Are we playing good enough to compete for a NC?...

[WrapItDog]

We have played 9 games vs Omaha worthy teams. TX, TX Tech, TCU, Ark, & Vandy. Results 3-6. Unless something changes that's not going win a Natty.

 

[MSUDC11]

Couple of caveats here.....you really need to start in 2003, because that's when the current format begin, and a national seed won that year. But your point is still very valid. Also, the dead bats and high-seam balls really screwed up a lot of the consistency. But once we sorted all of that out, things started trending towards national seed in 2017 or so. I bet you'll start to see more consistency now. But baseball is still a funny game that will allow room for the Fresno States and Coastal Carolinas, and that's a good thing.

Bottom line, playing at home helps get you to Omaha. And you have to get to Omaha to have a chance to win it. So the goal is always a national seed then you let the chips fall.

I think your points on the dead bats and high seam balls are very valid and probably account for a good bit of the flukiness you saw for about a decade.

I would add that you’ve still had some totally off the wall teams go very deep into the postseason in recent years too, even if they didn’t win it all. Obviously our 2018 run was very out of nowhere, and we got within one win of making it to the championship where we would’ve played a team we swept in the regular season. People remember Vandy winning it all in 2019, but don’t talk about their opponent being a 3 seed Michigan team that actually won the first game of that championship series.

Generally speaking the best teams have the best chance of winning it. But the percentages of that actually happening are way lower in this particular sport than in others. Baseball by nature is just a different animal.

 

[johnson86-1]

We have played 9 games vs Omaha worthy teams. TX, TX Tech, TCU, Ark, & Vandy. Results 3-6. Unless something changes that's not going win a Natty.

Ole Miss was #1 in the nation, so that's 5-7.**

 

[Seinfeld]

The most bizarre thing about our starters is how they so often go from untouchable to completely lost after the first time through the order. I feel a little better about Bednar, but these days I start to grit my teeth as soon as we see the opposing team’s lead off man the second time around.

 

[Ghostman]

Currently, not playing good enough to win a natty. But, the talent and depth is there. Just gotta get hot at the right time to make that run. It's definitely not out of the realm of possibility.

 

[dickiedawg]

I'll be very surprised if we don't make Omaha (but I've been surprised before- 2016).
We are absolutely good enough to make the top 4. I don't think we're good enough to go toe to toe with Arkansas or Vanderbilt right now (I know we were competitive with Vandy last weekend and close to winning the series. But I feel like we would lose that series 75% of the time). But the funny thing about baseball is you never know what's going to happen. Vandy played Michigan in the finals two years ago.

The other thing is we haven't played to our potential yet- not even close- and we've only lost series to the unanimous top 2 teams in baseball.

 

[Russ Wheeler]

Not sure how a guy that went 10-1 with a sub 2 ERA in 36 appearances was just another guy. Besides we had Ross Mitchell as well with Holder as the closer. Man that staff was loaded with talent.
This one has potential to be better (primarily starting) and I hope it can be.
I agree with the assessment that lf and 1b are weak spots in lineup, inconsistent starts, and that bad fielding at times has been an issue. If we can improve these, we certainly have a chance. We have a good team and I enjoy watching them compete.

Girodo didn't become dominant until the regional.

 

[oxfordrebel22]

You guys are 100% good enough to win it all. Are there things you could improve upon? Yeah, of course. That’s every team from now until the end of time. But you’ve got an elite pitching staff, and it takes an elite group to win it all. Arkansas has an elite lineup.

You’ll have to get hot and/or catch a break at the right time, but that’s also every team that’s ever won a NC. It’s a round ball and a round bat, so crazy things happen, but y’all are one of the best 6-7 teams in the country. And those are the teams that win a national championship most of the time.

 

[Barkman Turner Overdrive]

We have played 9 games vs Omaha worthy teams. TX, TX Tech, TCU, Ark, & Vandy. Results 3-6. Unless something changes that's not going win a Natty.

Ole Miss is 4-2 against those foes and we went 2-1 against them.