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D1Baseball Weekly Chat: March 10
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Aaron Fitt
1:41
For me, yes -- I know the Sun Belt fans are insistent that league is better than the Big Ten, but I just don't think that's the case. I think the TOP of the Sun Belt is better, but I think the depth is MUCH better in the Big Ten, as evidenced by the fact that the Big Ten is currently the No. 4 RPI conference and the Sun Belt is No. 8. And I think you'll see other Big Ten teams emerge as Top 25 caliber clubs, joining Oregon in the rankings, before too long.
Lovesbaseball
1:41
Thoughts on the University of Houston? They're looking good and strong! Winning!
Kendall Rogers
1:41
Love -- Good to see the Cougars winning so far this season. When I saw the Coogs in the fall against A&M, I wasn't real sure what to think because I think they lost that scrimmage something like 18-2 or 18-3. They've been solid this season and have a couple of nice series wins -- Minnesota and California are both 'quality' series wins for sure. Xavier Perez and Connor McGinnis have been very good at the plate, while the pitching has been good enough. It has been interesting to see UH going with fireballer Richie Roman as more of a reliever thus far. He's a premium arm. The Tech series is big for both teams this weekend. I might make it out to one of those games. Stay tuned.
Daniel
1:43
Thoughts on the series in Oxford this weekend?  Top 15 matchup to kick off SEC play.
Aaron Fitt
1:43
Yeah, Hogs-Rebels looks like a gem! I considered making a Mississippi run this weekend, but I've already seen Arkansas for three games so I'm trying to spread out my looks -- but man is that a juicy matchup. Arkansas has been swinging it much better since the last time I saw them in week two, and Ole Miss feels like it has played good baseball in all phases through the first month. Feels like the Rebels are legitimately back. Great test for them this weekend.
Eric Simmons
1:44
Will their be a Regional Host on the West Coast this year? I think so
Kendall Rogers
1:44
Yes the West Coast will have a Top 16 team. UCLA, Oregon State, Stanford are all off to great starts, and also are in great shape from an RPI standpoint. Ironically, one of the higher ranked teams, UCSB, is in a precarious spot RPI-wise right now with an RPI of 91. That won't be incredibly easy to make up in the Big West. We'll see. But yes, I feel pretty good -- as of right now -- about the West getting a host site.
Brenton
1:44
Does your RPI differ from that of the NCAA's? I'm asking because I noticed Tulane droped from 62 to 146. They won a series but still dropped almost 100 spots. I get NDSU only had one win. But dropping THAT many spots?
Aaron Fitt
1:44
It's still too early to even bother looking at RPI -- that's an example of how volatile it still is at this point in the season. I wouldn't even give it a glance until week six or so, personally.
Guest
1:45
Gators at Vols would seem to be must watch baseball this weekend.
Kendall Rogers
1:45
Fantastic series. Above everything else, I think I'm most interested to see how Liam Peterson pitches in that atmosphere and against the red-hot Tennessee lineup. He has premier stuff. Will he once again show premier command against a very good team this weekend? I've got my popcorn ready for that series.
Kevin R
1:46
So intrigued to see the TN-UF series. How does Florida match up? Do they have a fighting chance?
Aaron Fitt
1:46
Florida is very good, and certainly they have a fighting chance, but given the way the injuries are piling up (most notably, no Kyle Jones and no Pierce Coppola), I'm not loving Florida's chances on the road against a Tennessee team that certainly does feel like a freight train right now.
GoBucsGoBlue
1:48
Nice sweep for Charleston Southern this weekend at Elon. One of the best starts in program history. Big week with a midweek at The Citadel and then at last years Big South champ. Has Coach Kuhn turned this program around in just 1 year?!
Aaron Fitt
1:48
You know, I saw Charleston Southern against Coastal this fall, and I was intrigued by the way Kuhn and his staff remade that roster -- bunch of interesting transfers and juco additions there, and I thought they had a chance to be competitive this year. But I did not anticipate a 13-3 start and a sweep of Elon. It does seem like they have gotten better even faster than anticipated. And the Big South is gettable -- the Bucs might just be in the mix near the top of that league this year. We'll see if they have staying power, but they have my attention.
