. UT, 2-2 vs. Stanford, 2-2 vs. USM, 2-2 vs. FAU and 2-1 vs. UH-- all post-season teams. And due to injuries to Salinas, Parthasarathy and Otto (for the first half of the season), our pitching staff was heavily reliant on pitchers with little or no previous D1 experience (Canterino, Moss, Jefferies, Garcia, Esquivel). Consequently, our bullpen was a disaster, especially the first half of the season with an injured Otto.,

Walt, I love your enthusiasm, but I think you've overrated the team in the preseason the last couple years. I hope you are right this time, but I will believe it when I see it.

As far as to your quote above, we lost 5-0 to LSU in the first of 2 games we would have to win against them. From looking at the box score (http://www.riceowls.com/sports/m-basebl/...01b.html), we were never close to getting it done. And while the run at the end of the year was nice, that run was helped by a softening schedule. We beat exactly 1 team that made the NCAA tourney (USM) in that run.

I hope we see a bounce back to say 2014 form (regional host). But, I'll believe it when I see it.

??? I was talking about the 2016 Baton Rouge regional, where we lost the first game to LSU due to Dup's first inning wildness, the controversial ground rule non-call and the rain delay (which allowed their stud ace to refocus after we were starting to get to him)...and then forced a winner-take all championship game in which we had a 5-0 lead though 6 innings before running out of pitching (due to our 2 days of rain outs earlier in the regional).

BTW, I agree we should not be preseason Top 25; I have already said I think we should be in the #30 - #40 range based on last year and the departures of Myers, Gray and Otto. Having said that, we have considerably more proven talent returning (Canterino, Salinas, DiCaprio, Proctor, Chandler, Dunlap, Gneitting) than many of the teams Perfect Game has in their Top 40....and I have seen first hand during Fall Ball the improvement in Jefferies, Moss, Silber and Gayle.

Ok, misread your statement on LSU.

Doesn't matter, i like Rice start as underdog, then sweep them. :D

(01-18-2018 11:36 AM)junrice Wrote:  Doesn't matter, i like Rice start as underdog, then sweep them. :D

I like Rice as the favorite, then sweep them.

Just more evidence that the preseason polls are based more on previous year record than anything else, USM is ranked #21 by Baseball America and #25 by College Sports Madness. I get that the Golden Eagles will have one of the more potent offenses in the country (though they did lose two of their 3 top hitters from last year team, with Braley and Burdeaux accounting for 29 HRs and 130 RBIs), and an all-American closer in Sendlin, BUT they lost their entire weekend rotation...and aside from Sendlin, their pitching staff is largely unproven and untested. Talk about giving a team the benefit of the doubt...yet with us all the polls are taking a "show me" approach, not even including us in their Top 40, despite our 18-4 close of the regular season, which included a sweep of the CUSA tournament.

Yes, I do think we're going to surprise people.

(01-23-2018 09:16 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Just more evidence that the preseason polls are based more on previous year record than anything else, USM is ranked #21 by Baseball America and #25 by College Sports Madness. I get that the Golden Eagles will have one of the more potent offenses in the country (though they did lose two of their 3 top hitters from last year team, with Braley and Burdeaux accounting for 29 HRs and 130 RBIs), and an all-American closer in Sendlin, BUT they lost their entire weekend rotation...and aside from Sendlin, their pitching staff is largely unproven and untested. Talk about giving a team the benefit of the doubt...yet with us all the polls are taking a "show me" approach, not even including us in their Top 40, despite our 18-4 close of the regular season, which included a sweep of the CUSA tournament.

Yes, I do think we're going to surprise people.

I think we're going to surprise people too. However, I understand the "show me" approach. That's totally fine with me. I can't wait!!!!

(01-23-2018 09:48 AM)Owl1998 Wrote:  

(01-23-2018 09:16 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Just more evidence that the preseason polls are based more on previous year record than anything else, USM is ranked #21 by Baseball America and #25 by College Sports Madness. I get that the Golden Eagles will have one of the more potent offenses in the country (though they did lose two of their 3 top hitters from last year team, with Braley and Burdeaux accounting for 29 HRs and 130 RBIs), and an all-American closer in Sendlin, BUT they lost their entire weekend rotation...and aside from Sendlin, their pitching staff is largely unproven and untested. Talk about giving a team the benefit of the doubt...yet with us all the polls are taking a "show me" approach, not even including us in their Top 40, despite our 18-4 close of the regular season, which included a sweep of the CUSA tournament.

