Started By
Message
1
Posted on 6/14/13 at 9:29 am to Tiger Live2
Yes: lost the Ga Tech and UVA series. Those were not as bothersome since we clinched the ACC championship during that time. UNC came back strong to take the ACC tourney. Now, the starting pitching has disappeared. Beat USCe with only the bullpen.
Posted on 6/14/13 at 9:48 am to dlc83
quote:
Now, the starting pitching has disappeared.
I won't lie. I like hearing this, with us on the same side of the bracket.
Posted on 6/14/13 at 10:38 am to Tiger Live2
I would too if I were you.
Starting pitching has been one of our strengths this year.
Starting pitching has been one of our strengths this year.
Posted on 6/14/13 at 11:24 am to dlc83
College World Series Preview from PG
quote:
MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
RECORD: 48-18
CWS APPEARANCES: Nine
KEY PLAYERS: Mississippi State is one of the more intriguing teams to watch in this CWS for a good reason. The Bulldogs are playing an exceptional brand of baseball and showed very well last weekend against Virginia with some key hits, clutch pitching, and of course, great defense, led by middle infielders Adam Frazier and Brett Pirtle. From an offensive standpoint, it doesn't get much better than outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who's hitting .360 with 16 doubles, three triples, 15 homers and 61 RBIs. Meanwhile, Frazier is an outstanding overall player with a .359 average, while Alex Detz is hitting .323 and Wes Rea is a very intriguing bat to watch. Rea has really progressed well offensively this season, and especially in the past few weeks. Rea has a .288 average, seven homers and 37 RBIs. MSU is most impressive on the mound, where it doesn't necessarily have an elite weekend rotation, but top-to-bottom it doesn't get any better. Right-hander Kendall Graveman and left-hander Luis Pollorena are gritty and good starting pitchers, while in the bullpen, closer Jonathan Holder is outstanding with 18 saves and a 1.31 ERA in 48 innings. Holder seems to change the feeling of the game when he comes in with a hard-nosed and attacking approach. Also keep an eye on other talented arms such as Chad Girodo (1.38 ERA, 45.2 IP), Ross Mitchell (1.35 ERA, 86.2 IP), Ben Bracewell (1.48, 30.1 IP) and Myles Gentry (3.69, 31.2 IP), among others.
THEY CAN WIN THE TITLE IF: State made several outstanding defensive plays last weekend against Virginia, led by second baseman Brett Pirtle. MSU is a solid defensive club, from Frazier and Pirtle up the middle to ultra-athletic Hunter Renfroe in right field. But the Bulldogs will need to keep that level of play going this weekend to take home the program's first national title. Meanwhile, though the Bulldogs have hit the ball well the past few weeks, there have been times this season when the offense has gone into some lulls. Recent trends suggest the Bulldogs will show up to Omaha and continue to perform well at the plate, but it's certainly something to watch. Pitching-wise, this club is setup well with a unique ability to roll out 8-9 high quality arms.
PROSPECT WATCH: OF Hunter Renfroe (1st round, Padres), SS Adam Frazier (6th round, Pittsburgh) -- P Kendall Graveman (8th round, Toronto) -- P Chad Girodo (9th round, Toronto) -- P Evan Mitchell (13th round, Cincinnati) -- P Darryl Norris (22nd round, Detroit) -- P Luis Pollorena (23rd round, Texas)
quote:
LSU TIGERS
RECORD: 57-9
CWS APPEARANCES: 16
KEY PLAYERS: The Tigers enter the CWS with the field's most balanced offensive lineup. LSU enters the weekend with a .308 batting average, with impressive freshman shortstop Alex Bregman and first baseman Mason Katz, both PG All-Americans, leading the charge. Meanwhile, second baseman JaCoby Jones has been on an offensive tear lately and now has a .299 average with six homers and 31 RBIs after having an average around .250 around midseason. Also keep an eye on slick-fielding third baseman Christian Ibarra, who also has some good pop at the plate with six homers, while Mark Laird and Andrew Stevenson, both hitting below .300, can cause a lot of issues for opposing teams because of their speed and versatility. Pitching-wise, the Tigers have one of the best in the business in right-handed pitcher Aaron Nola, while a big key to Omaha is the arm of right-handed pitcher Ryan Eades. Eades has been very good at times this season with a fastball up to 93-94, but he's also had some bad moments, too. Meanwhile, Cody Glenn missed the NCAA Regional because of a suspension and didn't pitch last weekend because the Tigers went 2-0 against Oklahoma, so it'll be interesting to see if he's a bit rusty in Omaha. In the bullpen, left-handed pitcher Chris Cotton is as good as it gets, entering the CWS with an astonishing 16 saves.
