5/27/2011 2:00:59 AM
cityball650
Posts: 9
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Pretty disappointed that this series has not been previewed or mentioned here or on any other notable college baseball sites, but I guess so is the nature of college baseball and the media (or lack thereof).
Anyway, this series seems to have been scripted by the baseball Gods, as it pits teams with identical 14-4 records against one another for the league title, and automatic bid to baseball's big dance. Most people probably aren't familiar with either team or their players, but depth seems to be a good word to describe both clubs, and I can tell you right now that either team could make noise in a regional based on fundamentals (USF is #1 in country in fielding percentage), and pitching depth.
We'll see how it winds up, Gonzaga is definitely the favorite but I think this series will be an exciting one!
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5/27/2011 9:52:12 AM
FullertonBaseballFan
Posts: 146
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Eric Sorenson mentioned it in his Easton Baseball preview on ESPN.
http://blogs.eastonbaseball.com/collegebaseballtoday/2011/05/26/espns-week-15-preview/
Should be a good series. Stinks for USF that Lujan got hurt. USF is playing a little better ball than Gonzaga right now but I like the Bulldogs chances playing at home in Spokane.
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5/27/2011 1:21:09 PM
Dodger Matt
Posts: 1553
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Go Zags. I think they would represent the WCC better than USF. Problem is they'll probably end up in Corvallis. Oh well, we all gotta go sometime.
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5/28/2011 1:37:29 AM
cityball650
Posts: 9
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Dodger- I also like Gonzaga and think they would be a darkhorse team in the right regional, but what makes you think they are a better representative of the WCC than the Dons?
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5/28/2011 1:46:58 AM
cityball650
Posts: 9
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Kendall, you've said that Gonzaga would be a dangerous #4 seed in a regional... does the same train of thought apply to USF if they beat Gonzaga (like you said, a solid team), 2 of 3 in Spokane? Frankly, I have been following this team for some time now and have simply not seen anyone get into any detail as to why this team has had success. I'm curious to hear your opinion on the rest of the series, and it's implications.
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5/28/2011 7:34:39 AM
FullertonBaseballFan
Posts: 146
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USF would be a dangerous team for a 1 seed to play in a regional. They have to schedule like a northern school and play most of their non-conf schedule on the road due to the weather in NoCal and the poor drainage at their park so they always start out slowly. 15-3 in their last 18 games. Nino G. can flat out coach.
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5/28/2011 11:26:54 AM
Dodger Matt
Posts: 1553
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cityball650 wrote:
Dodger- I also like Gonzaga and think they would be a darkhorse team in the right regional, but what makes you think they are a better representative of the WCC than the Dons? I don't mean that there is anything wrong with the USF players' character or morals, if that the way "represent" came across. I simply mean that Gonzaga as a team might fare better than USF in representing the conference. The Dons' overall record is not as good, and they don't have many signature wins on their resume.
Gonzaga OOC wins
Pacific (3)
aTm
Mizzou
Minnesota (2)
Iowa (2)
UCI (3)
UNM (3)
BYU
USF OOC wins
UC Davis (2)
Lamar
NMSU
Sac State
UCSB
Lou-La
San Jose State
Cal
Pacific (2)
Fresno
Cal Poly
CS Bakersfield
In terms of ranking, Gonzaga is currently 29 ISR, 68 RPI; USF is 49 ISR, 99 RPI.
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5/28/2011 11:33:36 AM
Kendall
Administrator
Posts: 7236
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cityball650 wrote:
Kendall, you've said that Gonzaga would be a dangerous #4 seed in a regional... does the same train of thought apply to USF if they beat Gonzaga (like you said, a solid team), 2 of 3 in Spokane? Frankly, I have been following this team for some time now and have simply not seen anyone get into any detail as to why this team has had success. I'm curious to hear your opinion on the rest of the series, and it's implications.
Definitely would agree with you there.
--
Kendall Rogers, College Baseball Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/KendallRogersPG
Email me: mailto:kendall@perfectgame.org
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5/29/2011 1:59:32 AM
Dodger Matt
Posts: 1553
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Sunday's rubber game to decide the champion. That's the way to finish a season.
Cityball, are you a Don fan? The WCC used to have a best of 3 series after the regular season between the #1 and #2 teams for the autobid, which I didn't quite understand.... There aren't that many teams in the conference, and they all play each other. What happened with that?
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5/29/2011 6:36:01 PM
Dodger Matt
Posts: 1553
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Congrats to USF. We may see you in Corvallis.
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5/29/2011 8:18:10 PM
FullertonBaseballFan
Posts: 146
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Congrats to USF. Took grande' cajones to go on the road and win 2 of 3 to win the conf title.
They're going to be a 4 at UCLA or Fullerton. They can take a bus to either place instead of hopping on a plane.
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5/31/2011 11:58:12 PM
cityball650
Posts: 9
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Kendall... the Dons did indeed go on the road and take 2 of 3 from a very solid Gonzaga team (11-3 at home before USF), one that you thought would defeat the Dons. I still haven't heard much from any of the top baseball analysts, you, Fitt, Sorenson, etc. about what makes the Dons successful.
They have been incredibly hot throughout the second half of the season, even out of conference... what do they add to the UCLA regional?
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6/1/2011 12:17:03 AM
Dodger Matt
Posts: 1553
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Another victim.
Just kidding. They're probably the best 4 seed in the tournament. (Possible exception: Oral Roberts.) But the WCC single-bid team is usually the best 4 seed in the West's annual Region of Death, and here it is. They could win a game or two. Or go 0-2 and contribute to most people's ignorant opinion that the WCC is weak.
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6/1/2011 1:31:17 AM
cityball650
Posts: 9
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Dodger, I agree completely. WCC teams have been very harshly treated by the committee for a while now. Most notably, WCC teams are notorious for having below average facilities, and thus playing lots of road games. Not only do they go on the road, but they play solid Big West and Pac 10 teams on the road OOC and in midweek. The whining however, isn't doing the conference any good- one of these teams is going to have to buck the trend and surprise some folks before the ignorant perception that the WCC is a weak conference is put to bed. USF was close in 2006, beating nat. seed Nebraska at their place, but that was not good enough. Maybe USF will be the team to do it, maybe not, but one of these teams from the WCC needs to get the job done.
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6/1/2011 1:06:12 PM
Dodger Matt
Posts: 1553
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San Diego had a chance a couple years ago when they were a legitimate 1 seed, but they tanked in their own regional. That was a golden opportunity missed. Getting one team in the postseason, and that team not being ranked suffiently high enough not to be the best 4 seed in the nation means the WCC representative will always be the ROD's sacrificial lamb. Even if Gonzaga had landed an atlarge, they would have been bused to Corvallis, perhaps as a low 3, but with the same result. Perhaps adding BYU (and Seattle?) will change the conference dynamics and allow for more postseason opportunities for WCC teams. Good luck to the Dons, regardless.
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