Same old thing for Funk... Too many walks and the wrong pitch to the wrong guy. Cruising along until the wheels fall off.
A few observations on the downside...
Obviously, Funk is still in a funk. Coach says he's not that far off. Maybe it's one thing that puts him in the ditch. Whatever it is, it has serious effects; it's not something we can live with.
Like last year, our bullpen is a bit overrated. We fatten up our stats on RPI 100+ teams. But most of these guys get hit by the better hitting teams. I'm not even super confident about Burdi if he has to pitch to more than a few batters. That's not a serious indictment unless your expectation is the CWS which ours is.
Devin Hairston needs to shore up his game on the close-call plays. He makes the routine plays fine, and he makes the sensational play more than he should because of his athletic ability. But the former are relatively easy, and the latter are no-lose plays...the kind you don't get criticized over when you don't make them. The ones in between are the problem. Even before this game, he's too often muffing the tough-but-make-able play. Again, those are plays made by a CWS shortstop, not necessarily the SportsCenter Top Ten plays.
And on the upside...
We've now lost three 2-1 series to three top shelf teams: FSU, Miami, and Ole Miss. And they were all on the road. The one good team we've played at home, Virginia, we beat 2-1 in that series. So in those four series, we're 5-7 with three on the road. That indicates a breakeven record against those four teams in neutral ballparks, and I'd say all of those teams are CWS caliber teams. Yet, many of us are unhappy incl. the coaches and players. I like that.
Losses like this weekend are sure to shake people's (over-)confidence and, if they're team affiliated, motivate them to work harder. Obviously, that's a good thing too.
We get to quickly get back on the field and play good teams that we're motivated to beat. No time for anyone to stay in a "funk"...