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The D1Baseball Weekly Chat: Week Three
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Aaron Fitt
1:33
You know, maybe so -- that's a huge opportunity for the Gauchos, especially since they couldn't take advantage of their other big nonconference road series at Campbell (though there's certainly no shame in losing two of three on the other side of the country against a Top 25-caliber club). But if the Gauchos can find a way to win that Oregon series, it will go a long way toward boosting its hosting chances later in the year, I think (though as always, where the Gauchos would host remains an issue...)
Ethan
1:35
Could LA Tech baseball have a legit shot at being an at-large team? They have looked good so far.
Aaron Fitt
1:35
Yeah, I can't remember if we wound up projecting La Tech to get an at-large bid in the preseason, but I know they were strongly in consideration for our field of 64. We expected a big bounceback year from the Bulldogs, who still have some really accomplished and good veteran players on that roster, and so far they have performed very well both offensively (which we expected) and on the mound (which we weren't sure about). Kent State is a very good program, obviously, and the Bulldogs had no trouble with them this weekend. Great start.
EagsBy10
1:36
Will USM ever get their bats going? Concerned going into the Indiana state series this weekend.
Kendall Rogers
1:36
I think if we're sitting here a month, or two months, and Carson Paetow, Nick Monistere and Slade Wilks are all hitting .250 or below, I'd be the most surprised person in college baseball. Will USM turn into an offensive juggernaut? Probably not -- but man, those three will get it going at some point. That will be a tough matchup going against ISU, which has been stellar on the bump with Jacob Pruitt and others leading the way.
Guest
1:38
Is LA Tech's series sweep vs Kent State and hot start as good as it looks or more benefiting from weaker teams? Should definitely find out more about them this weekend.
Kendall Rogers
1:38
I was really encouraged by La Tech, and I wrote about this in my weekly column today. I'll be honest, I was second guessing myself when I had LT behind Liberty in the C-USA pecking order. Tech had some question marks on the mound, but also had SO MUCH experience back from last year's club. The Bulldogs looked terrific over the weekend. I think last year will turn out to be quite an aberration.
Oxford Bald Eagle
1:40
What's up boys.  Been with y'all 7 years now.  Live in LSU country, born and went to school in H'burg, work for a company outta Starkville, have a house in Oxford...I'll be sending my resume.  Anyhow, deepest pitching staff Southern Miss has ever had.  We usually have 3-4 guys with "stuff" and a bunch of guys who can pitch.  We are running out electricity every inning from the pen, starters are solid and Armistead is the best Sunday guy in the country.  Can we hit enough to go to Nebraska?
Aaron Fitt
1:40
Hello sir, thank you for being a long-time reader! You sure do have some connections to some awesome college baseball hot beds. Anyway -- totally agree that Southern Miss has a real pitching staff this year. I saw a bunch of those arms in the fall, and it was clear that this staff would be much, much deeper than last year's -- it just didn't have Tanner Hall, but I was hopeful that Niko Mazza would be able to handle that Friday starter role, because he's always had great stuff and he has continued to mature. Looks like he is doing his part so far. I agree with Kendall above -- probably not going to be an offensive juggernaut, but I think the offense should be good enough to make Southerm Miss very dangerous behind that pitching staff. Absolutely capable of making an Omaha run if they peak at the right time, because they have the mound talent, and as I said earlier, high-end pitching is a separator.
cool 2
Guest
1:42
How far into the season will it be before you release the first DSR?
Aaron Fitt
1:42
I believe it's mid-March, can't recall the exact date, but I think probably after week four or week five, thereabouts. Like the RPI, need a little time to accrue some data. I am very excited to follow the DSR this year, and see how it compares to RPI!
GoCoogs
1:43
How far away is Houston from returning to the Top 25? Hosting a regional? Beating a good St. John's team who really put it to #2 Florida on Opening Night counts for something right?
Kendall Rogers
1:43
Having a true, and healthy, ace at the front-end of the rotation really helps, and the Coogs definitely have that in Jaxon Jelkin. I loved that guy in the fall. His command has been immaculate, and that's what you want to see from a Friday starter. Obviously, Justin Murray is off to a great start, but it's great to see Ace Reese (who I loved in the fall) off to a hot start with a pair of homers and a BA nearing .400. So far so good -- we will know A LOT more about U of H this weekend at the Juice Box.
Jacob
1:47
What does it say about the state of college baseball today that there are only two west coast teams in the top 25? Anything?
