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2022 Texas Baseball


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23 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

I tend to think Witt’s Texas career is over but I wouldn’t say it’s impossible. I think the timing of the injury is the more worrisome part. He would really need to be on the fast end of recovery if we are talking being game ready. 12 months is enough time to recover but usually you need a bit more than that to gear up. Injury happened in Feb/March (can’t remember the date) so that’s a pretty tough time crunch especially for a guy that was an elite recruit with elite stuff who’s probably going to add a few MPHs post TJ surgery.

Witt's surgery was 28 March.

Witt's Dad, Kevin, is a former MLB player and was a hitting coach in the Marlins organization.   Not positive,  I think he is now involved with youth baseball in the Houston area.  They will carefully evaluate and make best decision for Tanner with input from Kevin's contacts.

Don't know his relationship with Pierce and staff but there is likely concern about pitcher's management/development.    Though guessing Tanner has a private pitching coach.   The saving grace may be Tanner is from a Longhorn Family.

 

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losing the KSU series should have dropped us to 12 or 13.  then air force pounding the shit out of our staff should have dropped us to 17-18(Baylor sucks).  The OSU series is just doing a catch up all at once.

would be interesting to be a #2 against a #1 15 or 16.  they'll probably fuck us and stick us with UCLA or maybe Virgina Tech.  NCAA/TV would love Miami.  Is Miami any good?

would be funny if we had to play aggy as the 2 and fucked them up again.  I might enjoy the chance at that.  Maybe our team would actually try to show up and not get embarrassed.

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14 hours ago, Goodman said:

Wrong. No way. Nothing excuses what took place the last 3 days. We should never be swept. This was the pre-season #1 team in the country. We've only lost our Sunday arm and replaced him with the 2nd best starting pitcher on our staff.

I think we're in agreement.  Friday's loss was tolerable and within the realm of the cruelty of baseball.  I agreed with jimmy on that point.

Saturday and Sunday revealed that Texas kinda sucks and in a way that is not within the real of the cruelty of baseball.

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35 minutes ago, dcar00 said:

losing the KSU series should have dropped us to 12 or 13.  then air force pounding the shit out of our staff should have dropped us to 17-18(Baylor sucks).  The OSU series is just doing a catch up all at once.

would be interesting to be a #2 against a #1 15 or 16.  they'll probably fuck us and stick us with UCLA or maybe Virgina Tech.  NCAA/TV would love Miami.  Is Miami any good?

would be funny if we had to play aggy as the 2 and fucked them up again.  I might enjoy the chance at that.  Maybe our team would actually try to show up and not get embarrassed.

Assuming a lot of what ails us is purely between the ears, dropping out of the top 10 a while back would probably have been just what the doctor ordered.

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1 hour ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Forget a private pitching coach. 12 perfect months from March 28 means he ain’t starting any games for Texas in ‘23, period. 

Yea I didn’t realize the surgery was end of March not right after injury. No chance.

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2 hours ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Forget a private pitching coach. 12 perfect months from March 28 means he ain’t starting any games for Texas in ‘23, period. 

I wrote this a month ago also. Got lots of push back on here from the Holiday Inn surgeons and pitching gurus. With the dumpster fire going on now, and worse, NO solutions apparently from DP or SA, WHY would he come back? 

(And for the record, I'd LOVE to have him back, it just ain't happening)

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In line with what has happened lately....

Finally getting some game hats (and not watermelon sizes) @ the Disch these past weekends. Team is not wearing them so I have given up on getting the road gray, but they have the all burnt orange with the block T, so I go with that. Wearing the old cream and white for this series, this one sits in the truck all weekend. Upon taking it out today and looking at the fit, something is just not right.....

Really?

Yep, the Texas flag is not only backwards, but it also upside down. (wondering if I was just lucky or if they were ALL subjected to the same quality control. 🤬

...last pic is how it's supposed to look)

IMG_3763.jpg

IMG_3764.jpg

IMG_3760.jpg

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6 hours ago, David Dennison said:

Great. Our baseball program is following in the footsteps of our football program.

