SEC touney. Will it help us or hurt us...

[thekimmer]

Lots of attention on making a run to win the west or even the SEC reg season. Our primary objective though is to secure a national seed for the NCAAT. What we haven't talked a lot about is the SECT and its potential role to help us or hurt our chances at a NS. It has seemed to me that in some years teams who had already locked up a NS have coasted in the SECT presumably to save arms for the real deal. For example, fatigue from the SECT seemed to bite us in 2012 when we played 6 games at Hoover and came out flat in Tallahassee losing twice in three games.

My questions are this. If we pull off the improbable and actually win the SEC would that lock up a NS regardless of what happens at Hoover? If so how much effort should we expend trying to win the thing?

Secondly, what if the more probable outcome happens and we go 2 for 3 in the next couple of weekends. Lets say we finish 3rd or 4th in the conference. What do we need to do at Hoover to secure that NS? Thoughts?

 

[57stratdawg]

I don't really buy into the whole "we were tired in 2012" idea. That team wasn't great to begin with and we only really played one extra game in 2012 than 2013 if you look from an innings perspective.

I think it can help us. We still have a lot of pitchers that need all the experience they can get. We need a couple bullpen guys to start rounding into shape. DBrown has been great since moving to the pen. Need one or two more.

 

[patdog]

I don't buy that "we were tired" that year either. We had 4 days off before that regional started. Baseball is meant to be played pretty much every day. Too many days off hurts you more than it helps.

 

[dickiedawg]

If we were to win the SEC we would absolutely be a national seed regardless of what happens in Hoover.

Aside from that, if we don't take a series loss vs. AU or UA, or any "bad" losses in Hoover I think we're set. We could conceivably run into trouble if we go out early while a team behind us like Vandy or Ole Miss goes on a tear and just takes the NS from us.

That said, I don't see any chance of us not going 100% in Hoover.

 

[MSUDC11]

The problem in 2012 was the six games in six days. Playing every day Tuesday through Sunday can wear on you.

I'm expecting us to be a Top 4 seed this year, so the bye will help. Don't think we have the pitching depth to win the tourney if we get in the loser's bracket.

It really all depends on who we play. If we're matched up with someone like Florida, losing to them doesn't hurt because we're behind them in the pecking order anyway. But it would probably help our case to beat teams like SC or A&M should we play them.

 

[BiscuitEater]

That said, I don't see any chance of us not going 100% in Hoover.

If we 'hold' our position, we get a first day bye. Would love to get several guys SEC tournament experience.

 

[wtw2400]

If you win the SEC you have a National Seed. If you win the SEC West you have a National seed. If you are 3rd or 4th then it would probaly be good to win on Wednesday and you should be good. South Carolina under Ray Tanner did not care about the SEC Tournament. As a result they were able to get a bit of a rest if they were out early and do great in their Regionals and Super Regionals that they hosted in order to win the National Title. But we wont play like that. I do think though that we need to just use our regular pitching rotation. Midweek guys play wednesday and starters play fri-sun.

 

[LandArchDawg]

The thing that bit us most in 2012 was that ump who refused to call Stratton's low strikes. It caused him to elevate his pitches and the Samford hitters teed off on him. Never recovered after that.

Of course we didn't have any offense that day either.

 

[ronpolk]

I think if we win at least 4 over the next 2 weekends we are a national seed. I think the sec tournament is neutral. I think the national seeds are likely set before the conference tournaments. I can't imagine the committee putting too much weight on one weekend of baseball vs the whole year.

With that said, I'd like to see is get a good showing in Hoover but I don't care if we win it.