The injuries to Tygart, Wiggins and Franks have forced DVH to throw the young pitchers into the fire. Today it seems like they grabbed the bull
By the horns. In spite of Bybee losing command with 2 out and loading the bases allowing 2 runs I. The first the bullpen did a great job. The series won today makes me feel a lot better about the pitching.
Adcock put out a fire and hold Bama on check.
Carter held his own and had good stuff
Wood sit them down in fine shape.
The question is where are the double
Plays that we’ve gotten use to seeing! Where is the range of a great SS! The lack of completing the play by Coll on the ground ball
He did get too extended the inning and forced Carter to add to his pitch count.
The balls the left side that the SS don’t get too shows up in hits and extra AB’s by our opponent.
Maybe we have all been spoiled by great range and strong arms in the past but in my opinion there’s been a lot of balls in game 1 and Game 2 that in previous years that would have been outs instead of hits.
Cali made several good plays today and also Slavens.
What’s everyone else’s take
I have been thinking it’s time to move Stovall over to shortstop. And maybe Bolton to second.
Coll’s transfer from his glove to his right hand seems a little slow.
Is Bolton injured? He took a good lick to his hand yesterday by a pitched ball. The next time at bat, Coll pinch hit for him. Hopefully, he doesn’t have a broken bone.
Our infield definitely isn’t our strength. However, we’ve never had an infield like last year, and probably never will again. Those guys were as good as many pro infields.
Imo, our outfield is a little faster and has better arms than last year.
Catching is better than I thought it was going to be after watching some fall ball, and Rowland is starting to hit a little.
I don’t think Bolton has the range to play SS or 2nd.
Last year and several
Years in the past our Catching Up as great. Especially blocking balls that could go to the back stop. Throwing out runners and picking them off.
Our outfield has shown improvement for sure.
The left side of the infield is our weakness. Battles and Biggers both got to balls a lot of SS don’t don’t too and they both had the arm to get the out. We don’t have anyone that makes those plays now.
Josenberger is probably our best SS if he devoted fulltime to it but no way we are taking that defense out of CF
We don’t have an SEC SS on the team and that has been the problem all along.is what is…We will just have to hope they get to where they can make the routine play
So far that’s not a guarantee! The extra pitched our pitchers have to throw wears on them. Also that’s craters more scoring chances for the bad guys.
yeah we have to be dead last in the league in turning DP.I can remember very few.
The one thing I can’t understand are these jumping throws! set your feet and fire the ball over there,would be much more accurate.
We were spoiled by Battles and Moore up the middle the last two years. Those guys were MLB level on defense, without a doubt.
We’ve had and will continue to have excellent players come in and out of the program in years to come, but I don’t think we’ll ever exceed the level of defense those two played at those two vital spots again in my lifetime.
We got spoiled with Moore and Battles, and a few guys before that.
One thing I’ve noticed is that Koch and Opitz were pitch blocking machines. Turner last year wasn’t as good, and this year it’s even worse. Not to dump on Rowland, he is what he is, and he ain’t Casey Opitz. But that means more WPs and free bases. Not throwing out runners very well either.
I guess the speed and quickness just isn’t a part of this teams tool box at SS. Whether it’s range, reading the ball or getting off an accurate throw.
Blocking the ball hasn’t been good at all this season. Our catchers Polk and Rowland don’t move behind the plate like Koch or Opitiz. Or have the arm. Will they get better. Only time will tell.
Well it’s been the concern all along that we really didn’t have a true answer at SS. I know it’s been my biggest concern because nothing more demoralizing than to give games away defensively
Yes and it shows up on the pitch count and on the scoreboard. Extra outs leads to trouble.
Is this “pitching” or “SS”?
Ok, my take on SS first. We were very blessed the past two seasons.
Pitching: I am very pleased, and surprised, that the Hogs “relievers” pitched so well, and long, yesterday. That was a series ripe for the taking, by Bama. Big, third game W.
I liked what Dave Van Horn said yesterday about Gage Wood. He said they put him in a high-pressure situation against TCU to get him ready for the moments that matter more, like the game yesterday. Wood said those early lumps — he also pitched poorly in the EIU game that Arkansas lost — helped him grow.
I want to see how Ben Bybee responds from what happened to him yesterday. Given what I know about him and his makeup, I think he’ll bounce back.
When you lose front-line pitching like Arkansas did early in the year, it magnifies the in-season development of the freshmen. Some of these freshman pitchers are having to prove themselves in SEC play instead of on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. They will be better for it, but there are going to be bumps in the road.
Is McLaughlin now a P?
DVH made a comment that they talk to him about pitching. He might end up being a real help if he can be effective.
I think there’s a lot of balls a good SS gets too and records an out that this season to this point they don’t get to the ball and it extends innings and the pitch count goes up!
Bybee has looked really good and then all of a sudden he just can’t find it. Sunday he was fine until he gave up a hit and had to pitch from the stretch.