The unofficial online home for fans of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(04-18-2022 10:09 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(04-18-2022 09:06 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  I can't even imagine how ****** the Wichita State fans feel about this move to the AAC. They were a prime mid-major property (a notch below Gonzaga, but still way up there) in the MVC in basketball, and their baseball program had been rocking and rolling (28 NCAA Tourney appearances from 1980-2009 along with 18 conference championships in that same time) but have yet to really do much of anything while in the AAC. They really don't have much else, and their main benefactor has since passed as well...must suck to be a Shocker fan.

IIRC their baseball got in trouble a few years ago for playing ineligible players. They hired former Cleveland Indians/Guardians HC Eric Wedge in 2019 and he has not gotten it done for them.

Yea I think coaching issues have been more responsible than their move the AAC. Peak Marshall would have excelled in this conference, but his act was wearing thin and the ease of transferring made it easy for guys to say they weren't going to put up with him. Stuff came out that may not have come out half a decade early and he was gone.

(04-18-2022 09:51 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(04-18-2022 09:06 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  I can't even imagine how ****** the Wichita State fans feel about this move to the AAC. They were a prime mid-major property (a notch below Gonzaga, but still way up there) in the MVC in basketball, and their baseball program had been rocking and rolling (28 NCAA Tourney appearances from 1980-2009 along with 18 conference championships in that same time) but have yet to really do much of anything while in the AAC. They really don't have much else, and their main benefactor has since passed as well...must suck to be a Shocker fan.

I just remember seeing them on the AAC board woofing about how they were going to come in here kicking a$$ and taking names.

Bolded, cautionary note. I hope our fans will be more humble on the Big 12 boards. Let's see what our Bearcats can do on the field, court, and diamond before acting like WSU fans online. I think UC will be competitive but conference transitions often require some acclimation.

(04-18-2022 01:55 PM)OKIcat Wrote:  

(04-18-2022 09:51 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(04-18-2022 09:06 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  I can't even imagine how ****** the Wichita State fans feel about this move to the AAC. They were a prime mid-major property (a notch below Gonzaga, but still way up there) in the MVC in basketball, and their baseball program had been rocking and rolling (28 NCAA Tourney appearances from 1980-2009 along with 18 conference championships in that same time) but have yet to really do much of anything while in the AAC. They really don't have much else, and their main benefactor has since passed as well...must suck to be a Shocker fan.

I just remember seeing them on the AAC board woofing about how they were going to come in here kicking a$$ and taking names.

Bolded, cautionary note. I hope our fans will be more humble on the Big 12 boards. Let's see what our Bearcats can do on the field, court, and diamond before acting like WSU fans online. I think UC will be competitive but conference transitions often require some acclimation.

Agreed. Confidence is the way. Big 12 doesn't have the blue blood but will be the most legit all around athletic conference we've been in yet. Don't want to sound like a wildcat or t-shirt buckeye? Show some class win or lose.

Every once in a blue moon I can be a hypocrite.

I went to college at an MVC school for a few years and back then Wichita State was always the most hated team on the schedule in Basketball and baseball. They were huge in baseball back in the 80's & 90's. I don't follow them enough to know how things have changed for them.

UC has long struggled with ECU in baseball; no surprise really as the Pirates are traditionally very good. The Bearcats surrendered leads both Friday and Saturday in losing the first two as the pitching remains not quite good enough to hold off late rallies by ECU.

No big deal really but I thought the ESPN+ announcers, while working for the home school, were supposed to be somewhat neutral in the play-by-play since coverage is viewed by both fanbases. He's a pretty big homer for the Pirates.

Since there were no Twitter updates, I figured losses mus be happening.

Yeah, we lost yesterday.

They have lost 6 of their last 7.

For UC, the pitching was actually a little better this weekend but the bats went silent in the late innings of the Saturday and Sunday games at ECU.

They are now 17-24 overall, 7-8 in the AAC.

Nice comeback win over Tulane
3-2 in 11 innings.

Anyone going to the O$U game tuesday?

(05-13-2022 06:34 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  Anyone going to the O$U game tuesday?

That's a good thought I had not even considered.

I went to the NKU game Wednesday expecting to be among a handful attending an 11 am game, midweek, with school out. Wow, it was a record crowd as UC had invited elementary school groups to attend. It brought great energy to the stadium. More importantly, it got hundreds of kids on campus for what might have been their first look at the University of Cincinnati. Athletics did a good job with music, contests, and swag to send them home happy. And of course it was a welcome out of conference victory 12-6.

Conference standings after a 6-3 win over Memphis last night:

East Carolina
15-4
32-18
Houston
13-6
34-16
UCF
11-8
28-21
Tulane
10-9
30-20-1
Cincinnati
10-9
21-25
South Florida
6-13
26-23
Wichita State
6-13
17-32
Memphis
5-14
21-26

We have two more against the Tigers this weekend. We’ll finish the regular season with a three game series at UCF following the tOSU game Tuesday.

Memphis scored 4 in the top of the 9th to break a 3-3 tie and win today 7-3.

Must be why there was no result on Twitter.

Disappointing Senior Day at the old ballpark, dropping one to Memphis 13-1 and losing the final home series. It's been a strange season in many ways--scoring abundant runs while often failing to find any relief pitching that could close the door. I'm curious if those more familiar with the pitching situation would attribute this to youth and inexperience or other issues. I'm sure it's the lament of any middle of the conference team, but with the offense this group displayed, it's easy to envision a top three finish in this conference with marginally better pitching.

