2012 NCAA Tournament

[CharlieHog]

Stony Brook is a great team with great players. I got so tired of the terrible announcers (seemed like every Super Regional had them) acting as if the Seawolves were nothing more than a great "story" and should be so grateful just to have LSU's respect. They have a lot of talent on the mound and at the plate and they take a great approach in both areas. Very fun team to watch.

[billybud]

It looks like SB will open up against UCLA...

[WuDrWu]

If I understand the brackets correctly...Stony Brook should be on the side with Arizona, UCLA, and FSU.

I did not realize how many drafted players that they have until I watched some of their play in the tournament. They are very patient at the
plate, have a very efficient infield and good pitching. And batters 1-4 are really tough.

Crackerbox stadium or not, your team can really hit. Congrats.

[CharlieHog]

Crackerbox stadium or not, your team can really hit. Congrats.

So can Arizona. That's going to be an interesting matchup in Omaha.

[billybud]

Yes...Since the size of the fields were brought up..I wonder how that will effect Arizona?

They are used to playing on a very large field...a lot of room for drives to drop, balls to run to the wall, but harder to homer in.
FSU plays in the opposite situation.


...................................LEFT LINE.....................CENTER................... ....RIGHT


FSU...............................335............. ..................400..........................325 (with 30 foot screen on wall)
Omaha...........................335............... ................408..........................335
Arizona..........................360.............. .................400..........................360
Eck compare..................335...................... ..........390..........................335

[billybud]

The dimensions of Ameritrade in Omaha would seem similar to FSU's place in terms of going yard...but that depends on the predominant wind direction...I don't know the predominant direction.

Right now. as we speak, the wind in Omaha is blowing 17 mph from the NW...right across home plate in Omaha going toward the outfield. A hitters delight.

From google maps...Ameritrade is situated with home plate to the northwest and the fences to the southeast-south.

[WuDrWu]

There's more to "carry" than distance and conditions. I'd love to take a tape measure to Ameritrade and compare to FSU...to the naked eye, they don't appear to be anywhere near similar. Also, I don't think more than a handful of HRs were hit all year in Omaha (no doubt not the same caliber of hitting and conditions of wind seem to be generally blowing in) so even if the wind is blowing out I suspect there won't be a bunch of dingers, but what do I know?

[1972Shocker]

The prevailing wind, especially this time of year would be blowing in. And it was blowing in pretty hard when we played Creighton. I remember Shane Dennis saying that someone with Creighton told him that there had not been a home run hit all year between the 375' marks in the "power" alleys.

[billybud]

As far as park dimensions go..I picked them up from the internet described dimensions...I thought that they are fairly accurate.

But, I see that the FSU official web site has the Martin field dimensions as 340 left, 400 center and 320 right
..so I will amend my first post...that site had it off in right by 5...too short in left and too long in right, both by 5.

I then double checked official sites...Ameritrade is as listed...

http://www.tdameritradeparkomaha.com/Stadium/StadiumFacts.aspx

Ameritrade is shorter in left by 5
...longer in LCF by 10, in center by 8, and RCF by 15, RF by 15...but with lower wall vs wall with 30 foot screen.

Ameritrade is bigger than FSU, smaller than Arizona..and short down the left field line...looks like a right hander pull hitters' field.

[billybud]

Soooo?

Arizona is used to playing in a very big park, FSU is not....I'm curious as to any effect that will have.

My instinct tells me it is pitching and defense that will make the difference, not the long ball.

[ShockerFever]

Kent State joins the list of teams to pull hard for in Omaha.

Go Flashes!

[billybud]

I fear that we will, once again, hear the "SEC, SEC" chant.

I know that FSU is not strong enough this year to challenge. Heck, getting through a regional, when the year opened, would have been a huge victory considering that the two FSU starting pitchers were in high school last year, the middle reliever had been cut from the squad, and the closer had just had two awful years as a starter. FSU does not have Florida's pitching. As far as hitting, the super regional scores were deceiving...they were a reflection of Stanford's putrid pitching. The Cardinal hit 7 batters and walked 21 in the two games. Worst pitching outings I have seen in a while.

I am hoping that someone will step up & take out the Gators/South Carolina/Arkansas. At least, the SEC teams eliminate each other.

[CharlieHog]

I fear that we will, once again, hear the "SEC, SEC" chant.

lol


SEC! SEC! SEC!

[WSUwatcher]

...getting through a regional, when the year opened, would have been a huge victory considering that the two FSU starting pitchers were in high school last year, the middle reliever had been cut from the squad, and the closer had just had two awful years as a starter...

Interesting observation for the many doomsters on here who assume that WSU is headed hopelessly downhill. Sometimes players actually figure it out and get better, and not just at Florida State (e.g., Bret Bascue), or come in and have an impact right away (Kris Gardner, or, on other recent teams, Jordan Cooper and Aaron Shafer).

Considering that the Shocks have three freshman all-Americans and a number of other previously inexperienced guys who took over spots and made WSU a distinctly better team in their last 30 games than they were in the first 30 (from 16-14 with five wins over North Dakota and Alcorn to 19-11 against nobody outside the RPI top 150, including a series win vs. Dallas Baptist), and that their two best veteran offensive players (Coy and Bayliff) figure to be back -- and hopefully, in Bayliff's case, healthy at last -- it's not hard to see why even our notorious gloom pumper KC thinks good things are on the horizon.

[1972Shocker]

Sometimes players actually figure it out and get better, and not just at Florida State (e.g., Brian Bascue.

Bret Bascue?