|
|
Post by chinmusic on May 31, 2022 13:24:03 GMT -8
After perusing the internet for two days and visiting my usual baseball haunts, I'm getting a feel for what the college baseball folks are thinking and predicting. This is what I'm seeing:
NATIONAL CHAMPION: Overwhelmingly, Tennessee. The feeling is the Vols are a complete team with explosive offense, the nation's top defense and a deep and dominant pitching staff.
TEAMS WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF UPSETTING TENNESSEE: Oregon State, Stanford and Texas. Reason for optimism in Corvallis? The nations 12th ranked offense, 2nd ranked defense and capable pitching led by a punch-out happy lefty.
BIGGEST SLEEPERS IN THE FIELD: Oklahoma and Gonzaga.
BIGGEST SNUB BY THE SELECTION COMMITTEE: North Carolina State and Wofford
DESERVED TO HOST A REGIONAL AND WON'T: Oklahoma and Notre Dame
TOUGHEST REGIONAL: Florida and Stanford
EASIEST REGIONAL: North Carolina
BIGGEST JET LAG: Nashville to Corvallis. Tucson to Miami
TOP 5 COACHES IN THE FIELD: Mitchell Canham, Richard Dorman, Ryan Gipson, Darwin Barney and Jake Postlewait
BEST VENUE: Coleman Field at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon.
|
|
|
|
Post by jefframp on May 31, 2022 13:31:05 GMT -8
I like your enthusiasm! :-)
|
|
elwood
Freshman
Posts: 212
Grad Year: 1994
|
Post by elwood on May 31, 2022 13:53:26 GMT -8
After perusing the internet for two days and visiting my usual baseball haunts, I'm getting a feel for what the college baseball folks are thinking and predicting. This is what I'm seeing: NATIONAL CHAMPION: Overwhelmingly, Tennessee. The feeling is the Vols are a complete team with explosive offense, the nation's top defense and a deep and dominant pitching staff. TEAMS WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF UPSETTING TENNESSEE: Oregon State, Stanford and Texas. Reason for optimism in Corvallis? The nations 12th ranked offense, 2nd ranked defense and capable pitching led by a punch-out happy lefty. BIGGEST SLEEPERS IN THE FIELD: Oklahoma and Gonzaga. BIGGEST SNUB BY THE SELECTION COMMITTEE: North Carolina State and Wofford DESERVED TO HOST A REGIONAL AND WON'T: Oklahoma and Notre Dame TOUGHEST REGIONAL: Florida and Stanford EASIEST REGIONAL: North Carolina BIGGEST JET LAG: Nashville to Corvallis. Tucson to Miami TOP 5 COACHES IN THE FIELD: Mitchell Canham, Richard Dorman, Ryan Gipson, Darwin Barney and Jake Postlewait BEST VENUE: Coleman Field at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon. Yes, the Vol's are that good all around. The only chink in their armor that I can see is their strength of schedule and over reliance on the long ball. The main reason their strength of schedule is so low is because they played so many more games at home. One of the big advantages of their home field, is that it is a relatively small feild and has like a 4 foot fence to right. The challenge will be when they get to Omaha. Charles Schwab Park (formerly T.D. Ameritrade) does not give up the long ball very easily. This may level the playing field for their opponents. While I like that Mitch Canham has moved a bit more away from the Pat Casey small ball approach, small ball may just be putting the runs on the board. I like our speed and aggressiveness on the bases. You don't see that in the SEC or other conferences as much. Pac-12 teams play much more aggressive around the bases. Not just in steels but stretching a single into a double or challenging a throw home. As always though, pitching will win the day. |
|
|
|
Post by mbabeav on May 31, 2022 15:56:42 GMT -8
I remember an even better team with a better record in 2017 that lost - The Vols can fall, and I am betting the #1 seed curse will jump up and bite them in the rear - it's baseball after all, not that I am superstitious or anything like that.
|
|
|
|
Post by rgeorge on May 31, 2022 16:15:03 GMT -8
Vandy can run too! Typically if you look at D1 SB leaders it is the smaller schools facing lesser competition. Vandy was 88/98, with six guys with 4 SBs or more, OSU with four. But half of theirs is in one player. OSU was 74/88, so Vandy is no slouch. Very good overall team in a conference with (7) Top 25 RPI teams, Pac11 had (2):
Dbles (106/OSU 131), Triples (15/21), HRs (68/50), SLG (.460/.456), BB (279/355), OBP (.382/.411), BA (.283/.299), R/G (6.6/7.7)
ERA (4.04/OSU 4.18), FA (.977/.984), H/9 IP (7.37/8.65), K/( IP (10.5/9.6), BB/9 IP (4.06/2.74) K/BB (2.58/3.49)
Two very evenly matched teams.... very similar in many regards. Although Bradfield's 43/43 on SB is a bit intimidating. Luckily he only hit .315, but his OBP is .413 and doesn't K much (37 BB vs 36 K)
|
|
|
|
Post by alwaysorange on May 31, 2022 16:22:21 GMT -8
We might as well throw in the towel as should 62 other teams. Lol. Screw tennessee. And for that matter the sec.
|
|
|
|
Post by nuclearbeaver on May 31, 2022 16:35:54 GMT -8
The answer is yes. Literally anyone can win any series.
|
|
|
|
Post by grackle on Jun 1, 2022 5:55:26 GMT -8
Another category where UTenn baseball leads the country: Their head coach, Vitello, is an absolute jacka$$. Constantly acting out and seems to have no idea how to be either a gracious winner OR loser (see the Kentucky series). And the main talking point around UTenn baseball is to assure each other that they are clearly the best team in the history of collegiate baseball. Overall, just a classless outfit.
I'd bet that more than a few coaches and players in the SEC would just LOVE to see Tennessee get knocked off somewhere in the post-season...
|
|
|
|
Post by flyfishinbeav on Jun 1, 2022 7:23:11 GMT -8
Vols are the team to beat, but iirc, they are hotheads, including their coach. Let's see what happens to em when the chips are down......which inevitably will happen at some point in the postseason.
|
|
|
|
Post by qbeaver on Jun 1, 2022 8:08:36 GMT -8
Yes someone can. I would rather be the hunter than the hunted.
|
|
