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This past weekend was a big gut punch. Hopefully a wake up call.....

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thekimmer

All-Conference
Aug 30, 2012
8,258
2,241
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Here we were cruising on a 9 game win streak. Undefeated at home. Coming off of consecutive SEC series sweeps. One on the road. Had run ruled a top 10 team in this stretch.

Nobody saw this coming but come it did. I think it affected me more than it should have. Perhaps just the shock of this happening on the heels of so much success. Perhaps residual PTSD from all the sweeps we suffered in 23 and the two last season.

I think we can overcome this and I want to see us do that in the worst way and put it behind us a quickly a possible. But what do you think happened? Do you think we got a little to cocky and lost focus? Did the game on Thursday get away from us and cause us to lose confidence? A combination of poor play and bad luck? What would you like to see tonight to easy your mind. Thoughts?
 
MStateDawg

MStateDawg

All-Conference
Aug 3, 2021
796
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Speaking of 9 game win streaks, tonight's opponent (UAB) is currently on a 9 game win streak. They are in 1st place in the American (7-2) with an overall record of 22-10 and an RPI rank of 32.

I say all this because a lot people with see UAB on their jerseys and assume we should be up 12 runs by the 4th inning. That might not be the case. UAB is a solid club. Any win tonight is a good win.
 
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17itdawg

17itdawg

All-Conference
Sep 30, 2022
870
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Thursday got out of hand early, but they battled back to have opportunities to tie it up or win it. I think the team let Thursday bled into the other games to an extent especially the home plate umpiring all weekend. I'm not blaming the umpiring, but the low strike calls impacted all 3 games.

For whatever reason, the team could not find that big clutch hit to tie it up or win it Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, couldn't find the big hit with men on to blow either game open because there were opportunities in games 2 and 3 to build out a comfortable lead.

It is what it is. Hopefully they're ready for UAB tonight and UTK this weekend.
 
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HailStout

HailStout

Heisman
Jan 4, 2020
5,410
15,221
113
I remain more frustrated with the Arkansas series than this one. This weekend was one of those “that’s baseball” weekends.
 
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patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
57,098
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It was a gut punch and a wake up call. But honestly, I didn't think we were as good as a sweep at Mississippi looked (we were a bit lucky to sweep) and I don't think we're as bad as getting swept at home by Georgia looks. But we definitely need to be more consistent at the plate. And we need someone to step up and be a third weekend starter with McPherson out. And we need him back (which I think it probably 50-50 it'll happen this year)
 
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Duke Humphrey

All-Conference
Oct 3, 2013
2,648
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It was all about timely pitching and timely hitting. We didn't get a pitch when we needed a good one, or a hit when we really needed it. We were one hit away in game 1 and game 3 from winning those, and one pitch or two away from winning game 2. That's baseball.
 
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Seinfeld

Seinfeld

All-American
Nov 30, 2006
11,201
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I think the toughest part for me is that it really knocked us down a few pegs in terms of being a national seed, and now we’re really gonna have to play some near flawless baseball in order for Starkville to host a super.

That said, as frustrating as the weekend was, I’ll maintain that we were a single play away from winning each game, and we just couldn’t make the play for whatever reason. This is still easily a top 10 team in my mind, but man do we need McPherson back. Until then, it’s gonna be a battle to win 2/3 on the weekend against a lot of SEC teams.
 
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Drebin

Drebin

Heisman
Aug 22, 2012
21,681
25,348
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I don't think there's a need for overreaction. #4 and #5 teams in the country played three games settled by five runs or whatever. The bigger concerns for me are our bullpen implosion in game 3 and the fact that our offensive approach was absolute cheeks all weekend. The latter can be fixed and I'm sure it will be. The former is going to continue to be a problem, along with defense from the catcher's position. But our schedule will also lighten a bit.
 
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We Men

Sophomore
Oct 24, 2018
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In the meantime, I wish the hitters would practice going down and hitting balls 6 inches off the ground that umps have been calling strikes. It can be done, it just takes a lot of special practice.
 
