Great job Matt…I see USC is now planning on throwing their 2 best LH,don’t blame them really we have to prove we can hit them,maybe this team playing a little more small ball will be more successful. we can hit them Bc we hit OM Rollison very well and he’s as nasty as they come.USC guys are crafty lefties so we will need to be patient.
but I’ve secretly wished DVH would experiment with it to see what would actually happen.
Obviously Clay is right in that it is practically impossible to keep runners from advancing should the pitcher remain in the windup. That’s why we have pitching from the stretch.
But in Isaiah Campbell’s case, he is so dominating from the windup, and not so good from the stretch. And when he starts pitching from the stretch, the wheels frequently come off, and a big inning seems to be the most common outcome. (Maybe he solved this issue in the off season; maybe he hasn’t.)
Id’ like him (and DVH) to have the mindset that ONE base runner is “insignificant”; let him steal 2nd (and 3rd?); he means nothing by himself. And even if he DOES score, it’s just ONE run. Stay in the windup and dominate the next batter.
Would be interesting to see if he could get out of the jam (with perhaps giving up only single run), not burn his pitch count, and not have to be pulled from the game in the 4th/5th inning with multiple runs across, bases loaded, etc. Could also be a lift for the offense to NOT have to dig out of a deeper hole.
You know, I’m not a baseball expert by any means, but I had that exact same thought during game 1 on Saturday. Ideally, yes it would be better to fix his issues pitching from the stretch, and I’m sure he will long-term. But I wonder if there will come an inning where they decide the benefits of staying in the windup right now might outweigh the negative of giving up a base or two. There’s just such a huge discrepancy in his effectiveness between the two deliveries.
Its a long season though, maybe he figures it out before too long.
I think a lot of Campbell’s problems in the stretch are pitch selection he has a tendency to start people off with a fastball and they are making adjustments I think he should throw more breaking balls can maybe get ahead in the count then use the fastball out of The zone.
I know it’s a crazy thought for baseball people, which is why I prefaced it that way. But if Campbell were to give up a hit with two outs in an inning, I wonder if it might help him better concentrate on the next batter. It’s just a theory.
I think you are on to something about his first-pitch fastball tendency. EIU on Saturday started sitting on the fastball in the fifth inning.
That’s what I would try to do he has a swing and Miss breaking ball and Change-Up that he can get ahead in the count with.
Attendance won’t be a problem, USC had 392 at their game Sunday! No wonder kids want to play in SEC!