Thoughts heading into Hoover

[backinky2018]

1. Really disappointing performance today. Shit happens in baseball, but we just seemed hung over (maybe we were after last night's win?). Terrible bullpen and really oddly poor performance at the plate.
2. We didn't play Kentucky baseball. We routinely had runners at 2nd and 3rd and we almost always find a way to get them in. Not today.
3. Sucks that a-hole South Carolina couldn't take one game from UT in Knoxville. I hate sharing the title with those turds.
4. On the plus side, the top overall seed hasn't won the CWS since the 90s. One could argue that UK did not need that albatross around its neck. Let UT wear that crown of thorns.
5. Waldy and Pitre and Nicholson are on fire heading to Hoover. McCoy and Grant Smith are an absolute disaster at the plate right now.
6. Our pitching has me extremely nervous. Pretty confident in Pooser and Mason Moore (though when he walks a lot of people, it gets dicey), but Niman is DICEY and our bullpen is starting to leak oil.

The good news is that I haven't seen a team that is better than UK except for UT. We can go far. The SEC tourney gives me mixed emotions b/c I don't want to wear out our pitching staff over a meaningless conference tourney, but then again, it would be cool to do well. Hoping for the best.

 

[Cat_Man_Blue]

I will be shocked if UK makes it to Omaha. It has been a great season, but today is an example of this teams inability to close the deal.

 

[vhcat70]

- Our #3 seed got us a tough first game. #4 A&M draw much easier.
- I think we make it to Omaha as I don't see our regional winding up tough & we'll still play a lower seed regional winner in the super.
- Yes, highly doubtful we can win it all with the state of our pitching. So will be quite pleased with us making our 1st College World Series.

 

[backinky2018]

I will be shocked if UK makes it to Omaha. It has been a great season, but today is an example of this teams inability to close the deal.

This seems a bit harsh. Sweeps are hard in baseball. Vandy has talent, and their sunday pitcher was lights out against UT last sunday holding them to 3 hits and zero runs.

UK has "closed the deal" a lot this year, we had a bunch of sweeps and went 8-2 in SEC series.

 

[backinky2018]

- Our #3 seed got us a tough first game. #4 A&M draw much easier.
- I think we make it to Omaha as I don't see our regional winding up tough & we'll still play a lower seed regional winner in the super.
- Yes, highly doubtful we can win it all with the state of our pitching. So will be quite pleased with us making our 1st College World Series.

I agree with this, though I don't mind having Florida, UT, MSU, and A&M all on the other side of the bracket.

I am just hoping for favorable matchups in the regional and super. I would expect to be the overall 2, 3, or 4 seed nationally. So, will be paying attention to whomever is our super matchup (i.e. the team rated 15, 14, or 13).

 

[permdaddy]

Georgia/LSU winner is a tough draw. Georgia's pitching has been suspect LSU hasn't put together a string of good games yet however in a one game setting that's a bad draw. LSU can play one really good game and UGA could just pound the crap out of our pitching.

 

[maysvilleky]

UK end of game pitching has to get better in a hurry!

 

[vhcat70]

Anyone know what happened to the pitching late in season? Was pretty decent into mid-April.

 

[K86]

Anyone know what happened to the pitching late in season? Was pretty decent into mid-April.

Better SEC teams.

 

[backinky2018]

Anyone know what happened to the pitching late in season? Was pretty decent into mid-April.

I think it was always a bit of smoke and mirrors, but this is a tough league. Hard to mask weaknesses. Arkansas has the best pitching staff in the league and they got bruised and battered in the saturday / sunday games in Lexington.

I think our postseason rides on how Ming manages Hoover and also the team's mindset. This was a great year. It was a grind at the end, so I want to see the team feeling light and refreshed on regional Friday. I'm not saying that we throw away hoover, but manage the pitching such that we are not stressed the following week even if it means losing a winnable game in Alabama.