baseball vs Tennessee

[AU64 10,122]

Elimination game today as I understand it.   SEC tournament.....4:30 CT....

Does AU have enough left in the tank to win this game....or any future games his year.   Looks like Burns might be done for the season    

Elliott Anderson starting …..he and Owens only good for half a game perhaps....otherwise?     A promising season looks to be coming to a poor end.

JMO but some major changes needed before next season....

[steeleagle 2,945]

1 hour ago, AU64 said:

Elimination game today as I understand it.   SEC tournament.....4:30 CT....

Does AU have enough left in the tank to win this game....or any future games his year.   Looks like Burns might be done for the season    

Elliott Anderson starting …..he and Owens only good for half a game perhaps....otherwise?     A promising season looks to be coming to a poor end.

JMO but some major changes needed before next season....

It’s amazing how decimated our starting pitching was hit all along this season. You can’t sustain a winning SEC record without it...but...

...the offense is a different story. They so underachieved in so many areas. No consistency no clutch hitting way too many strikeouts. 

I agree change is needed there. 

[boomstick 1,315]

2 hours ago, AU64 said:

Elimination game today as I understand it.   SEC tournament.....4:30 CT....

Does AU have enough left in the tank to win this game....or any future games his year.   Looks like Burns might be done for the season    

Elliott Anderson starting …..he and Owens only good for half a game perhaps....otherwise?     A promising season looks to be coming to a poor end.

JMO but some major changes needed before next season....

Elimination game for the SECT? Absolutely. Elimination game for a regional? No. We still have a very good chance of making a regional even with a loss today. 

Don’t know the prognosis on Burns yet. He had an MRI yesterday. He definitely isn’t available this week/weekend. 

If making a regional with the pitching injuries we’ve had and playing the amount of new guys we have is a disappointing season, I’ll take that disappointment. The hitting has been disappointing. The pitching has been unfortunately impacted by injuries and having to rely on more freshmen than we were hoping to but about what I expected given those issues. Still, making a regional in a “down” year is moving the needle up for this program. 

[PUB78 1,358]

Looks like Butch needs to recruit Pitchers for 2020 as much as Gus need OL recruits.

[AU64 10,122]

27 minutes ago, boomstick said:

Elimination game for the SECT? Absolutely. Elimination game for a regional? No. We still have a very good chance of making a regional even with a loss today. 

Don’t know the prognosis on Burns yet. He had an MRI yesterday. He definitely isn’t available this week/weekend. 

If making a regional with the pitching injuries we’ve had and playing the amount of new guys we have is a disappointing season, I’ll take that disappointment. The hitting has been disappointing. The pitching has been unfortunately impacted by injuries and having to rely on more freshmen than we were hoping to but about what I expected given those issues. Still, making a regional in a “down” year is moving the needle up for this program. 

I agree on the regional...but this is the SEC tournament and that's what I was referring to.

As for disappointment....sure hitting is an issue but worse in my view is the "leaders" have not stepped up....putting the burden on the freshmen.  And,  check the roster but most of the pitching staff are not freshmen....lots of redshirts, sophs and up so the issue is not just "freshmen"....several of whom have done pretty well. .   

The real issue is the collapse for the second half of the season.  I'm glad to see us in a regional.....earned that right early in the season probably...but would be nice to see us as a threat when we head off to FSU or wherever we end up for the first round of play.  

JMO but if three or four key players started to hit to their capability, we could get by on the weakened pitching and play another 3 or 4 games at least. . 

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

2 hours ago, boomstick said:

Elimination game for the SECT? Absolutely. Elimination game for a regional? No. We still have a very good chance of making a regional even with a loss today. 

Don’t know the prognosis on Burns yet. He had an MRI yesterday. He definitely isn’t available this week/weekend. 

If making a regional with the pitching injuries we’ve had and playing the amount of new guys we have is a disappointing season, I’ll take that disappointment. The hitting has been disappointing. The pitching has been unfortunately impacted by injuries and having to rely on more freshmen than we were hoping to but about what I expected given those issues. Still, making a regional in a “down” year is moving the needle up for this program. 

I agree here. Losing as much as we did during the season and still making a regional? Pretty good to me. Anderson is an SEC pitcher with good stuff. If he has a good outing, we’ll be able to advance in this thing and hang around a few days. Not sure why people are saying it looks like Burns is done for the year. The only news that has come out is that he may not be available this week. More than likely, it’s the same thing that happened a few weeks ago and he’ll pitch in a regional. 

 

[AU64 10,122]

17 minutes ago, tigerbrotha12 said:

More than likely, it’s the same thing that happened a few weeks ago and he’ll pitch in a regional. 

