Louisville leads Notre Dame 5-2 in the top of the 4th on an Ellis single HR and a McKay grand slam...in front of reportedly 9 ROWS of pro scouts. McKay is also on the mound.
UofL vs FSU baseball ACCT
- Thread starter Steelers2012
- Start date
I didn't, but I understood why. Several reasons. He stayed within the normal rotation and he needed to keep Mckay's confidence up going into the tournament and regionals. McKay hasn't lasted past 5 innings the previous two weekends and got roughed up against FSU. He needed a game against someone else before facing FSU again.
Hentzman gives up 2 more runs. Cards down 6-2 in top of 9th. The bus is running..
4 hits by the Cards today. Not going to win many games. Lefty shut us down plus not having Fitch and Lyman hurt. Rumoro starting at C 1st game, Summers in LF and Snider DH not our typical lineup. McClure battled but didn't have it.
First, kudos to the fellas from FSU for just coming to town and owning it the last couple weeks.
Curious about the comments from Coach Mac post-game, heard he was pretty animated after the loss (as he should be). Being sent out of your conference tournament at home in pool play with this kind of talent is completely unacceptable.
This is, sadly, becoming a broken record as of late. They play well in the regular season but just wither in the post. It's almost like he doesn't know how to coach a team with talent. Hopeful that he can turn it around but if it's another year of being a regional/super regional host and NOT going to Omaha, it's time start having a few difficult conversations. He of all people deserves time to fix the issue considering what he did for the program but you can't let this time of performance become the norm as it'll start to define our program.
Not to say that 45+ win seasons are a bad thing...but I'd take a 35 win team that can battle when it counts versus 40+ wins that just fall to pieces against adversity.
Let's hope for the best! Go Cards!
Curious about the comments from Coach Mac post-game, heard he was pretty animated after the loss (as he should be). Being sent out of your conference tournament at home in pool play with this kind of talent is completely unacceptable.
This is, sadly, becoming a broken record as of late. They play well in the regular season but just wither in the post. It's almost like he doesn't know how to coach a team with talent. Hopeful that he can turn it around but if it's another year of being a regional/super regional host and NOT going to Omaha, it's time start having a few difficult conversations. He of all people deserves time to fix the issue considering what he did for the program but you can't let this time of performance become the norm as it'll start to define our program.
Not to say that 45+ win seasons are a bad thing...but I'd take a 35 win team that can battle when it counts versus 40+ wins that just fall to pieces against adversity.
Let's hope for the best! Go Cards!
Pitiful effort today:
- the FSU pitcher was solid but geez the Cards didn't pressure him at all. In the 7th inning he was up to 100 pitches and the bottom of the order goes 3 up 3 down on 7 pitches
- apparently the book on the Cards is to throw a steady diet of offspeed pitches. Taylor and Hairston looked completely flummoxed
- Stowers had two boneheaded plays in right field. Both times he played "hero ball" trying to throw a runner out instead of hitting the cutoff man. Those two bad decisions directly resulted in 2 runs.
To put in basketball terms, they don't value possessions enough in the postseason. Bad defensive errors and a lack of timely hitting and working a pitcher seem to plague the team. Lots of pop flys early in the count and too many strikeouts.
Really a shame to go out like this. There was a big crowd and no doubt there would've been big crowds this weekend. Instead there will be a 1000 people out there and the ACC will clamor to keep the tournament in NC since there are more nearby schools to pump up the attendance. Oh well, hopefully they can get their stuff together next week. Unfortunately this baseball season is looking eerily similar to bball and football.
- the FSU pitcher was solid but geez the Cards didn't pressure him at all. In the 7th inning he was up to 100 pitches and the bottom of the order goes 3 up 3 down on 7 pitches
- apparently the book on the Cards is to throw a steady diet of offspeed pitches. Taylor and Hairston looked completely flummoxed
- Stowers had two boneheaded plays in right field. Both times he played "hero ball" trying to throw a runner out instead of hitting the cutoff man. Those two bad decisions directly resulted in 2 runs.
To put in basketball terms, they don't value possessions enough in the postseason. Bad defensive errors and a lack of timely hitting and working a pitcher seem to plague the team. Lots of pop flys early in the count and too many strikeouts.
Really a shame to go out like this. There was a big crowd and no doubt there would've been big crowds this weekend. Instead there will be a 1000 people out there and the ACC will clamor to keep the tournament in NC since there are more nearby schools to pump up the attendance. Oh well, hopefully they can get their stuff together next week. Unfortunately this baseball season is looking eerily similar to bball and football.
