West Virginia @ Texas Series Thread

[LTtxfan 49249]

 

[BillyGoatHill 4312]

Nice seeing Jalin showing some power yesterday too...

 

 

 

 

[hobbes2702 13045]

I think it kinda got lost in the shuffle but I thought Witt looked real good yesterday. I didn’t see him get up much in velo (93 was the highest I saw at the Disch) but he made it look easy for his innings. 
If we can hopefully stretch him out a little more soon then he really could end up being hugely important 

[ztejas 43475]

3 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

I think it kinda got lost in the shuffle but I thought Witt looked real good yesterday. I didn’t see him get up much in velo (93 was the highest I saw at the Disch) but he made it look easy for his innings. 
If we can hopefully stretch him out a little more soon then he really could end up being hugely important 

I wonder if he's best suited as a 3rd starter or if he should be backing either LG or LBJ with middle relief.

I guess we haven't had a good 3rd starter all season so as long as he's decent he's potentially better served in that role. 

[Wishbone 4762]

7 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

They had a good yeer. They had a bad weekend…er series

 

[hobbes2702 13045]

2 hours ago, ztejas said:

I wonder if he's best suited as a 3rd starter or if he should be backing either LG or LBJ with middle relief.

I guess we haven't had a good 3rd starter all season so as long as he's decent he's potentially better served in that role. 

I’d love to use him in late games as closer but I doubt we get that 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

If Texas hosts a regional as a 1 seed do you risk pitching Witt in game 1 against a much inferior opponent to save Gordon and LBJ? 

[NeverMarryAStripper 21907]

You mean somebody like Baylor or OU?

[Scholz 11944]

23 hours ago, Rickylovesweed said:

These fuckers love pairing Texas and aggy. If aggy sneaks in as a 3 seed they may give us a host just to create a juicy match up. Assuming we win a couple at the Big 12 tournament. 

Texas as 1 seed, DBU as 2 seed, aggy as 3 seed. 

I can already see it coming. 

Went over to texags for the schadenfreude and the gomers are all scared shitless of this probability. Especially after our girls sent them packing today. 😂

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

5 minutes ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

You mean somebody like Baylor or OU?

They definitely aren't good but if Texas is a 1 seed they will get some random small school that won their conference tournament. They're likely even worse than both those teams. 

I probably wouldn't do it but I imagine Texas will get a team they can score 10+ runs against in the 1st game. Pierce didn't do it last year against Air Force though. Started Hansen. 

But Air Force was a weird 1 vs 4 match up with who they had as their Friday night starter. 

Edited May 21, 2023 by Rickylovesweed

[jimmyjazz 45976]

5 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

If Texas hosts a regional as a 1 seed do you risk pitching Witt in game 1 against a much inferior opponent to save Gordon and LBJ? 

No.  He's the #3.  

West Virginia just showed what can happen if you try to play games.  Witt's getting healthy pretty quickly, but he's not a #1 starter right now.  Stick with Gordon.

[ztejas 43475]

7 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

If Texas hosts a regional as a 1 seed do you risk pitching Witt in game 1 against a much inferior opponent to save Gordon and LBJ? 

Bro you are something else sometimes.

[Pato del Muerto 52524]

7 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

If Texas hosts a regional as a 1 seed do you risk pitching Witt in game 1 against a much inferior opponent to save Gordon and LBJ? 

No. With our deficiency in the bullpen, it’s imperative that we win the first 2 games with minimal pen use. Then piece together the staff for game 3 and 4 if necessary. 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

4 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

No.  He's the #3.  

West Virginia just showed what can happen if you try to play games.  Witt's getting healthy pretty quickly, but he's not a #1 starter right now.  Stick with Gordon.

True but Pierce has done it before. He started Tristan Stevens as the #3 against Texas Southern in 2021 to start that regional. 

But Stevens was a much better #3 compared to Witt based on the circumstances. 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

4 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Bro you are something else sometimes.

Why? Pierce has done this multiple times already. 

I don't think he will do it but if Texas draws a terrible fucking team like Texas Southern I guarantee he at least thinks about it. 

Edited May 21, 2023 by Rickylovesweed

[ztejas 43475]

1 minute ago, Rickylovesweed said:

Why? Pierce has done this multiple times already. 

I don't think he will do it but if Texas draws a terrible fucking team like Texas Southern I guarantee he at least thinks about it. 

He is absolutely not going to do it. This team is down by Pierce standards and Witt has thrown one good game out of 3. 