THEY CAN WIN THE TITLE IF: LSU is the favorite to win the national title in Omaha, which would be the program's seven overall national title. However, Tigers fans should be warned that often than not the team favorited to take care of business in Omaha doesn't actually win the title. Aaron Nola is a rock in the rotation, but Glenn's time off and Ryan Eades' erratic nature at times are at least two causes for concern. Otherwise, the Tigers look outstanding on paper heading into this CWS.
PROSPECT WATCH: P Ryan Eades (2nd round, Minnesota) -- 2B JaCoby Jones (3rd round, Pittsburgh) -- 1B Mason Katz (4th round, St. Louis) -- P Nick Rumbelow (7th round, New York Yankees) -- P Will LaMarche (9th round, Detroit) -- C Ty Ross (12th round, San Francisco) -- P Chris Cotton (14th round, Houston) -- OF Raph Rhymes (15th round, Detroit) -- 3B Christian Ibarra (32nd round, Pittsburgh)
Posted on 6/14/13 at 11:28 am to CayceCock13
FIFY
quote:
MISSISSIPPI STATE REBELS
RECORD: 48-18
Posted on 6/14/13 at 11:34 am to CofC
Posted on 6/14/13 at 12:55 pm to CayceCock13
Great comments by UCLA baseball coach on LSU fans!!!
Best fans in college baseball.
Best fans in college baseball.
quote:
@LSUbaseball: UCLA coach on #LSU fans "They have the best fans in college baseball. I think anyone would say that. They have most beautiful stadium."
Posted on 6/14/13 at 1:24 pm to aroussel3Tigers
College World Series Preview from Baseball America
quote:
20-80 grading scale, 50 is average:
LOUISIANA STATE (No. 4 national seed)
Record: 57-9. Preseason ranking: 10. Ranking at end of regular season: 2.
Season In A Nutshell: LSU got off to a torrid 33-2 start en route to the SEC West title. The Tigers lost just one series all year, and they enter the CWS red-hot. After losing to Arkansas in their second SEC tournament game, the Tigers ran through the losers’ bracket to capture the SEC title, and they have not lost since.
Who’s Hot (NCAA tournament numbers):
• So. RHP Aaron Nola (2-0, 0.00, 12-3 K-BB in 16 IP)
• Sr. OF Raph Rhymes (.444/.524/.500 in 18 AB)
• Fr. SS Alex Bregman (.400/.455/.650 in 20 AB)
Who’s Not (NCAA tournament numbers):
• Jr. 3B Christian Ibarra (.105/.261/.158 in 19 AB)
• Fr. OF Andrew Stevenson (.214/.389/.214 in 14 AB)
GRADING THE TIGERS
Hitting
Preseason: 60
Revised: 70
The Tigers rank 15th in the nation in batting and 12th in doubles, a reflection of their ability to pepper the gaps with hard line drives up and down the lineup. They also rank 13th in walks—every hitter in the lineup can work counts, and most of them are difficult to strike out.
Power
Preseason: 55
Revised: 60
Katz, Bregman, Ibarra and Jones can all hurt opponents with the long ball, although only Katz (15) has more than six homers on the year. LSU excels at stringing together hits and racking up doubles rather than sitting back and waiting for the three-run homer, and that makes the Tigers a good fit for TD Ameritrade Park. They rank in the nation’s top 30 in home runs and slugging.
Speed
Preseason: 70
Revised: 60
LSU doesn’t run a lot, ranking 204th in the nation in stolen bases per game, but that doesn’t mean the Tigers lack speed. Stevenson and Mark Laird have blazing speed in the outfield, where their wheels are a real asset. Jones and Bregman also run well, and both are savvy basestealers.
Defense
Preseason: 65
Revised: 70
Paul Mainieri has repeatedly said this LSU team is the best defensive college club he has ever seen. The Tigers have standout playmakers at every position on the diamond—even Rhymes has become a quality left fielder, fielding 1.000 on the season. A converted catcher, Bregman plays shortstop like a pro, not like a freshman. LSU did make five errors in a regional game against Sam Houston State, but that bizarre game accounted for about 10 percent of the team’s errors in 66 games this season. LSU’s .980 fielding percentage ranks fifth in the nation.
