Here is the link to watch: https://www.espn.com/watch/player?type=live&channel=espn2
Feel free to use this thread to talk about the selection show further.
Feel free to use this thread to talk about the selection show further.
NCAA Baseball Championship Selection Special
- Thread starter MatthewByrne5
- Start date
We weren't even F4O--BAY, BALL, PITT and UGA were. So I'm not sure our season even came down to the MD series.
I'm guessing the 1-5 stretch vs. OSU was more our undoing.
I'm guessing the 1-5 stretch vs. OSU was more our undoing.
This season started with a disappointing loss to Rutgers. Weaknesses were masked by a schedule that built a record early on the bottom of the conference, although even there losses and narrow escapes showed problems.
The B1G approach to baseball didn’t help, nor did the exclusion of fans through out the year. The roster was too big and the line up never settled.
IU baseball was certainly not the only team that disappointed in this strange season.
There is work to be done and next year’s squad will look a lot different. Next year is vitally important to this program IMO.
You should be ecstatic Hail State got a great draw.
We went from being considered a near lock for a bid to an out-of-sight, out-of-mind team in just three weeks. For the most part our pitching was pretty good, but even our pitching staff couldn't overcome our weakness at the plate. They didn't do the B1G champs Nebraska any favors by lumping them in a regional with No. 1 Arkansas, but at least they are in the field and have an opportunity, while we try to figure things out at home. Michigan ended up just a short drive to the South Bend Regional.
No midweek games against nonconference foes to help develop the younger players and no fans in the stands except for a few relatives and friends. Thanks to the conference and most of the B1G school presidents for an almost forgettable baseball season from a fan perspective. As usual, most of the other conferences got it right and had no issues in having an almost normal season.
I'm not sure I buy that we were a "near-lock" for a bid at any point. Our 18-9 record through March and April was primarily against horrible teams (and going 0-4 at OSU to start April really hurt).
Going 8-9 in a much tougher May actually was relatively impressive, but we probably needed to be something like 23-4 going into May for it to have mattered.
Going 8-9 in a much tougher May actually was relatively impressive, but we probably needed to be something like 23-4 going into May for it to have mattered.
The idiot commissioner should have to meet face to face with parents and players to explain why he felt the need to completely screw them THIS season AFTER last season was cancelled. And whatever geniuses at IU that determined it would be grand if only parents were admitted should too. Every game I watched, there were more visiting fans than home fans. Absolutely unforgiveable to do that to your own players.
Jeff Mercer has his work cut out for him. Roster makeover might be in order. Staff shakeup might be too. We had started to establish an "annual league favorite" to being on the verge of just another average B1G team.
Jeff Mercer has his work cut out for him. Roster makeover might be in order. Staff shakeup might be too. We had started to establish an "annual league favorite" to being on the verge of just another average B1G team.
A basketball team that couldn't shoot and a baseball team that couldn't score runs. Looking forward to '21-'22 and putting this season behind us.
I guess we will have to disagree on the "near-lock" thing, and it's something we will never know one way or the other. Michigan's schedule during Mar/Apr was about the same as ours when it comes to the degree of difficulty, and their record during that period was about the same as ours. I certainly agree about our 1-5 season record against OSU really hurting our resume. We were 3-7 over our last 10 games of the season, while losing our season series with Neb and MD in those games. Michigan was just 4-6 in their last 10 games of the season, and lost their season series with Neb and MD also, but Michigan won the series against us. Losing the Michigan series and our dismal showing against OSU may have been the tipping point for them getting the nod over IU, and it allowed the Wolverines to finish a game ahead of us in the final conference standings. There are a lot of angles to look at in the postmortem of IU's season, but one thing is clear - while we had a winning season, it was also a disappointing one to say the least.
Anyone playing Arkansas gets screwed 😂. That is probably an odds on favorite for the title, and that team is really good. Storyline, Bolt (Van Horn protege) vs Van Horn (former Nebraska coach). Also worth mentioning Bolt is a former top assistant at Texas A&M that has Nebraska turned around in no time from the Erstad experiment. Bolt can coach, and his name may be worth mentioning since LSU job is opening up in the coaching carousel.
