Freaking Michigan
- Thread starter mk23
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I was impressed with Michigan’s pitching this year, but wasn’t sure if it was just playing in the Big Ten. Once they beat UCLA I thought they had a shot in Omaha. I’m not usually a Big Ten banner flier, but I am pulling for them. The conference’s reputation being better doesn’t hurt IU at all.
By now you know Vandy won.its hard to believe IU won the series at Michigan and now Michigan in final 2 teams. Shows how crazy baseball can be, but also how promising IU future is.
Yeah, I was initially reluctant to give Michigan credit because of their 2-4 finish against IU and Neb to close out the regular season with the regular season title on the line. However, you have to give them credit as their pitching got hot and they have been getting clutch hitting during key situations. They were among the last four teams to make the tourney, so you never know. It would help the B1G's image if they won it all, and that would be a benefit to all B1G programs, not just Michigan's.
Exactly why I'm pulling for Michigan. Kinda leaves a nasty taste in my mouth, but it's good for the conference and can't help but give IU confidence they can do big things if they take better care of the little things. Solid pitching, great defense, and the ability to consistently put the ball in play go a long way in the college game.
Even though IU's season has been over for a while now, I'm still confounded by the unworldly strikeout numbers. In watching all these tourney games year after year, you just don't see any other good teams do that. It's really got to rank up there as priority #1 for off-season improvement. HR totals be damned, those K's have to be cut in half or more.
Pretty sure you would have made the same comment about UCLA. You laying any odds on that statement?
I’m pulling for Michigan for two reasons: good for big ten and can’t stand Vandy whistler
Credit to Michigan for reaching the title game, but it also received a break when it was sent to Oregon State for the regional. OSU was the weakest of the number one seeds and the Wolverines didn't even have to play the Beavers because OSU lost both of its games.
Meanwhile, IU had to play at Louisville and the Cardinals were rated the 7th seed. I know it was nice that it was close to Bloomington so our fans could attend, but not so much to have success. We lost by one and two runs, and then Louisville destroyed East Carolina and barely lost to Vanderbilt. With better pitching we definitely could have gone farther.
Meanwhile, IU had to play at Louisville and the Cardinals were rated the 7th seed. I know it was nice that it was close to Bloomington so our fans could attend, but not so much to have success. We lost by one and two runs, and then Louisville destroyed East Carolina and barely lost to Vanderbilt. With better pitching we definitely could have gone farther.
Michigan might have gotten a break with Oregon State, but they still knocked out the overall 1 seed as well. Plus they had to make back to back west coast trips, which isn’t tons of fun. Indiana just didn’t play well in a tournament setting this year. Some years that happens, which means you need to take advantage when things do go your way.
Announcers said Michigan just stayed on the west coast, so it didn't make two trips. UCLA was considered the number one seed, but it struggled to advance past its regional and had to come out of the losers bracket to defeat Loyola Marymount. Oregon State has had great success, but the PAC 12 as a whole is not as good as it used to be. Arizona State, USC and Arizona used to be among the top teams, but now don't often make the NCAA tourney. You can also add Texas as a former power who has been passed in its own conference by Texas Tech.
Still maintain the wrong team won the B1G. (We drew a huge break getting to close with RUTG--a team MICH had swept three weeks earlier.)
OTOH, MICH could've had our slot in Louisville and we could've been in Corvallis--maybe we're still playing.
OTOH, MICH could've had our slot in Louisville and we could've been in Corvallis--maybe we're still playing.
So we both swept Rutgers.....what's the difference?
Of the 8 teams that made the B1G tournament, we played 5 of them (and we were one of them). Michigan played 4 of them.
Of the bottom 5 teams in the final standings, we played 3 of those teams, they played 3 of those teams.
We played them AT THEIR PLACE and beat them 2 out of 3 with the championship race fully in view...it's not like we beat them in April. Both teams knew what was on the line.
Stop downplaying our conference title just because we sucked in the postseason.
No. The fact that we sucked in the postseason is exactly why the conference title should be downplayed. Because what we've shown since is that we didn't deserve it, and that MICH did. Admit it--we got lucky as hell to draw Rutgers the final weekend, and had we drawn someone more representative, we don't win the conference title. It's ok to admit the wrong team won the title. It happens in sports.
Your argument makes no sense whatsoever. We had just beaten Michigan 2 out of 3 at their place and the lone loss was in extra innings. Only two other teams scored in double digits against them all year. We battered their two stud pitchers.
