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Post by elonpride on Apr 22, 2011 8:28:52 GMT -5
This series will more than likely decide the regular season conference title.
GSU leads the conference in team batting, with 4 guys hitting .336 or better and Eric Phillips with a league leading .428. Victor Roache has also hit 18 homers on the year. This seems to be as impressive of a lineup as we've seen all year.
Their closer Matt Murray is equally as impressive......4-1, 6 saves, 40Ks in 39 innings of work and only a 0.92 ERA. Looks like those late game rallies have gotten a little tougher!
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Post by euphoenix99 on Apr 22, 2011 9:02:17 GMT -5
Really looking forward to this one. GSU didn't have any midweek games so they're going to have a full arsenal as far as pitching goes. It's good the ODU game was so lopsided on Wednesday, because Kennedy was able to use some guys that typically don't get a lot of innings.
Should be a pretty hostile environment for the guys, so hopefully they can battle through and get guys on base. I don't see these being 1-0 or 2-1 type games so they are going to have to get guys on and push them across. Stating the obvious.
Too bad this series is not at home or a bit closer. Would like to see this one in person.
Go Phoenix!
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Post by bhill483 on Apr 22, 2011 18:26:46 GMT -5
We need some good pitching this weekend for sure - GSU is a great hitting team. Victor Roache has homered in 5 straight games for them and 8 of the last 10 - leads the nation with 18 total. They also have a lot of guys who hit for a high average as noted.
I would say the key matchup is our pitchers against their hitters more so than the other way around. Mostly because I feel if we dont keep them in check it may be tough for our guys to keep up and win a high scoring game.
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Post by elonpride on Apr 22, 2011 19:24:07 GMT -5
Already down 2-0 in the first due to an error.
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Post by bhill483 on Apr 23, 2011 9:30:07 GMT -5
The first inning was really the undoing. Let them get a guy on with a HBP and followed with a walk to load it. Then a passed ball on a K and an error on the next play. All of that is just mental there. It could easily have been avoided. Still I thought they battled to keep it close including getting out of a bases loaded, no out jam at one point as well. They just had too many base runners through the first 6 and they made us pay.
Hopefully today will be better.
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Post by bballfan on Apr 23, 2011 10:35:29 GMT -5
The first 5 in the batting order has a much better look. Now if we could just stop with all the pop-up/long fly ball outs in the middle of the order.
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Post by bballfan on Apr 23, 2011 19:17:49 GMT -5
Alas, another embarrasing loss. Yet another pop-up/fly ball fest by guys with warning track power (it's embarrsing to see guys play pepper with the outfielders). NOTE: When you crush the ball and it only makes it to the warning track ... your a gap-to-gap hitter. Plus it takes away from the teams strength which is speed. Maybe trying to punch the ball to the left side and beat out the throw would be a better strategy then popping the ball up even if it is to the warning track and looks like it coulda gone out and you just missed one. LOL. Yet another error-fest/unearned run-fest and mental-mistake fest.
Yet another batting order? All the other teams seem to have a steady weekend batting order. Enough said.
As an outsider ... it appears these boys are so caught up in hitting the ball hard (personal stats) they totally lost site of playing as a team. I see no player leadership on the field. Heck they don't even talk coverage on bunt plays. Would like to know why, cause it's not workin.
Coach got thrown out and team seemed rudderless. Most teams with leadership would have regrouped and kicked it up a notch. Why not?
My last post til SoCon Tourney cause I'm starting to sound like a broken record. Wishing the team and coaching staff well and hope they can regroup from this devasting weekend so far. Sorry for the doom and gloom maybe it's too soon to post after the loss.
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Post by elonpride on Apr 24, 2011 16:05:29 GMT -5
So the bats woke up and Elon claims a 9-0 win.
The team is sitting in a very interesting position with at large possibilities. 26-16 overall, 30 in the RPI and an SOS of 30. Bad thing is, they only have 2 wins over the top 50.
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Post by phoenixphanatic21 on Apr 24, 2011 17:30:34 GMT -5
Well, at least we took one from GaSo. Good that we didn't get swept. I think this team has what it takes to get in with an at-large bid. But I'm also a little biased.
Congrats to Coach Kennedy on his 500th career win.
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Post by bhill483 on Apr 24, 2011 18:23:45 GMT -5
Avoiding the sweep was crucial. I think we are technically a half game up in the standings, but GSU has a win percentage a few points ahead.
As for the bid - The SOS is there at 30, just didnt win any of the big ones. The RPI still reflects that strong schedule and winning a lot of the ones we were supposed to. I would like to think the SoCon can get two and the three options are GSU, Elon and CofC - need to finish strong as it would be hard to turn away the SoCon's regular season winner, in my opinion.
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Post by euphoenix99 on Apr 25, 2011 9:01:01 GMT -5
Glad to see they salvaged game 3 of the series. Congrats to Kennedy as well...hope he's at Elon for win 1000 too.
So after this weekend I think it comes down to us needing GSU to lose two more conference games than Elon the rest of the way. They do have an extra series to play, but they are through the hardest part of their conference schedule, so it might be tough unless Elon can finish strong.
I noticed Webb didn't pitch this weekend, so I assume he'll be going in one of the games against Wake this week. Really need to take both of those games.
Go Phoenix!
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Post by bhill483 on Apr 25, 2011 10:13:13 GMT -5
I think i heard Webb was having back spasms - just a short term thing hopefully. Beating Wake would be great, but I still believe that keeping pace in the SoCon is the key to the post-season.
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Post by hihard1 on Apr 26, 2011 20:51:16 GMT -5
Think our 1st batch of BBCOR's are worn out...
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Post by elonpride on Apr 27, 2011 8:46:27 GMT -5
Wow, huge loss to a sub .500 Wake team last night. I think it's safe to say at-large chances have gone to you know what!
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Post by topher99 on Apr 27, 2011 9:25:20 GMT -5
The RPI is still in the low to mid 30s (34 according to Warren Nolan). That's still good enough to get in right now.
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