Where to start.I have a lot of mixed emotions after the last 2 weekends.First,let's hope we don't have to see Holton again.It's the left handed thing as well I think.Leftys that throw off speed predominately like him have been our achilles lately.
We've got our first 2 batters slumping at absolutely the worst possible time,but falling behind in the count.Either by good pitches,bad pitches swung at or the most inconsistent strike zone I've seen in years(and yeah it's both teams).Take your pick.
In their defense,their ticket's been punched for a while,but I can't help but think there's more to this than that.15 straight should bring the team together,not the other way.
L1C4 Baseball Cards!
We've got our first 2 batters slumping at absolutely the worst possible time,but falling behind in the count.Either by good pitches,bad pitches swung at or the most inconsistent strike zone I've seen in years(and yeah it's both teams).Take your pick.
In their defense,their ticket's been punched for a while,but I can't help but think there's more to this than that.15 straight should bring the team together,not the other way.
L1C4 Baseball Cards!
This team IMO was playing over its head, at least as far as wins and losses. With the player attrition we had from last year, this team had no business dominating the ACC until the last week of the regular season.
I spoke apprehensively about how good we were early in the season, but I gradually lost track of that argument as the wins kept piling up. Unfortunately, it now looks like my apprehension was warranted...
I spoke apprehensively about how good we were early in the season, but I gradually lost track of that argument as the wins kept piling up. Unfortunately, it now looks like my apprehension was warranted...
Well those guys with "one eye on the draft" just may be back here next year because of their lack of concentration ON THE GAMES here. Specifically Mann, Hariston and even Ellis. Ellis is hitting pretty good but he allows too many balls to go between his legs. Those guys were our strength back in the season bu they have all taken a "break" here of late at the plate with the exception of Ellis.
GO CARDS - BEAT EVERYBODY!!! God Bless America!!!
Agree,except about Ellis.You sure you're not thinking about Fitzgerald?I think Ellis is one of the most underrated 3rd basemen in the country.
But back to the draft.I applaud McKay for bringing the big pink elephant in the room front and center.It's not been addressed the past 2 seasons and now's the time to head it off,clear the air,not 2 weeks from now.
Holton is one of the premier pitchers in the league,which makes him one of the better in the country.Unfortunately for us,he does not rely on a 93 mph fastball,which plays into our strengths at the plate.My guess is though,that the scouting report is out and we will see the steady diet of those off speed pitches going forward.
It's not as easy as saying hit strikes early in the count and lay off the balls diving out of the zone,but that's the problem.The guys have to get better at that,because there are going to be more guys like Holton,especially in elimination type games.
L1C4!!
Last edited:
Thank you. You are correct about my error. Ellis is indeed playing well in all facets of the game.
GO CARDS - BEAT EVERYBODY!!! God Bless America!!!
No offense but, this is a ridiculous post. College baseball is a fluid game from year to year - particularly programs that recruit at the level that UofL does. They have quality on the bench and, they sign guys year and year out that have to decide between reporting or signing after they've been drafted.
Baseball teams that win the World Series routinely play .630 baseball. This means that they go through stretches where they don't play their best. Louisville is playing .830 ball - it stands to reason that they are going to hit a lull. Hopefully it won't continue to be in the postseason. There is definitely at this point a bit of a monkey on their back as, the players understand what has transpired in years past and maybe pressing, coaches as well. But for the poster that suggested that if they don't go deep into the College World Series "hard questions" need to be asked - you need to get a grip.
UofL was a mediocre program until DM got here. To even suggest that he be let go is maybe the dumbest post in the history of the Internet.
Why is it dumb? Yes we WERE a mediocre program that was not playing in a major collegiate baseball conference and didn't have potential top draft picks. That has now changed, and with that comes changed expectations. It's not about firing DM, it's about difficult conversations (and again only if we flame out again this year, which hopefully will not occur, rendering this entire line of thought moot).
"Despite having year in and year out the most talent at any point in our program's history as well as having record setting regular seasons, why have we not being able to recreate the success in the post season (often while playing at home)?"
That's a difficult question that DM is paid very well to get an answer to. Simple as that
Would I expect a fix overnight, nope. He has earned and deserves a wide degree of latitude. However, I would want to see him working towards finding a solution. As you said...it's become a bit of a monkey...expecting that to be resolved is not without reason. .
