re: 2023 Rebs Beisbol Thread (25-27 (6-22), Rebs v. Bama, 4P, TH 05/18, SEC Network+)

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We lost all of our team leaders. Whether it’s Bench, Elko , Graham and Dunhurst on the field or Van Cleeve , Diamond and Cioffi in the dugout there is a void that has not been filled. This team was not ready to be the hunted and when you win a Natty you are the hunted and everybody gives you their best shot.

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I stand by my buzzed rant I posted last night.

This statement, in particular, is particularly outrageous. Are you seriously telling us the highly rated, elite baseball players we have signed (and now had paid with NIL deals) can't deal with the pressure of expectations to win? What on earth do you think they expected when they signed here (many of them foregoing professional baseball to do so)?

What an excuse!

It's not like we are playing with a bunch of ragtag JUCO transfers.

Our team is loaded with professional talent, and has been for years now. Remember the 2018 pitching staff? We had a first round and two fifth-round arms. We also had a starting catcher in the Major Leagues, Nick Fortes, as battery mate. Don't get me started on the hitting and embarrassment of riches there. What do we have to show for that? Getting shut down by a Tennessee Tech right fielder.

What about 2019? We convinced a first round pick to sign with us and also happened to have on staff the best pitcher in our school's history. Oh yeah, we also had elite hitters (who Bianco didn't even really have to recruit since they are from Oxford). What do we have to show for that? An absolute drubbing by Arkansas in the rubber game of their super regional.

What about 2021? Oh yeah, much of the same - multiple high draft picks out of the pen and elite hitting. All we have to show for it is a 16-3 loss to Arizona on national TV.

I'm over the shite. Last year was fun, yes, but it was clearly a fluke. We will be stuck spinning our wheels until we part ways with Bianco, just like we did for the first 22 seasons of his tenure here.

We are in the same boat Georgia was in with Mark Richt. Our program has every advantage, the most important of which is an intense desire of the fanbase to win (and tolerate the spending necessary to get there). The difference, though, is we got incredibly, inexplicably lucky last year, while Georgia continued to be on the wrong side of luck under Richt. Look how their program has progressed since then.

I am convinced Bianco has dirt on some of our boosters. They'll never let him go.

I'm really getting tired of Chatagnier and McCants. They never do anything of note against SEC teams unless they have a scrub pitcher in.

Maybe I am having a little midseason melt, yes, but I don’t think anything I said was incorrect. Es muy frustrating, bros.

Overall that’s a solid outing from Quinn. That kind of performance has the potential to go a long way for the rest of our season. It’d still be a tie game had Jacob not switched off making the glove to hand transition. Offense has to step up now.

We are our own worst enemy. Jacob Gonzales committing an error in the field. Lege getting picked off at first. We don't want to win.

Maybe we are trying to loosen Arkansas up and we make an epic comeback?

Yep McCants needs to be on the bench. He seems like he doesn't care at all when I watch his body language.

It really feels like, looking at our schedule, if we lose this game our season's already over

Oh well. I won’t blame Elliott if he decides to shut it down for the season and focus on 2024

So we are 2-10 right now. We basically have to sweep MS State next weekend if we want a chance at the postseason. With our inconsistent bats, I don't think we have a chance even with MS State's shitty pitching staff.