Are We Having Fun Yet?

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

Apparently the answer is a resounding yes. The pitching staff is really starting to show the toughness that defense and hitting had found a little earlier in the season. Golloway is playing guys all over the place and Holliday has been a master at plugging in the right pitcher at just the right time. Wingenter topped out at 95 - yes NINETY-FIVE last night - and easily looked like an all conference closer. Oh, but he's not our closer. I know UGa looked pretty miserable, but a lot of that had to do with running into a buzzsaw. And Ole Miss isn't looking as bad as they did when they got absolutely drubbed last Sunday. RPI up to 21 on a schedule that is currently rated the 4th toughest in the country. This could get interesting.

"That was fun," Robert said. "That's the first (SEC) sweep I've had since I've been here and hopefully get a couple more in the next couple of weeks. We needed a sweep, we needed to pick a game up and I'm glad we did."

https://auburn.rival...asp?CID=1760784

Even looks like PM is starting to like it... http://auburn.247sports.com/Article/Tigers-sweep-Bulldogs-out-of-town-36968146

[WarTiger 3,901]

We have certainly taken a step in the right direction. In golloways first year we were 28-28 and there was question whether Golloway would even be back for a 2nd year. Now, here we are in the middle of year 2 and we're 29-16 there's definite improvement here. Pitching has been pretty damn good we do however, need to get more consistent at scoring runs. I'm not sure what the roster make up is because I haven't paid that close attention to it, but we could be setting up for a nice run for Auburn baseball.

[AU64 10,122]

Good commentary in both posts IMO....would like to see more power hitting but it is what is is.....and looks to me that Sunny pretty much changed his approach after the Vandy series...or somewhere in that time frame....more effort to advance runners, willing to swap out for a base or a run. I'm not much of a fan of small ball, but frankly we only have a couple guys who are any threat for a long ball which is what I hope we can improve on next year.

Clements, Milliman and McCord are the only seniors and I don't see anyone leaving early for the pros so there is a pretty solid base for next season.

[WarTiger 3,901]

64, I agree on the power hitting. We seem to be long removed from the constant home run threat we had several years ago. Seems like all our home run threats are playing softball. I would also like to see us get a couple of power hitters in the lineup.

[SCTiger2011 1,277]

It's been a great middle part of the season after the early season struggles. When KT makes it back in the rotation, we've reached the point I believe where we have 2.5 solid starters, which beats our 1.5 earlier in the conference season. Really impressed with Lipscomb's development. Don't know if we have the offense to do anything but make a regional, but I will accept it as a step in the right direction in Golloway's tenure. His game management has been more impressive this year than last, albeit Auburn still gets a small army thrown out on the base paths during a series. I believe the team and CSG have turned the corner at the 1.5 year mark after a forgettable 2014 and both sides know what is expected of them on the field and off. If power hitters emerge for next year's team, that is fine with me, but I would welcome a shutdown bullpen more than anything. Would love the equivalent of a 6 inning game, knowing that a 2 run lead after 6 isn't going to get relinquished.

I was a sophomore on the Plains during the 2010 regional at AU, and my friends and I always wanted to go tailgate a regional on the road. It appears the timing is going to be a year too late to have that experience as a student, but I'm looking forward to breaking out the fall tailgate equipment and using it for some postseason baseball.

Also, selfish fan wishes for next season: Please, please, PLEASE sweep Samford for once...and I hope Jordan Ebert's bat gets an offseason exorcism and gets a chance to return to 2014 form. Easy kid to root for. WDE!

[doc4aday 1,887]

I remember last season when a lot of us were ready to tar and feather CSG and throw him under the bus. I can say with all honesty that I was one of those that preached patience and give the man a chance to do what we hired him to do. If this steam roller keeps flattening SEC teams, CSG should be the SEC Coach of the Year. If we continue down the path of good ball playing, we will without a doubt be in the NCAA regional. Good things are happening at Auburn. We have some of the best coaches in the country in all of our athletic programs.

[AU64 10,122]

good points doc

And I think that lots of AU fans did not give proper respect to the competition we faced in the early part of our SEC season....gave the coach and team quite a bit of crap because they had trouble with some nationally ranked teams to open the season....and that was after Sunny had only one season at AU and very few starters returning from last year. Talk about expecting miracles....that was surely the case.

The biggest part of our current starting line-up is sophs with some juniors sprinkled in. The entire starting infield, outfield and top reserves are all scheduled to be back next season. McCord the most valuable senior we will lose IMO.

