You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Return toD1Baseball
D1Baseball Weekly Chat: April 25
powered byJotCast
Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page
Wreck'em
12:23
How impressive was Tech's pitching against WV on Saturday? I don't know if I have ever seen back to back complete games in a double header.
Aaron Fitt
12:23
And it's not like they were two seven-inning CGs -- Morris went 9 and Birdsell went 8, against a good offensive club. Yes, that was pretty loud.
TopHog
12:25
Can Arkansas be a top 8 seed with a 20-10 record but a 15+ RPI?
Aaron Fitt
12:25
I think so, yes. Typically the committee doesn't stray far outside the top 10 in the RPI when it comes to top-eight seeds, but there are exceptions now and then, and I think going 20-10 in the SEC should be loud enough to earn a top-eight. NerdMaster General Etheridge may disagree, I'm sure we'll talk about it on this week's NerdCast.
RBB3435
12:25
Thoughts on Prielipp opting out at Bama? Would think he would be licking his chops to prove to MLB teams he's back. Possibly improve draft status with all the injured college pitchers.
Kendall Rogers
12:25
RBB -- Everyone is a little different, but I personally do not like the move. Sources are telling me that Prielipp was cleared and received a clean bill of health, yet decided not to pitch. I'm not sure who's advising him, but having your client sit out for two full seasons without proving himself at all seems ultra risky. If Pri comes out late this season and dominates, he's not only a first rounder. He could find himself in the Top 10 picks with how light college starting pitching is right now from a prospect standpoint. Bad move.
SECbaseball
12:26
How about the job Schloss has done in year 1? With the facility renovations that’ve been rumored it feels like another SEC giant may be rising.
Kendall Rogers
12:26
SEC -- It's been a collective effort in College Station, but I'm really impressed. The Aggies were an absolute disaster after that Frisco College Classic. Now, they have one of the better offenses in the league and the pitching staff is doing enough. The rise of Nathan Dettmer and Jacob Palisch is really really, helped. Those two guys ARE the X-factors for this team right now, IMO.
Randall
12:26
How far is the gap between TN and Oregon St right now? How many games would TN have to lose for Beavers (or whoever is #2) to pass?
Aaron Fitt
12:26
It is a significant gap, no doubt about it. I mean, 37-3 overall, 17-1 in the SEC -- it's just mind boggling. That said, OSU has been very consistent, just one losing weekend all year, so if Tennessee had an 0-4 week, let's say, it would at least make for an interesting discussion.
usmsci
12:29
I know my Golden Eagles are playing well but even as an alum and a fan I am not sure I would put them at #4. We have been winning games but we lost all our games to Dallas Baptist and so far the last 2 weeks have been against inferior competition. Winning 1 - 0 against Rice and Charlotte is not exactly eye opening. The Ole Miss and Miss. State games are now less impressive.

I just hope all the new found fame won't jinx us. We have pitching but without hitting we wont win a Super Regional much less make the CWS.
Aaron Fitt
12:29
Well, that's the nature of the rankings -- if you play your way up to around the top 10, and you reel off 14 straight wins while teams ahead of you lose, you're just gonna keep climbing. And I do believe Southern Miss is worthy of its ranking; I think that's an Omaha team, thanks to really good, deep pitching and a lineup loaded with super-experienced veterans and some younger emerging talents like Wilks and Paetow. Just a very complete club, I believe.
cool 1
ECU
12:30
After the series loss to Tulane, how are ECU's postseason chances looking?
Aaron Fitt
12:30
Bubblish. ECU is No. 52 in the RPI, which is light for an at-large bid for a team in the American (teams out West have a little more leeway there). But if the Pirates win the regular-season (and right now they're part of a three-way tie), I still think they will land an at-large bid, should they need it, because I think their RPI will still wind up climbing a bit from its current spot.
Mnozil
12:33
No specific team in this question but something I have always wondered: is there a college baseball equivalent of the triple option or zone defense, and is anyone running it? In other college sports, there are usually a few teams doing something schematically that is way outside the mainstream. Curious if there is any team out there like that.
Aaron Fitt
12:33
I like this question because I just wrote this weekend about Wofford, which went all-in on the running game about a decade ago and has ranked in the nation's top 5 in stolen bases 9 times in the last 10 years (counting this year), leading the nation 4 times. I'd encourage you to check out my Saturday night piece on the Terriers, it really goes into detail on the whole philosophy. The "Pack mentality" offense that Matt Deggs runs is another good one.
Brandyn - Corvallis
12:35
With Pfennings easing back into his starting roll and the way Mitchell Verberg looked on Saturday, how is Oregon States bullpen looking coming down the stretch?
Aaron Fitt
12:35
Those are two very encouraging developments for the Beavers. Feels like all the pieces are coming together nicely on that pitching staff; I'm still amazed at how well they held everything together despite the injuries, and now they're getting healthier.
JEL
12:36
Will there be three---count'em three---regionals in the PNW this year.....Corvallis, Eugene and Spokane?
Aaron Fitt
12:36
Ultimately I would bet on two, but three is not outside the realm of possibility. That was a big setback this weekend for the Ducks, though, against a Wazzu team that was just 5-13 entering the weekend.
