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2/24-26 @Texas


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Friday- 730pm ESPN+

Saturday- 2pm ESPN+

Sunday- 1pm ESPN+ 

Weather

Looks awesome... Fri- High of 70 Low of 60... Sat/Sun- suppose to get up to 80 in Austin. Doesn't look like we will have to worry about rain either. 

 

Defensively we struggled the first 3-4 innings on Friday, but pretty much... we didn't struggle at all, after that. Auburn does play on natural grass, that we really haven't seen so far this Winter (lol)... but, Texas is all turf, like us, so.. that should help. 

Pitching-- I could see Sinnard starting on Saturday and using Bothwell for 20-30 pitches on Friday and then again on Sunday. I could for sure see them using the same pitching rotation, again, though. 

One other thing about the pitching. It was mentioned that Seti Manase was going to be the "closer". Now in college, a lot of times... that essentially means per weekend, that pitcher goes in the toughest spot out of the pen. Rarely do they "only close games". I could see Seti throwing innings in multiple games per weekend, as well. 

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https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2023/2/23/baseball-gameday-at-texas

Friday: Ben Seiler

Saturday: Seti Manase

I mentioned last weekend, I didn't particularly want to see Bothwell starting game 2 of any series. I simply think he is more valuable out of the pen, then if for some reason you don't use him the first two games.... he can start game 3. Plus he has a lot of experience in the relief role and he's a LHP that we don't have a ton of. 

Seti had tremendous success starting the last two seasons in JUCO. 

Anyways, I also hope that Sinnard gets to start game 3, imo... it would be a mistake to change his role, after being so good last weekend. The 4 pitchers mentioned, Levy, Ey, and Kraft.... imo, those guys will be eating the bulk of the innings this weekend. 

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Seiler- 5IP 4H 2K 2BB 0R 

Seti going today. Bothwell will throw 55-65p this weekend, as well. 

Brooks Ey, Ryan Kraft.... 

Hope to save Sinnard for the start tomorrow. 

Last nights situation, down the road... I would prefer Bothwell come in, in the 8th, against the LH that went yard and then close the game from there... if he throws too many, he doesnt pitch again... 

But if he's efficient.. you could use him again Sunday. 

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29 minutes ago, Seeking6 said:

Where are Auburn and Texas projected nationally? Or where would they fit in the projected B10 standings? Just trying to see is this like playing good to great early season competition that will pay off down the road for us or what? 

There are a lot of baseball polls.  I'm hardly an expert here.

I looked at some of the baseball preseason polls and I would say that Texas was more highly regarded as they were ranked #24 and #25 in 2 different polls.  Although Auburn has been to CWS 2x in recent years, I didn't find them ranked in 2023.  But I didn't look at all polls.

Collegiate did rank the top 50:  Texas #25 and Auburn #31.  IU was in a group of about 50 that also received votes.  Maryland was # 21 and UM #44.

I didn't look at any B1G specific polls.  But I think Maryland is considered the team to beat and is a top 25 team.

Texas has lost 3 times already but two of them were to top 10 programs (Vanderbilt and Arkansas).

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6 hours ago, Seeking6 said:

Where are Auburn and Texas projected nationally? Or where would they fit in the projected B10 standings? Just trying to see is this like playing good to great early season competition that will pay off down the road for us or what? 

 

5 hours ago, slojoe said:

There are a lot of baseball polls.  I'm hardly an expert here.

I looked at some of the baseball preseason polls and I would say that Texas was more highly regarded as they were ranked #24 and #25 in 2 different polls.  Although Auburn has been to CWS 2x in recent years, I didn't find them ranked in 2023.  But I didn't look at all polls.

Collegiate did rank the top 50:  Texas #25 and Auburn #31.  IU was in a group of about 50 that also received votes.  Maryland was # 21 and UM #44.

I didn't look at any B1G specific polls.  But I think Maryland is considered the team to beat and is a top 25 team.

Texas has lost 3 times already but two of them were to top 10 programs (Vanderbilt and Arkansas).

Don't know that Texas is overly strong, for them, right now... 

But.. the big challenge for us... they and Auburn have both practiced probably 4x as much as we have with live ABs. 

We really competed last night.. one pitch and some poor early season ABs. 

Texas and Auburn still have real dudes. Auburn has some young arms. 

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Friday

Controlled the whole game, honestly. One bad pitch (3 run bomb) to their 3 hole hitter was the difference in the game. 

Seiler- 5IP 4H 2K 2BB 0R 62p 

He was awesome. This weekend featured another, tight (fair), strike zone, I will speak more about the zone later on.... Seiler obviously isn't still "fully" operational at this point, you can see that with the pitch count. Hopefully he can throw 75-80 this weekend and fully go after that. Vega+Levy came out of the pen, they weren't the best, but Levy was solid until the three run shot he gave up. 

But, when Seiler is full go.... he throws no less than 2 more innings in this game... maybe even 3, and the bullpen has way less work to do. 

At the plate, we did struggle.... but Texas threw a real dude. He held Arkansas 5IP 2H the previous Friday night. We at least really battled a ran his pitch count up and he was out of the game after 5.2IP and 105p. 

 

Saturday

More of the same from our offense. We couldn't muster anything. Texas starter was really good and we were poor with runners on and runners in scoring position. At one point in the weekend we had hit into 5 double plays and were 3-33 with runners on base. Woooof. 

Devin Taylor got his first career start and had an RBI. 

Seti Manase started and went 4IP 1H 1R 3BB 1K. Unearned run was a dropped fly ball in the 1st. Only 2 of Texas runs were earned in this game. 

Kraft came in, and because of errors (mostly tough plays), struggled some and gave up 2 runs. Hayden, Yoho, and Whiteaker all threw scoreless innings. 

 

Sunday

Both offenses struggled throughout. Our offense got going in the 6th.. all with 2 outs, Pyne RBI singled, Mathison RBI single, Tibbitts 2 RBI double. 4 runs in the inning and it was the only inning we scored. 

Luke Sinnard(6'8 230) had his 2nd excellent start of his career on Sunday. 5IP 5H 7K 0BB 2ER (one a solo bomb in the first)... he was very, very good again. He sat 92-95 with a cut fastball and slider to play off of that. Cooper Hellman came in for an inning of work. Kraft redeemed himself with 3IP 1H 2K 0BB to get the 9 out save. 

 

Starting pitchers combined- 14IP 10K 5BB 10H 2ER on the weekend. Bullpen was mostly fine, as well. We look like a very solid ball club.... Mathison, Ellis, Colopy/DH spot is where we are still lagging. 

Tyler Cerny played more at 2B this weekend and imo he will take Goforths spot at 2B, ultimately. Cerny is very good in the field. Cerny started Sunday.

Our defense since game 1 at Auburn has been very, very good, as well. With Ellis struggling we can play Serruto and Langermann more often. Serruto threw out 4 base runners yesterday. And I think we had 3 outfield assists this weekend? Something like that. Defense has been good. Again.. Mathison, Ellis, and company at the plate is the only reason we aren't more like 5-2 right. I've really liked what I've seen so far and feel very much at ease with the pitching staff. We did a great job in the portal. 

Of note... Ty Bothwell did not pitch this weekend. Last season in conference play-- 21IP 1.29ERA... add him into the mix (he should have been in the game late on Friday, but he might not be healthy)... and we could really have an excellent pitching staff. 

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