Jacob
1:49
If the Hogs offense stays on its current pace, with Wood coming back and no other major injuries what's the limit for this team?
Aaron Fitt
1:49
The ceiling is the roof, as MJ would say. They are good enough to win it all, no question about it. Just a matter of playing their best baseball when it matters most.
Greg
1:49
Has Oregon State done enough in the non-conference to avoid RPI issues later in the season?
Kendall Rogers
1:49
Greg -- Oregon State might just be OK. It's still too early to really give much credence to the RPI, but as of now, OSU is at 31 with some strong RPI opponents still left on the schedule, including rival Oregon, Hawaii and others. Who knows what type of RPI those teams will have when OSU actually faces them, but there are certainly opportunities on the horizon. Not a concern at this point.
Mizzou Fan
1:52
Mizzou split with Binghamton over the weekend and currently sits at 8-8 with really no hope of competing in the SEC.  Let's play a what if game.  Mizzou passed on alum Tony Vitello in 2017, and he was hired at Tenn in 2018.  We all know the success the Vols have had under Vitello.  Would he have Mizzou at the top of the sport right now had he been hired?  I think so, Tenn and Mizzou's programs were on par at the time as far as winning (or lack thereof), facilities, and commitment to baseball.  In hindsight, it was a huge blunder, and the fortunes of both programs is remarkable based off of the decisions that were made.  Just daydreaming of what could've been.
Kendall Rogers
1:52
Mizzou -- I actually kind of love this outside the box question. I will say this -- as much as I love Tony as a coach, I don't think he would have the same success at Missouri as he is having Tennessee. First, Missouri has a few more geographical challenges than Tennessee, and I don't believe for a second that Missouri's administration would be willing to ever go all-in on baseball the way Tennessee has for baseball. I actually say zero shot to that. Maybe they will surprise me someday? I won't go as far to say that Missouri doesn't care about baseball at all, but it's not much above that at the administrative level. Tennessee, on the other hand, has always had a rabid overall fan base just waiting for a winner on the diamond. It's a blessing for Tony that he didn't get the Missouri job.
Brett C
1:56
Who is your favorite for winning the American? Does UTSA have  good shot?
Kendall Rogers
1:56
It's tough to go against ECU right now given its track record in that league, but UTSA might actually be the call. I was able to watch those guys against A&M a couple of weeks ago, and was ultra-impressed with its overall offensive approach. Mason Lytle is hitting well over .400 with eight doubles already this season, while Andrew Detlefsen is another premier bat -- he's hitting .409 with seven doubles, five homers and 31 RBIs. Scary offensive lineup. FAU is another team that comes to mind here, too.
dopt
1:58
what is your opinion on B12 this season. not strong non conference schedules but plenty of good teams...how many bids this year and who are your top 5 teams so far
Aaron Fitt
1:58
Looks like a deep league! Obviously seeing Kansas and WVU get off to 14-1 starts -- albeit against lesser competition — is very encouraging, and Baylor has been one of the big surprises so far in college baseball. We already thought UCF, ASU, TCU and Arizona were regional-caliber teams heading into the season, and certainly that opinion has been reinforced. Kansas State is another big surprise, a team I've talked about plenty -- I'm in on them as a postseason team, and Cincinnati rebounded nicely this week, they should be right in the mix. Obviously Oklahoma State remains one of the favorites, despite a modest 9-6 record against a strong schedule. Texas Tech has been a big disappointment, but by in large you have to be very encouraged by this start for the Big 12. Feels like it could wind up being an eight or nine-bid league.
Shaun
2:03
who are a couple players who you think could be on the verge of a breakout? or guys you’ve seen this year who have flashed as underclassmen and could excel over the summer/in 2026?
Aaron Fitt
2:03
I've seen a bunch of underclassmen so far who fit the bill -- I think Charlie Bates and Tatum Marsh have star potential for Stanford in 2026, and I loved what I saw from those big three UNC freshman arms in the bullpen (Ryan Lynch, Walker McDuffie and Cameron Seagraves). All those guys feel like legit dudes. Last week I decided I'm all-in on AJ Evasco at Kansas State, and certainly Donte Lewis is another stud freshman for the Wildcats. LSU's freshmen are too famous for this category, but they sure are the real deal. For Nebraska, Devin Nunez looks like an exciting young hitter, and they have a bunch of very talented young arms as well, like Carson Jaska and Gavin Blachowicz. Some of those guys could take some time to develop, could be 2026 breakout guys.
