Why was UK NOT selected? National writers had them in !

[HICATFAN]

Anyone have thoughts about this?

Nation-leading 10 SEC teams in NCAA — but not Kentucky
by Larry Vaught
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (May 28, 2018)-----A nation-leading 10 Southeastern Conference teams were selected to compete for the 2018 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, it was announced Monday by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee. Four teams from the SEC – Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Ole Miss - were selected as national seeds.

The top eight national seeds in order are Florida, Stanford, Oregon State, Ole Miss, Arkansas, North Carolina, Florida State and Georgia.

SEC schools earning bids include Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. This ties the record for the most SEC teams in the NCAA Tournament. Ten SEC teams earned bids to the NCAA Tournament in 2014.

Each regional field features four teams, playing in a double-elimination format. All 16 regionals are scheduled to be played Friday, June 1 to Monday, June 4 (if necessary).

The 72nd Men's College World Series begins play Saturday, June 16, at the TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Neb

AlohaCat

 

[FactCheckerUSA]

Lot of hot takes on twitter from Sports writers.

 

[drew_ukfan]

Should’ve been in but losing the last 4 wasn’t a good look. Win just 1 of those and we’re in.

Don’t understand why we didn’t start Hjelle in the sec tournament. He came in from the pen and threw 100 pitches but they were already down. Not a good move by the coaching staff imo. Just a terrible bullpen this year, very few impactful arms.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

I suppose we did not deserve to be in. We had our chances and can't blame anybody for our failure. Win games and you get in

 

[cats2010]

I don’t keep up with baseball at all but I did happen to look just two weeks ago and UK was ranked around 18th in the country. How do you go from that to not getting in the tournament and 9 other schools from the same conference do?

 

[Johnfarrel]

There is no question Kentucky is one of the 64 best teams in the nation . They played most of the year without one of their best pitchers and the last four games without almost no bullpen with the loss of Machamer. I don't know if Machamer would have been back for the tournament but if he were back, they should have been in. They won 50% if their series in the SEC but were swept twice, by Vandy and Arkansas. Arkansas is just darn good, but in the Vandy series the pitching staff mostly on injured reserve.

The South Carolina chairman of the selection committee said while the RPI was good, it was not as much a factor as the record in league play. Kentucky won the South Carolina series.

My main concern is, not that the season is over, Mississippi State will come calling.

 

[Davidmackv]

They lost too many games at the end of the season.

 

[Larry Skaggs]

The team is loaded with talent. Several players are projected to be drafted in the early rounds of the MLB draft. When I heard this new coach on KSR talking positive mumbo-jumbo crap, I knew he will not last too long

 

[Comebakatz3]

Should’ve been in but losing the last 4 wasn’t a good look. Win just 1 of those and we’re in.

Don’t understand why we didn’t start Hjelle in the sec tournament. He came in from the pen and threw 100 pitches but they were already down. Not a good move by the coaching staff imo. Just a terrible bullpen this year, very few impactful arms.

We were down 2 runs. Not some major margin. Starting or not starting Hjelle didn't lose us that game.

 

[specialkd24]

Started great, finished horribly.

4-6 in last 10 games (including losing 2 to a BAD UT team)
Losing SEC record.
10th seed for SEC Tournament.
Lost only SEC Tournament game.

The SEC is tough, but you have to win at some point.

 

[Comebakatz3]

Started great, finished horribly.

4-6 in last 10 games (including losing 2 to a BAD UT team)
Losing SEC record.
10th seed for SEC Tournament.
Lost only SEC Tournament game.

The SEC is tough, but you have to win at some point.

We went 16-16 against top 5 opponents and won series against two teams that are hosting including on the road at top 8 Georgia. We also won a series against Auburn, who is just outside of hosting. That's plenty of winning, and against tough competition.

Florida has won just 1 game in their last 7. Despite that it didn't hurt them being the top national seed.

Oklahoma State won 2 games in the entire month of May. They went 2-10. Somehow they got in despite a lower RPI and despite being 9-9 against top 50 RPI. You say losing to a bad Tennessee team hurt us, well in May they lost 2 of 3 at Iowa. 6 of their 16 wins came against teams with RPIs above 90. That resume not good and they still dance while we don't.

 

[anon_q409idbs5m40a]

They lost too many games at the end of the season.

Getting swept at Vandy was probably one of the main reasons. May have been different had we won a couple of games in the SECT but the Vanderbilt series was a killer.

 

[Comebakatz3]

Getting swept at Vandy was probably one of the main reasons. May have been different had we won a couple of games in the SECT but the Vanderbilt series was a killer.

We were also missing 5 pitchers during that series and the SEC tournament. We probably at least salvage the third game of the Vandy series if we have Mach.

 

[lakercat]

Should’ve been in but losing the last 4 wasn’t a good look. Win just 1 of those and we’re in.

Don’t understand why we didn’t start Hjelle in the sec tournament. He came in from the pen and threw 100 pitches but they were already down. Not a good move by the coaching staff imo. Just a terrible bullpen this year, very few impactful arms.

We were projected as a two-seed in a regional (not hosting) before the Vandy series. This is some bullshit.

 

[KingOfBBN]

There is no question Kentucky is one of the 64 best teams in the nation . They played most of the year without one of their best pitchers and the last four games without almost no bullpen with the loss of Machamer. I don't know if Machamer would have been back for the tournament but if he were back, they should have been in. They won 50% if their series in the SEC but were swept twice, by Vandy and Arkansas. Arkansas is just darn good, but in the Vandy series the pitching staff mostly on injured reserve.

The South Carolina chairman of the selection committee said while the RPI was good, it was not as much a factor as the record in league play. Kentucky won the South Carolina series.

My main concern is, not that the season is over, Mississippi State will come calling.

I felt all year that this is probably Nick’s last year.

 

[Comebakatz3]

I felt all year that this is probably Nick’s last year.

Umm... why? In what way?

 

[drew_ukfan]

I have a source who says Miss St isn’t pursuing Mingione, said he rubbed some people the wrong way while he was there.

 

[Comebakatz3]

I have a source who says Miss St isn’t pursuing Mingione, said he rubbed some people the wrong way while he was there.

They are aiming much higher than Ming anyway. They are looking at two coaches that have won national titles and then Schlossnagle, who may be the favorite, and who had gone to the CWS 4 times in a row prior to this season.

 

[Johnfarrel]

I have a source who says Miss St isn’t pursuing Mingione, said he rubbed some people the wrong way while he was there.

That's good news. With the new ballpark and the good vibes around the program, Kentucky needs to keep him around. The few times I have heard him speak, he seems always upbeat and positive. Unless he has a different personality behind the scenes I don't know what's not like about him.

 

[maysvilleky]

Started great, finished horribly.

4-6 in last 10 games (including losing 2 to a BAD UT team)
Losing SEC record.
10th seed for SEC Tournament.
Lost only SEC Tournament game.

The SEC is tough, but you have to win at some point.

Agree...Win 1 more against UT and beat Auburn in the SECT and UK is solidly in.

 

[sluggercatfan]

Agree...Win 1 more against UT and beat Auburn in the SECT and UK is solidly in.

The sweep against Vandy hurt really bad and that was on the OFFENSE NOT PITCHING.

 

[Comebakatz3]

The sweep against Vandy hurt really bad and that was on the OFFENSE NOT PITCHING.

The 6-9 loss was certainly on pitching. Still, one thing you cannot measure is the psychological effect of losing 5 pitchers. I'm sure the offense felt like they had to do a ton in order to win and sometimes when you feel like you have to do too much you end up not being able to do anything.