Is TTU finding it's stride? I really like what Mazey has been able to do at WVU with that roster, even though I think he's a complete d-bag about slowing down games and having wristbands around baseball belts. After dropping 4 straight games by a combined 5 runs they bounced right back and swept a pretty good ball club.
- It does seem like most guys have a defined role now defensively. I love having the option of Gage Harrelson to end each game in CF and a pinch running situation. Really wish he would've hit a little better to be in there every day. I would like to see Maxcey DH a little more often too. Kid looks like he weighs about 120 pounds but man he can hit.
- Friday night was an ass kicking. Austin Green finished with 5 RBI's and TTU really got after Aidan Major in a hurry. Super impressive win. TTU Scored 15 runs and WVU just fell apart a bit with 7 walks and 3 errors. But what jumped out to me was those 15 runs came with one HR total. It wasn't like a windy day at UNM where you're hitting a baseball to the moon.
- I also really liked what I saw from the pitching staff this weekend. WVU is no pushover and we allowed 7 runs in 27 innings. Like I said with the lineup, I also think the staff is starting to settle into what they're being asked to do. Robinson going 120 pitches was a little weird but he was still pumping 90+. Heuer looked good and Ryan Free looked like last year's Ryan Free. Sanders looks to be the #1 option out of the pen with Parrish being down.
- Zach Erdman and Hudson Luce both had great outings this weekend, which is a great sign.
- Jack Washburn looks to have been demoted to midweek duty with his struggles this year. Not seeing him this weekend was a little strange. Still thinking that Petty is dealing with some sort of injury as well. Whoever had our weekend rotation of Free-Heuer-Robinson after starting the year would have won the lottery. They've shuffled starters all year long and I hope that this gets them into a rhythm.
- I was happy to see Damian Bravo back in the lineup yesterday, I'm glad his injury seemed to be pretty minor. He's having one hell of a year.
- This team is just much deeper with Bazzell being healthy. And that's not taking anything away from the leisure of having Maxcey as catcher #2 because he's played great.
- Don't look now, but your RBI leader (45) right now is true freshman TJ Pompey. He's impressive and seems to be more comfortable at 2B. Kash has 39. Green and Bravo have 40.
- Cade McGee might be the biggest add this offseason, IMO. His defense at 3B allows Bazzell to play his natural position at catcher, and he has 37 RBI while hitting .303.
- I can't figure out if I love or hate having Kash at leadoff. He can change a game with one swing, but having your leadoff hitter swing at every first pitch can also lead to a lot of quick innings.
- The series this weekend in Lawrence is sneaky big. They don't jump off the page at anyone but have scrapped to a 9-9 conference record. WVU also just swept them in Lawrence with a combined 31-19 score. If TTU can sweep, they are absolutely in the race for a Big 12 championship. This league has been drunk all season. The 4 teams statistically ahead of TTU have all played one less series.
OU 14-4 with remaining series against @TTU-UT-BU-@Cincy
OSU 11-7 with remaining series against BYU-@UT-TTU-@UH
WVU 11-7 with remaining series against BU-@Cincy-KSU-@TCU
UT 11-7 with remaining series against @OU-OSU-@UCF-KU
I think UT has the hardest road left with trips to OU and UCF while hosting KU and Okie Lite.
After that I think it's OU, even though they have a 3 game conf lead and are riding a 7 game win streak, they still have trips to Lubbock and Cincinnati on the schedule and host Texas and Baylor.
OSU and WVU have UH and BU, respectively. But OSU has a trip to Austin and then hosts the Red Raiders. That WVU trip to TCU will be an interesting last weekend of the year.
Between the 4 teams they will play each other 12 times and TTU gets OSU and OU still on the docket. We really are in charge of the season, IMO. Then you hope some of those guys drop a few to the UCF/Cincy/TCU teams. The only thing that kinda scares me about our lineup is we are prone to strikeouts, which are not productive outs. I heard a stat during the broadcast today that TTU is last in the Big 12 with 3 total sacrifice bunts this season, and also first in the Big 12 in GIDP. Feels like we kinda slowed down on SB attempts and it's biting us on innings that could be bigger.