Lucas is starting game 1. It doesn't matter who we play. I promise you. 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

2 minutes ago, ztejas said:

He is absolutely not going to do it. This team is down by Pierce standards and Witt has thrown one good game out of 3. 

Lucas is starting game 1. It doesn't matter who we play. I promise you. 

I think you're probably right but I had this exact same conversation heading into the 2021 regional. I said it was going to be Stevens or the midweek guy based on how terrible Texas Southern was and people said there was no chance. 

 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

If Texas gets the 1 seed they're going to pair them with a regional team that wins their conference. Like a Texas Southern who is the top RPI team in the SWAC but is #290 in RPI and has nearly a 6.00 ERA as a team. 

I agree it's a huge risk but damn I hate burning somebody like Gordon against a team like that. 

[ztejas 43475]

11 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

I think you're probably right but I had this exact same conversation heading into the 2021 regional. I said it was going to be Stevens or the midweek guy based on how terrible Texas Southern was and people said there was no chance. 

 

I get what you're thinking but Witt hasn't thrown all season, man. 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

5 minutes ago, ztejas said:

I get what you're thinking but Witt hasn't thrown all season, man. 

Yeah, Stevens was a much better #3 than Witt is currently. That definitely changes the decision calculus to a degree. 

But damn, Texas will likely score 10+ runs against a team like Texas Southern. If you believe you can get 4 or 5 out of  Witt (let's see what happens this weekend), I think it has to at least be a thought dependent on the opponent. 

I agree with the burning the bullpen angle but my thought is I would just rather avoid the bullpen in games 2 and 3 with Gordon and LBJ as starters. 

 

Edited May 21, 2023 by Rickylovesweed

[Valmy77 13243]

34 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

No.  He's the #3.  

West Virginia just showed what can happen if you try to play games.  Witt's getting healthy pretty quickly, but he's not a #1 starter right now.  Stick with Gordon.

Yes. No fucking around. Start Gordon the first game every time.

[Hookem2147 21338]

Changing the subject a bit, 5 of Kansas' 8 conference wins came in games Baumgartner started. Wednesday will not be a cakewalk. Hopefully recently facing him will give us a small advantage. 

We absolutely need Gordon to get us into the winners bracket as a loss to a school with Kansas' RPI on a neutral field would torpedo our hosting chances.

[Had Enough 2083]

Yeah, Stevens was a much better #3 than Witt is currently. That definitely changes the decision calculus to a degree. 
But damn, Texas will likely score 10+ runs against a team like Texas Southern. If you believe you can get 4 or 5 out of  Witt (let's see what happens this weekend), I think it has to at least be a thought dependent on the opponent. 
I agree with the burning the bullpen angle but my thought is I would just rather avoid the bullpen in games 2 and 3 with Gordon and LBJ as starters. 
 

This is the right line of thinking.

If you get a truly scrub #4 seed, you don’t go your #1 or #2 unless your 3rd option is horrible.
And in this scenario, our bullpen by committee can work.

You still have to win 3 games at a minimum. You are no worse off losing game 1 versus game 2. Plus Gordon and LBJ are very different pitchers.

Last year AF had Skenes and beat us soundly during the year. They could score.

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

2 minutes ago, Had Enough said:

This is the right line of thinking.

If you get a truly scrub #4 seed, you don’t go your #1 or #2 unless your 3rd option is horrible.
And in this scenario, our bullpen by committee can work.

You still have to win 3 games at a minimum. You are no worse off losing game 1 versus game 2. Plus Gordon and LBJ are very different pitchers.

Last year AF had Skenes and beat us soundly during the year. They could score.

Yup. Last year was a weird 1 v 4 match up because Air Force had a 1st rounder as their Friday guy. 

If you can't beat a team like Texas Southern with your 3rd starter you probably aren't a team worthy of going far to begin with. Texas Southern fucking sucks at #290 in RPI and will only make the tournament because the SWAC is awful. 

[Cairn Horn88 8274]

52 minutes ago, Scholz said:

Went over to texags for the schadenfreude and the gomers are all scared shitless of this probability. Especially after our girls sent them packing today. 😂

This can be part of the Horn’s tradition….sending aggy packing.

[Pato del Muerto 52524]

Choosing to move your known high bullpen game to game 1 is an interesting idea, when paired with the presumed lower level of competition. 

[hobbes2702 13045]

1 hour ago, Rickylovesweed said:

If Texas hosts a regional as a 1 seed do you risk pitching Witt in game 1 against a much inferior opponent to save Gordon and LBJ? 

I understand the thinking but I always believe in rhythm for starting pitchers. 

That plus Lucas really becoming as Friday night starter as it gets and there’s no way I’m changing things.