Don’t forget basketball team being ranked in the top 10 at the start of the season. 

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20 hours ago, Spaceman_Spiff said:

Things are rough right now - but if Pierce can regroup I think this season is very much still salvageable. For one, we absolutely are the most talented hitting team Pierce has had, and maybe Texas has had in a long time. And as much deserved hate as a our bullpen gets, it's really Pierce's deployment and management that has blown things wide open. Specifically:

1) Throwing the wrong guys: Eckhardt, Sthele, and Duplantier each have 20+ IP. Three of our worst performing arms each with an ERA of 6-8 are the "core" of our bullpen usage. Sthele has never had a good performance this season and Eckhardt and Duplantier are as likely to kill a game as they are to put in a 1-2-3 inning. I don't know what the hell Pierce is still tinkering with, but shut them all down for the season. Harrison and Nixon need to be seeing 2-3 innings (or ~40 pitches) per weekend series going forward, and Harrison should be the first response for any leverage situation. Olivarez, Morehouse, Johnson, and Southard all genuinely have shown flashes but are getting underutilized. They need to collectively be taking 6+ clean/lower-leverage innings each series. Hell, Olivarez has never had a bad outing and is at less than 15IP - what is happening? 

2) Stretching and putting relief arms in bad situations: Yesterday was emblematic of Pierce's issues this whole season. Gordon threw 6 fantastic innings yesterday - capping off the sixth by getting out of a tense bases loaded situation at 90+ pitches on the day. Pierce, rather than cashing out his winnings, throws him back into the fire for the 7th. Then when he allows two guys on and no outs Pierce decides not to put in our best, proven leverage arm in Harrison (that would make too much sense) but rather Morehouse, who just came off a lengthy outing Tuesday and has never been tested in this kind of leverage. I'm certain if he goes Morehouse to start 7, Olivarez for 8, and Nixon/Harrison for 9 we win by 5+ runs. He did this with Hansen and Southard at K-State and has repeatedly done this during the season. I get it, the BP is bad. But the answer is not to desperately try to stretch an inning out of an already overextended starting group or a reliever who put in one solid inning. Put good relievers in with clean innings and our team ERA would be a point lower. Seriously, almost all of our big innings are because Pierce stretches a pitcher too far, puts in a new arm with multiple runners on, and cues up a blow-up. Our BP ERA for first IP of the appearance with no runners is great - runners on and its abysmal. These are unproven arms nervous to get blown up, so they nibble too much when in leverage situations, but they are capable of handling their own in the right circumstances.

3) Use relievers smarter: Our pen is best when throwing 1IP at a time with a clean slate. But Pierce bounces between not using arms and then using them way too much. Nixon, every time, looks good in the first inning then falls apart in the second. Seriously, he'd probably look elite if he was just going in in the 9th a couple times every weekend. And this is for all of our arms. Nixon and Harrison should go multiple times a weekend and aim to stick to 1 inning (Harrison can stretch if critical). Everyone else should also be used 1 inning at a time, then hand it to the next guy with clean slate. Pierce has it in his head that if he can just find/force diamonds out of this group he can ride them for multiple innings like last year with Witt. Steer into the skid; you've got a rough BP, so stop screwing them over and put them in positions to succeed and they will (or at least will limit downside if they don't).

Let's take care of business against WVU and Kansas, then a strong showing in the B12 tournament could get us back in play for a regional. But be smart, and play to this team's strengths (offense, some starting pitching) and minimize its weaknesses (the BP in leverage situations). 

That's an excellent post.  I only have a couple of minor quibbles: 1) Sthele really did pitch well earlier in the season, up to and including the South Carolina trip. He followed up Hansen's so-so Saturday start with 2 shut out innings, then dominated Citadel to partially salvage that trip. I know, it's Citadel, but he couldn't have pitched any better that game; 2) Almost half of Duplantier's total innings came in 2 appearances (starts) at the beginning of the season, when, like Sthele, he looked good.  However, both have crashed and burned since then, and we can't count on either of those guys to pitch meaningful innings the rest of the way. 

I'm also very curious about Olivarez.  His usage and results are eerily similar to Southard's last year.