We need a few power hitters and some good pitchers....and IMO, it won't take many new kids coming in next year to make the 2016 team a conference and national factor.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

Home runs are way overrated in Omaha

And even when we aren't playing, things are going well. Everybody that we needed to lose today did. Including USCe who lost two of three at Tennessee. Gamecocks have only won two conference series this year. Their offense has virtually disappeared in the last few weeks.

We are 4 1/2 games back of the best teams in the country.

[AU64 10,122]

Home runs are way overrated in Omaha :big:/>

And even when we aren't playing, things are going well. Everybody that we needed to lose today did. Including USCe who lost two of three at Tennessee. Gamecocks have lost every series but one this year. Their offense has virtually disappeared in the last few weeks.

We are 4 1/2 games back of the best teams in the country.

Overrated in Hoover too for that matter...but are pretty handy to get you to those two locations most years.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

Home runs are way overrated in Omaha :big:/>

And even when we aren't playing, things are going well. Everybody that we needed to lose today did. Including USCe who lost two of three at Tennessee. Gamecocks have lost every series but one this year. Their offense has virtually disappeared in the last few weeks.

We are 4 1/2 games back of the best teams in the country.

Overrated in Hoover too for that matter...but are pretty handy to get you to those two locations most years.

Don't discount the effect of the composite bats on home runs. The new balls have helped power numbers some, but we will never see the days of gorilla ball again.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

Home runs are way overrated in Omaha :big:/>

And even when we aren't playing, things are going well. Everybody that we needed to lose today did. Including USCe who lost two of three at Tennessee. Gamecocks have lost every series but one this year. Their offense has virtually disappeared in the last few weeks.

We are 4 1/2 games back of the best teams in the country.

Overrated in Hoover too for that matter...but are pretty handy to get you to those two locations most years.

Don't discount the effect of the composite bats on home runs. The new balls have helped power numbers some, but we will never see the days of gorilla ball again.

Composite bats are still allowed.

What dialed back the home run numbers was the restrictions placed on the maximum speed the baseball could come off of the bat. In 2011 the NCAA adopted the Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution .50 standard, which was adopted by the NFHS and filtered in to most state high school associations in 2012. This "deadening" of the bats made aluminum bats play much more like wood and caused hitters and coaches to significantly re-think how they approached the offensive side of the game. I for one thought it was long overdue as pitchers were getting battered by guys who had no real ability to hit balls the 400' they were. Since the BBCOR won't allow for any tweaking on one of the critical components determining the distance a ball can travel, and because home runs are an exciting and necessary component to the game and because there was not going to be wholesale shortening of fences, the new ball was a good and necessary compromise. Again, I like this middle ground believing that a ball driven to the fence in the gaps takes more soundness of fundamental mechanics than one that scrapes the back side of the green monster.

[augolf1716 21,101]

I'm enjoying the hell out both baseball and softball

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

I'm enjoying the hell out both baseball and softball

You sir, are a wordsmith. Well said.

[augolf1716 21,101]

I'm enjoying the hell out both baseball and softball

You sir, are a wordsmith. Well said.

I've been called a lot of things but never a wordsmith. Someone needs to let bird know about this.........

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

It's a long shot, but if we are to finish the season with 8 more wins in the regular season, that would give us a 37-19 record. With a good SEC tournament showing, we could wind up with 40 wins, and although unlikely, end up with a regional host due to the RPI being so high. It will take a massive finish but it is still possible to catch some mad fire.

[AU64 10,122]

Home runs are way overrated in Omaha :big:/>

And even when we aren't playing, things are going well. Everybody that we needed to lose today did. Including USCe who lost two of three at Tennessee. Gamecocks have lost every series but one this year. Their offense has virtually disappeared in the last few weeks.

We are 4 1/2 games back of the best teams in the country.

Overrated in Hoover too for that matter...but are pretty handy to get you to those two locations most years.

Don't discount the effect of the composite bats on home runs. The new balls have helped power numbers some, but we will never see the days of gorilla ball again.

Composite bats are still allowed.

What dialed back the home run numbers was the restrictions placed on the maximum speed the baseball could come off of the bat. In 2011 the NCAA adopted the Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution .50 standard, which was adopted by the NFHS and filtered in to most state high school associations in 2012. This "deadening" of the bats made aluminum bats play much more like wood and caused hitters and coaches to significantly re-think how they approached the offensive side of the game. I for one thought it was long overdue as pitchers were getting battered by guys who had no real ability to hit balls the 400' they were. Since the BBCOR won't allow for any tweaking on one of the critical components determining the distance a ball can travel, and because home runs are an exciting and necessary component to the game and because there was not going to be wholesale shortening of fences, the new ball was a good and necessary compromise. Again, I like this middle ground believing that a ball driven to the fence in the gaps takes more soundness of fundamental mechanics than one that scrapes the back side of the green monster.