Then we took Louisville to 12 innings before falling to them......THEN we swept Rutgers. it's not like we came limping into the final weekend and Rutgers was our serum. We lost one freaking B1G series all year. Michigan lost three....two of them against the two best teams they played (according to the standings) at the end of the year with the championship on the line. It was theirs to win....they didn't.
So what? All it proved is we could fluke into a conference title that ended up doing nothing for us, except proving that we could crap our pants afterwards except against two abysmal teams in Rutgers and UIC (and even UIC we struggled like hell to beat).
Give me where Michigan is compared to where we are. They accomplished. We gagged. They’re playing for a title. We won the tallest midget award. Yay.
Give me where Michigan is compared to where we are. They accomplished. We gagged. They’re playing for a title. We won the tallest midget award. Yay.
So are you just going to try to ruin every board this year?
It's amazing how people can look at the same event and reach such drastically different conclusions. Would I love for Indiana to be playing for the National Title tonight, absolutely. Michigan playing for the title doesn't necessarily mean our season was some crap thing though. Some 1 seeds didn't even make the Super Regional. This is a product of playing the results. Were you arguing for Michigan when they gagged up the Big Ten title in their final two series? Were you happy with their ace getting pummeled by Indiana at home? What about that closing record of 2-5 in the regular season when the games were the biggest? Michigan advancing this far says nothing about Indiana and our long term. Indiana has been the top program in the conference for the last couple years. Elevating this conference is not a bad thing in terms of quality.
You've got issues.
I'd rather be where Michigan is tonight too. It doesn't mean we didn't deserve to get in or that we didn't deserve to win the conference title. We didn't back our way in. There's something called getting hot at the right time. There's something called slumping at the wrong time. There's something called matchups.
Again, you clearly have issues or an agenda, so I'll just let you deal with those and let you think you're right in this debate. You strike me as the type whose ego feeds off of this stuff, so chow down.
Never look down your nose at a conference title. That is a great accomplishment. Not the ultimate accomplishment but a great accomplishment. Go Hoosiers!
7-4 first game that could’ve been 11 or 12. These dudes are playing very good baseball. Hopefully our guys (players and coaches) are paying attention. I see no reason whatsoever IU can’t do what Michigan is in the process of doing. Go B1G!
Welp. Still 1 game away. That big frosh for Vandy was nasty. Game 3 should be entertaining.
That kid from Vandy is a stud. He has pitched 22 innings in the tournament and given up 3 runs. That's really incredible given the stage and his youth. Guy really has electric stuff and will be a force at Vandy for the next couple years.
Even with that Vandy's kid's stuff, Michigan had their chances. Didn't have the same key hits and spotless defensive play as all the rest of the tourney. Bad time to come back to earth.
That's totally true. When Vandy got their runs, I told my gf it seemed like Mich was in control and had multiple innings with runners in scoring position with nothing to show for it and Vandy was cashing in on their first real threat. UM's shortstop has been money thru the whole tourney but picked a very bad time to botch an easy double play. Their darned catcher needs to quit letting balls go the backstop too. We saw entirely too much of that play this season.
Just the way baseball goes sometimes.
The last two games they really looked the part of a BT football, basketball, or baseball team playing in a big game..............I'm not sure what it is about this conference, but they're always good enough to get there, rarely good enough to win.
Well, it became pretty clear they were a good college team playing a pro team. Bleday is an absolute stud who was drafted 4th. Reminded me of a bigger, more athletic Schwarber. Martin was said to be a top 3 pick next year. Their darn pitchers were all basketball players that threw in the mid 90's and that freshman is going to go top 3 for sure if he doesn't hurt himself.
Hard for a B1G team to compete against that level of raw talent. Heck, it's hard for anyone to deal with. Hence the 2 titles in 5 years.
That CWS is tough business. Obviously it's baseball's version of the Final Four, but with 7 instead of 3 walking away disappointed.
That's why I disagree with people who say the conference championships mean nothing.....
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FWIW, IU managed to get one vote in the final coaches poll. With Michigan making it to the championship series, they went from unranked to second in the poll. UM was the only B1G team ranked in their final poll, while IU, which was 24th in their final regular season poll, was the only other team in the B1G to receive any votes.
http://sportspolls.usatoday.com/ncaa/baseball/polls/coaches-poll/2019/15/
http://sportspolls.usatoday.com/ncaa/baseball/polls/coaches-poll/2019/15/
That's a bs poll, imo....places way too much emphasis on tourney play and way to little emphasis on the regular season.
To put it another way.....what exactly is that poll supposed to measure?
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