Baseball vs. Butler

jetz · April 18, 2012, 09:43:11 PM

Classic "something's gotta give" series this weekend at the Emory G. They hit, we pitch. Let's see who wins. We're alone in the critical second spot in the HL, but everybody (except YSU) is on our heels. This is one of what will be several crucial series headed down the stretch. I like us to win, and maybe sweep. Vavra is out for Friday, I believe, due to his ejection at ISU. Need to win two at least, boys. Let's go get 'em.

valpotx · April 19, 2012, 10:32:02 AM

Yes, we need to win at least 2 of the 3 to even the series with them, if seeding came down to tie-breakers. We have proven that we can beat any team in our league, and are a viable threat to win the conference tournament. Each of our losses has only been by 1-2 runs in conference except one 5 run loss to Butler. It isn't like there is an ORU in conference to just run away with the title, which gives us a great shot at making our first D-1 tournament!!

jetz · April 21, 2012, 10:48:11 AM

Obviously rained out yesterday. We're going one game Saturday at noon CDT and then a DH Sunday with game one starting at 11 CDT. Two games in the Sunday cammos = winning...

jetz · April 21, 2012, 09:56:07 PM

Guess I was wrong about Vavra having to sit out the next game after his ejection. I took that knowledge from the blog last week. Anybody know the official college rule re: ejections? Wasn't sure if you had to sit out the next game as well, but apparently it's just like the big leagues--you're just out for that game...BTW, we won game one and are now 10-6 in the HL.

okinawatyphoon · April 22, 2012, 09:38:05 PM

Valpo sweeps Butler! great weekend.

Valpo1b · April 23, 2012, 09:06:58 AM

Quote from: okinawatyphoon on April 22, 2012, 09:38:05 PMValpo sweeps Butler! great weekend.

I'll second that! They are really rounding into shape nicely. The pitching has been consistently good, and if warmer weather ever gets here and the bats get going, I like their chances. It's too hard to win 3-2 games consistently in tournaments, so they need the bats to get going.

jetz · April 23, 2012, 02:20:51 PM

I'll second that! They are really rounding into shape nicely. The pitching has been consistently good, and if warmer weather ever gets here and the bats get going, I like their chances. It's too hard to win 3-2 games consistently in tournaments, so they need the bats to get going.
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As I have noted all season, it's unbelievable how many of our games are one run affairs. We really need to win a few more comfortable games. With the weather out there at the Emory G. yesterday, all of us were just glad we didn't go into extra innings. The 3-2, two out, bases loaded, tie game, bottom of the ninth pitch to Mahoney was WAY outside, so a nice job by the freshman to work a game winning walk and get us all into the warmth of our cars. The temp was about 48 degrees, but the wind was blowing straight in from center at 15-25 mph with occasional higher gusts. The wind chill was down in the 30s and it was a long day. Brutal for a double header. Great for the pitcher's ERAs...GO VALPO!

StlVUFan · April 23, 2012, 03:44:52 PM

Quote from: jetz on April 23, 2012, 02:20:51 PM

I'll second that! They are really rounding into shape nicely. The pitching has been consistently good, and if warmer weather ever gets here and the bats get going, I like their chances. It's too hard to win 3-2 games consistently in tournaments, so they need the bats to get going.

As I have noted all season, it's unbelievable how many of our games are one run affairs. We really need to win a few more comfortable games. With the weather out there at the Emory G. yesterday, all of us were just glad we didn't go into extra innings. The 3-2, two out, bases loaded, tie game, bottom of the ninth pitch to Mahoney was WAY outside, so a nice job by the freshman to work a game winning walk and get us all into the warmth of our cars. The temp was about 48 degrees, but the wind was blowing straight in from center at 15-25 mph with occasional higher gusts. The wind chill was down in the 30s and it was a long day. Brutal for a double header. Great for the pitcher's ERAs...GO VALPO!
[/quote]

Doesn't bunting a lot contribute to that many one-run games?

valpotx · April 23, 2012, 04:41:00 PM

I'm curious, but why is Mahoney playing more recently? He seems to be doing well stat-wise, but I didn't know if we had an injury occur, or just that coach wanted to give him a shot instead of others that were struggling.

jetz · April 23, 2012, 09:44:50 PM

Mahoney started the season at short and played the entire Murray State and Arkansas series. He tweaked his knee (miniscus) on a slide at Arkansas and has been out rehabbing. Vavra moved into the ss spot and Bain went from left to a more natural 2B spot. Now that Spencer is back at short, Vavra has moved to 2B and Bain finds himself as our leadoff hitter and DH.

