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Post by Outsider on May 28, 2023 11:59:31 GMT -6
Sam came to the plate over and over believing they were going to hammer the ball. You could just see it. They are an offensive minded club, not one looking to not swing on a ball an inch off the plate. We tend to try to avoid swinging at questionable pitches, they tend to attack them. We are pretty good at hitting pitches where they are thrown, meaning we don't try to pull everything, but Sam just wants solid contact. Which is something that needs to change for us next year. We don't have to swing at everything, but time and time again, we just stood there and watched pitches go by us. I agree that we need to get better at small ball, as well as power strikes. Defensively, we just need to clean it up and improve our error rate. Enough of us have already addressed the pitching concerns.
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Post by acumedic on May 28, 2023 12:19:45 GMT -6
Sam came to the plate over and over believing they were going to hammer the ball. You could just see it. They are an offensive minded club, not one looking to not swing on a ball an inch off the plate. We tend to try to avoid swinging at questionable pitches, they tend to attack them. We are pretty good at hitting pitches where they are thrown, meaning we don't try to pull everything, but Sam just wants solid contact. Which is something that needs to change for us next year. We don't have to swing at everything, but time and time again, we just stood there and watched pitches go by us. I agree that we need to get better at small ball, as well as power strikes. Defensively, we just need to clean it up and improve our error rate. Enough of us have already addressed the pitching concerns. We were the best defensive team in the WAC, and ranked #12 in all of Division 1
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Post by Outsider on May 28, 2023 12:42:06 GMT -6
Which is something that needs to change for us next year. We don't have to swing at everything, but time and time again, we just stood there and watched pitches go by us. I agree that we need to get better at small ball, as well as power strikes. Defensively, we just need to clean it up and improve our error rate. Enough of us have already addressed the pitching concerns. We were the best defensive team in the WAC, and ranked #12 in all of Division 1 Yes, but we still started committing too many errors, which is why I limited my defensive comments to that.
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Post by wildcatter on May 28, 2023 13:15:59 GMT -6
It was just the tournament that the errors reared up, the statistics prove that was not the concern. I do think we had too many passed balls though. I think we have a good coach and a good program and we just gotta hope that the staff stays and the recruiting success continues to build off what we’ve shown over the past few years. Baseball in our state is super competitive. We gotta find some footing to build off of and hopefully we have with some of our P5 wins and 30 win seasons.
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Post by rc on May 28, 2023 18:15:20 GMT -6
I know we have risen to a new height in Baseball. It is thrilling. We are a serious program in D-1 and we are all pleased with that. Coach McCarthy is a key reason for our progress, and I have no doubt he can lead us higher. We need Rick.
What drives me is the excitement and hope as we continue our rise. I can't wait for the future and realizing the high hopes for our Wildcats. Not sure anyone would have thought we would be where we are now only a few years ago, but we are. So my enthuasism for the team and coach is really just a huge emotional investment in our continue rise in Baseball. I have mentioned before a three generation attachment to serious baseball, and now it is coming true. I am ready for the new recruits and the start of next season right now, but will wait along with the rest of you. This is all part of the fun.
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Post by mavsman53 on Jun 1, 2023 18:21:45 GMT -6
Tatrow named 3rd team All-American
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Post by bogeyman on Jun 2, 2023 21:26:00 GMT -6
Tonight, maybe the worst case of overcoaching I've ever seen. Coastal Carolina is hosting a baseball regional as the #1 seed. Tonight they were leading Rider 5-0 going into the top of the 7th inning. Coastal's pitcher was literally unhittable, 60 pitches thru 6 innings--no runs, no hits. So, the coach thinking the game was won, pulled his starter and in the blink of an eye Rider scored 9 runs in the 7th. Rider ended up winning 11-10 in 10 innings putting Coastal on the brink of elimination.
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Post by wildcatter on Jun 2, 2023 21:27:34 GMT -6
Sam had a rough go of it tonight.
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Post by bogeyman on Jun 2, 2023 21:37:38 GMT -6
So did both OU and OSU. Kansas State may have an argument about being left out.