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That's an excellent post.  I only have a couple of minor quibbles: 1) Sthele really did pitch well earlier in the season, up to and including the South Carolina trip. He followed up Hansen's so-so Saturday start with 2 shut out innings, then dominated Citadel to partially salvage that trip. I know, it's Citadel, but he couldn't have pitched any better that game; 2) Almost half of Duplantier's total innings came in 2 appearances (starts) at the beginning of the season, when, like Sthele, he looked good.  However, both have crashed and burned since then, and we can't count on either of those guys to pitch meaningful innings the rest of the way. 
I'm also very curious about Olivarez.  His usage and results are eerily similar to Southard's last year.

I’m curious on Duplantier because as you said it was two starts. The further he gets away from his injury in theory the stronger he should become. I don’t think he should have started games for one. He’s a great option for Tuesday relief in my opinion. An inning or two to see how he’s progressing.

Not that it lets the pitchers off the hook, but the Dish has been very hitter friendly this year. Part of that is the strike zone is not as liberal as in the past so you have to bring more pitches into the hitters zone. I think there may be several guys with higher ERAs due to this. Southards grand slam versus the Aggies is a prime example of both. Had a very close 3rd strike call that was a ball then a wind aided homer that might not have been a homer in years past without the fences being moved.

There are legit options in the pen. It’s the deployment that’s been ridiculous.
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Didn't see this posted anywhere, so could be crap, but I heard this weekend that the Bullpen Boozer is back on the team due to lobbying by the pitchers.  If that's true, maybe, just maybe, we ought to lobby them to throw strikes.

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On 5/2/2022 at 2:06 PM, David Dennison said:

Great. Our baseball program is following in the footsteps of our football program.

we'd have to lose every game the rest of the way by 8 runs to reach the heights our football program has set over the last decade...

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31 minutes ago, Catpfish said:

Didn't see this posted anywhere, so could be crap, but I heard this weekend that the Bullpen Boozer is back on the team due to lobbying by the pitchers.  If that's true, maybe, just maybe, we ought to lobby them to throw strikes.

come to think of it that is when the whole thing started to go south.  19-14 since then.

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Didn't see this posted anywhere, so could be crap, but I heard this weekend that the Bullpen Boozer is back on the team due to lobbying by the pitchers.  If that's true, maybe, just maybe, we ought to lobby them to throw strikes.

He’s been back at least since the Baylor series…


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What's the bar for Pierce going on to the hot seat for this year?  Or is he already there? 

I have not seen too many people calling for his head yet but wonder if there are grumblings.  I know he is due some slack for injuries but like others have pointed out that is part of the game.

I, like many others, am scratching my head about how the pitching staff is handled and how Tee Ball-esque our base running is at times.

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27 minutes ago, BonzoMontreaux said:

What's the bar for Pierce going on to the hot seat for this year?  Or is he already there? 

I have not seen too many people calling for his head yet but wonder if there are grumblings.  I know he is due some slack for injuries but like others have pointed out that is part of the game.

I, like many others, am scratching my head about how the pitching staff is handled and how Tee Ball-esque our base running is at times.

He's not going anywhere after this year regardless of how the season ends up. If he follows it up with a dud next year (can't make it out of a regional) then it will be very warm.

This is going to be his biggest offseason since he's been here. Going to have to show urgency in the portal, juco ranks, making staff changes if he so chooses and developing some younger guys (Whitehead, Campbell, Kash, etc). There will be some pieces to work with in 2023 but there will need to be some good coaching to maximize.

On a side note, there is no reason we shouldn't be monster winners in the portal. A&M found 4 of their top 6 hitters in the order, their best reliever and a weekend starter in the portal last offseason. No reason we can't have similar success with our resources and commitment.

Edited by Hookem2147
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13 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

What the hell?

I was just asking a question.  It's not unfathomable that this is on some peoples minds.  I personally am not looking for his head.

I was trying to be as passive as possible in the post.  Apparently not passive enough.  We good?  