I can say in talking to a staff member down there, they like their draw. They still need to shore up some stuff as they had some hiccups down the stretch of the season, but that place will be rocking down there and that’s a huge advantage even if they get to the super. Also, Tanner Allen (SEC player of the year & as I call Chipper Jones Jr) is sensational. He’s the heart and soul of their team.
With the caliber of most of the opponents in the conference, having a winning season wasn't that big an accomplishment. You just had to avoid losses to the lower tier, and to an extent, we didn't do that.
Here's something else to chew on--IND got the benefit of playing MINN five times (winning all five). MICH only got to play them three times (also sweeping the series). MICH also swept PUR in a four-game series at a neutral site. We beat PUR 2 of 3 at home. So if you're scoring at home (or even if you're alone
), IND was a composite 7-1 against the two worst teams in the B1G while MICH was 7-0. Put in basketball parlance, that would be like our loss to NW at home (which went a long way towards keeping us out of the postseason).
Well, yes, that's true. I mean that Nebraska got stuck in that region with the No. 1 seed, whereas Michigan and Maryland, the other two teams in the Big Ten, did not. If anything, those teams deserve to be put in that region over Nebraska. Nebraska might as well have purposely lost the conference if it meant having an easier path 😂.
Yes, there are a lot of ways to look at how this season progressed. While we did win the series against the teams with poor records, they did expose some of our team weaknesses, which were then really exposed against the better teams in the conference. That late season makeup game against Illinois at home, which was a game under .500 at the time, ended up being a huge loss when it came to the final standings. It was a game that we knew was a crucial one, yet we squandered it away. Maybe that game didn't play much of a part in our failure to make the postseason, but it sure hurt the perception of the team. We could go on and on dissecting the late season, but it's all water over the dam now, and it will be interesting to see what happens in the transition to next season.With the caliber of most of the opponents in the conference, having a winning season wasn't that big an accomplishment. You just had to avoid losses to the lower tier, and to an extent, we didn't do that.
Here's something else to chew on--IND got the benefit of playing MINN five times (winning all five). MICH only got to play them three times (also sweeping the series). MICH also swept PUR in a four-game series at a neutral site. We beat PUR 2 of 3 at home. So if you're scoring at home (or even if you're alone
It was not lack of fans that kept us out. All but Nebraska, Iowa and Purdue didn't let fans in most of the year. Michigan never let them in, Maryland let them in this very last weekend only.
How many fans were at stadiums made no difference or Purdue would not of been one of the worst teams and Iowa would not of collapsed like IU did. Michigan and Maryland played there way in without fans (except last weekend for Maryland against us and there were not many).
Nebraska won the Big Ten with fans because they have the deepest pitching staff and best lineup. Otherwise who had fans had little to do with the finish in the league.
I absolutely agree that fans should of been allowed but that had zero barring. The lack of Non Conference games was terrible and probably cost the league a bid or two as well and that's where the Big Ten hurt itself a lot more than with crowds.
IU missed because they could not hit down the stretch. They have only themselves to blame. They probably came up two games short and if they win the two games the bullpen blew (OSU first time and Maryland yesterday) they get in. With that said this is much more on hitting, as only two blown games in late innings all year is actually really solid, but those two ended up being the difference which shows how weak the hitting was as a whole.
A serious evaluation of the hitting is needed. Pitching we did very well, but when the hitting leaves so little margin for error you lose a lot of low scoring games like IU did.
How many fans were at stadiums made no difference or Purdue would not of been one of the worst teams and Iowa would not of collapsed like IU did. Michigan and Maryland played there way in without fans (except last weekend for Maryland against us and there were not many).
Nebraska won the Big Ten with fans because they have the deepest pitching staff and best lineup. Otherwise who had fans had little to do with the finish in the league.
I absolutely agree that fans should of been allowed but that had zero barring. The lack of Non Conference games was terrible and probably cost the league a bid or two as well and that's where the Big Ten hurt itself a lot more than with crowds.
IU missed because they could not hit down the stretch. They have only themselves to blame. They probably came up two games short and if they win the two games the bullpen blew (OSU first time and Maryland yesterday) they get in. With that said this is much more on hitting, as only two blown games in late innings all year is actually really solid, but those two ended up being the difference which shows how weak the hitting was as a whole.
