JotCast | D1Baseball Weekly Chat: March 30

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D1Baseball Weekly Chat: March 30

Coleman Field

12:35

I have seen KSTATE all year and every year before this but this year's pitching this year is something else. Two blown huge leads in a bounce back series that they ended up losing. I really liked how they looked but their pitching has detioriated massively. Also, where is Carson Liggett?

Kendall Rogers

12:35

Coleman -- Yeah I saw the Wildcats a few weeks ago and loved the offensive lineup. And in full transparency, Mason Duke was really good the day I was there. But the rest of the weekend rotation that weekend was a little iffy to say the least. KSU can really, really hit, but, boy, to make any sort of statement in the NCAA tournament, the pitching is going to have to get much better.

Joe

12:38

Oregon State seems they have turned the corner. Are they in position to be a top 8 seed if they continue on their current path.

Kendall Rogers

12:38

That's two out of the last three weekends where the offense has taken care of business for the Beavers. I still don't think OSU will ever have the ability to be as explosive as it was offensively at times last season, but as Fitt and I discussed last night, the Beavers just need the offense to be average to win a lot of games. We will discuss the Midseason field later today, but with an RPI of 10, and given the road-heavy schedule, Beavers are looking up in that regard for sure.

Brendan Bell

12:39

With GCU moving on from Wallis, it feels like they are aiming high as they transition to the Mountain West. Is this one of the most attractive mid-major jobs in the country?

Kendall Rogers

12:39

Brendan - I will have more on the GCU coaching search a little later today, actually, after speaking with some sources around the game. That is a very, very attractive job. Excellent location, awesome facility, and the salaries for the coaching staff are at a high mid-major/Power 4 level (and even much better than several Power 4 programs). I'm pretty bullish on the options that job will attract.

Jason

12:40

Hi guys. What do you think Purdue needs to do in the Big Ten season to, at least, be a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament?

Kendall Rogers

12:40

Nice start in league play thus far, and the Boilermakers also have that one win over Oregon State in Round Rock that could loom pretty large in a couple of months. With not many high RPI teams left on the board for Purdue, that USC series on the road in a couple of weeks looms very very large with an RPI of 51 right now.

AACFan

12:43

There are currently six AAC teams between #35-62 in the RPI. None are slam dunks for at-large bids based on that alone, but you could see a scenario where if three team separate themselves, it could be a 3-bid league.

Kendall Rogers

12:43

AAC -- The American is pretty competitive at the top, but right now, I would have it as a two-bid league. With UTSA sitting at 47, UAB at 41, South Florida at 34 and everyone else in the 50-60 range, I just don't see how that league is getting more than two (as of today). I would have UTSA and South Florida in as of today, but we will see if Fittsy and Mark agree with me on this later today as we meet for the NerdCast.

SoonerStitchHead

12:44

Cam Johnson had a great outing this weekend, but OUr bullpen came down with a case of the walks, while our offense continued to struggle with RISP. Are we a sports psychologist away from being dangerous or were we further away than we thought heading into the ut series?

Kendall Rogers

12:44

I can't tell you how many people reached out (I already knew, obviously) about how ridiculously talented the OU bullpen was -- however, the command over the weekend was a major, major issue. Go figure that the Sooners get Cam Johnson back on track, and then the bullpen can't consistently throw strikes. I have faith that Skip Johnson can get the bullpen figured out, but man, that was definitely a tough thing to watch over the weekend.

BOC

12:44

What a week for the Diamond Dawgs exerting their instate dominance! Huge series this weekend with Georgia coming to town. That lineup is scary but not very impressed with their rotation. Early thoughts on the series of the week?

Aaron Fitt

12:44

Mississippi State's dominance of Ole Miss over the last decade is pretty incredible, and to keep it going on the road this weekend was loud, no doubt about it. That Georgia series should be a gem, no doubt about it. I would definitely give MSU the edge in the rotation, but I like Georgia's bullpen better, and both teams are formidable in the lineup. Usually in these sorts of matchups, I give the edge to the home team.