Edited by BonzoMontreaux
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48 minutes ago, BonzoMontreaux said:

I was just asking a question.  It's not unfathomable that this is on some peoples minds.  I personally am not looking for his head.

I was trying to be as passive as possible in the post.  Apparently not passive enough.  We good?  

I guess so.  I think he's done a pretty decent job, and a mid-season stumble isn't going to change my mind on that.  The bar seems high, but Gus and Augie had their moments, too.  

It would not shock me at all for Pierce to win a CWS Championship in the next few years.  If I thought that was an impossibility, I'd be less prone to stick with him.

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7 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I guess so.  I think he's done a pretty decent job, and a mid-season stumble isn't going to change my mind on that.  The bar seems high, but Gus and Augie had their moments, too.  

It would not shock me at all for Pierce to win a CWS Championship in the next few years.  If I thought that was an impossibility, I'd be less prone to stick with him.

He does have a high bar to follow and he his definitely having his moments, especially these last few weeks.

 

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9 hours ago, BonzoMontreaux said:

What's the bar for Pierce going on to the hot seat for this year?  Or is he already there? 

I have not seen too many people calling for his head yet but wonder if there are grumblings.  I know he is due some slack for injuries but like others have pointed out that is part of the game.

I, like many others, am scratching my head about how the pitching staff is handled and how Tee Ball-esque our base running is at times.

This year won’t put him on the hot seat.  A repeat next year will.

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15 hours ago, Native Horn said:

Yeah, those FIVE pitches last night have made him a question mark for the weekend.  Sounds about right.

It's a TBA designation because he pitched Tuesday. It isn't a TBA designation because of how many pitches he threw. If it wasn't a decision, he wouldn't have thrown. 

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There’s really no value in flipping days for Stevens and Gordon. If Stevens continues to start and get shelled early, you’re better off leaving Gordon on Sunday as that gives him an easier matchup.

If we’re talking regional, then Gordon absolutely is your #2 guy.

You’re 3rd starter is Morehouse or you go with a bullpen guy to get you the first 2-3 innings then bring on Morehouse or even Stevens for long relief. Olivarez could be an interesting option to be that guy.

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20 hours ago, BonzoMontreaux said:

What's the bar for Pierce going on to the hot seat for this year?  Or is he already there? 

Well first the season would have to end and we see how bad things ended up going. And then he would probably need two more shitty seasons.

Conference titles and CWS appearances have gotten him some slack.

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3 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

On The Horn this morning, Pierce said they are considering moving Stevens to the bullpen. Not decided yet but considering it. Saturday and Sunday starters are TBD this weekend.

Not a bad idea. He has been horrible as a starter this year and our bullpen has been horrid.

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3 minutes ago, Valmy77 said:

Not a bad idea. He has been horrible as a starter this year and our bullpen has been horrid.

Agreed. Even though Morehouse was awful against OSU, he was put in a bad situation.  I wouldn't mind seeing him get the Saturday or Sunday start on a very short leash.  Bring in Tristan early if you have to, or plan on him taking over in the 4th if not needed earlier in the weekend.

Agreed also that it doesn't matter much if Gordon starts on Saturday or Sunday the next 2 weeks, but he's definitely the 2nd starter in the postseason at this point.

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4 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

100% chance of rain basically all day in Morgantown. Probably going to be playing two tomorrow or Sunday (weather tomorrow is also dicey)

Yeah, I was just looking at that as well.  Best-case scenario looks like it stops raining early evening tomorrow.  Maybe we can get one in late tomorrow and 2 on Sunday, but I don't know about the conference travel regulations.

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Jeff Howe:  "The series opener between Texas and West Virginia in Morgantown has been postponed due to inclement weather.   The plan is to play a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. with one game on Sunday. Very real possibility they don’t get three games in this weekend."

SCHOOL BIG 12 OVERALL
Oklahoma State 13-5 31-13
TCU 12-6 27-16
Texas Tech 11-7 32-16
Oklahoma 9-6 27-16
West Virginia 9-6 27-16
Texas 9-9 32-16
Baylor 5-13 23-22
Kansas State 4-11 23-21
Kansas 3-12 19-27

 

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