Great weekend boys. Keep up the momentum.
I'll dive into KU a little more later this week from a stats/schedule standpoint.
- It does seem like most guys have a defined role now defensively. I love having the option of Gage Harrelson to end each game in CF and a pinch running situation. Really wish he would've hit a little better to be in there every day. I would like to see Maxcey DH a little more often too. Kid looks like he weighs about 120 pounds but man he can hit.
- Friday night was an ass kicking. Austin Green finished with 5 RBI's and TTU really got after Aidan Major in a hurry. Super impressive win. TTU Scored 15 runs and WVU just fell apart a bit with 7 walks and 3 errors. But what jumped out to me was those 15 runs came with one HR total. It wasn't like a windy day at UNM where you're hitting a baseball to the moon.
- I also really liked what I saw from the pitching staff this weekend. WVU is no pushover and we allowed 7 runs in 27 innings. Like I said with the lineup, I also think the staff is starting to settle into what they're being asked to do. Robinson going 120 pitches was a little weird but he was still pumping 90+. Heuer looked good and Ryan Free looked like last year's Ryan Free. Sanders looks to be the #1 option out of the pen with Parrish being down.
- Zach Erdman and Hudson Luce both had great outings this weekend, which is a great sign.
- Jack Washburn looks to have been demoted to midweek duty with his struggles this year. Not seeing him this weekend was a little strange. Still thinking that Petty is dealing with some sort of injury as well. Whoever had our weekend rotation of Free-Heuer-Robinson after starting the year would have won the lottery. They've shuffled starters all year long and I hope that this gets them into a rhythm.
- I was happy to see Damian Bravo back in the lineup yesterday, I'm glad his injury seemed to be pretty minor. He's having one hell of a year.
- This team is just much deeper with Bazzell being healthy. And that's not taking anything away from the leisure of having Maxcey as catcher #2 because he's played great.
- Don't look now, but your RBI leader (45) right now is true freshman TJ Pompey. He's impressive and seems to be more comfortable at 2B. Kash has 39. Green and Bravo have 40.
- Cade McGee might be the biggest add this offseason, IMO. His defense at 3B allows Bazzell to play his natural position at catcher, and he has 37 RBI while hitting .303.
- I can't figure out if I love or hate having Kash at leadoff. He can change a game with one swing, but having your leadoff hitter swing at every first pitch can also lead to a lot of quick innings.
- The series this weekend in Lawrence is sneaky big. They don't jump off the page at anyone but have scrapped to a 9-9 conference record. WVU also just swept them in Lawrence with a combined 31-19 score. If TTU can sweep, they are absolutely in the race for a Big 12 championship. This league has been drunk all season. The 4 teams statistically ahead of TTU have all played one less series.
OU 14-4 with remaining series against @TTU-UT-BU-@Cincy
OSU 11-7 with remaining series against BYU-@UT-TTU-@UH
WVU 11-7 with remaining series against BU-@Cincy-KSU-@TCU
UT 11-7 with remaining series against @OU-OSU-@UCF-KU
I think UT has the hardest road left with trips to OU and UCF while hosting KU and Okie Lite.
After that I think it's OU, even though they have a 3 game conf lead and are riding a 7 game win streak, they still have trips to Lubbock and Cincinnati on the schedule and host Texas and Baylor.
OSU and WVU have UH and BU, respectively. But OSU has a trip to Austin and then hosts the Red Raiders. That WVU trip to TCU will be an interesting last weekend of the year.
Between the 4 teams they will play each other 12 times and TTU gets OSU and OU still on the docket. We really are in charge of the season, IMO. Then you hope some of those guys drop a few to the UCF/Cincy/TCU teams. The only thing that kinda scares me about our lineup is we are prone to strikeouts, which are not productive outs. I heard a stat during the broadcast today that TTU is last in the Big 12 with 3 total sacrifice bunts this season, and also first in the Big 12 in GIDP. Feels like we kinda slowed down on SB attempts and it's biting us on innings that could be bigger.
Great weekend boys. Keep up the momentum.
I'll dive into KU a little more later this week from a stats/schedule standpoint.