Starting Pitching
Preseason: 60
Revised: 60
Nola has a strong case as college baseball’s best pitcher, and he is coming off a two-hit shutout against Oklahoma in super regionals—his fifth complete game of the year, and third shutout. Nola by himself makes this an above-average rotation, and with the CWS spread out over a week and a half, he could conceivably impact three games in Omaha. Eades has electric stuff but inconsistent command, and he has not labored in the postseason (5 BB in 6.1 IP). Cody Glenn gives the rotation a solid lefthander with a low slot who could present a tough matchup for a lefty-leaning team like North Carolina or UCLA.
Bullpen
Preseason: 60
Revised: 65
Cotton isn’t a typical flame-throwing closer, with an 86-88 mph fastball, a good changeup and a solid curve. But he has been a rock at the back of the bullpen thanks to his impeccable command, as evidenced by his 45-3 K-BB mark in 44 innings. Rumbelow, LaMarche and Joey Bourgeois give this unit a trio of power options from the right side, while lefty Brent Bonvillain and righty Kurt McCune are useful swingmen.
Experience/Intangibles
Preseason: 60
Revised: 70
No holdovers remain from LSU’s last Omaha team in 2009, but upperclassmen like Katz, Jones, Ross and Rhymes have plenty of postseason experience. The Tigers, perhaps motivated by their super regional loss a year ago to Stony Brook, have demonstrated a knack for coming through in big spots all year, and Mainieri is a premier coach who knows how to push the right buttons. Bregman has special leadership qualities; he is the kind of player that championship teams are often built around, like Darwin Barney or Scott Wingo.
Baseball America OFP
Preseason: 60
Revised: 70
LSU heads to Omaha as the favorite to win the national championship. The Tigers are a complete club without any major weaknesses, and they are playing their best heading into the CWS.
This post was edited on 6/14/13 at 1:29 pm
Posted on 6/14/13 at 1:24 pm to CayceCock13
College World Series Preview from Baseball America
quote:
MISSISSIPPI STATE
Record: 48-18. Preseason ranking: 5. Ranking at end of regular season: 14.
Season In A Nutshell: Mississippi State got off to a 17-0 start against a home-baked nonconference schedule, before losing a home series to Central Arkansas. That started a stretch of four straight series losses for the Bulldogs, who dropped six series overall but salvaged a home regional with a huge series win against South Carolina and a strong 3-1 showing in the SEC tournament. The Bulldogs got their revenge against Central Arkansas in the Starkville Regional, winning two out of three meetings against the Bears, then rode their hot bats and strong bullpen to a two-game sweep of No. 6 national seed Virginia in Charlottesville.
Who’s Hot (NCAA tournament numbers):
• Jr. SS Adam Frazier (.429/.467/.607, 3 2B, 3B, 8 RBI in 28 AB)
• Jr. OF Hunter Renfroe (.423/.444/.577, 2 2B, 3B, 7 RBI in 28 AB)
• Jr. 3B Alex Detz (.429/.571/.476 in 21 AB)
• So. LHP Ross Mitchell (1-0, 0.00 in 9 IP)
• Sr. LHP Chad Girodo (2-0, 2.08, 24-4 K-BB in 13 IP)
Who’s Not (NCAA tournament numbers):
• Sr. C Nick Ammirati (.100/.182/.100 in 20 AB)
• Jr. OF C.T. Bradford (.167/.231/.167 in 24 AB)
GRADING THE BULLDOGS
Hitting
Preseason: 60
Revised: 55
The Bulldogs rank 38th in the nation with a .297 team average, led by the dynamic duo of Frazier and Renfroe, who are both red-hot heading into Omaha. Frazier went 8-for-11 in two games in the Charlottesville Super Regional, and he sets the tone out of the leadoff spot. The bottom half of the lineup is more pitchable, but savvy veterans like Bradford, Demarcus Henderson and Ammirati know how to handle the bat. MSU ranks 60th in the nation in scoring; this is a solid-average to slightly above-average offense.
Power
Preseason: 50
Revised: 50
Mississippi State would have well below-average power if not for two players—Renfroe and Rea. Renfroe’s huge raw power helped make him a first-round pick, and his 15 home runs are more than half the team total (29). The hulking Rea (7 HR) is the only other Bulldog with more than two long balls. But Frazier, Alex Detz and Brett Pirtle use the gaps well.