Mahoney is 6'4" and will round into a great shortstop after more reps. He's smooth with good footwork. Needs more reps with the off balance running throw. Hits decently now and will be very good with time. Andy Burns is a good infielder who was two credits shy of playing as a transfer this year. He will make noise somewhere next year with Valpo. We will have healthy competition next year and first base will be in play for an everyday spot.

jetz · April 23, 2012, 10:04:27 PM

Valpo's pitchers named National Pitching Staff of the Week...

http://www.insidepitching.com/?p=2914

8)

jetz · April 24, 2012, 09:14:26 AM

Just to keep up to date, 20 of our 38 games to date have been decided by one run. We have won a few lately to improve to 9-11 in those 20 games. Not sure how this stat compares to other seasons, but it seems to me that this is a huge number of close games. As a fan who has seen most of them and has a feel for the team's changing mentality, I get the feeling now that we expect to win these close games. The team feels like they can win in the late innings, which is 180 degrees out from where we were a month ago. This is mostly great, but I also wonder if we're getting comfortable as a team waiting until the end to score, rather than pouncing on early opportunities. I suppose it's just a cyclic thing, and we are at a high point mentally right now. Need to keep this confidence into the tournament.

StlVUFan · April 24, 2012, 10:33:14 AM

Quote from: jetz on April 24, 2012, 09:14:26 AM
Just to keep up to date, 20 of our 38 games to date have been decided by one run. We have won a few lately to improve to 9-11 in those 20 games. Not sure how this stat compares to other seasons, but it seems to me that this is a huge number of close games. As a fan who has seen most of them and has a feel for the team's changing mentality, I get the feeling now that we expect to win these close games. The team feels like they can win in the late innings, which is 180 degrees out from where we were a month ago. This is mostly great, but I also wonder if we're getting comfortable as a team waiting until the end to score, rather than pouncing on early opportunities. I suppose it's just a cyclic thing, and we are at a high point mentally right now. Need to keep this confidence into the tournament.

Again, I offer an observation from the peanut gallery, FWIW. I have not diligently followed the team, so I can't speak intelligently about the offensive strategy of Tracy Woodson, but the times I have peeked in, every time a guy gets on first, the next batter bunts. If he happens to beat it out or there's a misplay, putting runners on 1st and 2nd, the next guy bunts.

As Earl Weaver used to say, if you play for one run, that's all you're going to get. If this is the Tracy Woodson philosophy of hitting, then it's not a bit surprising to me that they play so many close games. Likewise, if I thought my team had the ability to blow teams out, the first thing I'd think about is stop with all the sacrificing.

The storytellers of baseball love to laud the game for having no clock, but I think the game does have a clock: a 27-out clock. If I were a manager, I'd hoard those outs like a greedy bastard and only volunteer one in desperate situations where the payoff is clear. But that's just me...

Again, if I'm reading too much into the small sample size I've seen, I'll be glad to be corrected. By the way, the other option is to decide that you don't have a team that can blow teams out and grinding it out is the only way you can win, which means you embrace that (sure, you take the big innings when they fall into your lap, but you don't stress over not getting them) and thrive on it, rather than stressing over all the one-run games.

valpotx · April 24, 2012, 10:45:23 AM

This is definitely a season where we have a lot of close ones. That is not the norm for our program over the last 15 years, as games were usually decided by several runs each way.

In regards to playing style, having been a pitcher, I like it in that he tries to get you a lead to work with. We try to manufacture runs as much as possible through bunts and stealing. Woodson obviously has confidence in the pitching staff, otherwise he probably would not be going with the small ball approach. Also, we may not have a lot of power hitters this year, as evidenced by our 9 hr's in 38 games.

valporun · April 24, 2012, 01:14:19 PM

How much of our hitting from the last two years are we missing because of injuries or being placed in a different spot than usual in the lineup? I mean how many of the current roster were hitting in different spots last season, so this year their roles at the plate have significantly changed? I know that Michael Morman, last season's starting second baseman, has been out with an injury, so we've been missing his bat and glove.

vubballfan · April 24, 2012, 08:24:41 PM

Coach Woodson came in a couple years ago with a pro-style coaching philosophy in which you only bunt in the latter innings. However, with the NCAA change in bats to the BBCOR last year, hitters are just not the same and "small ball" is more widely played throughout college ball not just Valpo. He has changed his coaching style to adjust to the bats since hits are not carrying as in the past and the team has had to manufacture runs. If you look across DI college baseball teams, coaches are recruiting more and more smaller players that have speed and can put the ball in play --and valpotx has it right, since pitching is our strength than why not try to get the lead and put the pressure on the other team.