Tonight vs. Little Rock. I see our defense is channeling their Keystone Cops mantra so far. Even popups are an adventure. Yes, it's windy.
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Tonight vs. Little Rock. I see our defense is channeling their Keystone Cops mantra so far. Even popups are an adventure. Yes, it's windy.
Tech wins 7-6 in what was mostly a very unimpressive performance. Tech not hitting better against Little Rock pitching with the wind blowing hard out is a bad sign for what they’re in for in the weekend series to come. Just when you’d think a team should be solidly into a mid season groove, Tech isn’t. This team is ridiculously notorious for playing down to their competition, but that’s a Burroughs team for you.
I'll take the win. We are "good", but you really can't say much more than that. So, any win is a good win.
I knew Bates was gonna blow the save, had a feeling he was due. So, for us to get that out of the way, and still win, that's good.
Actually got his first win to add to his numerous saves. A great DH and wins games by pitching. Probably be a great coach.
Hopefully our new leaders won't rubber stamp coaching performance in any sport the way our former leaders did. Midseason is past time for the evaluation process to begin. Will they give him a pass and be satisfied with anything less than a regional? Will firing his pitching coach be enough?
We've had some really embarrassing losses and near losses so far this year. I'm beginning to be concerned about making the CUSA tournament.
I'm encouraged where the team is at thus far. We are good, but not great. Have a few good tests coming in the next few weeks Arizona, DBU, ULL again, looking forward to seeing how we handle the competition. Lane is up for the job, the coaching staff has the team growing. Lots of baseball left. I expect we will get to 41-43 wins on the year.
Don't 8 of the 9 teams make the CUSA tournament? I think Tech will be in that top 8. Of course, this weekend series vs. MTSU should let us know for sure, either way. CUSA is weak, outside of DBU, the best you can say about any CUSA team is they are "mediocre." I think Tech is clearly "mediocre" and there are a couple of lousy teams as well. We'll make the CUSA tourney.
I was not in favor of hiring LB as our coach. I said at the time he had never taken a team into the NCAAs as a head coach, and for four years at NSU he was loaded with talent, usually won the regular season conference title and I think he was combined 0-8 in the four SLC tournaments. I seem to remember it that way. He never won the SLC tournament, that's for sure.
That said about LB's shortcomings, don't the players bear responsibility for Tech's lack of success too? I am sure all of our guys started playing ball as a young boy and have had numerous coaches, probably attended baseball camps with more instruction and most of them have played summer ball in some very competitive leagues. I have to believe they all know what it takes to be a good ballplayer and thus what makes for a winning team. I like how Bates chokes up with two strikes. I have been screaming for years about Tech's hitters not protecting the plate with two strikes. Even LB mentioned this was a priority after the numerous strikeouts last year, and the team has improved in this department so far this year.
Our pitching is very suspect this year, and baseball is all about pitching (and defense too, of course). Tech has a glass ceiling over its head this year, we can only be so successful due to the "mediocre" pitching. So, tamper down all expectations.
