I’m not predicting because there are too many variables, but the Diamond Heels have what it takes.
Just a little more power would make me very confident.
Just a little more power would make me very confident.
This Team Can Get To Omaha
- Thread starter unctarheel1984
- Start date
If the bullpen can continue to be as deep and varied in style, I think they can not only get there, but potentially do some damage.
The only way that happens is if they start hitting with RISP and if we start hitting left-handed pitching more consistently imho! That said, Forbes sure has built a great program. I've sorta moved away from Basketball and Football and enjoy watch the Baseball and Women's Basketball programs more than ever.
It’s still TBD if this team winds up being as strong as our last 2 (that’s a high bar), but with our pitching talent we have the ability to make it to Omaha even if the rest of this season doesn’t go our way and we end up a 2-seed in somebody else’s regional. I say that just to make the point that we absolutely have the talent to get to Omaha, but a lot goes into actually getting there: health, timely hitting, and potentially a lucky bounce or two along the way.
This team has a high ceiling. Timely hitting is a problem at times. That's something that can get better. The biggest concern for me is still outfield defense. After having guys like Honeycutt, Kepley, Cook and Donofrio, it's kind of jarring to see our guys struggle to even get to fly balls that would've been outs for us the last few years. It nearly cost us the BC series. But if the offense can keep improving and finding ways, we can manage it.
I told @TommyAshley a while back, I have come to love Carolina Baseball more than perhaps both of the rev sports. There’s something about it lately that really grabs me. Maybe it’s that the MBB and FB programs are down, maybe it’s because of the time of year, but I absolutely get hooked on Diamond Heels ball.
I think a lot of people are feeling this. I know I am. It all started with going toe to toe with LSU in that regional and coming out on top.
Crazy to think we needed a grand slam to win the first game in that regional.
Just goes to show how hard it is to win a regional and Super.
I do really love this team though. Just depends on how certain guys are playing at the end of the season.
Regarding starting to hit with RISP, here are some current stats on the primary starters comparing their season BA with their BA with RISP:
Season Avg/AVG with RISP
Schaffner: .341/344
Gallaher: .272/286
Paulsen: .309/.405
Winslow: .315/.342
Hull: .358/.438
Hynek: .299/.355
Howe: .258/.355
Nicholson: .240/.250
French: .196/.235
Some additional stats; these are over the last 10 games--a good measure of current performance. As a team we are hitting .306 with RISP and over that same time we are hitting .500 with runners on 3rd with less than 3 outs.
It's easy to focus on not getting a hit in a key moment in the current game, but even the best average, Hull's .438, means he's not getting a hit with RISP 56/100 times. The fact is, though, to a man, everyone's average with RISP exceeds their season average. Outside of hoping Gavin and Cooper raise their averages, and maybe French, I'm not sure how much more we can realistically ask.
I love our chances as long as a team can't throw too many lefties at us. Lefties are our kryptonite!
If we stay healthy, I feel darn good about this team. Kendall Rogers and a few other analysts said before the season started that if we stayed healthy, which can be tough to do, this would probably be our best chance to win national championship ever. I agree with that. This team is special. It just feels different than the last two teams. I don’t know why though. I guess it’s just a gut feeling. I went to Omaha two years ago, and it was the best sporting event I’ve ever been to. I’ve been to numerous national championship games in basketball, a Super Bowl, way too many bowl games that we have lost, and Omaha topped them all. I really believe in this team. I don’t care how long the pc is tonight to introduce Mike Malone. I’m turning it off at 7:00 p.m. to watch the Diamond Heels and see Jackson Rose get his first start.