(05-16-2022 07:15 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  Disappointing Senior Day at the old ballpark, dropping one to Memphis 13-1 and losing the final home series. It's been a strange season in many ways--scoring abundant runs while often failing to find any relief pitching that could close the door. I'm curious if those more familiar with the pitching situation would attribute this to youth and inexperience or other issues. I'm sure it's the lament of any middle of the conference team, but with the offense this group displayed, it's easy to envision a top three finish in this conference with marginally better pitching.

At last count, they've lost 9 games where they've scored 8+ runs and they've lost 7 one-run games. If you have even one more decent relief pitcher, you probably win most of those and the season is completely different.

Truthfully, we haven't had good pitching in general in this program. Outside of Dan Osterbrock in the mid-00s and Shawver and Shoenle last year, along with Korren Thompson in relief in the mid-10s, we've been VERY bad over the course of the last two decades at least and have cobbled together .500 seasons through force of will and solid batting. There is absolutely no reason for a good high school pitcher to come to UC...typically they're either taking their signing bonuses or going to the SEC/Pac 12. We are getting the shorties with no velocity, or the flamethrowers with absolutely no control, both of which can cause TONS of issues in the college game. Hell, there were a few years were our best batter was also a starting pitcher (Ryan Noda).

(05-16-2022 07:55 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(05-16-2022 07:15 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  Disappointing Senior Day at the old ballpark, dropping one to Memphis 13-1 and losing the final home series. It's been a strange season in many ways--scoring abundant runs while often failing to find any relief pitching that could close the door. I'm curious if those more familiar with the pitching situation would attribute this to youth and inexperience or other issues. I'm sure it's the lament of any middle of the conference team, but with the offense this group displayed, it's easy to envision a top three finish in this conference with marginally better pitching.

At last count, they've lost 9 games where they've scored 8+ runs and they've lost 7 one-run games. If you have even one more decent relief pitcher, you probably win most of those and the season is completely different.

Truthfully, we haven't had good pitching in general in this program. Outside of Dan Osterbrock in the mid-00s and Shawver and Shoenle last year, along with Korren Thompson in relief in the mid-10s, we've been VERY bad over the course of the last two decades at least and have cobbled together .500 seasons through force of will and solid batting. There is absolutely no reason for a good high school pitcher to come to UC...typically they're either taking their signing bonuses or going to the SEC/Pac 12. We are getting the shorties with no velocity, or the flamethrowers with absolutely no control, both of which can cause TONS of issues in the college game. Hell, there were a few years were our best batter was also a starting pitcher (Ryan Noda).

Thanks for this insight. Realizing the season isn't quite over yet, do you feel there will be an evaluation by the A.D.? I like Googins but is our pitching coach an issue?

Moving to the #2 baseball conference won't be easy. More scholarship dollars would seem to be needed but our stadium facilities appear to be competitive with what I see at other major universities in televised games. I'm hopeful that recruiting pitchers gets easier as a Big 12 member.

(05-16-2022 08:10 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  

(05-16-2022 07:55 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(05-16-2022 07:15 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  Disappointing Senior Day at the old ballpark, dropping one to Memphis 13-1 and losing the final home series. It's been a strange season in many ways--scoring abundant runs while often failing to find any relief pitching that could close the door. I'm curious if those more familiar with the pitching situation would attribute this to youth and inexperience or other issues. I'm sure it's the lament of any middle of the conference team, but with the offense this group displayed, it's easy to envision a top three finish in this conference with marginally better pitching.

At last count, they've lost 9 games where they've scored 8+ runs and they've lost 7 one-run games. If you have even one more decent relief pitcher, you probably win most of those and the season is completely different.

Truthfully, we haven't had good pitching in general in this program. Outside of Dan Osterbrock in the mid-00s and Shawver and Shoenle last year, along with Korren Thompson in relief in the mid-10s, we've been VERY bad over the course of the last two decades at least and have cobbled together .500 seasons through force of will and solid batting. There is absolutely no reason for a good high school pitcher to come to UC...typically they're either taking their signing bonuses or going to the SEC/Pac 12. We are getting the shorties with no velocity, or the flamethrowers with absolutely no control, both of which can cause TONS of issues in the college game. Hell, there were a few years were our best batter was also a starting pitcher (Ryan Noda).

Thanks for this insight. Realizing the season isn't quite over yet, do you feel there will be an evaluation by the A.D.? I like Googins but is our pitching coach an issue?

Moving to the #2 baseball conference won't be easy. More scholarship dollars would seem to be needed but our stadium facilities appear to be competitive with what I see at other major universities in televised games. I'm hopeful that recruiting pitchers gets easier as a Big 12 member.

My guess is our baseball trajectory will be much like that of our basketball program when we moved to the Big East...a rough first couple of years followed by moderate success once recruiting catches up. After all, the opportunity to play in the Big 12 will be something some higher caliber midwestern players may choose to take advantage of.

As for pitching...it's not really much different than normal, and we actually had the opposite issue a year ago (we had two very solid starters and a decent pen, but hitting was problematic at times). I just don't think any midwestern team save the few extremely high level ones (Michigan/Notre Dame) can pull enough talent up from the south, or keep those talented youngsters up here...and we certainly aren't at their level in any regard.

Well that sucked.

Had the suckeyes down 3-1 in the 6th. I literally went to get a box of popcorn and came back and it's tied.

Then we let them load the bases without a hit or an out in the 7th. Gave up a run to get a DP and then they got the other guy in for the final 5-3 score.

We must have stood there and looked at strike 3 fifteen times.