re: Baseball Thread (46-18, 20-9) I SC vs. Oklahoma State - L 1-3

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I did not realize it had gotten that bad vs the Gators.

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yeah, things have kinda spiraled in a bad way since game 2 in Columbia 2014. Gamecocks owe AJ Puk a bit of come-uppance this weekend.

Holbrook's record vs UF is 1-9, including a loss in Hoover - so this weekend would be a great time to fix that a bit. O'shithead/UF is 6-3 vs USC in our new ballpark.

i saw Conway got ya the all-time series results.

The Big Series is here - first game starts off tonight at 7pm:

So looks to be a weekend lineup like:

Friday:
Florida - Logan Shore (Jr. RHP) 8-0, 2.14 ERA, 63.0 IP, 9 BB, 63 SO
South Carolina - Clarke Schmidt (So. RHP) 8-1, 2.04 ERA, 70.2 IP, 12 BB, 85 SO


Saturday:
Florida - AJ Puk (Jr. LHP) 2-2, 3.07 ERA, 41.0 IP, 16 BB, 65 SO
South Carolina - Braden Webb (Fr. RHP) 8-2, 3.28 ERA, 57.2 IP, 33 BB, 76 SO


Sunday:
Florida - Alex Faedo (So. RHP) 8-1, 3.32 ERA, 59.2 ERA, 12 BB, 81 SO
South Carolina - Adam Hill (Fr. RHP) 6-0, 2.57 ERA, 49.0 IP, 17 BB, 58 SO

Both teams offensive stats are remarkably very similar to each other. UF has hit a few more HRs than we have, but BA, runs per gm, are all similar. A very strong pitching lineup for each team - it may come down to a pitching battle for most of the games, which means our starters have to be on their games and keep pitch-counts very economical, and our bullpen needs to step up this series like never before. Hopefully the friendly confines of Founder's Park will help boost the team's hitting.

Gator to be wary of is Peter Alonso: he's their leader in most offensive numbers (BA, HR, RBI) and is the only starting batter for them that has a slugging % north of .500 (it's .600). He could really do some damage at the plate in games where I think runs will be at a premium this weekend....

I actually didn't mind him going to Reagen in the 9th. He's the closer and he's been very good all year minus the UGA series.

Have got to win tomorrow.

I questioned taking out Johnson, too, but closers are meant to close, and Reagan has been really good. That being said, you could hear a pin drop after that second bomb. Not to be negative, because I'm usually not, but I could see us losing big tomorrow. Just has a weird vibe to it now.

Jones reminds me of Brendon Winn from the mid 2000's. Great fastball hitter, but if you throw him off speed, he's done. He probably won't see another fast ball all year.

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He's the closer and he's been very good all year minus the UGA series.

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he has and this was his first chance to come back out since Athens in a close, 1-run tight game. his appearance last weekend vs missouri came after Webb neutered their batting order, with USC giving Reagan a 4-run lead.

Rooster mentioned it in his post why I can't believe our coaches pulled Johnson - he was indeed cruising. Tyler came in - at least 1 hitter too late for Schmidt - and got 2 harmless pop-up outs to end a 1st & 2nd, 1 out threat. coaches left Clarke in with a chance to end up the losing pitcher of record in a game he clearly dominated until T7. his pitch count was high early through 4 innings (67 through the first 12 outs) but it caught up to him T7 as his ability to consistently work corners fell off quickly. still a great outing/effort for Schmidt with just 1 earned run as both walks came around to score.

back to Johnson - he faced 5 batters, got 3 pop-up outs, 1 FO to CF and had 1 K. he did not give up a hit or allow a base runner before being taken out after just 16 pitches. he did not even have one 3-ball count to anyone he faced - and that's why I think our coaches should have left him in.

other stuff our dugout brain trust pulled ...

twice - they sac bunted a lone base runner at 2B after lead off doubles over to 3B (both times there was no threat of a GDP and no outs). the first instance saw Cullen smack a double that would have scored Bride from 2B anyways. the next inning the baseball gods decided to show our coaches that you don't make the same dumb choice twice and Cone was stranded at 3B after Jone K'd and Destino's 6/3 GO. jawdopping choices to give up 2 outs. the only time you move a lone base runner at 2B over to 3B and no outs with a sacrifice is in your last AB with a chance to tie/win a game on a sac fly.

a 3rd out was given away when Arendas replaced Stokes at 2B in the T7 and was scheduled to hit 5 spots later B8. he did what he usually does 1 of every 2 AB in league games and struck out (now 26 times in 56 SEC at-bats).

also - unless Destino is injured or just can't go - his bat should never be replaced in a close/tight SEC game at the pace/productivity with which he has hit all season. we can live with his outstanding diving & wall-crashing catches in the early innings, but apparently not after the 7th. his bat is far too important. visualize last night's game finding its way to extra-innings and Alex unable to hit. his spot was 2 away again after DTW's final out that reached the wall and could have easily bounced off the wall to score Tolbert to tie.

I have to believe our coaches have better judgement. I just hope they actually do.

Go Cocks

^^^^ any chance Coach Holbrook comes to the ballpark Sunday dressed as Gene Cone?



congrats to the coaches for staying out of their own way after the strike out/throw out B1 for the first two outs of the inning. that's one way to keep from getting the first out of an inning at 3B

the rest of the game was smooth from our coaches. thought Holbrook did well handling Jones' PH after Taylor was overmatched in his ABs. he worked a 2-2 count before putting the ball in play and grounded out but his gundown of pinch-runner Larson trying to steal 2B to end T7 was sweet. pinch-runner Larson, interestingly, was also the last strikeout to end the game.

also - not sure if Taylor could have gotten to a couple of the last few pitches Johnson damn near sailed to the backstop T9. Jerry still calls for too many 0-2, 1-2 balls out of the zone instead of just finishing off the hitter, but that ain't ever gonna change.

Reagan will hopefully get a chance to finish off Sunday's game and the series the same way Johnson did tonight. Carolina's gonna need both to be nails the rest of the way.

...and the crowd at The Ray tonight ...

Last night was rocking. I was in my company's suite and everyone in the ones down the third base line were bouncing off the walls. Haven't seen an atmosphere like that since Oklahoma in the supers.

Great win last night. I was very pleasantly surprised.

This team has some moxie.

I watched the replays of the games on Sun.

WTF!! Johnson was dealing on Friday, he just went 3 up, 3 down, including a K on the last batter...and we took him out for Reagan!?!?! WTF? We shouldn't have lost that game Fri. night that was bullshite.

Webb did really well Sat, and Johnson did great with the save.

Sunday, Hill seemed to not have as much control, a lotta walks, but 0 runs. Shame the game won't be finished, we were looking good enough to win that one too.