Speed
Preseason: 65
Revised: 55
Renfroe, Bradford and Henderson have plus speed, and Frazier is a slightly above-average runner with excellent baserunning instincts. So this team has more speed than its stolen base totals suggest, but no Bulldog has double-digit steals, and they rank 197th nationally in stolen bases per game.
Defense
Preseason: 70
Revised: 60
MSU’s fastest players are its three outfielders—Henderson, Bradford and Renfroe cover huge swaths of ground, which will be a major asset in spacious TD Ameritrade Park. Frazier is one of college baseball’s best defensive shortstops, and Pirtle gives him a very steady double-play partner. Ammirati is solid behind the plate, and he handles opposing running games fairly well, throwing out 30 percent of basestealers. Mississippi State has a rather average .972 fielding percentage, but its defense is better than that.
Starting Pitching
Preseason: 55
Revised: 40
Starting pitching has been Mississippi State’s primary weakness all season; only Graveman is a safe bet to last five innings, and MSU needs him to pitch into the sixth or seventh to spare the bullpen some strain. Jacob Lindgren has had a disappointing sophomore year, and the Bulldogs have tried using Luis Pollorena, Trevor Fitts and Ben Bracewell in starting roles down the stretch, with generally lackluster results. Mississippi State’s bullpen is good enough to cover up this deficiency, but the Bulldogs need their starters to avoid putting the team in an early hole, even if they only last three innings.
Bullpen
Preseason: 70
Revised: 70
The deep, talented bullpen was the primary reason MSU ranked fifth in the preseason, and the unit has been the strength of the team all season. So. RHP Jonathan Holder (2-0, 1.31, 83-15 K-BB in 48 IP) has dominated for two years by attacking hitters with a low-90s fastball and a tough downer curve, and he earned second-team All-America honors this spring. Girodo (8-1, 1.38 in 46 IP) and Mitchell (12-0, 1.35 in 87 IP) are the meat and potatoes of the pitching staff, a pair of low-slot lefties who bridge the gap from the early innings until Holder. Girodo does it with more power and Mitchell finesse, but both have been tremendous. And there are also plenty of quality options from the right side if MSU needs to match up.
Experience/Intangibles
Preseason: 70
Revised: 65
Like most of the teams in this CWS field, no MSU player has Omaha experience, but this is a very experienced group loaded with seasoned upperclassmen. The Bulldogs play with an edge that comes from hard-nosed coach John Cohen, and their toughness is one of their biggest strengths.
Baseball America OFP
Preseason: 65
Revised: 60
On paper, Mississippi State looks like an underdog in this field, because its rotation does not match up with the other teams in this bracket, and its offense is solid but not special. But the Bulldogs are playing their best at the right time of year, and they won’t be an easy out in Omaha. Renfroe, Frazier and Holder are true impact stars who could carry this team on their backs, and the complementary pieces are grinders and winners.
This post was edited on 6/14/13 at 1:31 pm
Posted on 6/14/13 at 1:54 pm to dlc83
quote:
USCe beat themselves.
FIFY
Posted on 6/14/13 at 1:55 pm to Jwho77
quote:
USCe beat themselves.
Agreed, for the most part we pretty much outplayed NC if it wasn't for the errors.
Posted on 6/14/13 at 2:15 pm to CayceCock13
By the way... Nice thread.
Posted on 6/14/13 at 2:16 pm to aroussel3Tigers
Posted on 6/14/13 at 5:01 pm to TXGunslinger10
quote:
Not trying to bust balls here at all...but if UL has 2 appearances, and you're guaranteed 2 games per appearance, why are they only 1-2?
quote:
TXGunslinger10
You're not getting nearly enough shite for this faux paus.
Will file away your screen-name for future ridicule and shame.
Posted on 6/15/13 at 10:47 am to CayceCock13
It would be sweet to see LSU finish the CWS with a 62-9 record.
That would have to be the best baseball record ever!?!
Here's to the Tigers!
That would have to be the best baseball record ever!?!
Here's to the Tigers!
Posted on 6/15/13 at 11:01 am to CayceCock13
Geaux Dawgs!
Posted on 6/15/13 at 12:33 pm to Covingtiger
Grind time today
Posted on 6/15/13 at 12:38 pm to heartbreakTiger
Pregame starts at 1:00 on ESPNU
Posted on 6/15/13 at 12:40 pm to stonedbegonias
Interesting, I'll have to tune into that.
Page 4 of 273
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News