Captain Crunch
12:36
Is Florida in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament after getting swept by Tennessee at home?
Kendall Rogers
12:36
Very real chance right now. Gators sitting at 6-12. Let's say they can only get to 12-18 by the SEC tournament. I don't care what your RPI is, you aren't getting in with that kind of conference record. I have UF finishing with a 13-17 league record, but I could absolutely see the Gators stumbling in the @Missouri series, for instance.
Adam
12:37
Good afternoon! Thanks for all you do to grow the game. HUGE college baseball guy from Northwest Indiana. With that begin said, diehard Gator fan. So here is my question- what is the highest RPI team not to make the field? I'm just getting nervous, easier next four weeks but still trying to see a way into the field. Thanks again!
Aaron Fitt
12:37
Thanks Adam! I don't blame you for feeling nervous -- as of today, Florida would be that team, with a No. 12 RPI and a 6-12 SEC record. Even that robust RPI wouldn't save a team with that kind of conference record. Gators need to make a run, no question.
Mnozil
12:38
As we all expected, Ole Miss and Mississippi State are competing for the bottom of the SEC West. Is Arkansas still the favorite in your mind to win the West, or do you like someone from the next group (Auburn, LSU, TAMU) to make a run? I was thinking LSU specifically until I remembered they also lost 2 of 3 to TAMU. So maybe its A&M?
Kendall Rogers
12:38
I still like the Hogs to win the West. Here's the thing, Arkansas has the arms to be a national title team, and I think they have the offensive TALENT to win it, too. But overall, the unit as a whole offensively needs to be more consistent. It seems like when someone like Brady Slavens steps up, someone else steps down, and so on. WTS, I did think Robert Moore hit the ball hard over the weekend. He had some loud, loud outs.
TOAST
12:38
What a weekend….TAMU gets the home series win over Arkansas. It seems the SEC West is going to cannibalize itself these next four weeks. Who comes out on top in the SEC West? Arkansas is still the likely pick but TAMU, Auburn, and LSU are picking up ground.
Aaron Fitt
12:38
Yeah that series in College Station changed the complexion of the SEC West race a bit -- now you've got four teams within two games of each other, with Arkansas still in first place by one game over Auburn, then LSU and A&M two back. Ultimately I'm still betting on the Hogs, but it's getting interesting!
Ricky
12:39
Arkansas loses the series against A&M and was able to remain in the top 5. It seems there’s a few factors including A&M getting ranked which seems like the loss is not as bad, this is only one series which the other loss is only Florida, and maybe the opinion/resumes of the other teams is still not quite as high as the Hogs. What do you think has kept them so high in a weekend where most top teams won their series and does this mean Arkansas would only need 3 if not just 2 series left to get a top 8 National seed?
Kendall Rogers
12:39
Ricky -- Part of the ranking process is what you think about teams when you see them, too. And I think Arkansas is just a better team than some of the other teams behind them right now. Sure, the Hogs lost a series to the red-hot Aggies, but the fact they rallied and were so close to winning that series finale at the end ... that gave me some hope for that offensive unit.
SpokaneYouDigIt
12:40
Do the Zags need to sweep a series down the stretch to lock up a host? Five straight weeks winning 2-of-3, but against schools that wouldn’t really move the needle for a P5. If the answer that continuing to win 2-of-3 is fine, how far would the WCC RPI (currently #6) have to fall for hosting to get dicey?
Aaron Fitt
12:40
I think you're on to something here -- I'd like to see Gonzaga sweep LMU and/or Santa Clara, two teams outside the top 100 in the RPI, to really shore up that hosting resumé.
Captain Crunch
12:40
After Ole Miss lost 2 out of 3 to Mississippi State at home are their at large hopes gone?
Kendall Rogers
12:40
I have Ole Miss finishing conference at either 11-19 or 12-18, so yeah, zero shot at the postseason with those marks. I would say Ole Miss has the potential to go on a run from a talent standpoint, but there's not an ounce of this team right now that leads me to believe they're ready to take the torch.
Beav AB
12:41
Whats the beavs margin for error coming into the last 4 weeks of the regular season at Utah, vs Oregon, at Arizona, and vs UCLA if they want to end up with a national seed? Need to go 3-1? Will 2-2 do it?
Aaron Fitt
12:41
I think if they win two of those four series to get to 17-11 in the Pac, that should be enough.
Woke
12:41
Is Wake Forest in danger of missing the post season again?!
Kendall Rogers
12:41
Wake is in right now, but it can't get cute down the stretch. Louisville/@ UNC/@ NC State won't be easy. And heck, I could see Wake losing all three. If that happens, they're out.
BR
12:42
How about MTSU? 2 of 3 from La Tech in Ruston. 5 straight CUSA series wins. UTSA coming to town this weekend.
Aaron Fitt
12:42
Good one here! Jim Toman's got his boys surging, back to back pretty loud series wins against Charlotte and La Tech, and they're sitting in pretty good RPI shape at No. 51. Who would have guessed UTSA at Middle Tennessee would be a big series at the end of April? Not me. But that's a big series, between two clubs that have legit at-large chances.
Connecting…