Todd
2:03
What does Kentucky need to do in the first two weeks of SEC Play(@UGA & vs AUB)to get ranked by you all?
Aaron Fitt
2:03
I would think if they win the series in Athens this weekend, they will almost surely be in the Top 25 come Monday.
Southern Miss
2:04
Is the middle of the pack in the sun belt having a down year?  The top seems as good as ever.
Kendall Rogers
2:04
Definitely feels like some usual suspects are scuffling in the middle. I'm not sure I'm that surprised that JMU is off to a slow start after losing both Mancini and Trimble from last year's club. Those were two very accomplished hitters. ODU, however, looked solid on paper, as did Texas State and Louisiana. And all three have had warts so much this spring. I think I'm still a believer in Louisiana, but the non-conference resume is not great entering league play -- that's for sure.
Magic Mike
2:07
Wehiwa Aloy. What a run he's on. Thoughts on Arkansas if he can even somewhat keep this up?
Kendall Rogers
2:07
Magic -- I'm feeling much better about the Arkansas offense right now with the Aloy brothers killing it. I think we talked about this on the podcast a few weeks ago, but the Hogs just needed some guys to step up and be those 'oh no, he's up again' type of hitter. The Hogs did not really have that guy last year. Wehiwa is up to .468 and his brother has been insanely good, too, hitting .433 with six homers. We will see how both and the rest of the offense fare in the SEC. But do I feel much better as today? Absolutely.
Brenton
2:07
Is the American still ECU's to lose? UTSA is the chalky pick but i'd still go Tulane because of the tourney magic the last two years. Also if Tulane is patient like they were in ABs against LMU, that's an Omaha team IMO
Aaron Fitt
2:07
I agree with Kendall that it's tough to bet against ECU until somebody sticks a fork in their backs, and I don't expect that to happen. But the Pirates do feel more vulnerable than usual, certainly, and I'm with you on Tulane -- I liked that club in the preseason, nearly had them as a regional team heading into the year, just couldn't make room. FAU also feels like a viable at-large contender, I think John McCormack has those guys back on track, as our guy Patrick Ebert wrote last week. UTSA did a great job reloading, I wasn't expecting them to get off to this strong of a start -- gotta take them seriously too. And how about UAB sitting there at 13-3? That's a pretty darn good rotation with Cole Cheatham, Colin Daniel (the preseason American pitcher of the year) and Chase Ingram, which I think makes them a viable contender as well. League might just be wide open.
RollSpides
2:08
University of Richmond is off to a hot start (14-2) - what is your outlook on the team?  Do you see them as a favorite to bring home the A10 title and make a further post season run?
Aaron Fitt
2:08
Yeah, our guy Roons picked the Spiders to win the league in his preseason A-10 preview, and in Roons I trust! Loved what Shotgun Spratling wrote about them on our site last week as well -- I think they're clearly the team to beat in the A-10. Mik Aoki is doing a fantastic job there.
Jesse
2:11
It’s only been a week of ACC play, but how would you rank the top end of the conference so far with UNC and UVA losing this weekend? I’m pretty high on my Tigers!
Aaron Fitt
2:11
Clemson, Wake and Florida State feel like they're clearly right there in the top tier. I am certainly not ready to remove UNC from that tier after one series loss. And as I said above, I still expect UVa to figure it out and be an Omaha-caliber team eventually, so I'm keeping them in that top tier on my personal board, even though they have not earned a spot up there through their play so far. Hey, it's my board, I'm gonna call it as I see it! And then you've got Stanford moving on up, NC State quietly playing better, and Duke lying in the weeds -- I think the Devils are starting to figure it out too. Very deep league, gonna be a fun race to monitor all season.
Aaron Fitt
2:12
OK gang, that's all for me today, thanks for stopping by as always! See you next week.
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