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D1Baseball Weekly Chat: March 4
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Bob
1:52
Hey guys.  What are your thoughts on the SunBelt as a whole, and Coastal in particular?  Their freshman arms have been fantastic.
Kendall Rogers
1:52
Feeling awesome about the Sun Belt right now, which is where I kind of expected to be at this point in the season. Troy had a setback this past weekend but still feel pretty good about it. But how about South Alabama, App State, James Madison, USM and Old Dominion? ODU is coming off a big series win over Charlotte and JMU gave top five Arkansas all it could handle a few weeks ago. I could see this league being a four or five bid league at the end of the day.
Andy
1:54
Do you see a way in which the big west ends up having more than 1 team make the tournament?
Kendall Rogers
1:54
Oh absolutely. I expect UCI and UCSB to definitely make the tournament at this point. But let's see how the season plays out. I hate that UCSD is still in that damn 'transition' phase where it's ineligible for the postseason.
Guest
1:55
Given Dallas Baptist’s impressive resume, how are they only ranked 25 when Florida, Vanderbilt, and ECU have struggled mightily and barely move or don’t move at all.
Joe Healy
1:55
The short answer is that A.) Typically wins and losses are what move teams, not how they looked in doing so, though that is also a factor and B.) It's still early enough in the season that we're not going to react harshly to a small handful of results.
PIGS
1:55
I'm still concerned about the lack of hitting and average defense in Fayetteville this year.  Pitching might be the best we have ever had, but we can't win it all without fielding and hitting better.  Talk me down please.
Kendall Rogers
1:55
PIGS -- I don't think you're alone. We were just talking as a staff last night about how Arkansas pitches at a very high level, but some of the offensive production I'm seeing tells me the margin for error for the pitching might not be a lot. With that said, I said in the preseason pretty consistently that Arkansas would be so good on the mound, it would just need the offense to be 'decent'. That'll be the key.
PowerMajor
1:56
No question here. Just wanted to give a shoutout to the SIX power major schools in the rankings this week. Nicely done, boys.
Joe Healy
1:56
Thanks! I answered a question above about the strength of programs outside of the typical power conferences, and I think it's shaping up to be a very strong year for that group.
Nathan
1:57
Is Nebraska now the front runner to win the Big Ten?  What do you think about their hosting chances?
Kendall Rogers
1:57
Nathan -- I don't think Nebraska is the frontrunner, but it's in the mix. It's kind of funny -- I saw some NU fans on twitter panicking after weekend one, and I actually came away from Globe Life feeling pretty solid about Will Bolt's club. There are some impressive bats throughout that lineup and Rob Childress has a lot of solid options on the mound. The Huskers should've gone 2-1 that weekend if not for a late OU surge. I'm pretty encouraged but keep an eye on South Al this weekend. Mark Calvi has those guys playing well.
Abe
2:01
Thoughts on Bama so far this season?  Took their first loss yesterday and the competition hasn’t been great until this past weekend.  How do you think they stack up in the SEC?
Joe Healy
2:01
I was fairly bullish on Bama going into the season and feel even better now. The Quick injury is a bummer, but they have the depth to overcome that. Having Moza, Farone or others pitch well behind Hess in the rotation is going to be key as the Tide get into SEC play. And it feels like they've got a found money situation in the bullpen with Matthew Heiberger, who has come out of nowhere to be a difference-maker. Offensively, I love that their best guys so far this season are newcomers like Gage Miller, Justin Lebron and TJ McCants. If this was going to be a good lineup, they needed some new stars to emerge. For me right now, they are behind the elite group of LSU, Florida, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, A&M and Tennessee, but it's right there after that group with Auburn.
KubotaCollegeSeries
2:30
Also, how do you justify ranking TCU over Texas A&M after seeing A&M outperform TCU against the same competition this weekend?
Kendall Rogers
2:30
TCU is also undefeated and has beaten eight Pac-12 teams already this season and has played a solid schedule. There's zero question the Aggies look fantastic, but let's see what happens moving forward. USC/Arizona State are solid -- but the Aggies played two weak teams to begin the season. But you are right -- A&M looks the part in a big way right now.
Nathaniel K
2:30
Hey, Has there been a better starting pitching performance through the first couple weeks of a season than what Hagen, Tygart, and Molina have accomplished? Incredible strikeout numbers.
Kendall Rogers
2:30
Nathaniel -- tip of the cap to my man Riley Huge at Winthrop. He had a 20-strikeout performance over the weekend. But yes, like I told someone the other day about Arkansas, but when Tech's former Friday guy is your Sunday guy -- you're living the good life.
Vol Fan
2:32
Have you noticed the change in Tony Vitello this season? He seems like he has learned so much in the last three years. This team...might be the most talented he has assembled and coached, yet he is much calmer and measured when talking about the boys.
Kendall Rogers
2:32
It's really funny you mention that. I was just telling someone close to their program the other day that Tony is gradually getting better and better. And no, I'm not saying that like he's a toddler, but he was pretty fiery and probably overboard at times a couple of years ago. Now, I feel like he's fiery, but in a very professional manner. It's part of a growing process for any young coach. I don't think it's a surprise that his teams, as a result, take on a much calmer approach. Tony is a really smart guy and a damn good coach. He's better because of this.
Beau
2:36
Outside of 2 pitchers with awful starts to their seasons, Notre Dame has looked good this season as far as pitching is concerned, and the offense has the potential to be special.  What do you all feel is the ceiling for this team, and do they have the talent to be a surprise in the ACC this year?
Kendall Rogers
2:36
They definitely seem improved from last season. There's always a transition with a new coach -- well typically at least -- and that's what last season was. But Shawn Stiffler has been pretty successful throughout his coaching career, so not surprised ND has taken a step forward. This weekend's series features two teams who have been pleasant surprises thus far.
Brendan Bell
2:38
From what you’ve gathered, what are some things that Max Weiner has implemented at A&M that’s led to the improvement on the mound? No one will ever claim Nate Yeskie is anything less than a stellar pitching coach, but Weiner has seemed to unlock a lot out of the staff early on
Kendall Rogers
2:38
Brendan -- Sometimes change is good for all parties involved, and that is what it seems like for the Aggies/Yeskie. Weiner has been great. I wasn't sure what to expect when they hired him, but one of my good friends and former Texas ops guy Drew Bishop swore by him. I trust his opinion on these things. Weiner has been a rock star. Incredibly low ERA and they've yet to allow a home run this spring. That will certainly change, but it's sure impressive.
Kendall Rogers
2:40
That's all the time I have today. Please make sure to support D1Baseball with a subscription!
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