A serious evaluation of the hitting is needed. Pitching we did very well, but when the hitting leaves so little margin for error you lose a lot of low scoring games like IU did.
On paper, both Michigan and UMD, and especially UMD, have a better chance of moving on to a super regional than what Nebraska's chances are. For this season only, it's like winning the B1G ended up being a curse.
I totally agree that the fan issue had little to no bearing on how the teams played during the season. It just sucked from a fan standpoint and it probably ruined the atmosphere of the game for the players and coaches also. I think/know the conference/most school presidents just blew it on that decision while most other conferences/school officials got it right. There's no question that the lack of a nonconference schedule hurt team development, especially with the younger players. There is also no question that our lack of clutch hitting when in scoring situations was our biggest downfall this season, and it will be interesting to see what the coaching staff does between now and next season, if much of anything.
There damn well better be some changes between now and next season. I hate the “another year older” mantra. It’s BS. We need better hitters and a much better overall approach at the plate.
Sounds a lot like the basketball team. (They also need a better approach at the plate.
)
So it turns out there were four bid thieves--South Florida, Jacksonville, Rider and Duke (although the ACC did get eight teams in, but Duke wouldn't have been one of them without getting the autobid).
But given that we weren't even F4O, we were in deep trouble getting a bid as it was.
But given that we weren't even F4O, we were in deep trouble getting a bid as it was.
I, for one, would not call this a disappointing season. It was maddening to not be able to attend games, so for fans it was totally disappointing (as it was in most other B10 venues).
But I was not disappointed in the players. The pitchers lived up to expectations and were nothing short of spectacular against the lower-tier teams. We came in with just a few proven high-percentage hitters, a bunch of maybes including some freshmen, and a number of established low-percentage hitters who were needed for their defensive skills.
Clearly, as the season wore on, opponents' scouting zeroed in on our hitters' weaknesses--lower performance across the board. I don't blame the hitters for struggling toward the end. There was good reason for it.
As for the coaching, I'm in no position to have an opinion. They know better than we do what the problems were and how fixable they were. The weakest spot was probably the inability of hitters to correct the weaknesses spotted by opposing coaches. Is there a genius hitting coach available out there?
In the end, we probably ended up very close to what our talent deserved. I appreciate the dedication and hard work the players put in. I hope the graduates are proud of their many accomplishments and go on to treasure their time together as Hoosiers.
But I was not disappointed in the players. The pitchers lived up to expectations and were nothing short of spectacular against the lower-tier teams. We came in with just a few proven high-percentage hitters, a bunch of maybes including some freshmen, and a number of established low-percentage hitters who were needed for their defensive skills.
Clearly, as the season wore on, opponents' scouting zeroed in on our hitters' weaknesses--lower performance across the board. I don't blame the hitters for struggling toward the end. There was good reason for it.
As for the coaching, I'm in no position to have an opinion. They know better than we do what the problems were and how fixable they were. The weakest spot was probably the inability of hitters to correct the weaknesses spotted by opposing coaches. Is there a genius hitting coach available out there?
In the end, we probably ended up very close to what our talent deserved. I appreciate the dedication and hard work the players put in. I hope the graduates are proud of their many accomplishments and go on to treasure their time together as Hoosiers.
100% agree with all of this. The home games this year were always irritating and often-times depressing. I've had more fun at wakes. Highlight of the year was the staff chasing away young fans standing/sitting beyond the outfield fence 450' from home plate. Also, allowing no one to walk in the area between the softball and baseball stadiums.
I agree with your comments about the commissioner who, it appears to me, is completely worthless. I've always been a fan of the conference, as a whole. Now, after the last two years ....f*** em. However, you are letting IU and/or Monroe County off the hook. According to Mercer, the AD and the County took turns blaming the other for not being able to make a decision.
I have a relative on this team. Our family has a history of 70 years of alums and fans. They're all pissed.
I agree the team had some holes. But I think you're being way too generous in your assessment. The BT stunk overall. And this team blew a lot of winnable games. There was a bad vibe all around concerning the season, but there was a lack of leadership to get past that, both from the field and from the bench, imo.