Shmuley

Shmuley

Heisman
Mar 6, 2008
23,875
10,802
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Dear Mississippi State Baseball Team:

Your $h!+ stinks and you got your @$$e$ whipped in embarrassing fashion. At home. Do something about it.

Signed,
Football Weary State Fans in Need of Legitimately Positive Sports Performance
 
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L4MANDW

L4MANDW

All-Conference
Feb 21, 2018
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Think it may be a little fatigue mixed in there to attribute along w/slight injury. Team needs a break and a bit of a rest, but no rest for the weary, have to reset & move on. Maybe the breather comes these next two weeks, TN, Memphis, & SC. Takes a bit of the pressure off but Dawgs can’t completely let off, just take a bit of a breather w/less competitive opponents, loosen up, work on weak areas, get guys back healthy and press on to the prize.
 
P

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
57,098
26,709
113
L4MANDW said:
Think it may be a little fatigue mixed in there to attribute along w/slight injury. Team needs a break and a bit of a rest, but no rest for the weary, have to reset & move on. Maybe the breather comes these next two weeks, TN, Memphis, & SC. Takes a bit of the pressure off but Dawgs can’t completely let off, just take a bit of a breather w/less competitive opponents, loosen up, work on weak areas, get guys back healthy and press on to the prize.
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How does a baseball team that plays 4 days per week need a break? Kids their age in the minors are playing 6 days per week for 6 months straight with sometimes brutal travel. College baseball players are about as pampered as they possibly could be.
 
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T

thekimmer

All-Conference
Aug 30, 2012
8,258
2,241
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Duke Humphrey said:
It was all about timely pitching and timely hitting. We didn't get a pitch when we needed a good one, or a hit when we really needed it. We were one hit away in game 1 and game 3 from winning those, and one pitch or two away from winning game 2. That's baseball.
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I thought we got some pretty clutch pitching when we needed it for two games. The first three innings on Sat GA had runners all over the bases and Stone nutted up and shut them down. Friday our pitching was really good. Our problems this weekend was almost exclusively about hitting. If you get run support then an occasional RBI is not so huge.
 
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Seinfeld

Seinfeld

All-American
Nov 30, 2006
11,201
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Drebin said:
I don't think there's a need for overreaction. #4 and #5 teams in the country played three games settled by five runs or whatever. The bigger concerns for me are our bullpen implosion in game 3 and the fact that our offensive approach was absolute cheeks all weekend. The latter can be fixed and I'm sure it will be. The former is going to continue to be a problem, along with defense from the catcher's position. But our schedule will also lighten a bit.
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The only positive thing I’ll say about Saturday is that it wasn’t really the entire bullpen as much as it was one of our usual suspects(Sweeney). For whatever reason, we’ve got a group of guys that are either lights out or else they get shelled, and he and Foster are two of those guys.
 
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D

Duke Humphrey

All-Conference
Oct 3, 2013
2,648
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thekimmer said:
I thought we got some pretty clutch pitching when we needed it for two games. The first three innings on Sat GA had runners all over the bases and Stone nutted up and shut them down. Friday our pitching was really good. Our problems this weekend was almost exclusively about hitting. If you get run support then an occasional RBI is not so huge.
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Dont disagree. But twice on Saturday we gave up 3 run jacks right after we turned what we thought were DP balls, only to have them overturned.
 
T

thekimmer

All-Conference
Aug 30, 2012
8,258
2,241
113
Duke Humphrey said:
Dont disagree. But twice on Saturday we gave up 3 run jacks right after we turned what we thought were DP balls, only to have them overturned.
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Yes and both of those instances would have been double plays if they were played cleanly. I seem to remember one was thrown up the line a bit at second and the other the fielder was slow getting the ball out of the glove on the initial throw. Could be argued that the pitchers did make the pitch they needed but we failed to convert. On the other side, Friday we went 0-11 with runners in scoring position. That is a BA with RISP of .000 for those keeping stats. Scored just one run without the benefit of a hit!
 
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