Texas @University of Central Florida Series Thread

[Hookem2147 21235]

3 minutes ago, chase25 said:

He is an interesting piece because I would assume he comes back unless he just decides to hang up the cleats.

Obviously he really likes being at Texas or he would have left by now because there were numerous chances for a fresh start elsewhere and he stuck it out.

His brother still having two years left might play a role.

[jimmyjazz 45923]

40 minutes ago, chase25 said:

It would be nice to snag the 2 seed for the conference tournament because the top 2 seeds get a bye and don’t have to play on Tuesday.

How does the tiebreaker work?  B12 currently lists us in 3rd behind OSU, but we took 2 out of 3 from them.  Does it go to higher total winning percentage first?

[Had Enough 2081]

15 minutes ago, ClubWhatever said:

I still think the decision is easy.   The program is not healthy.  Why?  Mainly because of decisions made by Pierce.  If you want to chalk some of it up to bad luck and then hang your hat on the classes that are currently signed or committed then I can understand that.  But I think you are only forestalling.   The pitching cupboard is bare and barring an Insane portal haul next year will be an absolute beating, followed by a firing.

Is it healthy?  Witt, LBJ, Porter Brown, Powell all came back with reasons to go.  We have at least 3 guys with parents with professional baseball ties.  Tulo came back.  That’s is a lot people reflecting some faith in their futures with DP.  That’s too much to represent a shitshow.

Losing 3 pitchers is bad luck unless we’re doing something that is causing that.  Name another time in Texas baseball history that has occurred.

The staff turnover is no doubt concerning.  CDC should have better info on it than anyone here.  Otherwise, it’s just speculation.  

I bet the other Big 12 teams wish they had 3 pitchers around the top 10 in conference ERA.  Two of which are most likely back.  We don’t need an insane portal haul.  We need to hit on several.  In 3 years time, the number of teams with sub-4 and sub-5 ERAs has been cut in half.  All pitching staffs are struggling a bit.  Yet let’s hang on to the notion this is the 1980s.  More big arms would be helpful, but we are a competitive pitching staff.

 A question that can be asked is NIL/scholarship allocation.  Is it balanced in the best manner?  No idea.  I do believe we have more potential hitters than Texas has had in 30+ years.  Some of this ties into a healthy program too.

No idea where our program sits, but there’s absolutely enough to say it’s in a reasonable position including the fact that these dudes keep playing and have fought thru some adversity.

But hell we could lose the next 5 games and who knows what happens there.

[chase25 2048]

19 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

How does the tiebreaker work?  B12 currently lists us in 3rd behind OSU, but we took 2 out of 3 from them.  Does it go to higher total winning percentage first?

May just be an oversight since it doesn’t matter right now but the big 12 site lists the first official tie breaker being H2H

[Had Enough 2081]

28 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

Historically, you have to have a top 20 RPI and be at least a few games over .500 in your league to host.

I don’t disagree that certain parts of our resume are good enough to host. But we won’t sniff a top 20 RPI because of the Q4 losses and RPI is basically the default metric used whenever the committee is making decisions.

I suppose my question is more about the volatility of past RPIs.  Were there highly ranked teams with so many negatives?  And since it’s mostly ACC/SEC teams, there will be more losses to come for those teams.

I don’t think we’ll win out.  But say we did, there’s little justification for a .500 or worse team in conference to host over us.  I would not be shocked if TCU somehow pulled it together and won out.  Then how do they figure into the mix.  Same for OSU.

Looks like compared to last year there were no Top 20 RPI teams with a .500 conference record.  2 this year and 9 top 40 teams this year to 5 last year.  Then 6 and 9 in 2022.  So maybe that’s no different.

[UTPhil2006 3807]

19 minutes ago, chase25 said:

May just be an oversight since it doesn’t matter right now but the big 12 site lists the first official tie breaker being H2H

I just assumed Alphabetical 

[jimmyjazz 45923]

8 minutes ago, UTPhil2006 said:

I just assumed Alphabetical 

That would be typical Big 12 stupidity.  But, one might ask why Kansas State is listed above Kansas with the same record?

Edited May 11 by jimmyjazz

[Hookem2147 21235]

Probably facing UCF’s best pitcher tonight. Only 39 hits allowed in 55.1 innings. Opponents hitting .196.

[Js1 85325]

41 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

That would be typical Big 12 stupidity.  But, one might ask why Kansas State is listed above Kansas with the same record?

Alpha was my guess too and I was gonna post it and then see the Kansas/State thing so I was like, nvm 

[jimmyjazz 45923]

2 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Alpha was my guess too and I was gonna post it and then see the Kansas/State thing so I was like, nvm 

I think they're listing with overall record as the first tiebreaker.  If in fact head to head is the actual first tiebreaker, this is stupid.  Big 12.

[Js1 85325]

1 minute ago, jimmyjazz said:

I think they're listing with overall record as the first tiebreaker.  If in fact head to head is the actual first tiebreaker, this is stupid.  Big 12.

On brand for the Big 12 though

[Balcones 316]

2 hours ago, Had Enough said:

I don’t know what the RPI reflected historically, but there are a number of highly rated teams with losing conference records.

We may have a large number of Q4 losses, but the next highest rated team with a winning Q1 record is Miss State at 22.  Four top 10 in the RPI have losing Q1 records.

 

.

Florida and Ole Miss both have 26-24 records. They are ranked 22 and 23 in RPI.  
 

Win the Big 12, make sure you are named Texas, and be ranked in top 15 of the polls and you will host.