Our infield defense is really bad -
Back to the days of Simoneaux bad
Our second baseman has about a poor of footwork as I've ever seen
First baseman is a frosh who has yet to figure out the nuisances of the park and wind direction (it was a steady consistent wind last night)
McConnell was playing way too shallow on that late double last night with the wind blowing out to center - if he was playing a couple of steps back he makes the catch easily
Our official scorer was way too kind again last night - should of been one error on Ballard for not making the play at first after a clear bobble and drop and late throw (no extraordinary move was required to field the ball) and an error on Safford when he allowed the runner to advance to second off a deep single when he dropped the ball and it got a way from him as he wheeled to throw (once again no extraordinary play/move was required to field the ball)
And they averted clear disaster when Ballard decided at the last instant to catch the wind blown pop up as him, Furr and Safford all sat there and looked at each other
Should of won that game 4 or 5 to 1 if they make the routine plays
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
Burroughs simply is not the coach to take Tech to the next level of baseball unless you’re talking a level lower. He is an underachiever, he always has been and he always will be. He’s proven that every year. Even when he’s had very talented and capable teams he did enough wrong minded coaching stuff to end the team’s season prematurely. Team is far, far, far more likely to lose to a lesser team than when they’ve beaten better teams. Right now at 23-8 Tech has lost 2 games to lesser teams and has zero upset wins. Of the 8 losses there were 3 at home against rivals where Tech was handed their hat as if they were playing on the opponent’s home field (USM 2X & ULL). Burroughs is notorious for not making good fundamental in-game coaching decisions, he plays the wrong players way too often, he doesn’t manage his assistant coaches very well at all. Fouts is in no way a pitching coach. Tech coaching in general doesn’t do well at developing their players’ skills. As a team, the Dawgs don’t get noticeably better during the season. Whatever a particular player’s weakness is whether it’s batting or fielding or pitching it remains with them the whole time they’re at Tech. Burroughs doesn’t coach an aggressive style of baseball. He doesn’t coach to change the flow of a game. He doesn’t steal bases, he doesn’t attempt many bunts, he doesn’t let his batters swing away… he doesn’t coach to inspire excitement or enthusiasm in his players’ performances. Burroughs essentially allows the game to play itself out as if he has no influence over the outcome. Coaching blah gets you blah. Burroughs is a blah coach, he’s perfectly mediocre for a blah expectations La Tech athletic program. In time he might even exceed how bad Simoneaux was at Tech.
I have an idea, let's the start the weekend series off tonight with a win.
Good call! Held on for game 1
MT’s starting pitcher was their version of our Harland and we couldn’t hit him. Tech did enough to win and that’s about all. Once again based on what I saw and as is kind of typical around here either MT played over their heads or the Dawgs played down to their level. In other words MT wasn’t the least bit impressive. They barely hit the ball out of the infield.
The home plate umpire set the tone for the first 6 innings. He was inconsistent and was flagrant with his horrible calls for Middle and against us.
Please stop using the shift. It never helps us and hurt us tonight when our 2Bman cut off our SS on an easy out.
Please stop giving #6 the green light on steals. W/out looking it up he is well below .500 on steals. (Edit 7-12 .580) He just never gets a good jump.
I'm not "anti-bunt", but if you are gonna call it, make sure the player you want to bunt is capable. You take the bat out of the hands of our hottest hitter, ask him to bunt on strike one, then take the bunt off...this is a prime example of over coaching and could have cost us more than it did.
Finally, if you are going to charge a small fortune for season tickets, then come down and monitor the un-attended seats full of students who have free tickets.
CUSA scores tonight:
Jax State 18 FIU 7
WKU 4 DBU 1
Liberty 9 NMSU 3
SHSU 23 New Mexico 14
Liberty moves to 6-1 in conference play and stands alone in first. LONG way to go.
As for the Dawgs, sheesh! MTSU didn't hit the ball out of the infield, in fact they didn't even reach the frickin' dirt in the infield and we were behind 2-0.
Happy for the win...
When Dwayne posted above about our lousy infield defense I didn't comment because I thought (had thought) we were okay in that category. But, I started watching that aspect a little closer and after last night, I am in full agreement, we suck! What should be routine plays for Division I infielders, and some tougher plays but the kind of plays GOOD infielders make...we fall short. MTSU had FOUR infield hits last night and really none of them should have been. Yes, one or two would have been a tough play and a bang-bang close one at first base, but GOOD infielders make those kind of plays. Let me say this: INFIELDERS WHO PLAY IN OMAHA MAKE THOSE KIND OF PLAYS. MTSU's infield made tougher plays than those for outs, and they are 10-18!
So, our pitching is lousy and now our infield defense is "suspect." Baseball is all about pitching and defense. I enjoy watching my favorite teams having great pitching and playing great defense. I suppose that's why I was a huge Baltimore Orioles fan with their entire starting rotation now in the Hall of Fame and Brooks Robinson at third, the best infielder in the history of baseball.
Oh well, the Diamond Dawgs are who they are. Just hope they continue to win more than they lose. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and have something special to cheer about this year. It is, after all, baseball where anything can happen!
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