Seems to be a recurring thing which is why I have doubts about him being out there anytime soon though I guess the first NCAA game is more than a week away..   

Still, you have to wonder how far he can go during the rest of the season?   .    This is a case where I can't see risking him in a situation where we are not likely to go far in post season......unless several guys start hitting the ball. .  

[Gowebb11 9,314]

The amount of arm injuries has been a huge issue. I understand that forced Butch’s hand in rolling out some young arms ahead of schedule. Still, I expected more out of some of them. Several of them have struggled to make it to the 3d and 4th inning of mid-week games played at home. They have to develop better command and control. The regression of some of our hitters from last year has surprised me the most. Ive stated this before, but I’ve never seen an entire lineup stay in more 0-2 or 1-2 counts for a whole season than this one. Gabe needs to make some approach changes for next season. I remain a fan of Butch and this team though, and hope we beat UT!

[au302 2,669]

The 0-2 counts and strikeouts at critical times is what has frustrated me the most, especially with key players such as Julien. That is not to be critical of him but he and Williams need to step up big time if this team wants to win another game or two this season. Will be interesting to see how the next few weeks play out and potential changes to the staff in the offseason 

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

1 hour ago, AU64 said:

Seems to be a recurring thing which is why I have doubts about him being out there anytime soon though I guess the first NCAA game is more than a week away..   

Still, you have to wonder how far he can go during the rest of the season?   .    This is a case where I can't see risking him in a situation where we are not likely to go far in post season......unless several guys start hitting the ball. .  

I’d imagine we’ll throw Tanner if he can go at all in NCAA tourney, especially if the MRI is okay. Doubt we’ve seen the last of his sophomore campaign. Regional would be very large stakes to hold him out of.

 I’m fine with leaving him to rest this week for the SEC tourney because in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter for us much except for momentum and another chance to get our hitters going. 

 

[AU64 10,122]

1 hour ago, Gowebb11 said:

I understand that forced Butch’s hand in rolling out some young arms ahead of schedule. Still, I expected more out of some of them.

That's a problem OK but it you check the roster, some of the pitchers having the most problems lately or failing to throw strikes are not the freshmen.  

We have a number of older players who have not developed, can't find the strike zone in key moments, are mid 80s with their fast balls and have been knocked around or just not used very much because of reliability issues and with an ERA well north of 5.00.     The freshmen have done pretty well but are usually only good for maybe 4 or 5 innings...and after that it's an unknown.   Even Cody is more limited than I expected.   Tough situation heading into a tournament.

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

We’re off. Anderson struck out the first batter, but has given up two singles and gone 2-0 to the cleanup man 

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

Anderson walks the cleanup hitter and its bases loaded with 1 out. 

[AU64 10,122]

Well ...escaped some serous trouble that inning....giving up only one was a "win"...…

[AU64 10,122]

UT scoreless in the top of 2nd

Scheffler with one out single in our half of the second...

Davis walked and Williams with a fly out to short center leaving the two runners on first and second.

So...2 on and 2 outs and Julien at bat.....hitting .188 for conference play..

and Julien flares one behind 2nd base...UT does not play it well and two runs score....'

AU now up 2-1

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

Ha! Julien “continues to rake” at the SEC tourney! 

[AU64 10,122]

 

Close play at first but AU goes down with Julien on 2nd but in the lead

 

So let's see if EA can come out and throw strikes this inning….need to avoid free bases...

[AU64 10,122]

2 minutes ago, tigerbrotha12 said:

Ha! Julien “continues to rake” at the SEC tourney! 

looked like he hit that with a 60 degree wedge....

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

Maybe a 2 RBI double will give Eddy a little juice. Not hit hard, but hopefully the result gives him some confidence. 

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

Time to purchase some insurance... 

Aaaaaaand Judd down on 3 pitches 

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

We have a very hard time increasing a lead when we come into an at bat with a lead. Don’t know the numbers on it all year, but I notice we seem to only score when we’re down or tied. 

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

Davis k’s and that’ll end the third.

2-1 AU T4

[AU64 10,122]

Just now, tigerbrotha12 said:

We have a very hard time increasing a lead when we come into an at bat with a lead. Don’t know the numbers on it all year, but I notice we seem to only score when we’re down or tied. 

mostly I worry that we seem to walk the lead off batter once we get a lead...

[Gowebb11 9,314]

I hate that we just gave their pitcher a 6 pitch inning. 

[AU64 10,122]

Well...just like that....EA can't find the plate and Smith does not wait long to pay him a visit.    

Getting toward the end of Anderson's day.....80 pitches now and a bit of control problems...two wild pitches in the last 5 pitches

puts the runner on third …free ticket all the way to third...