Pitching Rotation

[shockfan89]

Yes I agree they have to do very well in the MVC AND the non-conference to be a national seed. That is why I think pitching one of our top three in mid-week games against the best opponents is the best chance to do that.

I think we have all gotten used to this coaching staff saying "pitch your best available pitcher". I agree with this 100% in the post-season when there is no tomorrow, but I disagree with that during the season. You should look at the week ahead and plan to use the pitchers that give you the best chance to win the most games that week.

When it comes selection time a win over ASU, or a 6-2 record against the Big 12, or 2-0 versus ORU is going to be way more important than a conference loss or two against an Indiana State or a Southern Illinois.

[vbird53]

Yes I agree they have to do very well in the MVC AND the non-conference to be a national seed. That is why I think pitching one of our top three in mid-week games against the best opponents is the best chance to do that.

I think we have all gotten used to this coaching staff saying "pitch your best available pitcher". I agree with this 100% in the post-season when there is no tomorrow, but I disagree with that during the season. You should look at the week ahead and plan to use the pitchers that give you the best chance to win the most games that week.

When it comes selection time a win over ASU, or a 6-2 record against the Big 12, or 2-0 versus ORU is going to be way more important than a conference loss or two against an Indiana State or a Southern Illinois.

Not only should you give the ball to the pitchers that give you the best chance to win, but also against the teams with the biggest upside (rpi). Throwing Capra against the competition from the initial post might be the difference between a top 8 national seed (and potential host of a super) and simply hosting a regional as one of the 16.

[haysdb]

1. Clint Maune should be pitching the Tuesday games against Kansas, Kansas State, and Central Arkansas
2. Tim Kelley should be our Sunday starter. Throwing Capra on Sunday is a colossal waste of our hottest pitcher.
3. Throw Capra on Wednesday against Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Arizona State.
4. Leave Musgrave and Shafer where they are.

What is the downside of this? Surely we have enough confidence in Tim Kelley to throw him against the #3 pitcher of the remaining Valley opponents.

Do you REALLY want to throw Clint Maune against OU, OSU, and ASU? Cripes, the kid will be permanently brain damaged and we will be 0-3 against the best teams on our schedule.

I don't really care which of our current weekend starters pitch on Wednesday. I'm suggesting leaving Musgrave and Shafer where they are just to avoid moving EVERYONE. I think a good argument can be made for throwing Musgrave on Wednesdays. He's a senior lefty who probably benefits from pitching night games.

[KC Shox]

Here, here Hays. Although the Valley does hurt our RPI, we can take advantage of the conference weaklings by throwing Capra ior Musgrave in the mid-week starts. I have no doubt TK can win on Sundays.

I hope Gene is thinking the same thing.

[Tasmanian Devil]

1. Clint Maune should be pitching the Tuesday games against Kansas, Kansas State, and Central Arkansas
2. Tim Kelley should be our Sunday starter. Throwing Capra on Sunday is a colossal waste of our hottest pitcher.
3. Throw Capra on Wednesday against Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Arizona State.
4. Leave Musgrave and Shafer where they are.

What is the downside of this? Surely we have enough confidence in Tim Kelley to throw him against the #3 pitcher of the remaining Valley opponents.

Do you REALLY want to throw Clint Maune against OU, OSU, and ASU? Cripes, the kid will be permanently brain damaged and we will be 0-3 against the best teams on our schedule.

I don't really care which of our current weekend starters pitch on Wednesday. I'm suggesting leaving Musgrave and Shafer where they are just to avoid moving EVERYONE. I think a good argument can be made for throwing Musgrave on Wednesdays. He's a senior lefty who probably benefits from pitching night games.

I think it's a great idea. I wonder one thing though. I have to think it might start to get awfully tough to schedule in the future if we start throwing our normal weekend starters in these mid-week games. That's bound to piss off some opposing coaches.

At the very least, I would pitch Kelley against the big boys and find another solution other than Maune for the Tuesday games. I'm not sure who but there has to be an upgrade on the staff.

[haysdb]

I'd be fine with Kelley pitching the Wednesday games.

Kemp pitched well tonight except for some wildness to start the 5th. He allowed a run but no hits in 3 innings.

[William]

somebody beat me to the punch, but a certain amount of decorum is necessary here, you can't throw your studs midweek against top 50 rpi freshman midweek guys and expect to be able to continue to schedule big12 and the like competition. They will see this strategy for what it is, b.s. and kick the shocks off their schedules, and if that happens where do we get our rpi from if nobody in the area that is any good will play us.

[haysdb]

I won't argue the point, which I consider a valid one. I will ask, rhetorically, whether we should stop playing teams midweek who use a weekend starter in relief.

But I await a good and logical reason for not pitching Kelley on Wednesdays instead of Tuesdays. In many of these games we play on Wednesday, our opponents aren't playing a Tuesday game, so it would be 4th starter against 4th starter.

Yeah, there's the risk of losing both midweek games instead of just one. Maybe it's "risk management" that causes us to use our best weekend starter against our opponents 3rd starter, and our best midweek starter against the team with the worse RPI. It gives us our best chance of winning no less than 2 games in a week.

[shockfan89]

I think we should start a true 4-man rotation right now which should eliminate most of the risk of throwing a "weekend" starter midweek. If we win today we are in the drivers seat for the MVC. UNI has no chance continuing the pace they are on. They have only played TWO games against top 100 teams and they are 0-2.

Kelley should pitch on Sunday and Capra on Wednesday!!!

[SB Shock]

UNI has no chance continuing the pace they are on.

What if UNI sweeps CU this weekend?

[haysdb]

UNI has no chance continuing the pace they are on.

What if UNI sweeps CU this weekend?

Then we must recognize that they are for real. Just because they haven't beaten anyone good, doesn't mean they are incapable of it.

[haysdb]

Creighton, Missouri State, and Indiana State all split double-headers today. There will be no sweeps in the Valley this weekend, as the 8 teams in conference play are all 1-1.

[SB Shock]

UNI has no chance continuing the pace they are on.

What if UNI sweeps CU this weekend?

Then we must recognize that they are for real. Just because they haven't beaten anyone good, doesn't mean they are incapable of it.

The point is you can't take anybody granted in the MVC. Every team in a 3 game series has enough pitching to make the series competitive. Look at SIU, their Friday pitcher was throwing 95, their Saturday pitcher was pitched upper 80's and pitched very well. It remain to be seen what SIU sunday pitcher will be like. But this is 200 RPI team.

Lets just throw out a "Elliot Euphanism" here - WSU is not a good enough program where they just can roll the ball out and beat their teams in submission.

[ShockerFever]

I wonder if a Miami, an FSU, a Nebraska, a UC Irvine, an Arizona State, etc. could go 24-0 in the Valley.

I honestly think it's just part of the game of baseball that there are ups and downs more than any other major sport.

Having said that, our offense is beginning its inconsistency again and is letting a lot to be desired. So maybe it is just us and those above mentioned teams could go 24-0 in the Valley.