Do we have a preference on Stanford/Fresno State?

[MSUDC11]

The little bit of research I’ve done on both teams tells me they both will be tough outs. Stanford has one series loss all year (to UCLA) and Fresno State appears to have been underseeded as a 3.

MSU vs. Stanford would be a throwback to both teams’ glory days in the 80’s, but they’ve been a Top 5 team in the polls all year. Fresno State is the less talented team but went 18-6 on the road this year and appears to have some major swagger about them.

At the end of the day it doesn’t matter a ton since both are good, just didn’t know if our fans had a general preference right now.

 

[patdog]

I prefer the non-#1 seed. I really think if we play like we normally do, it won't matter much though.

 

[Cat Duck]

Fresno, because I doubt they have the arm talent Stanford does, and therefore less chance of that total shutdown game where we lose 1-0.

 

[Seinfeld]

My eyeball test tells me that Stanford may have been a tad overrated for much of the season while Fresno is probably a little underrated, so we may be splitting hairs. However, while Stanford hasn’t exactly been playing juggernauts all year, they beat pretty much everyone put in front of them

I guess I say all that to say that at this point of the year, everybody’s good, so we’ll need our A game. Winning the opener with Small on the mound will be crucial, and then it would be wonderful to get Ginn back for at least a few relief innings. I think we might be able to sneak to Omaha without Ginn, but our chances of winning a title take a big blow if he’s shut down for the year.

 

[Bulldogg31]

I’m hoping for a high-scoring game that goes about 25 innings and doesn’t end until about 7 AM Eastern

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

Fresno State was a 4 seed the year they won it all. I think I'd rather face Stanford.

 

[was21]

Probably doesn't matter...all teams in the field are very good. Intangible might be Stanford has more baseball tradition than Fresno State yet Fresno State has won one natty. With tradition goes pride and with pride goes effort

 

[T-TownDawgg]

^^This. I'd rather Stanford come in as a 1 seed and get ***** slapped by 94% humidity as soon as the get off the plane than for a 3 seed to come in playing with house money and nothing to lose

 

[RocketDawg]

Tonight's game is on ESPNU at 7 p.m., which I assume is Pacifc Time. That's 9:00 p.m. for most of us.

 

[patdog]

How many #3 seeds have won the touranament? How many #1 seeds have? The fact Fresno won it as a #4 over a decade ago has absolutely nothing to do with this year.

 

[o_fredgarvin]

^^This. I'd rather Stanford come in as a 1 seed and get ***** slapped by 94% humidity as soon as the get off the plane than for a 3 seed to come in playing with house money and nothing to lose

Agreed. Our heat will be less of an issue for a team from the sun baked backwater of the California Central Valley.

 

[Go Budaw]

it would be wonderful to get Ginn back for at least a few relief innings. I think we might be able to sneak to Omaha without Ginn, but our chances of winning a title take a big blow if he’s shut down for the year.

It may be an unpopular opinion, but I think there needs to be some consideration to Ginn moving to the pen for the remainder of the year, regardless of whether his injury on Friday is serious or not. He clearly isn’t the same pitcher as he was over his first 6 or 7 starts, hasn’t been for a long time, and he wasn’t on Friday even before the injury. The velocity is down from a consistent 94-96 to 90-93, he has visible arm fatigue, and less break on his sinker. All that plus him trying to pace himself to go deep into ballgames is a recipe for disaster. We need him to be able to know that we need just 2-3 max effort innings from him at least once in the Super and every other game in Omaha (if we get there). Every start we give him for the rest of the way is just asking him to give us something he can’t at this point in his development.

 

[Bulldogg31]

I’m hoping for a high-scoring game that goes about 25 innings and doesn’t end until about 7 AM Eastern

So far I’m getting my wish.