See the SEC stat: http://assets.espn.go.com/sec/baseball/2015/lgteams.htm

Virtually every team above us in the standings is also above us in nearly every offensive category....AU at bottom of the league in HRs for example....which LSU, TAMU and some other have hit nearly 3 times as many as AU. Homeruns are down for everyone with the bat changes, but with AU's offensive production this year it is a wonder we are doing as well as we are.

Likewise, we are in the middle of the league with team ERA so it's not just great pitching that is doing the job....so must

just be a good combination of circumstances.....though in summary, if you look at all the categories of stats at the link above, it appears that we are ranked in the SEC about where our stats say we should be.

[80Tiger 899]

It's a long shot, but if we are to finish the season with 8 more wins in the regular season, that would give us a 37-19 record. With a good SEC tournament showing, we could wind up with 40 wins, and although unlikely, end up with a regional host due to the RPI being so high. It will take a massive finish but it is still possible to catch some mad fire.

Love that enthusiasm but while we are at it lets just go ahead and wish for 9 more wins. Lets sweep them all

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

It's a long shot, but if we are to finish the season with 8 more wins in the regular season, that would give us a 37-19 record. With a good SEC tournament showing, we could wind up with 40 wins, and although unlikely, end up with a regional host due to the RPI being so high. It will take a massive finish but it is still possible to catch some mad fire.

Love that enthusiasm but while we are at it lets just go ahead and wish for 9 more wins. Lets sweep them all

Ha well that's including two midweek games in our overall record, so it'd be 6 sec wins, meaning series wins in all series, or a sweep and stealing one from Florida.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

It's a long shot, but if we are to finish the season with 8 more wins in the regular season, that would give us a 37-19 record. With a good SEC tournament showing, we could wind up with 40 wins, and although unlikely, end up with a regional host due to the RPI being so high. It will take a massive finish but it is still possible to catch some mad fire.

Love that enthusiasm but while we are at it lets just go ahead and wish for 9 more wins. Lets sweep them all

What may have been unthinkable after the Arkansas series is now (barely?) within the realm of possibilities. IF Thompson is okay, this team could stay on a serious roll. USCe is nowhere close to the once feared power that they were, having lost series to UT, UGa and MSU in the last five weeks. The Updykes are Updykes. And UF just lost a series to UK and will play a huge series with Vandy prior to finishing the conference schedule with us. I'm not counting on it, but 11-0 from here isn't as crazy as some may think.

[augolf1716 21,101]

11-0 Now hold on boys lets not get crazy......10-1 is more realistic with all fingers and toes crossed

[AU64 10,122]

Nice to dream of course but figure if we get one out of 3 against UF and 2 of 3 against USCe and Bama....we are in very good shape....but need to take the mid week games seriously too.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

Mid week games seem almost to be a distraction at this point. Last night Vandy, Missouri, the Updykes and UK all lost, and A&M had to go eleven innings to win their game. Ole Miss destroyed MSU in a non-conference game (had to be a rain out makeup since they play their regular series next weekend). We are now ahead of Vandy in the Warren Nolan RPI rankings. Win number 30 is up next, hopefully tonight we take care of business against Kennesaw State who made it to the Louisville super regional last year.

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

http://www.d1baseball.com/analysis/field-of-64-projections-week-12/

Projected as a 2 seed to where else!??

[SCTiger2011 1,277]

http://www.d1basebal...ctions-week-12/

Projected as a 2 seed to where else!??

Shhhhh....projections aren't welcome on this board as they are useless with a month still left in the season (I jest ).

That said, I'm packed and ready to go, with fingers crossed for Jupiter over Tallahassee if the Sunshine State is our ultimate destination!

[AU64 10,122]

Tis interesting how so many SEC teams have trouble with the mid-week teams though I suspect that some folks...fans and players alike misjudge the quality of the competition because the schools are not big name football schools.

As noted on another post USCe has lost to 3 in-state nobodies this year. That will mean nothing this weekend however.

And to SCTiger....is a projection the same thing as a rumor? If not, then we can create a who new category of meaningless discussion by characterizing our rumors as "projections" :-\