Just a few thoughts I've been marinating in my head about the last week of Red Raider baseball...
*If you hid the pitching and opponent offensive stats last week and simply looked at what Tech did at the plate, you probably think the team goes 3-2, maybe 2-3 if things break particularly right. But that wasn't the case at all. Sure, the Red Raider bats had a rough time on Wednesday against UNLV and Sunday at Wichita, but you know what? It didn't matter. This team is well-rounded enough because of the depth and strength of the pitching staff that even on weekends where hits are hard to come by, even when two of your biggest vets - Garcia and Davis - are going through their own tundric Ice Ages at the plate, this Tech team is good enough all around that it doesn't matter. That's a sign of what legitimate title contenders do. They fall backwards into wins that seem like luck, but they're not. They're a sign of the margin of error because of the talent pool on the squad. This squad.
*I don't know what else to write about Steven Gingery at this point, because he's so damn good that I won't pick any pitcher on the rest of the schedule to best him. His strike-tossing, changeup heavy diet with his other pitches mixed in has made him one of the hardest guys to hit in college baseball. It's that simple.
*But Gingery isn't the sole reason Tech is winning every Saturday. Sure, he's the biggest component in that, but something that's really been undersold is the effect that this bullpen has on opposing lineups when they tag in for Gingery. That's where the honey in this pot is found. This team's got so many power arms in the pen that are so radically different to Gingery's pitching style, and that drastic sudden switch will befuddle most lineups in the closing innings as each hitter likely gets just one crack at an at-bat after the change is made. This is the true recipe for the success on Saturdays: Gingery comes out, Tech gets a small cushion in run support, and when you flip the switch and go to the bullpen, it's game over unless a reliever is flat out off. Take a closer look this Saturday, and you'll notice when it happens.
*Going back to Garcia and Davis: Yes, they're both in arguably worst slumps of their careers, especially considering the power both of them have in the bat and the fact that Garcia is arguably one of the most talented, effortless hitters that's come through Lubbock in a while. But just like Gute ;ate in the regular season last year, and even like Garcia himself through the middle of the season last year, good hitters eventually find their way out of cold streaks. Gardner already did it this season, and everyone was ready to have a panic attack with his slow start. This is just part of baseball.
*But you know what, as crazy as it is to believe, Tech's offense has succeeded even without its two biggest vets hitting at the plate. Youngsters like Michael Berglund, Grant Little, and Josh Jung have all been very good when called upon for big hits, Hunter Hargrove and Tanner Gardner are in a groove, and Ryan Long has gotten some big swings, too. That's where this team's talented has flashed through.
*I'm starting to wonder if Tadlock will play musical chairs with the outfield's alignment a bit. Personally, I'd move Little to center, Gardner to left, and leave Long in right. Gardner has missed a number of - while not easy - catches that a center fielder on this team should make 65-70 percent of the time. I think it says a lot that Tadlock has been putting Farhat in centerfield in the 9th in close games.
*Caleb Killian really flashed on Sunday afternoon. He's got some filthy stuff on the mound, and if he can get his control a bit cleaner and under control, he can be in the mix with Patterson, Quezada, Mushinski, and McMillon as one of the top dogs in the pen. \
*I think we've found our DH in John McMillon. The Whammer did some Whamming over the weekend, and he seems to keep getting better and better with every at bat he sees. His power is so lethal if he can really start separating balls and strikes and be patient at the plate like his fellow freshmen starters have done so far.
*But I do still think that Zach Rheams is going to get a couple chances here to put his hat back in the ring. I know that Tadlock and the staff really believe he's an extremely talented power hitter, and he simply needs more ABs. He's going to have to take advantage of every chance he gets, though.
*On to Texas Southern and Oklahoma.
*If you hid the pitching and opponent offensive stats last week and simply looked at what Tech did at the plate, you probably think the team goes 3-2, maybe 2-3 if things break particularly right. But that wasn't the case at all. Sure, the Red Raider bats had a rough time on Wednesday against UNLV and Sunday at Wichita, but you know what? It didn't matter. This team is well-rounded enough because of the depth and strength of the pitching staff that even on weekends where hits are hard to come by, even when two of your biggest vets - Garcia and Davis - are going through their own tundric Ice Ages at the plate, this Tech team is good enough all around that it doesn't matter. That's a sign of what legitimate title contenders do. They fall backwards into wins that seem like luck, but they're not. They're a sign of the margin of error because of the talent pool on the squad. This squad.
*I don't know what else to write about Steven Gingery at this point, because he's so damn good that I won't pick any pitcher on the rest of the schedule to best him. His strike-tossing, changeup heavy diet with his other pitches mixed in has made him one of the hardest guys to hit in college baseball. It's that simple.
*But Gingery isn't the sole reason Tech is winning every Saturday. Sure, he's the biggest component in that, but something that's really been undersold is the effect that this bullpen has on opposing lineups when they tag in for Gingery. That's where the honey in this pot is found. This team's got so many power arms in the pen that are so radically different to Gingery's pitching style, and that drastic sudden switch will befuddle most lineups in the closing innings as each hitter likely gets just one crack at an at-bat after the change is made. This is the true recipe for the success on Saturdays: Gingery comes out, Tech gets a small cushion in run support, and when you flip the switch and go to the bullpen, it's game over unless a reliever is flat out off. Take a closer look this Saturday, and you'll notice when it happens.
*Going back to Garcia and Davis: Yes, they're both in arguably worst slumps of their careers, especially considering the power both of them have in the bat and the fact that Garcia is arguably one of the most talented, effortless hitters that's come through Lubbock in a while. But just like Gute ;ate in the regular season last year, and even like Garcia himself through the middle of the season last year, good hitters eventually find their way out of cold streaks. Gardner already did it this season, and everyone was ready to have a panic attack with his slow start. This is just part of baseball.
*But you know what, as crazy as it is to believe, Tech's offense has succeeded even without its two biggest vets hitting at the plate. Youngsters like Michael Berglund, Grant Little, and Josh Jung have all been very good when called upon for big hits, Hunter Hargrove and Tanner Gardner are in a groove, and Ryan Long has gotten some big swings, too. That's where this team's talented has flashed through.
*I'm starting to wonder if Tadlock will play musical chairs with the outfield's alignment a bit. Personally, I'd move Little to center, Gardner to left, and leave Long in right. Gardner has missed a number of - while not easy - catches that a center fielder on this team should make 65-70 percent of the time. I think it says a lot that Tadlock has been putting Farhat in centerfield in the 9th in close games.
*Caleb Killian really flashed on Sunday afternoon. He's got some filthy stuff on the mound, and if he can get his control a bit cleaner and under control, he can be in the mix with Patterson, Quezada, Mushinski, and McMillon as one of the top dogs in the pen. \
*I think we've found our DH in John McMillon. The Whammer did some Whamming over the weekend, and he seems to keep getting better and better with every at bat he sees. His power is so lethal if he can really start separating balls and strikes and be patient at the plate like his fellow freshmen starters have done so far.
*But I do still think that Zach Rheams is going to get a couple chances here to put his hat back in the ring. I know that Tadlock and the staff really believe he's an extremely talented power hitter, and he simply needs more ABs. He's going to have to take advantage of every chance he gets, though.
*On to Texas Southern and Oklahoma.