Agree about McDonnell--the best thing that's ever happened to our baseball program.
I hope you're right about the team, but I don't believe you are. I again think we're somewhat overrated--as I did earlier in the season--and we were simply playing over our heads for a long period. We'll find out one way or another in a couple more weeks...
As an avid follower of U of L baseball I have a hard time with the description of our baseball program as being mediocre before DM. I like to give credit to the foundation of Coach Zerilla and let's not forget that Patterson Stadium was a vision of Prado. Prado's mistake was that he thought he had to have Florida kids to win but the guys he got were either overlooked or just weren't wanted by Florida schools. Also the good kids back then felt you had to go south to get noticed. DM to his credit has found that Illinois, PA, KY and Indiana have good baseball players. U of L played in a tough baseball conference in Conference USA. Southern Miss, Tulane, Rice, Eastern Carolina were difficult teams to play.
I do have to say that we were mediocre before DM arrived here. We rarely had over 500 seasons and USM and East Carolina were the cream of the crop in CUSA. Other than that we were very competitive with the balance of the league. A measure of success would be trips to the NCAA tourney. There was one prior to DM being here. Your reference to FL kids is correct. The really good FL kids had little interest in coming this far north to play college baseball.
GO CARDS - BEAT EVERYBODY!!! God Bless America!!!
It appears FSU has "jelled" at the right time of the season. I hope our guys can get it back on track.
Me too.The seniors and juniors-that-won't -come back have got to lead.To me it starts with #24.
LT is the catalyst and the straw that stirs this drink.I expect he and the rest knows that,along with Lyman.Those two guys have to lead the way.Colin was really stroking it.I hope he's ok.
LT will break loose and others will follow.
We were mediocre but had terrible facilities and were in a bad conference. So one could argue we were over performing at mediocre.
Yeah, I agree Logan Taylor is huge going forward.
Last season we lost 7 ballplayers to the MLB draft. Not only that, but those 7 were chosen in the top 111 players or thereabouts (not looking it up, sorry). Those are the elements of "one of the best college baseball teams in history".....the words of the BC coach. It's hard to find fault overall with Coach Mac for that amazing achievement in its own right.
So, after losing all that, what happens? We find out we may have a higher ranked and possibly nearly as good ball club. Gee - what coach could not do that anyway. I could do that standing on my head.
Coach has a learning curve regarding the Draft and ballplayers' minds. My solution is to forget about it and hope for the best, lol. He can plant an early season seed and remind everyone with great sage words about how they let the team down if they are not 100% present. He can watch, I guess, for redundant elements of Draftmental behavior - such as throwing the ball out of the park from the outfield.
We are luckier than hell. We hit a jackpot of enormous reward with Coach Mac. I mean incomparable reward. This man can stay here for life. He is the most impactful hire of Tom's entire history. Nothing is even close. Mentioning a hard conversation about either Mac or Coach Williams is sheer blasphemy, lol. And I am serious.
Last season we lost 7 ballplayers to the MLB draft. Not only that, but those 7 were chosen in the top 111 players or thereabouts (not looking it up, sorry). Those are the elements of "one of the best college baseball teams in history".....the words of the BC coach. It's hard to find fault overall with Coach Mac for that amazing achievement in its own right.
So, after losing all that, what happens? We find out we may have a higher ranked and possibly nearly as good ball club. Gee - what coach could not do that anyway. I could do that standing on my head.
Coach has a learning curve regarding the Draft and ballplayers' minds. My solution is to forget about it and hope for the best, lol. He can plant an early season seed and remind everyone with great sage words about how they let the team down if they are not 100% present. He can watch, I guess, for redundant elements of Draftmental behavior - such as throwing the ball out of the park from the outfield.
We are luckier than hell. We hit a jackpot of enormous reward with Coach Mac. I mean incomparable reward. This man can stay here for life. He is the most impactful hire of Tom's entire history. Nothing is even close. Mentioning a hard conversation about either Mac or Coach Williams is sheer blasphemy, lol. And I am serious.
If both teams handle business we could be seeing Kentucky vs Louisville for a chance to go to the WS. Wow
No lie, Blue, lol. UK has a hell of a hitting team. Pitching depth is often what wins out - on that, we will see. Scrappy bunch on both sides of that one. Better watch out for NC State - they know late season baseball.