Seemed like a lack of situational awareness.....very few 'good outs' where runners were advanced in close games. Lots of Ks in those situations.
I couldn't detect an overall approach to hitting other than concentrating on the middle of the field.
I think we need a genuine speed guy or two at the top of the lineup. We didn't have anyone to rattle the pitcher or the D on the bases.
It seems to me we are still focusing on all the analytic stuff (launch angle/exit velo/etc) instead of real baseball. Not saying those things don't have some place in the modern game, but the lack of adjustments for in-game situations sucks.
You're absolutely correct: We rarely make a good out. Strike outs never help anything. I'd love to see us adopt more of an offensive strategy that puts constant pressure on the defense.
Bunting is boring, but it sure forces the defense to make plays. Stealing bases has been rare...hence the need for speed. Hit and run or Run and hit still work, but we rarely do it.
All you need to know about our offense this year was this: Our DH hit less than .200 and normally hit in the 8th or 9th spot. A few games it was less than .100. Not sure I've ever seen that.
I'm being lazy in not doing it myself, but I'd be interested in seeing exactly how many winnable games we blew late. Still can't believe we lost the second game against Maryland with our closer sitting on the bench.
The number of runners left on base is still something that astonishes me. I'd love to see those stats compared to the average.
I'd be willing to bet our averages are really low on that front. But hell, just putting the ball in play is a big key too with runners on. I know I sound like Honus Wagner or even Sparky Anderson, but the game is still a simple game. Get 'em on. Get 'em over. Get 'em in.
I'm with you on putting the ball in play. Seems like those days are behind us and we're in the home run derby phase of the game. When's the last time you saw a suicide squeeze? Pete. Stan the Man, Gwynn, etc... would have no place in today's game.
I recall home run derby in 2019 with lotsa swings and misses and Mercer saying he went with flow but long term would be to adjust approach. No stats backing me up here but I saw clearly more Richardson and Barr walks and feeling really confident Ashley would always put up a competitive at bat. Then the Michigan series happened. Everyone caught the same virus except for Houston.
I'm all in for Dallas Baptist. Heard an interview yesterday with their coach and that did it for me.
They have Oregon St on Friday in the Ft Worth Regional.
They have Oregon St on Friday in the Ft Worth Regional.
That is exactly correct. I remember coach saying that and was absolutely thrilled to hear it. Then I saw a video or two showing how they were using some fancy eye-tracking software and other new stuff created to revolutionize hitting. But it sure seems we are awfully slow to make any progress on it. We still had more strikeouts (424) than hits (377) for a mediocre season average of .256. To me, that's just not ever going to make an effective offense.
Hoping it’s a progression with freshman getting a pass for this season and Barr, Richardson and Ashley showed promise but to have everyone slump beginning with Michigan series was mind boggling.
I wonder if sommers’ really poor showing in first game (I know blamed on some kind of blister which then was blamed again a week later? Like why did they let him pitch??) just created a perfect storm. TBH I was never confident with him or brown on mound. Just way too many walks to lead off or stringed together in succession. I know brown probably had to lead the nation in some kind of new stat about walks with least runs but he and Sommer were always a wild ride. Not for the faint of heart. So I’m a bit of a contrarian on team era. Not an expert just a gut feeling.
maybe mlb will be to get between browns ears and fix him...
I wonder if sommers’ really poor showing in first game (I know blamed on some kind of blister which then was blamed again a week later? Like why did they let him pitch??) just created a perfect storm. TBH I was never confident with him or brown on mound. Just way too many walks to lead off or stringed together in succession. I know brown probably had to lead the nation in some kind of new stat about walks with least runs but he and Sommer were always a wild ride. Not for the faint of heart. So I’m a bit of a contrarian on team era. Not an expert just a gut feeling.
maybe mlb will be to get between browns ears and fix him...
Oh and a tad depressing Maryland dropped first game 13-10 to Charlotte and Michigan down 6-1(I can’t believe I’m rooting for either of them!)... Nebraska coming back against northeastern... yikes wouldn’t that sound better if it was Arkansas?
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