can’t even throw a freaking strike!nothing ever easy with this team!
Well, at least we backed them up with 10 walks. I bet we had more walks than we had strikes thrown that inning.
It was ugly but This team’s depth (which some people have questioned) has really pulled us through so far.
We as fans tend to freak out any time an opponent gets a lead but this team has shown it’s usually going to score a lot of runs and be in position to win most games.
Something that is overlooked is we have had some fairly bad luck. McKinney and Campbell were supposed to be big for us.
I don’t think it was unreasonable to think at least one of them would emerge as a very solid weekend starter. It hasn’t happened.
Reindl and Loseke were bad to start the season. Fletcher stumbled out of the gates big time. Gates has been out most of the year and was expected to play a lot on the corner IF. He has shown glimpses of being a steady hitter and he’s an underrated glove.
Rutledge had a chance to be a force and has battled arm problems and inconsistency. Koch has had (for him) a down year. Bonfield has been solid but unspectacular–same for Jax (at the plate).
Turner has huge power and has had setbacks and been a nonfactor. They thought Ramage would be a key piece and it hasn’t clicked for him. Kostyshock, Bonnin and Bolden have electric arms but have been inconsistent.
And, yet, through all this they have the best shot at a national seed they’ve had in some time. It seemed like the times they hosted it was because of a team opposite them losing a Regional and also MO State having issues with their stadium.
Unsung heroes like Murphy and McFarland and amazing performances by freshmen Heston and Martin have been huge. Shaddy has–all around–been one of the best players in the league the whole season. I crammed on him hard last year for being such a defensive liability and he had not only been serviceable–has had been very good at a key defensive position and has played a ton even after missing 4 games this week.
They’re in solid shape for a Super and a virtual lock for a Regional and that’s a testament to the team’s depth and resiliency and the good job the coaching staff has done plugging people in the right spots.