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

5 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Choosing to move your known high bullpen game to game 1 is an interesting idea, when paired with the presumed lower level of competition. 

Yeah, do you want your bullpen game in game 3 against a good opponent or against a shitty team in game 1? 

I don't really buy the bullpen argument at all. 

[Pato del Muerto 52524]

Shit, I’m talking myself into it. Guess I’ll be cool with either way. 

[ztejas 43475]

@Rickylovesweed dude just take the fucking L holy fuck you’ve been a beating lately. Tell us more about how Caleb Love's athleticism blows away Tyrese Hunter. 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

3 minutes ago, ztejas said:

@Rickylovesweed dude just take the fucking L holy fuck you’ve been a beating lately. Tell us more about how Caleb Love's athleticism blows away Tyrese Hunter. 

Why are you so mad? We're just having discussions. 

I don't know why you get this upset. It's fine to disagree but we're just discussing scenarios and this exact same scenario has happened before with Texas. Matter of fact, I bet you were one of the morons telling me Stevens wouldn't start in the 2021 regional. 

[TexArcher 37977]

29 minutes ago, Valmy77 said:

Yes. No fucking around. Start Gordon the first game every time.

This.

 

4 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

Yeah, do you want your bullpen game in game 3 against a good opponent or against a shitty team in game 1? 

I don't really buy the bullpen argument at all. 

Do everything you can to win Game 1.

Do everything you can to win Game 2.

Only then do you even think about Game 3.

[CycleTex87 2972]

5 minutes ago, TexArcher said:

This.

 

Do everything you can to win Game 1.

Do everything you can to win Game 2.

Only then do you even think about Game 3.

I think this has proven over time to be the winning formula. 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

Also, in 2018 Pierce did this. Started the #2 because he felt Shugart was the best option out of the pen later in the regional. Who best fits that profile? 

 

[BillyGoatHill 4312]

4 minutes ago, TexArcher said:

This.

 

Do everything you can to win Game 1.

Do everything you can to win Game 2.

Only then do you even think about Game 3.

So simple to think of it this way. The old regionals and CWS was a game of survival and attrition that you put up with once you got into that situation, but you first had to get there. Gus always talked about this when getting into those scenarios. You have to REMAIN in the WINNERS bracket or it will catch up to you.

TLDR/... Just look at this weekend with WV's strategy and it blowing up big time.

[Hookem2147 21338]

It’s matchup dependent. End of story. Facing Southern and Texas southern was a lot different than facing Skenes last year in game 1 against a team that already beat you in the regular season. You make that decision when the time comes. Not something you plan ahead of time.

[BillyGoatHill 4312]

4 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

Also, in 2018 Pierce did this. Started the #2 because he felt Shugart was the best option out of the pen later in the regional. Who best fits that profile? 

 

Without looking at numbers and  just by attitude alone, (especially Shugart) was the way that that staff pitched. Shugart pitched with a chip on his shoulder and seemed to want the ball in tough situations. Not picking on the guys from this year, but I haven't seen that attitude from this years pen.

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

2 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

It’s matchup dependent. End of story. Facing Southern and Texas southern was a lot different than facing Skenes last year in game 1 against a team that already beat you in the regular season. You make that decision when the time comes. Not something you plan ahead of time.

Yeah, I definitely agree with this. 

If Texas faces a team sup RPI 200, I will bet anybody money here that Gordon will not start the opener. It may not be Witt but it will be LBJ. Pierce has shown before that 1) He doesn't want to waste his top guy against a shit team and 2) He wants a guy later in the regional that can throw out of the bullpen which fits LBJ's profile the best iMO. 

[Hookem2147 21338]

It also depends on your rotation and lineup. LSU ain’t trotting Skenes out there against a 4 seed to burn him in game 1 when he is their only reliable starter. They can hit their way to a game 1 win regardless of who pitches. Could we do the same? Perhaps, but it’s a lot easier to throw your ace game 1 when you know your #2 is someone like LBJ who is also pretty good.

[dcar00 14269]

I think it depends on who the #4 is.  let's win the next championship this week.

[ztejas 43475]

26 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

Why are you so mad? We're just having discussions. 

I don't know why you get this upset. It's fine to disagree but we're just discussing scenarios and this exact same scenario has happened before with Texas. Matter of fact, I bet you were one of the morons telling me Stevens wouldn't start in the 2021 regional. 

I'm not mad. I like you as a poster and I like your takes but chill out for a bit man you've been spraying shit lately. You made like 20 posts about how bad Dillon Mitchell was without anyone disagreeing with you. Just want to make sure everything is alright with you hombre. 

