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D1Baseball Weekly Chat: March 21
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Aaron Fitt
12:29
Hey everybody -- I'm starting the chat early this week, coming to you live from I-59 in Alabama, where my car has been sitting in park for the last 45 minutes. So let's take some chat questions while I've got some time to kill!
West Coast Ball
12:30
Got to catch UConn this weekend in CA, was impressed. Do you see them as a regional host this year?
Aaron Fitt
12:30
Really like their club certainly, and think the Huskies have a chance to host if they can dominate the Big East the way we think they might. They've done what they needed to do in the nonconference, played a quality schedule and gone 14-3, with all but one of those games coming in California or Florida. That should all add up to a strong RPI. Could definitely see them winding up hosting.
Jason
12:34
Thoughts on the ACC picture after 2 full weekends? Seems like it’s gonna be a bloodbath.
Aaron Fitt
12:34
Yeah seriously, bloodbath feels like the right word. Right now, it feels like there are 12 teams in the ACC that have legitimate shots to make runs at regionals, and they're going to beat each other up all year. Even at the top of the league, I think FSU has the best pitching in the country and Virginia's offense looks terrifying (like Georgia Tech's and perhaps Lousville's), and UNC appears to be a good balanced club, but I don't think any of those teams are going to run away with this thing.
Greg
12:35
How far is Wake Forest from a spot in the rankings?
Aaron Fitt
12:35
Right on the cusp, along with Miami and Old Dominion (DBU, Southern Miss, Oregon also were discussed this week). But I think Wake was probably our unofficial Team No. 26 this week; it's just the nonconference schedule was light. But I like where they are, at 3-3 in the ACC after series against two of the most loaded teams in the league, winning the road set at GT. That's huge.
JB22
12:37
After dropping another close 1 run game to a quality Oklahoma state team on the road, DBU once again swept their weekend series over a quality opponent in Oral Roberts. With now the number 1 rpi in the country so far along with the number 1 strength of schedule what are your continued thoughts on DBU and where they stand?
Aaron Fitt
12:37
I think we all believe DBU is a really good club with a chance to host a regional and make an Omaha run. We had the Patriots as a preseason top 25 team for a reason, and they'll be back in the rankings soon. From what I've seen on TV, I really like their arms (as usual), and I already was high on the position player group, but some of their top bats haven't really gotten it going yet, like Grady and Benefield and Rombach. That tells me this team has plenty of untapped potential and could become a buzzsaw as the bats heat up.
Dalton
12:40
Is the SEC East better than the West?  The top of the division is a gauntlet.
Aaron Fitt
12:40
Yes, I believe it is. Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Florida and Georgia all feel like Omaha-caliber teams to me, and I still think Kentucky can make a little noise this year. I do think Missouri and South Carolina are going to struggle this spring, so the East has a little softer bottom, but the West is not as deep at the top. Ole Miss and Arkansas feel Omaha-caliber, and LSU could certainly mash its way there but has a whole lot of questions to answer on the mound and defensively. And Mississippi State clearly has a lot of issues to figure out.
Aaron Fitt
12:41
Must be some nasty accident up ahead, been sitting still for like an hour. Hope nobody is too seriously injured. Let's keep going here.
TonyVictory
12:44
Wonder if you're still high on the depth in the SEC.  Looks like Vandy, Tennessee and Arkansas are for real and everyone else is suspect.  Pitching around the league doesn't seem to be what we are accustomed to seeing.
Aaron Fitt
12:44
I do agree that the pitching is down in the SEC this year, but I think it's pretty much down everywhere in college baseball -- scouts are looking hard for first-round arms in the college class, and they're hard to find. Hunter Barco is one for me, but I don't know that there's another sure thing right now. But I do think you're probably selling Vandy's pitching short; I feel like that might wind up being the best staff in the SEC when it's all said and done. Georgia losing Dylan Ross and Will Childers to injuries was a big blow; I thought Ross, especially, was going to have a huge year. They still have depth and a good ace with Cannon, but they're depleted now too.
Russ
12:47
What does La-Tech need to do to make the rankings?
Aaron Fitt
12:47
Just keep on taking care of business, they've done a good job getting back on track after that four-game skid (with a series loss to Tulane), but it's come against lesser competition, so other teams that have won series against regional-caliber competition have earned those spots ahead of the Bulldogs. That's the same reason Old Dominion still isn't ranked, even though we really like that roster -- the way to break into the rankings is to beat regional-caliber opponents, and then once you're in you can stay in by just taking care of business against lesser teams. La Tech and ODU are still looking for those impact victories; but both feel like Top 25-caliber clubs that will be ranked soon.
PackFan
12:49
Thoughts on NC State after this weekend and going 8 extra innings to decide a series at FSU?  Last few weeks had shown little to be excited about but White, Pilolli, Brown all had productive series after a ton of strikeouts lately and on the mound Willadsen, Villaman showed some of the Omaha form.  Assuming Highfill is back feels like could string something together against GT, Clemson before schedule softens a bit
Aaron Fitt
12:49
Yeah, NC State clearly competed hard down there, and had a chance to win that 18-inning game yesterday after going up 2 in the 12th (if I recall), but couldn't hold it. Overall though, looked like Villaman was dominant out of the pen and Willadsen is coming on too. Wolfpack will make a run, I feel confident about that. But like you said, two more big tests coming up. They do need to start winning series so they don't find themselves in a hole to deep to dig out of.
