Long Beach State - Are Shocks Ready

[1972Shocker]

Probable Pitching Matchups
Feb. 29 — Rob Musgrave (LHP, 0-0, 1.69) vs. Andrew Liebel (RHP, 0-0, 0.00)
March 1 — Aaron Shafer (RHP, 1-0, 1.50) vs. Vance Worley (RHP, 0-0, 2.57)
March 2 — TBA vs. Jake Thompson (RHP, 0-1, 1.50)

Hopefully, our pitching staff will be on their game as runs, especially this early in the season, may be tough to come by.

LBS is expected to start 3 righties which the Shocks can counteract with a heavy dose of Lefthanded hitters. However, how successful we are this weekend may depend on if two righthanded hitters, T-Web and Dusty, can continue their hot starts.

Hopefully, Shocks will enjoy the mild mid-60's to mid-70's weather and will enjoy the weekend with some great baseball.

:posterwu: :goshocks: :posterwsu:

[newshock1234]

I hope we are, but for some reason i dont feel very confident about this weekend

[Shocker85]

I have no doubt that the Shocks are every bit as good as LBSU. The challenges that face them include the fact that there has not been consistent opportunities to get outside and play even intra-squad games to get hitters tuned and pitchers facing live hitting.

I agree keeping some guys hot and getting a few more rolling (i.e. Dirks, Workman, and someone in RF) will be very key. I feel the biggest hurdle and unknown is the relief corps. Coming off a Utopian season where every reliever stepped up with a nearly microscopic ERA and a high degree of reliability, this year's relievers are largely inexperienced. I have no doubt several of them will be good or very good - the key is finding out which are ready for prime time without costing the Shocks a lead at a crucial point in these early games.

I don't think the Shocks should be disappointed unless they return home 0-3 from LBSU. 1-2 with the 2 losses being close gives them motivation to improve. 2-1 pisses them off that they didn't sweep and motivates them that way. 3-0 gives them a HUGE boost of confidence.

Yes, I have on my yellow-colored glasses for this series, but there's a lot of talent and some unproven talent that will emerge.

--'85.

[1972Shocker]

Blair Field is a pitcher's delight and we have the outfield that can run down some mistakes that might be home runs in other parks.

Hopefully, we don't have to spend to much time doing that.

Definitely going to be a baptism under fire for some guys and a very interesting weekend.

[KC Shox]

Both teams are on par with each other. However, I'm giving the series win (3-0, 2-1) to LBSU, simply because they have been able to practice in warm weather and our team has been limited. Also, it sure doesn't hurt having been tested early by Rice and winning close games. If we played this series in April, I'd give the edge to the Shox.

[shock10]

I hope the team is ready I know Long Beech will be.

[haysdb]

I'm not giving our guys any excuses for not being ready to play tomorrow. Not ready? How can we not be ready?

[KC Shox Grad]

I think we will take the series. I was looking at LBSU schedule and they don't leave CA at all this year. From as far as I can tell they don't even travel that far from their home campus. Is their schedule normally this way? How nice would it be to not have to travel.

[KC Shox]

I think we will take the series. I was looking at LBSU schedule and they don't leave CA at all this year. From as far as I can tell they don't even travel that far from their home campus. Is their schedule normally this way? How nice would it be to not have to travel.

That is exactly the reason why LBSU will have the edge in this series. They are playing in a comfortable environment. While our team was trying to practice in freezing temperatures and shoveling snow off of the playing field, LBSU was basking in 70 degree sunny days getting quality practice time in before the start of the season.

[Shocker85]

Shox recent history vs. LBSU.

'01 at Eck Statium 1-2 1-0 at CSFU tournament
'02 at Blair Field 0-2 Not much Shox offense.
'03 at Eck Statium 0-2 LBSU Ranked #7 Shocker pitching couldn't hold the DirtBags.
'04 at Blair Field 0-2 LBSU Ranked #7 Shocks scored 1 run in each game.
'05 at Eck Statium 1-2 LBSU Ranked #28 Series opener tough 0-1 loss for Mike Pelphrey
'06 at Blair Field 3-0 LBSU Ranked #21 Shocks scored 9, 8, 10, Touchatt 2 wins
'07 at Eck Statium 2-1 LBSU Ranked #17 Great series - all 3 games decided by 1 run.

• * The Shox vs. Dirtbags series has usually been played later in the season.
  
  * Overall record since 2001 8-11, but 5-1 in the last 2 season.
  
  * The Shocks recent success follows a 5 year struggle where the Shocks went 3-10 against the Dirtbags.
  
  * The early season scheduling this year could be a pretty good tell on the Shocks pre-season progress.
  
  * LBSU hasn't been as highly ranked in the polls the last few years as in past years, but they're up to #7 after the 2-1 weekend vs. Rice.
  
  * Shocks are currently #10.

The Shocks have had the Dirtbags number the last 2 years - let's hope the trend can continue.

--'85.

Edit: Fixed my boo-boo on last years results.

[shocks771]

Long Beach traditionally plays the toughest schedule in the country. Every team in their league is in the state of California so the only time that they leave the state is for non-conference games. It just so happens that this year most of their non-conference games are at home. Last year they played at Rice, at Arizona State and at Wichita State.

[Snapshot9]

I don't necessarily agree. Sometimes the team that has to perform in more adverse conditions ends up being the better prepared team. Playing in the 60's and 70's will be a nice refreshing experience for our guys, and they may turn in great performances.

I think, that the series will go with how well we hit the ball. We, sometimes, have good pitching and fielding, but find ourselves lacking in performance at the plate. Our pitchers have to come through for us, and we have to get the ball in play on offense.

This is a 'tester' for us, as they say.

[CharlieHog]

We had home and homes with LBSU for a while back when Coach DeBriyn was our coach. It was always a fun series. LBSU was the first team I really saw go all out with the chatter, dueces, all that dugout stuff.

[1972Shocker]

Last year we had 18 games behind us when we played #17 LBSU. Taking the series 2-1 (all 3-games by 1-run as Shocker85 posted).

In 2006 we had 20 games behind us when we played at #21 LBS when we swept that series behind our offense 9-0, 8-7 and 10-7.

In 2005 we had 21 games in the books and lost the series 1-2 against the #28 ranked LBS.

In 2004 we played at #7 Long Beach State in our 9th and 10th games of the year and were swept 1-2 and 1-10.

The closest thing to playing LBS this early was last year when we opened against #18 Pepperdine on our way to Hawaii. We dropped that series 2 games to 1 by scores of 0-2, 2-10 and 3-2.

[Shocker85]

Last year we had 18 games behind us when we played #17 LBSU. Taking the series 2-1 (all 3-games by 1-run as Shocker85 posted).

Yeah, but for some reason I originally posted that the Shox were 3-0 last year - thanks for being kind. Record was actually 2-1 in '07. Fixed post above.

As '72 points out, tough series so early aren't found much in recent Shocker history. There have been some tournaments settings with good teams, but not many 3-game true roadies.

--'85.