Yes, I do think we're going to surprise people.

I think we're going to surprise people too. However, I understand the "show me" approach. That's totally fine with me. I can't wait!!!!

Let’s show them.

D1 has SoMiss Sandlin and Wallner on their preseason All American first team.

(01-23-2018 09:16 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Just more evidence that the preseason polls are based more on previous year record than anything else, USM is ranked #21 by Baseball America and #25 by College Sports Madness. I get that the Golden Eagles will have one of the more potent offenses in the country (though they did lose two of their 3 top hitters from last year team, with Braley and Burdeaux accounting for 29 HRs and 130 RBIs), and an all-American closer in Sendlin, BUT they lost their entire weekend rotation...and aside from Sendlin, their pitching staff is largely unproven and untested. Talk about giving a team the benefit of the doubt...yet with us all the polls are taking a "show me" approach, not even including us in their Top 40, despite our 18-4 close of the regular season, which included a sweep of the CUSA tournament.

Yes, I do think we're going to surprise people.

(01-23-2018 12:16 PM)grol Wrote:  D1 has SoMiss Sandlin and Wallner on their preseason All American first team.

(01-23-2018 09:16 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Just more evidence that the preseason polls are based more on previous year record than anything else, USM is ranked #21 by Baseball America and #25 by College Sports Madness. I get that the Golden Eagles will have one of the more potent offenses in the country (though they did lose two of their 3 top hitters from last year team, with Braley and Burdeaux accounting for 29 HRs and 130 RBIs), and an all-American closer in Sendlin, BUT they lost their entire weekend rotation...and aside from Sendlin, their pitching staff is largely unproven and untested. Talk about giving a team the benefit of the doubt...yet with us all the polls are taking a "show me" approach, not even including us in their Top 40, despite our 18-4 close of the regular season, which included a sweep of the CUSA tournament.

Yes, I do think we're going to surprise people.

And deservedly so, but that alone does not make a Top 25 team. Yes, despite the HUGE loss of Bradley and Burdeaux they'll still have a very potent offense, but aside from Sendlin their pitching staff is totally unproven and untested. Sorta like us last year with all-american Otto returning (and Proctor also named as 3rd team preseason all-american), but no one other pitcher with any real, proven experience after both Salinas and Parthasarathy went down. I'm not saying USM will not be very good this year, and their pitching may show up, but given returning, proven talent, I just don't see how you can legitimately rank them in the Top 25.

You guys have fun discussing preseason polls and I'll watch, but they mean absolutely zero. Discussion of whether USM (or anyone else we compete with) will be strong next year is worthwhile, but how the various polls see that matters not a whit. We play the games for a reason.

(01-23-2018 08:23 PM)Old Sammy Wrote:  You guys have fun discussing preseason polls and I'll watch, but they mean absolutely zero. Discussion of whether USM (or anyone else we compete with) will be strong next year is worthwhile, but how the various polls see that matters not a whit. We play the games for a reason.

You don't say? Who knew? I will say that the preseason polls tend to have some elasticity-- ranked teams get the benefit of the doubt if they struggle early, and teams ranked outside the Top 40 have to go on a prolonged winning stretch to enter the rankings.

If we don’t go 2-1 or better at the tourney in FL, I will not have high hopes for this season.

Samford is a must-win, UCF is a should-win, and UVA is a tough game but the type of game we need to win if we want to get back to the hosting level.

(01-23-2018 08:43 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  If we don’t go 2-1 or better at the tourney in FL, I will not have high hopes for this season.

Samford is a must-win, UCF is a should-win, and UVA is a tough game but the type of game we need to win if we want to get back to the hosting level.

??? UCF is ranked higher than us (they're between #28 - 40 in most of the polls), and they're home. And Samford is no slouch-- they finished last year with a #102 RPI (33-26, 3-5 vs. Top 50, 6 - 9 vs. Top 100, with a series wins vs. #34 Indiana and #66 Kansas, and 1-1 vs.#38 Auburn). A 2-1 opening weekend on the road against high quality opposition would be fantastic. With 7 of our first 8 games on the road, including 5 games against Top 15 teams (UVA, Stanford), I'd be very happy if we start 4-4, and then build momentum from there. Let's be realistic and not set the bar unreasonably high.

