Michigan
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Junkmeister probably. Let's lay off the low ones.
Go Cardinals!
Oh my, that has to be the weakest starting pitcher I've seen all season. And of course the Cards strand two runners in scoring position in the 1st inning. Payton swung and missed on all three strikes. Drives me crazy. Cards should knock this guy out of the game in the first two innings.
I hate that we swing at so many first pitches with runners on. We do it so often, opponents game plan for it. Rushing should have taken a strike with the bases loaded putting pressure on the pitcher. But, he swings at a change up and grounds out.
Only getting one run against the worst pitcher we have seen all season could be costly. Hopefully, Poland will throw a gem.
Only getting one run against the worst pitcher we have seen all season could be costly. Hopefully, Poland will throw a gem.
Wow! Poland mowing them down until all of a sudden, they're hitting home runs.
Cards got to get it going with the bats or they have no chance in this game. That means not trying to hit home runs. We have the wrong mentality many times with guys on base. They see all the other games going on with several teams scoring 16, 18 and 20+ runs and they want some of that.
We're not facing top line pitchers in this game so they got to execute.
Cards got to get it going with the bats or they have no chance in this game. That means not trying to hit home runs. We have the wrong mentality many times with guys on base. They see all the other games going on with several teams scoring 16, 18 and 20+ runs and they want some of that.
We're not facing top line pitchers in this game so they got to execute.
Not looking like our day as nothings going are way. They get rbi's on seeing eye singles and we have two bunts roll foul.
This team is just missing a couple of parts that always show up against good competition. The lineup in my opinion has been wrong all season as those who frequent this board know all too well.
Don't have much confidence today or tomorrow and McDonnell better consider the transfer pool for next season. Things have changed since 2019 and McDonnell needs to adjust.
This team is just missing a couple of parts that always show up against good competition. The lineup in my opinion has been wrong all season as those who frequent this board know all too well.
Don't have much confidence today or tomorrow and McDonnell better consider the transfer pool for next season. Things have changed since 2019 and McDonnell needs to adjust.
This is a staff issue IMO. Having Beard over by 2d when anlefty was batting and a double-play ends the inning. He was out of position and it cost us. Not having the bullpen ready - Again!!!!! Poland was left in too long. Lastly, not bunting to get our guys in scoring position. WTF? Still time but we have already left sooo many guys on base.
I think we're seeing that he may be much more successful at building teams and maintaining a great culture than he is a game manager.
To his defense the Covid years knocked this program down from its high perch. In 2020 the Cards were loaded and was a world series favorite when covid canceled the season. Now just two seasons later we have a former two way player as our only effective starting pitcher and three seniors in the lineup starting for the first time in their college career.
McDonnell has enough talent to make a regional but there's nothing about this team that would suggest a world series participant. So it's hard for him to make the kind of decisions that would really change that outlook.
He just doesn't have the pitching he's used to and he doesn't have but one all American in the lineup. I don't blame him leaving Poland in because he's the best pitcher he has. He just needs his hitters to step up and they just ain't getting it done.
So damn disappointing. They had a great road to hosting the supers then crapped on it. Then had a good road to get to the supers and crapped on that too. Your ace vs a team with worse hitting and a staff full of turkey tossers and this is what happens. I guess my expectations for this season were surpassed at least. I didn’t expect us to host a regional going into this year.
And of course we don't get many breaks as Usher just saw. Everything we did in that 7th inning and scored only one run. Just like the 1st inning. This has been the problem with the lineup, especially lately.
Oh well. No chance to come out of this region.
Good year I guess.
See y'all next Fall....
Good year I guess.
See y'all next Fall....
The good thing is that if UofL beats Oregon they should be able to win 2 against an average Michigan squad.
Michigan
33-26 overall
12-12 in the B1G
That’s average.
Michigan
33-26 overall
12-12 in the B1G
That’s average.
Here's the lineup I wish McDonnell would start. Maybe it would change things up? Couldn't hurt.Idk. Wouldn't mind seeing some shakeuups tomorrow. Oh I forgot,you can't mess with their confidence
Love to see Humphrey and Usher move up and others down but I know that's probably not gonna happen.
1. Usher - I know he strikes out too much for a leadoff hitter but he's a much better RBI threat and his speed and bunting put all kinds of pressure out the gate.
2. Payton - The best situation hitter and a perfect #2 hitter. Usher gets on and steals second, Payton already has a RBI opportunity and he's our best clutch hitter.
3. Metzinger - Much more a #3 hitter than #2 as he swings as hard as he can almost every time. I've never understood him batting 2nd even when he was going good.
4. Rushing - Obviously the best clean up hitter due to his power. He's not up there looking to walk that's for sure.
5. Humphrey- Why he continues to bat 8th is a total mystery. He almost always gives a good at bat, even against lefties. He's clutch too.