And yeah I mean the whole Tyrese/Caleb Love thing I mean fuck man maybe take a break. 

Edited May 22, 2023 by ztejas

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

9 minutes ago, ztejas said:

I'm not mad. I like you as a poster and I like your takes but chill out for a bit man you've been spraying shit lately. You made like 20 posts about how bad Dillon Mitchell was without anyone disagreeing with you. Just want to make sure everything is alright with you hombre. 

Yeah, but you definitely disagree. Which is fine. 

I don't know how this isn't a discussion when Pierce hasn't started his #1 guy in multiple regionals (I.e. 2018 and 2021). Acting like this is some "out of left field thought" is funny to me. Precedent is actually on my side with Pierce. 

You can keep deflecting to the Love/Hunter discussion if that makes you feel any better. 

Edited May 22, 2023 by Rickylovesweed

[ztejas 43475]

5 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

I don't know how this isn't a discussion when Pierce hasn't started his #1 guy in multiple regionals (I.e. 2018 and 2021). Acting like this is some "out of left field thought" is funny to me. Precedent is actually on my side with Pierce. 

Because you've lost your fucking mind and Pierce isn't going to do what you're suggesting. 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

2 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Because you've lost your fucking mind and Pierce isn't going to do what you're suggesting. 

Just because you say this doesn't mean it's true. I had these same type discussions in 2021 and I'm sure if you go back to the 2018 regional there were probably people saying Pierce was crazy for starting Shugart over Henley or Kingham.

How do you think this is "losing my fucking mind" when Pierce has shown multiple times before that he may not start his #1 in the opener? 

I really don't get it. I'm not even saying it's a for sure thing that Pierce would do this (dependent on opponent) but he's definitely done it before. 

 

[Pato del Muerto 52524]

25 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

Also, in 2018 Pierce did this. Started the #2 because he felt Shugart was the best option out of the pen later in the regional. Who best fits that profile? 

 

I don’t know what dp and woody would want, but I’d want another lefty available in the pen so Gordon for that criterium.  And we know (don’t we?) that Witt only gets one appearance in the regional. 
 

I still like using Gordon first, but knowing that your third starter can only go 3-4 innings does add a wrinkle. 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

3 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I don’t know what dp and woody would want, but I’d want another lefty available in the pen so Gordon for that criterium.  And we know (don’t we?) that Witt only gets one appearance in the regional. 
 

I still like using Gordon first, but knowing that your third starter can only go 3-4 innings does add a wrinkle. 

That's a good point about having another lefty in the pen. Gordon being another lefty available out of the pen is a good argument if you kept him like around 60 to 70 pitches against a shit opponent. 

[hobbes2702 13045]

Yea the issue isn’t even necessarily needing to start your Friday guy. The issue to me is the guarantee that you are using your bullpen if Witt is the guy. 
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we saw LBJ in game one of a regional if we were to host. I don’t necessarily agree with that but it’s fine. If that guy was Witt though, I am way against it because of the early tax on your bullpen.

[BillyGoatHill 4312]

All this discussion about which pitcher is starting game one in a regional (hopefully) at home is mute unless we win at least 2 or more in the B12 tourney. May need more wins to just host. I don't believe we need to win it , but we do need a good showing or we'll be a #2 and traveling. And that is a double edge sword as playing longer takes up some time that could be used for rest and healing before Regionals start. 

[jimmyjazz 45976]

11 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

Just because you say this doesn't mean it's true. I had these same type discussions in 2021 and I'm sure if you go back to the 2018 regional there were probably people saying Pierce was crazy for starting Shugart over Henley or Kingham.

How do you think this is "losing my fucking mind" when Pierce has shown multiple times before that he may not start his #1 in the opener? 

I really don't get it. I'm not even saying it's a for sure thing that Pierce would do this (dependent on opponent) but he's definitely done it before. 

Because we're not talking about not starting Lucas.  We're talking about starting Tanner.  Your examples are not about swapping #1 for #3 (at best).

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

9 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

Yea the issue isn’t even necessarily needing to start your Friday guy. The issue to me is the guarantee that you are using your bullpen if Witt is the guy. 
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we saw LBJ in game one of a regional if we were to host. I don’t necessarily agree with that but it’s fine. If that guy was Witt though, I am way against it because of the early tax on your bullpen.

I agree with that. I definitely think it's more likely LBJ starts over Witt in the opener because LBJ has also come out of the pen a lot this year. Again, all dependent on if the opponent sucks. 

So fits the profile that Pierce used in the 2018 regional.