(01-23-2018 10:43 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(01-23-2018 08:43 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  If we don’t go 2-1 or better at the tourney in FL, I will not have high hopes for this season.

Samford is a must-win, UCF is a should-win, and UVA is a tough game but the type of game we need to win if we want to get back to the hosting level.

??? UCF is ranked higher than us (they're between #28 - 40 in most of the polls), and they're home. And Samford is no slouch-- they finished last year with a #102 RPI (33-26, 3-5 vs. Top 50, 6 - 9 vs. Top 100, with a series wins vs. #34 Indiana and #66 Kansas, and 1-1 vs.#38 Auburn). A 2-1 opening weekend on the road against high quality opposition would be fantastic. With 7 of our first 8 games on the road, including 5 games against Top 15 teams (UVA, Stanford), I'd be very happy if we start 4-4, and then build momentum from there. Let's be realistic and not set the bar unreasonably high.

Aka be happy with a top two finish in conference and second place in a regional. Just like football should apparently be happy with 7-5 seasons and bowl appearances.

(01-23-2018 10:48 PM)westsidewolf1989 Wrote:  

(01-23-2018 10:43 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(01-23-2018 08:43 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  If we don’t go 2-1 or better at the tourney in FL, I will not have high hopes for this season.

Samford is a must-win, UCF is a should-win, and UVA is a tough game but the type of game we need to win if we want to get back to the hosting level.

??? UCF is ranked higher than us (they're between #28 - 40 in most of the polls), and they're home. And Samford is no slouch-- they finished last year with a #102 RPI (33-26, 3-5 vs. Top 50, 6 - 9 vs. Top 100, with a series wins vs. #34 Indiana and #66 Kansas, and 1-1 vs.#38 Auburn). A 2-1 opening weekend on the road against high quality opposition would be fantastic. With 7 of our first 8 games on the road, including 5 games against Top 15 teams (UVA, Stanford), I'd be very happy if we start 4-4, and then build momentum from there. Let's be realistic and not set the bar unreasonably high.

Aka be happy with a top two finish in conference and second place in a regional. Just like football should apparently be happy with 7-5 seasons and bowl appearances.

I actually have higher expectation for this team, but given our early road schedule against top competition, I'm not foolish enough to think we're start the season playing .600+ ball. People seem to forget that even during our glory years we often started the season hovering around .500 over our first 12 - 15 games (when we invariably played a quality OOC slate). Call me crazy, but I do think we have the talent to finish the season ranked somewhere in the Top 30. How good we are will depend on whether our pitching staff can stay healthy and pitch up to it's potential. I have very high expectations of Canterino, Jefferies and Moss. If Salinas is truly healthy and back in form that gives us another proven, quality arm. I really like moving Esquivel and Amador back in the pen, where they provide depth and experience. I'm taking a wait and see on Gayle and Garcia, but they clearly have the stuff; the question is whether they can consistently throw strikes. Ditto Kravetz. And Coach loves true Freshman Acker, a proven strike thrower. So, let's just wait and see. Looking forward to roadtripping for the season opening series in Orlando and Palo Alto.

(01-23-2018 10:43 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(01-23-2018 08:43 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  If we don’t go 2-1 or better at the tourney in FL, I will not have high hopes for this season.

Samford is a must-win, UCF is a should-win, and UVA is a tough game but the type of game we need to win if we want to get back to the hosting level.

??? UCF is ranked higher than us (they're between #28 - 40 in most of the polls), and they're home. And Samford is no slouch-- they finished last year with a #102 RPI (33-26, 3-5 vs. Top 50, 6 - 9 vs. Top 100, with a series wins vs. #34 Indiana and #66 Kansas, and 1-1 vs.#38 Auburn). A 2-1 opening weekend on the road against high quality opposition would be fantastic. With 7 of our first 8 games on the road, including 5 games against Top 15 teams (UVA, Stanford), I'd be very happy if we start 4-4, and then build momentum from there. Let's be realistic and not set the bar unreasonably high.

You claim that there hasn’t been much fall-off but then you make preemptive excuses for us losing to teams like UCF and Samford. Can’t have it both ways.