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D1Baseball Weekly Chat: Week Six
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Aaron Fitt
1:05
Well, they lost back to back series to Troy (which just got swept by Ga State) and Georgia Southern over the previous two weeks, so it was going to take a lot more than a couple midweek wins against a struggling FSU team to get them into the Top 25. But overall I like UCF's season to this point; 15-5 against a nice schedule. I think the Knights feel like the No. 2 team in the American behind ECU, and a potential at-large team.
George Clark
1:06
What are your thoughts on Louisville's weekend rotation?
Kendall Rogers
1:06
George -- I think it's fine. Hawks and Liggett have been very solid for the most part. Hawks actually had really good command on Friday against GT, but gave up a few runs. There's no doubt that Greg Farone struggled on Saturday, but we will see if that continues. In a weird way, I think U of L is one of those teams that does have a lot of quality arms in the bullpen, so the starters don't necessarily have to give them 'too' much length.
Jason Armstrong
1:07
Does LSU have a wknd rotation problem after Friday night? What’s the solution if  Floyd & Hurd continue to struggle? Getting a little nervous.
Kendall Rogers
1:07
Jason -- I want to see more data. Ty Floyd actually had pretty decent stuff on Saturday, but man, Zach Neff was INSANELY tight with his zone. That's something that clearly kind of frustrated him. I thought Hurd was a mixed bag on Sunday. Let's see how they do against Arkansas this weekend before putting the hand near too many red buttons.
Tannor
1:08
Based on what you've see to this point:  Who finishes 1-3 in the Big Ten, and how many teams does the Big Ten get into the NCAA Tournament.
Aaron Fitt
1:08
Honestly I still believe in Maryland and Rutgers even though their records aren't anything special right now -- they have played good schedules, and I think they'll benefit from being battle tested and finish in the top three of the Big Ten, along with Iowa -- which might have supplanted Maryland as the favorite heading into conference play. Hawkeyes have better pitching, I think.
Kendall Rogers
1:11
Just adding to what Aaron said, one thing to watch about Rutgers is that the tough NSOS has it sitting at around 17 in the RPI with conference play on the way. It's still way way way too early to put much stock in RPI, but it's an interesting early data point nevertheless.
Cajunjeb
1:10
Thoughts on the SunBelt so far?  My Cajuns took care of ASU this past week.
Kendall Rogers
1:10
Cajun -- Love Love LOVE that league right now. Outside of maybe the SEC and ACC, I think I'm most excited about that title race. I was just telling Roons and Coach Ferrin that I thought Texas State was an Omaha caliber club, and I actually do believe that. Louisiana is a solid club, Southern Miss 'should' be fine in due time, and I still think Troy is a solid club. You also have insanely hitting ODU, Georgia State and oh by the way, there's also Coastal (who hosts Texas State this weekend) and Georgia Southern. The depth in this conference is pretty damn cool if you ask me.
Dawg17
1:11
Any confidence in Mississippi State getting it turned around at some point this year? They have some talent which makes it even more frustrating. Also if they don't, do you expect a coaching change?
Aaron Fitt
1:11
I know a lot of people are totally burying Mississippi State right now, and I get it. Obviously it doesn't look great right now, and this team clearly has its flaws, particularly on the mound. But I'm stubbornly refusing to abandon MSU completely -- I do still think there's hope. As you point out, there is real talent on that roster, especially the position player group. And let's not forget, they were playing much better baseball before this weekend, winning 7 straight. I believe in this coaching staff to navigate the ups and downs of a long season; I still believe that staff is one of college baseball's best. But yes, they need to figure it out fast.
Brad
1:14
It feels like the SEC is pulling further and further away from the rest of college baseball.. in terms of facilities, resources, and ultimately quality of recruits. How can mid-majors who just can't match budget/resources keep up? I just can't see a Big West/WCC school keeping up with the depth of the SEC in the CWS/NCAA tournament.
Aaron Fitt
1:14
I think the formula for those Big West type teams is the same as it has been for the last 15 years -- recruit West Coast baseball rats who have grown up playing the game all year round their whole lives. You're not going to out-talent the SEC, but you can still beat them in the postseason from time to time if you've got an mature, veteran team filled with highly skilled, instinctive and tough players who can play rock-solid defense and drive people crazy through the inside game. You can with with guys who throw 88-90 if they can command their fastballs and execute their breaking balls and changeups, especially if they're lefthanded. The Big West has been sending teams to Omaha for decades based on that formula, and I think it can still work -- but maybe not as frequently as it once did.
Spencer
1:15
In the preseason it was said that ranking SC was based off the potential of their pitching to be elite. So far this season the pitching had lived up to its potential, but the hitting has been way better than expected. How good can this team be if the offense keeps performing like this? Also, how about that Mizzou/SC series coming up now!
Kendall Rogers
1:15
Spencer -- South Carolina looks like a really balanced team right now. We already liked some of the pieces on the mound with Hall, Sanders, etc, but to have the offense doing what it is doing is ultra-impressive. Ethan Petry has been a rocking ball and while talented, I'm not sure I had Gavin Casas sitting at 12 homers on my bingo card for this early in the season. The Gamecocks went the A&M route in the offseason, and that approach is paying off.
WC_Drew
1:17
What are your thoughts on the Big East as it stands and what are the odds of them being 2-3 bid league with the way UConn, Xavier, & St. Johns are playing?