Erik

12:46

I have been going to the CWS since I was a kid - my family has had season tickets since the 70s. I rarely ever say "Team A is making it to Omaha this year" because I've seen a lot of weird stuff happen, but I would frankly be STUNNED if Georgia Tech is not here in June. If they can get that from Blakely every Sunday that makes them all the more dangerous. They slug, they get on base, and still having a .365 team average is just astounding at this point in the season.

Kendall Rogers

12:46

Erik -- Fitt, Joe and me were talking about this last night. I would put UCLA and Texas in an elite category, and I think it would be safe to put Georgia Tech in there as well. Tate McKee and Jackson Blakely did a terrific job over the weekend against a pretty potent lineup. I'm pretty close to putting Mississippi State in that grouping, too, I believe.

Scott

12:47

A much needed home series win for LSU this past weekend against Kentucky. Sunday was heated to say the least but I loved Jay sticking up for his team. Do you think that fire starts to ignite the LSU team we thought we would see all year as they head to Knoxville this weekend for a big series as they try to right the ship? Or do you think there are still bigger issues there that will linger throughout the season?

Aaron Fitt

12:47

I feel like I've been the lone voice of patience and calm on our staff when it comes to LSU, and I'm going to stick to my guns. It doesn't have to be smooth sailing for 18 straight weeks; teams can (and usually do) take more circuitous routes. But I still believe that LSU will figure out its issues and wind up in Omaha. Certainly I understand that the Tigers sure as heck haven't looked like an Omaha team in the first half... but the talent is undeniable. They're still working to find the right combinations, but I believe in that coaching staff's ability to find them. I do think the fire of the UK series and the big comeback could be a springboard for this club.

Daniel

12:48

If USC wants to stay in the top 8 or regional host conversation, do you they need to win the series at UCLA or do they just need to avoid being swept?

Kendall Rogers

12:48

I wouldn't say USC is out of a Top 8 at all with a series loss this weekend. We're still in early April, and the Trojans still have great RPI road trips left on the slate to Nebraska and Oregon. This weekend would be huge, but it's not some make or break weekend -- especially with an RPI of 13 right now.

Vandyfan

12:52

So the knock on Vanderbilt baseball all off-season was their lack of power. Seems as if that has resolved as they only trail Georgia in home runs. With 5 pitchers on the DL currently, if Vandy can get everyone healthy are the predictions of "gloom and doom" from your staff a little premature? BTW what an awesome weekend to be at the Hawk!

Aaron Fitt

12:52

Predictions of "gloom and doom"? I mean, we had Vandy in the preseason Top 25. We did expect their offense to be more potent -- though not as explosive as it has proven to be. Still concerned about the pitching injuries, and Vandy is not back to being a Top 25 team -- that five-game losing streak was not that long ago. But it does feel like this offense is good enough to keep Vandy afloat and headed toward a regional, and hopefully the staff can get healthier down the stretch and maybe this team makes a run at hosting. Right now, I see Vandy trending toward a No. 2 seed.

Scott

12:55

A huge sweep for Jacksonville State going on the road to the Love Shack and beating Louisiana Tech. Still somewhat early in the season but their at large chances and potential hosting chances (if they can even host) have to both be rising? They have some great non-conference opportunities with Alabama, Auburn twice, Troy as well as a conference series to end the year at Dallas Baptist.

Aaron Fitt

12:55

Yeah that was a big weekend, no doubt about it. JSU is in a position of strength right now inside the top 25 of the RPI -- and if they can take advantage of some of those opportunities ahead that you mention (maybe win about half of those games), and finish first or second in the standings, I think that's an at-large resumé. Certainly it sounds like a postseason-caliber roster (our Patrick Ebert had a great piece breaking down the Gamecocks last week, I would encourage you to go back and read that if you haven't already).

12:55

7 weekends remain for Southern Miss with a big one when Texas State comes to Hattiesburg. If the Eags take care of their weekends, do they have a shot at a Top 8 seed? Or will the RPI down the stretch hurt those chances purely from lack of RPI high teams on the schedule?

Kendall Rogers

12:55

If the Golden Eagles took care of business every weekend the rest of the way, I think I'd be surprised if they weren't a Top 8. Excellent non-conference resume to go with a strong RPI. And as of right now, USM has a 6-3 mark vs. Q1 to go with a 13-4 mark vs. Q1/Q2. That's pretty strong. Long way to go -- but looking solid for the Eagles right now. I would like to see them play a little better overall, though. I feel like they've been living life on the edge as of late.