Aaron Fitt
1:47
Unfortunately (as a long-time admirer of West Coast baseball), I think it's a reflection on the reality that the balance of power has shifted Eastward in a dramatic way. When you look at how many top California high school prospects are going to SEC and the state of Texas now, instead of staying home — it's telling. The fact is, the SEC, Big 12 and ACC have just invested so much more in facilities than the West, and they have much larger and more passionate fan bases (Oregon State aside) -- it's hard to blame those California kids for seeking the biggest stage our sport has to offer, and it's pretty obvious that's not the Pac-12 or Big West, despite the amazingly rich tradition those programs have. I don't know what the solution is; how do you make more people out West care about college baseball, if they haven't cared enough to go to the games over the last 50 years while the Pac-12 was racking up more national titles than anybody else? The sports culture in the West is just fundamentally different.
Gocardsfan
1:50
Are you concerned about Louisville yet?
Kendall Rogers
1:50
I'm definitely concerned about Louisville. The pitching, for the most part, simply has not been up to par. But hey, I'm going to be positive for a second. After getting dominated by Xavier and then losing the opener to St. Bonny -- it would be EASY for the Cards to have a rotten weekend after that. What did they do? Scored 33 runs in two games to win the series. So maybe just maybe the ignition was lit a little bit.
Ben
1:52
Understanding not wanting to overreact to a single game, what is the thought process for keeping Clemson (lost 18-1 at home to Kennesaw St) ahead of Duke & Virginia, ACC schools with more impressive wins (esp. Virginia) and no losses, period?
Aaron Fitt
1:52
Clemson still won the weekend series, and Kennesaw is actually an intriguing sleeper team this year. Personally, I do not care about margin of victory or defeat -- in baseball, you have to conserve your best arms if you fall behind significantly, so it leads to more lopsided scores sometimes. Whatever. I will say that I think I might like Duke and Virginia better in the long term -- but we'll see. Anyway, if you win your weekend series and your midweek game, you're almost never going to drop in the rankings — you might get jumped by somebody behind you who was more impressive, if there is a spot open. But you're almost certainly not going to drop. Baseball is a marathon, and you can't overreact to a single game; it's about winning series.
Jonah
1:54
What are you keeping an eye out for at the Las Vegas Baseball Classic this week? Which matchup are you most excited for?
Kendall Rogers
1:54
I think I my attention on California out at the Las Vegas tournament this weekend. Very strong first two weeks -- for me, that game against Oklahoma is the highlight of the tournament. Have a good weekend and beat the Sooners, and I think Cal would be rank-worthy.
Kyle
1:54
What in the world is going on with USC? They were a program I was super high on coming into the year but they're sitting at 2-5.
Aaron Fitt
1:54
Yeah, I'm a little baffled by that too -- we thought the Trojans would be a regional team. Maybe they still will be, but that's a rough start. Our man Coach Rooney saw them opening weekend, and it sounded like he had some concerns... I'm not ready to jump ship, but they need to get it going fast.
Matt
1:57
Does NC State have a real pitching problem or are VCU and Hawaii tougher than average early season opponents for the pack?
Aaron Fitt
1:57
I do think Hawaii has a good offense, they also gave Ole Miss a hard time last weekend. NC State's pitching feels like UNC's -- it's a very talented group of freshmen there, but they really need those guys to grow up fast, and there could be some bumps in the road. But the Wolfpack has some nice veteran pieces in there too, like Highfill (I know he didn't have a great start this week) and Whitaker. At the end of the day, I don't think NC State's pitching staff is elite by any means, but I do believe better days are coming -- there's a lot of depth there, and as those freshmen gain confidence, I expect that staff to be quite good.
Spencer
1:58
What are your thoughts on the Gamecocks pitching staff so far this season? Early on they are looking better than expected, especially with 2 dominant outings in a row from Eli Jones and Roman Kimball.
Aaron Fitt
1:58
Yeah Jones and Kimball have been very encouraging, the Gamecocks really needed those guys to be pillars of that staff, and so far, so good. If they can keep it going, South Carolina feels like a regional host, because I still believe that offense is fearsome. Big test coming up this weekend against Clemson, can't wait to follow that series -- feels like we can learn a lot about both of those clubs.
Aaron Fitt
1:59
OK gang, I've got to catch a flight -- thanks for all the great questions! See you next week.
Bill
2:02
Only a so so start for Pac 12 teams. How do you see things shaking out after Oregon State?
Kendall Rogers
2:02
Bill -- Yeah, some teams in the Pac 12 are off to slow starts, but I am also encouraged by three teams in particular -- Oregon, California and Washington State. I thought the Ducks looked the part opening weekend, Cal we've talked about ad nauseam and Washington State surprised me in Round Round this past weekend. I'm intrigued to see how this league unfolds.
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