Aaron Fitt
1:17
Still think the only way the Big East gets more than one bid is if UConn has a great regular season and then doesn't win the conference tournament, so gets in as an at-large. I don't think the other teams in the league are very likely to finish the season with at-large-caliber resumés. So far the RPI picture is pretty good thanks to all those road games, but I'll be shocked if it looks the same way come May.
Jack
1:19
What can we attribute the stunning BC turnaround to?
Aaron Fitt
1:19
They are just so much better on the mound, first of all, thanks to a couple of D-III grad transfers who have proven up for the challenge of the ACC, and the development of some key returning arms. They're also a lot better defensively, and a big part of that is just that they're much healthier -- injuries ravaged that lineup last year and really affected the defense. And the firepower in that lineup is legit, with Joe Vetrano and Cam Leary and Travis Honeyman being a trio that any team would be happy to have.
Wreck'em
1:21
I know it is only week 1 of conference and not everyone played but does the Big 12 run through Lubbock? Or do we need to see how the TCU series plays out in 2 weeks before we declare that.
Kendall Rogers
1:21
Wreck -- I get the feeling that the top of the Big 12 is going to change hands a few times this year, but I'm definitely feeling pretty good about Tech right now. I already liked the quality depth on the mound, but now that the offense is clicking? Sign me up.
ConcernedDuck
1:21
Man oh man this Oregon team is bipolar. Looks like the bats may have finally woken up but the starting pitching is concerning outside of Stofal. Current outlook on the Ducks?
Aaron Fitt
1:21
Tough team to figure out -- their season has been win streak followed by losing streak followed by winning streak followed by losing streak. Early on, the pitching was better than the hitting, which was a surprise. Now I think the version of Oregon we're seeing is closer to who they really are, and what we thought they'd be heading into the year -- a very offensive club with suspect mound firepower.
Dan
1:22
So is it officially time to start worrying about Tennessee’s season?
Aaron Fitt
1:22
Absolutely not.
Bob
1:23
If CCU had swept JMU would they have been sniffing the Top 25?
Kendall Rogers
1:23
Bob -- if Coastal takes that series from Texas State this weekend, I think it would have a very, very compelling case to be in the Top 25. Coastal has had very few blemishes so far this season.
Jay
1:23
What do you think of the new Run Rule in SEC play? I was glad to see MSU get put out of their misery yesterday.
Aaron Fitt
1:23
I'm all for the run rule, everywhere, in nonconference and play conference alike.
Kendall Rogers
1:24
Same.
Raider
1:24
Texas Tech’s Brandon Beckel was ejected after his last inning against OSU and likely to be suspended for four games. How much will Tech miss him with the week coming ahead?
Kendall Rogers
1:24
Raider -- they will definitely miss him, but I still have confidence in the rest of that bullpen. It sounds like they're without him the entire weekend against Texas though, which stinks for the Red Raiders.
Zac
1:25
How far out is Iowa? They’re going to have a small sample size of top-end games, but can that LSU win carry them into the tournament along with a good W-L record?
Kendall Rogers
1:25
Zac -- The Hawkeyes were still on our board and had another solid week, but that Texas Tech series will hold them back for a bit. Still, a really solid club that I would not remotely surprised to see challenge for a spot in Omaha.
Yellmk
1:28
I thought y'all were TOO KIND to the horned frogs...I was hoping to see them dropped, to worst team in the country. But I digress, any insight to the general lack of offensive production after losing Coach Mosiello and adding TJ Bruce? The starting pitching has actually been, extremely ok!...but watching leaders (Eli Nunez, Kurtis Byrne, etc.) struggle has us confused in the Fort.
Kendall Rogers
1:28
Good to see your crew in San Marcos last week. I actually think the Frogs will be fine long-term, especially on the mound once they get a few key pieces back. But yes, the offense hasn't been quite as impactful as of late. If I am a betting man, I would say guys like Brayden Taylor and Eli Nunez still finish the season hitting well over .300.
Brandon
1:28
Question for Aaron. Thanks for your great coverage in Lubbock this weekend. Loved your article about Tech’s offense. But what are your thoughts on each pitching staff? Are they Omaha caliber? The future looks very bright in Lubbock.
Aaron Fitt
1:28
Thanks Brandon! I kind of addressed this earlier, but to be more specific -- I loved what I saw from Mason Molina, a true craftsman from the left side and somebody I'd feel very confident handing the ball to in the postseason. Brendan Girton obviously has real stuff but needs to show better control to become the front-end guy Tech would like him to be. The freshman lefty Taber Fast has a bright future, and they don't need him to go too deep into games because of the depth of that bullpen -- they can mix and match. Just loaded with lefties who have real feel to pitch, and Beckel's stuff was very good yesterday (91-93 with heavy sink and a good slide piece). I like that they can extend him too. Anyway, I do think Tech can get to Omaha with this staff, and the same goes for Oklahoma State -- but ultimately I think offense will be the carrying tool for both these clubs.
Kyle
1:30
Obviously not anywhere near the top 25 (and I know Kendall said he was going to be at the series vs. UTSA this week), but thoughts on Rice's season to date? Seems like we're finally beating the bad teams consistently again (not always the case the last few years) but still struggling against the good teams.. Sitting at 11-9 overall, would you say Cruz's rebuild is on track or do you have doubts?
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