Could not afford to lose the series at home. This team has so much talent, but they still need to get together just a little more. They have the grit and talent.
In SEC baseball, the key is to win the series. All of these teams are tough, but they cannot keep spotting the other team the first game. There is no rule that says you cannot play well in the first game as well.
True. We dug ourselves a hole by losing the first game at home. Fortunately, we climbed out of that hole. I expect Pallette will be much sharper than he was Friday night. Mostly likely it was nerves. We had two pitchers in those first 3 innings that simply couldn’t find the strike zone. That’s a recipe for losing.
We’re going to lose some series on the road. Hope we don’t lose any at home. Maybe get a sweep somewhere & win a road series or two. If we get to 17 SEC wins, we’ll be a high seed in the NCAA & perhaps host a regional or even a Super regional.
I’ve seen good Arkansas teams get whipped like the game Friday night. The 2015 team lost by 13 runs at home to LSU on the second weekend of the season, then didn’t lose a series the rest of the year. The 2018 team lost by 15 runs at Florida, then won 11 of the next 14.
Anyone who has watched much baseball knows those types of games happen. Once the game got away Friday, Arkansas held some of its best pitchers to have a chance for the final two games. That worked out. Kevin Kopps would probably have pitched Friday in a closer game.
I think a loss like that can be good for a team. It counts the same as a 2-1 loss, but it can get a team’s attention.
Alabama is a good team, much improved over its teams in the past several years. Brad Bohannon is a good recruiter and the talent level has improved there.
Oklahoma and Louisiana Tech are good teams, too, especially offensively. Oklahoma left Fayetteville and swept Houston. Louisiana Tech hammered Ole Miss in the midweek and swept Tulane this weekend.
Oklahoma has won six straight; Louisiana Tech five straight.
Arkansas is 14-3 against the No. 1 strength of schedule in the country.
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