Daniel

12:56

Does Boston College have a path to hosting a regional as crazy as that is to say.

Kendall Rogers

12:56

Good to see we found Bradley Smart's burner account. Just kidding. In all seriousness, who's to say the Eagles can't host at this point? RPI of 22, and still some high level RPI teams left on the schedule, including at North Carolina this weekend. Very long way to go, but yes, short answer, they are certainly in the mix if you are projecting them to finish relatively strong in ACC play.

Rooster

12:57

Obviously the vibe around the program is more positive but do you see things turning around at all for South Carolina?

Aaron Fitt

12:57

You mean this year? Eh... I think they can win two or three series. But I don't think they're going to sniff the postseason. So it just depends upon your expectations, really.

Ole Tiger

12:59

Any hope Bakich can circle wagons and get Clemson in the postseason? Is talent an issue?

Aaron Fitt

12:59

At 2-7 in the league, Clemson is in a hole, no doubt about it. I do believe Bakich and his staff will find a way to get them going, I think they will make a run and be a regional team -- I really do think they have postseason-caliber talent. This weekend at Stanford is huge; Clemson really could use a sweep to get to 5-7 in the league, because then the schedule is daunting: vs. UNC, at UVa, at Louisville, vs. BC, vs. FSU, before finishing at VT. It's not gonna be easy, but I am not writing off the Tigers. They sure are in a rut, though.

Timothy, WV

1:03

HUGE Series Win for WVU last night with Mike Rooney on the call!! I know the Mountaineers will be in the hosting mix, especially if they keep Winning every series, but can they crack the Top 8 and potentially host Supers out of the Big 12 Conference, or will that be a bridge too far for a team in our League?

Aaron Fitt

1:03

Yeah, I am so impressed with that weekend for WVU, traveling across the country to play against a very talented ASU team on the road in a hostile atmosphere, and winning that series. I really like both of those teams -- but Roons was glued to all three of those games, and he walked away feeling like this may be WVU's best team yet, even better than the two super regional clubs. So yeah, they are definitely tracking toward hosting, and I do think a Big 12 champion can factor into the top eight, absolutely.

RiceFan

1:04

Does Rice have a chance to win its series vs. UTSA this weekend, and if they do, does that put them in at-large contention?

Kendall Rogers

1:04

Rice is at 63 in the RPI. Would need to win this weekend's series and really finish strong to have a chance at all. The overall resume is pretty light right now for the Owls. They are definitely vastly improved under David Pierce ... which is a good sign.

Casey

1:08

Is there a world in which the Big Ten has four teams hosting a Regional? UCLA seems like a near lock at this point, but Nebraska, USC, and Oregon are having really strong seasons as well.

Aaron Fitt

1:08

Amazing that this is a legitimate question at the midway point, but it is! All four of those teams you mentioned definitely have realistic shots to host -- but ultimately I can't envision all four of them hosting. I think three of the four is a very realistic possibility. We'll meet this afternoon to discuss our midseason field of 64 projections, and I have a feeling we'll have three of those four Big Ten teams hosting. And you've also got Oregon State as a host in the West. While those SEC teams cannibalize each other, the West and the Big Ten feel poised to benefit.

NolaMatt

1:10

What are your favorites for Omaha in the mid-majors so far this season?

Kendall Rogers

1:10

Well, top of mind for me would obviously be Southern. Miss and Coastal Carolina. I would put Coastal Carolina as a no doubt national title contender if Cam Flukey and Hayden Johnson continue to progress the way they are right now. Can you imagine those two back + Ross Norman + Luke Jones, who has gotten some big-time experience at the front-end of the rotation? Coastal would be hell to play in a regional with all of that experience. Outside of those two, I hesitate to call Jacksonville State an Omaha contender for now -- the resume is a little light. But the Gamecocks have an All-American type of arm on Friday in Eli Pillsbury, and are 9-0 in C-USA. Who's to say they can't get to Omaha?

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