Edited May 11 by Balcones

[hobbes2702 13033]

2 hours ago, ClubWhatever said:

I still think the decision is easy.   The program is not healthy.  Why?  Mainly because of decisions made by Pierce.  If you want to chalk some of it up to bad luck and then hang your hat on the classes that are currently signed or committed then I can understand that.  But I think you are only forestalling.   The pitching cupboard is bare and barring an Insane portal haul next year will be an absolute beating, followed by a firing.

What exactly does a healthy program look like? 

[Horny Bull 2759]

 

[Js1 85325]

1 minute ago, hobbes2702 said:

What exactly does a healthy program look like? 

Probably starts with your ace not regressing, losing a staff member midseason, your entire portal class not seeing the field for various reasons and not losing a bunch of Q4 games 

[hobbes2702 13033]

3 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Probably starts with your ace not regressing, losing a staff member midseason, your entire portal class not seeing the field for various reasons and not losing a bunch of Q4 games 

I’m not sure LBJs performance and a bunch of injuries have anything to do with the overall health of the program.

You can’t blame DP for LBJ without giving him credit for others on staff. The reality is, LBJ going off the deep end has less to do with DP and more to do with scouting. 
 

If the program wasn’t healthy, at least somewhat, then we wouldn’t have back to back top ten recruiting classes and guys like Gasparino coming here. We wouldn’t have players foregoing the draft to come back.

There are certainly problems but the idea that the program is “unhealthy” is extremely overblown and ignores all context and performance.

[zlavydra 2121]

27 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

Probably facing UCF’s best pitcher tonight. Only 39 hits allowed in 55.1 innings. Opponents hitting .196.

Looks like only OU has hit him hard.

[jimmyjazz 45923]

Eh, this is one of the weakest Texas clubs in years.  If we can't be sure the injuries would have made the difference, we have to point the finger elsewhere.

I don't expect DP to be Augie, but he should be damn close, and damn close to Gus.  We shouldn't demand less.

[hobbes2702 13033]

3 minutes ago, zlavydra said:

Looks like only OU has hit him hard.

He ain’t seen a hitter like Jack O’Dowd yet

[hobbes2702 13033]

Just now, jimmyjazz said:

Eh, this is one of the weakest Texas clubs in years.  If we can't be sure the injuries would have made the difference, we have to point the finger elsewhere.

I don't expect DP to be Augie, but he should be damn close, and damn close to Gus.  We shouldn't demand less.

Do you think we never had down seasons? 
And we can be sure the injuries made a massive difference. A mid lineup bat, a closer, and a starter level pitcher is a lot to lose. That’s without mentioning guys like Witt, Shaw, etc.

[jimmyjazz 45923]

4 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

Do you think we never had down seasons? 

Of course we have.  Look, I'm notoriously one of the least critical Texas fans when it comes to coaches.  I just have my doubts.

Edited May 11 by jimmyjazz

[petscii 1189]

[zlavydra 2121]

1 minute ago, petscii said:

How big was the crowd last night? When they showed the stands late in the game, it looked pretty weak (numbers wise).

[Js1 85325]

4 minutes ago, zlavydra said:

How big was the crowd last night? When they showed the stands late in the game, it looked pretty weak (numbers wise).

Box score says 1989

[zlavydra 2121]

1 minute ago, Js1 said:

Box score says 1989

Scott Bryant?

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

What exactly does a healthy program look like? 

[zlavydra 2121]

One semi-competitive AB in the first 

[hobbes2702 13033]

5 minutes ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

Then there’s a whole hell of a lot of unhealthy baseball programs around the country.

[jimmyjazz 45923]

Leadoff UCF hitter strokes a single.  Excellent.

[zlavydra 2121]

2 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Leadoff UCF hitter strokes a single.  Excellent.

Hard to miss the 84-mph pitch down the middle.

[Hookem2147 21235]

Should be another fun strike zone if the first inning is any indication 

[zlavydra 2121]

We got an interference call!

[Horny Bull 2759]

0-0 after 1.

[Bevo&Pevo 5131]

Just now, zlavydra said:

We got an interference call!

and 2 outs on the play.

[HuntinHorn 975]

Go Boogie Go!

[zlavydra 2121]

10 pitches and 4 outs . 

[Bevo&Pevo 5131]

Pretty easy inning for ucf, it would be nice to make 'em work a little harder.

[texastroubadour 1210]

PB and O’Dud both in lineup tonight. Hmm 

[Horny Bull 2759]

Ace strands a runner at first B2.

[zlavydra 2121]

7 minutes ago, texastroubadour said:

PB and O’Dud both in lineup tonight. Hmm 

Looks like Pierce is going with the platoon. We'll see if Dee and Borba start next time we have a lefty.

[chase25 2048]

Rylan must be going through a batting stance crisis

[Horny Bull 2759]

9 up 9 down for the Horns so far.

[zlavydra 2121]

O'Dowd up in the count 2-0 and ends up whiffing abysmally.

[texastroubadour 1210]

1st base ump hmm

[Hookem2147 21235]

5 minutes ago, chase25 said:

Rylan must be going through a batting stance crisis

Someone has to carry on what Eric Kennedy went through last year 

[texastroubadour 1210]

Just now, Horny Bull said:

9 up 9 down for the Horns so far.

Will we get a hit tonight? 

[Hookem2147 21235]

Struck him out twice and somehow walked 

[jimmyjazz 45923]

Seriously, THAT wasn't strike 3?

[texastroubadour 1210]

 Come on blue. You’re stupid

[Bevo&Pevo 5131]

Boogie has me conflicted.  On one hand he's pitching well enough to say we're getting some serviceable innings.  On the other hand, he's scaring the shit out of me and living on the edge.