I will make this simple statement, and then get ready for the barrage of negative reaction:
[color=brown]“The ultimate reason we will not win it all this year is our relief pitching.”[/color]
Know that I am excited about this team, proud of what they have accomplished and really looking forward to the post-season. But I just don’t think we have enough quality in our bullpen to get the job done against a string of other high-level teams of the caliber we will face in Omaha.
We’re solid everywhere else, with the possible exception of the occasional bad outing by one of our freshmen starters. There just isn’t anyone I feel good about coming into a situation where we need 3 or 4 solid innings before we get to Cronin ilke I did last year with Reindl and Loseke.
At some point - perhaps as soon as the Super Regional - that will be our undoing.
I think that’s the weakness in the team & certainly could be our undoing, but I don’t think it’s so bad that it necessarily will be. Other teams have weaknesses, too. We’re good enough to get to Omaha & even win it all. That’s a tall order under the best of circumstances, so I’m not going to predict we get there, but I think our chances of making it are as good as anyone’s.
NEA, it’s like others have said about other playoff events - 63 teams are going to end up disappointed, no matter how well their season has gone (see us just last season!). Obviously, I hope we’re NOT one of those teams, but odds are we will be. And if we are, I think this will be the reason why.
Ironically, I DO think we have some talent in our bullpen. But, I just haven’t seen/felt the development/consistency there during the course of the season to give me too much confidence in it. Oh, they may do very well in a given game. But when you’re playing a string of teams as good as you are (more or less), it doesn’t take but one or two shaky bullpen performances to sink the ship.
You are correct to point out that other teams have their “warts” as well. I’m sure their fans are fretting over those short-comings as they head into post-season play.
I think our BP is good enough if our starters go 6-7 inn each game and therein lies the problem our 2 FR sometimes give you a noshow and you have to go to the BP early and eats up the BP so to me that is what may cause us problems.
We are a totally different team at home so its going to tough for somebody to beat us at home but IMO what may get us beat is our hitting with RISP(especially on 3rd less than 2 out).I think you go back and look and that is the reason we have lost MOST of our games both TAMU games were b/c of that The LSU game was DVH does not like to play small ball so it puts a lot of pressure on guys coming up with the big hit,most of the time we do but thee are some games where we are awful in that category.We also have to get much better at not Striking out and make the defense work to get outs.