6. Beard - Also a perfect #2 hitter who uses all the field. Has 48 RBI's batting 7th all season.
7. Masterman - If Benson was healthy I may start him over Cam who is almost exclusively a mistake hitter.
8. Bianco - The quintessential mistake hitter and weakest hitter in the lineup. I amazed at the damage he has done with the way he swings. There's a reason he's been the #9 hitter all season.
9. Knapchyk - He's also a good #2 hitter for sacrifices and hit and runs. In this lineup there's two better at it than him. He's actually a the perfect #9 hitter as pitchers often let down with the bottom of the order. He would get better pitches to hit than he does leading off.
I think this lineup would have the better hitters up in RBI situations. Too many times this season we have two on with two outs and Masterman is up with his home run swing or Knap comes up with runners in scoring position and he rarely gets the ball deep enough for a sacrifice fly. We need a batter with some punch in his bat yet we end up with a weak ground ball or lazy fly ball.
I know I'm not a baseball coach, never have been, but I watch a ton of baseball for over 25 years and I just believe the Cards lineup needs its most reliable hitters up more often in RBI situations. Who knows, it may not work but Masterman batting 5th and Beard and Humphrey batting 7th and 8th just makes no sense.
Michigan not playing so average in this regional and where's the Cards pitching coming from? I think there's very little chance the Cards will win tomorrow, much less three in a roll. We're not even playing average.
I like Usher up there somewhere .One or two but with Knap in the other spot and just move Jack up to three. I don't care after that.
Why not move the hottest guys up front? Why not have the possibility of Usher and Knap together? At this point can't see why not.
Man,we have to figure out how to overcome the bad bounces. We're not nearly as aggressive as we should be. Create some noise on the bases.
Why thank you. I do love the south. I've spent quite a bit of time in the south. I did my basic in Fort Jackson South Carolina. I lived in Orlando for about a year. I spent a week in Virginia on a Civil War battlefield tour and I spent a summer in Houston in the 1980's. Oh, I've also been to five Atlanta Braves home games.
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Blaming CDM makes no sense. What did Dan have to do with the events that played out in that disaster of a 3rd inning? Poland was in total control in 2-2/3 rd innings, before a kid hitting ,189 drove a line drive out of the infield for a single. The following HR was completely unexpected, and the next one was even more surprising.
Dan has nothing to do with so many “bad at bats” ……. as we had several key opportunities to get just one strategic hit with runners in scoring position, but one after another failed to materialize. You cannot blame any coach for any of that, and if you had changed the lineup yesterday, we would not have had Rushing step up with bases loaded with a chance to score some early runs and keep a rally alive.
Our kids failed to execute, it is really the only place to assign responsibility for a disappointing loss.
Dan has nothing to do with so many “bad at bats” ……. as we had several key opportunities to get just one strategic hit with runners in scoring position, but one after another failed to materialize. You cannot blame any coach for any of that, and if you had changed the lineup yesterday, we would not have had Rushing step up with bases loaded with a chance to score some early runs and keep a rally alive.
Our kids failed to execute, it is really the only place to assign responsibility for a disappointing loss.
I’ll bite. Knap does have the hIghest OBP. Out of the starters, Levi is tied for the lowest. Mac has always advocated a two leadoff types system one at the top and one at the bottom to keep the offense moving. If you went with the hottest hitter everytime, you have a different lineup every game. Payton was our hottest hitter on Friday but not Sat. You go with percentages, all the factors that the coaching staff has and we don’t.
Where players are positioned - coach. Approach at the plate (don’t swing at the first pitch or do swing) - coach. To bunt or not to bunt - coach. When to have oitchers warm in the bullpen - coach.
With that being said - UM just beat us. They had timely hitting, they hit the ball hard, their pitchers threw strikes and they got the bounces. We didn’t. CDM has relied on his hitters to hit and generate runs this year - I mean, these guys have hit really well the vast majority of the season. Yet, recently that has not been the case. IMO he needs to figure out how to generate runs and put pressure on the defense. Getting guys into scoring position will do that.
With that being said - UM just beat us. They had timely hitting, they hit the ball hard, their pitchers threw strikes and they got the bounces. We didn’t. CDM has relied on his hitters to hit and generate runs this year - I mean, these guys have hit really well the vast majority of the season. Yet, recently that has not been the case. IMO he needs to figure out how to generate runs and put pressure on the defense. Getting guys into scoring position will do that.
As we move into the elimination game setting,I'm for whatever might work. Changing the lineup every day is an overstatement of what I'd like to see in this elimination setting. I should rephrase to trending instead. It doesn't matter what I want anyway,I'm just an ardent Program supporter. Hopefully,Mac can put the team in position to win 3 in a row.
Should be fun..