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Post by bucfan on Jun 3, 2023 21:11:27 GMT -6
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Post by rc on Jun 3, 2023 22:33:38 GMT -6
Never forget, Texas Monthly named ACU's track and field program the, "Sports Dynasty of the Century" in 1999. We were even bigger in track and field than DBU has been in baseball. Now, I am ready for us to be that unique university in the country that excells in all we choose to do. ACU is not only a faith based example of excellence, it is also the only university in Texas rated in the top 50 in undergraduate teaching and research. We are already set to become an R2 rated national research university, but our best is yet to come. I want ACU to redefine what excellence really means. The trajectory the University is on today will take us to a whole new definition of what a University can be and how valuable our graduates are. It is time we step up and lead the way to this great future. The six pillars the University has adopted are only the start.
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Post by bucfan on Jun 4, 2023 7:35:25 GMT -6
That history with T&F is why it bothers me so much that the sport now almost seems like an afterthought. We were a national power, albeit at the D2 level. I realize it will be very difficult to become a power at the D1 level since we offer many sports and don't just concentrate on one but I still like to dream that it might happen one day. Until then, I'll be satisfied with being a power academically. After all, that is the main purpose of a university.
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Post by acutrackfan on Jun 4, 2023 15:21:27 GMT -6
That history with T&F is why it bothers me so much that the sport now almost seems like an afterthought. We were a national power, albeit at the D2 level. I realize it will be very difficult to become a power at the D1 level since we offer many sports and don't just concentrate on one but I still like to dream that it might happen one day. Until then, I'll be satisfied with being a power academically. After all, that is the main purpose of a university. Bucfan brings up a good point. I don't know if this is the right place to discuss this, but I will still dive into it, but it will need some context. Until 1973, there were no classifications in the NCAA. In both football and men's basketball (the NCAA would not start overseeing women's sports until 1981), there was a "small college" division, but all the other sports simply competed in a single championship that included all schools, scholarship or not. ACC had several individual NCAA champs in T&F in the 1950's and 1960's and several of the ACU T&F old-timers get their backs bowed up when you call JJ Ply ACU's first team All-Americans, when ACU athletes were NCAA All-Americans under the old non-classification period. When the classification period started in the NCAA in 1973, all NCAA schools were allowed to keep ONE sport at the D-1 level, but it could not be a football or men's basketball. That is how Trinity (the one in San Antonio) was able to remain a D-1 powerhouse in tennis into the 1980's. I think the "D-1 in one sport only" rule stayed in place until the 2000's. DBU took advantage of that rule when they declared baseball a D-1 sport in the very early 2000's. It has worked very, very well for them (obviously). ACU seriously considered moving T&F up to the D-1 level in the late 80's thru mid-90's -- primarily during the Wes Kittley days as coach, in an effort to keep him at ACU. Recently, I have been thinking that DBU might be a good target for the WAC, as they look for non-football playing schools. Without football, the cost is not as drastic. The scholarship limits between D-1 and D-2 in all other sports than football is rather minimal. In fact, in T&F, the max number of scholarship for D-1 and D-2 are the exact same for both genders. Going back to Bucfan's original I would love to see T&F as the sport where ACU gets a national reputation, because we once had that kind of rep. But, i just don't think it can ever happen in today's NCAA world, barring some kind of a miracle gift in the 9-figure range that will underwrite the program for good.
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Post by rc on Jun 4, 2023 17:30:22 GMT -6
Yes indeed ACUTrackfan, ACU was a powerhouse. It was fun going to the Texas Relays, it was fun having the nation's best come to meets in Abilene, and it was always exciting to see what the next season might be at the Drake Relays. I remember so well the night both Woodhouse and Morrow ran 9.1 on a cinder track with Woodhouse nosing out Bobby on that night. Later it was great watching the mile relay team anchored by Earl Young. I was present the time some fine runner from New Mexico State surpised all of us by nosing out Young in the 440. For those who have not seen it, read the following: acu.edu/2021/03/20/acu-texas-showdowns-have-made-other-sports-history-too/Oh, and who remembers a little track meet in Abilene with ACU, Texas, Ohio State, and Michigan?
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Post by bogeyman on Jun 5, 2023 9:00:11 GMT -6
Some good baseball played in regionals over the weekend. The 14 inning game between Clemson and Tennessee was awesome. I watched Coastal Carolina play two games from losers bracket beating Duke last night forcing a championship game tonight. These teams have several commonalities, good pitching (very few walks) and consistent hitting (protect plate with 2 strikes, move runners into scoring position). They also were not afraid to advance a runner by bunting him over ( giving up an out for a base,so many great sac bunts). Another thing I took note of was the great number of freshmen who were statistical leaders of these playoff teams. I'm sure hoping the kids we are recruiting are ready to perform. We need to fill lots of holes.
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