Bob
12:51
What's up with the Ducks?  First place in the Pac.  Got to be close to the top 25.
Aaron Fitt
12:51
Yeah, Oregon is right in that group just outside the Top 25, maybe just a week or so away. That resumé is getting better (5-1 start in the Pac with a series win vs. Stanford is nice), but they had a little hole to dig out of early, with the series loss to USD and the split with UCSB. I don't know if we're sold on the pitching yet, but there's talent there, and the lineup seems formidable.
James
12:52
Through a month for UVA the offense looks great and Jake Gelof looks like a bona fide star, but do you think UVA has the arms to make a real run at Omaha?
Aaron Fitt
12:52
This feels like a setup. You're trying to get me in trouble with UVA twitter, aren't you? Well I won't fall for it. Virginia is the greatest team of all time!

(No but seriously, Jake Gelof is the real deal. That dude just rakes.)
DLaw
12:55
Reasoning for dropping Stanford 13+ spots? I get another series lost but winning for 16/18 innings on the weekend doesn’t seem to justify a drop that big, especially when you didn’t raise them at all after beating Arkansas
Aaron Fitt
12:55
Two things: (1) it's time to start making some bigger adjustments. We're five weeks into the season, and Stanford is just 9-7, with back-to-back series losses in the Pac. (2) I'm really concerned about that bullpen, which blew both of those games this weekend. To me, losing two games they should have won is not a fluke thing, it is a symptom of this team's glaring flaw -- it's bullpen is a problem.
Randall
12:57
Which teams outside of the power conferences have a good chance to make it to Omaha as of today?
Aaron Fitt
12:57
I think Liberty, Maryland, Gonzaga, Southern Miss and DBU all have the pitching to make serious runs. I look for pitching talent and overall experience when seeking mid-major Omaha contenders, and all those teams fit the bill.
Aaron Fitt
1:01
By god, we're moving. Talk to you guys later.
MikeF
1:08
Thoughts on LSU?
Kendall Rogers
1:08
Mike -- I still feel pretty good about LSU's offense, but there are so many flaws right now in other areas. Not only are the Tigers struggling in terms of fielding percentage, but there are so many times they're out of position and just not looking right. It's a mess. The pitching wasn't great over the weekend, but the bullpen did step up in the series finale against the Aggies. They did enough. It looks like Jay is going to shuffle the weekend rotation, but my main concern with this team right now is just the defensive side of things. LSU can hit all it wants, but if it doesn't play defense in the SEC, it's not winning a lot of games.
Raider Power
1:11
I don't know if you will cover it any this week but what do you make of the UT vs Tech series in Lubbock this weekend? Can Tech take 2 of 3 at home or will UTs starting pitching just be too good against a inconsistent lineup?
Kendall Rogers
1:11
Raider -- It should be a pretty good series. If Tanner Witt was healthy, I would say Texas has a huge overall edge. But without Witt, I'm not ready to say that I feel great about the No. 3 starting spot just yet. I get the feeling both teams will play at a pretty high level this weekend. I think I lean Texas .. but ask me later in the week. Tough choice!
Sam Smith
1:14
Anyone excited for Tennessee Ole Miss this weekend?
Kendall Rogers
1:14
Sam -- I'm really excited. I'll definitely be watching all three games. I'm so intrigued to see how Tennessee's fab freshmen -- Chase Burns and Drew Beam -- handle the massive crowds at Swayze. It will be a different feel for those youngsters. As for Ole Miss, I was impressed with its response in the series finale against Auburn. They left no doubt, and for me, that said a lot about this team's makeup.
Josh
1:16
How impressive was Arkansas staff this weekend? Holding a hot offensive Kentucky team to 6 total runs this weekend. If that can continue and the bats break out I think they are a very tough out this year.
Kendall Rogers
1:16
Josh -- It sure does seem like the Hogs are starting to piece things together on the mound, doesn't it? If you remember back to the Round Rock Classic, Jaxon Wiggins got off to a slow start and then went on to have a great start. He's been pretty dang good for the most part this season. That's a big development because Connor Noland is taking care of business and Hagen Smith will just keep getting better and better.
Jake
1:23
Thoughts on A&M taking the series from LSU and A&M outlook for the rest of the season
Kendall Rogers
1:23
Jake -- I want to see what A&M does moving forward, but I will say this, I was really encouraged by its offense over the weekend. Sure, the Aggies left entirely too much runners on base in the series finale, but overall, their approach was outstanding against LSU's. pitching staff. I still think A&M has some work to do in the bullpen, but the rotation is just fine, and if the offense can gel until Trevor Werner returns, that should bode well for their chances to make some sort of run.
JEL
1:26
Gonzaga Bulldogs are staking their claim a solid ball club this season. Weekend pitching rotation is strong when fully healthy. Hughes and Vreiling are good to go. What is status of  Kempner?

Side note: What is your take on new powder blue road unis? It harkens back to the Minnesota Twins back in the day.  Nice!
Kendall Rogers
1:26
JEL -- I will check with the Zags, but last I heard Kempner's injury didn't appear to be serious. But yeah, if he's back and healthy, this is one of the best rotations in college baseball -- bar none. That also means your chances of winning a Regional/Super Regional go up exponentially. Hopefully, Will will be just fine.
Dan
1:28
I asked last week and want to hear what you have to say about it again this week: are we ready to talk about how the ACC is a better conference than the SEC this year? The top end of SEC may be more talented, but the ACC is certainly deeper.
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