Discussion Of FSU

[SpanglerFan316]

Hey Staff, you are a bone head!!! You actually think Wichita has a prayer?? What was FSU and Wichita's records?? What did you say in the other blog about FSU not winning out after the first loss?? I think you fried too many brain cells at the frat party! FSU will win in 2 by probably 10 runs or more each game! Wichita will be lucky that there isn't a 10 run rule imposed just like everyone else they beat by 10 or more runs!! By the way, who is traveling to who's stadium....wonder why??? But anyways, good luck!

Sincerely,

FSU Rocks Staff Stinks!

http://boards.espn.go.com/boards/mb/mb?sport=ncaa&id=baseball&tid=2914246&lid=15

[animal2005]

The standing O he's referring to is from Friday, when the Bucknell pitcher, logged 153 pitches and a complete game in route to a shutout against us. Very impressive, especially considering our offense. The FSU fans gave him a standing ovation at the close of the ballgame. Bottom line is I think you'll find us very appreciative of good baseball.

The Bucknell players also got a standing ovation leaving the stadium Sunday night when they were watching the FSU-Tulane game in the crowd. As they departed, each section in the stadium gave them an ovation.

[animal2005]

The last time we played each other was in 1999 at the Hormel Foods Classic at the Metrodome. I don't believe WSU has ever made a trip to Florida State and it will be a challenge. Coach Martin is a good guy and hopefully we can get a Shox-Noles series going.

Who are you guys throwing game 1?

It will likely be either Elih Villanueva or Matt Fairel. Considering Fairel threw over 150 pitches this weekend I imagine we would hold him until Saturday.

Ryan Strass and Geoff Parker are other options but their chances of getting a start Friday or Saturday are much smaller than those of Villanueva and Fairel.

Villanueva Friday, Fairel Saturday, Sunday TBD.

[animal2005]

FYI, I will be at Coach Martin's and Coach Stephenson's Press Conference tomorrow and likely will post some tidbits on Warchant after it concludes.

[Snapshot9]

The problem for us is FSU is the best offensive team we will face this year, and our starting pitchers are not 'off speed' type pitchers with a lot of stuff. We throw too many fastballs, and they will hit us out of the park.

BTW, do any College Pitchers still throw an 'inside' curve ball anymore?

[t7017s]

The problem for us is FSU is the best offensive team we will face this year, and our starting pitchers are not 'off speed' type pitchers with a lot of stuff. We throw too many fastballs, and they will hit us out of the park.

BTW, do any College Pitchers still throw an 'inside' curve ball anymore?

Did you not see Shafer dropping his curves on Oklahoma State? I disagree with your opinion of what our pitchers are. We may throw more fastballs then some but thats because unlike most we know how to do it right. For the record though Shafer against OSU last week didn't use it nearly as much as normal. I think the situation dictates the pitching and our guys are as heady and knowledgeable as any in college when it comes to that. Have I mentioned I think we may have the most competitive and scrappy group of pitchers in the country? Yeah I think we are going to be fine. I know everyone is worried about their offense and our pitching but I'm not worried about either. This series is going to be won and lost on defense. I think whichever team can make the routine plays and minimize the errors and defensive liabilities they have will win. Book it people defense will determine this series not pitching or hitting.

[Born2Shock]

I agree to an extent, we CANNOT give extra outs to these guys.

[7hottamales]

The problem for us is FSU is the best offensive team we will face this year, and our starting pitchers are not 'off speed' type pitchers with a lot of stuff. We throw too many fastballs, and they will hit us out of the park.

BTW, do any College Pitchers still throw an 'inside' curve ball anymore?

Shafer pitches backwards probably better than just about any real college pitcher I've seen. It's his biggest strength.

[SpanglerFan316]

The problem for us is FSU is the best offensive team we will face this year, and our starting pitchers are not 'off speed' type pitchers with a lot of stuff. We throw too many fastballs, and they will hit us out of the park.

BTW, do any College Pitchers still throw an 'inside' curve ball anymore?

WSU is "pitcher university" because of Brent Kemnitz. http://www.brentkemnitz.com/ I trust Brent to teach Shocker pitchers how to deal with FSU.

This is interesting: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/coll..._players.shtml

[CharlieHog]

SaD: What is your take on this? How often did Florida State leave the south? Why hasn't FSU played at Eck Stadium? The following teams did come to Wichita and play at Eck during the last two (regular) seasons: Arizona State, CS Fullerton, KSU, KU, Oklahoma State, Long Beach State, Nebraska, Oral Roberts, OU, South Alabama, TCU, Washington State, etc.

If the SEC were to ask me how they might get their game back (no, I'm not waiting by the phone) one suggestion I'd make is to start playing non-conference schedules that involves leaving the south to face quality opponents. SEC teams seem to prefer playing comfortable non-conference schedules composed almost exclusively of home games vs. regional opponents rather than preparing themselves to face the best teams in the nation by leaving home and seeing how they stack up against the better teams across the nation.

In 2008 the twelve teams of the SEC played only 24 non-conference games outside the region. In these contest they went 11-13. Arkansas accounted for nine of those games, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Vanderbilt played three each. Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State and South Carolina never left the south. The SEC played 97% of their games in the South. Win-loss records built on schedules like this are deceptive. The performance of the SEC in the College World Series over the last ten years bears this out.
http://www.rockchalktalk.com/2008/5/...-in-college-ba

SEC teams rarely leave the South because there are so many quality opponents in the region just a bus ride away. Arkansas leaves the region more because we are much more isolated than other SEC schools. Also our weather is worse than most SEC schools.

I just don't get WSU fans complaining about this. You play 30+ home games every year. Your non-conference schedule is mostly in the mid-west.

[SpanglerFan316]

SaD: Why hasn't FSU played at Eck Stadium? The following teams did come to Wichita and play at Eck during the last two (regular) seasons: Arizona State, CS Fullerton, KSU, KU, Oklahoma State, Long Beach State, Nebraska, Oral Roberts, OU, South Alabama, TCU, Washington State, etc.

CharlieHog: Lots of teams come here to play WSU, teams like Arizona State, Long Beach, Fullerton, Southern Cal, Washington, Washington State, etc. Arkansas might have even come here once or twice. Asking FSU to come here is unrelated to the general issue of ACC travel.

SaD: What is your take on this? How often did Florida State leave the south?

I just don't get WSU fans complaining about this. You play 30+ home games every year. Your non-conference schedule is mostly in the mid-west.

CharlieHog: I suspect that FSU rarely leaves the South but I don't know this for a fact. A KU-related (not WSU-related) blog criticized the SEC for not leaving the South. I asked SaD her/his "take" on this and I asked about the FSU schedule. How exactly does this qualify as "complaining"?

[CharlieHog]

SaD: Why hasn't FSU played at Eck Stadium? The following teams did come to Wichita and play at Eck during the last two (regular) seasons: Arizona State, CS Fullerton, KSU, KU, Oklahoma State, Long Beach State, Nebraska, Oral Roberts, OU, South Alabama, TCU, Washington State, etc.

CharlieHog: Lots of teams come here to play WSU, teams like Arizona State, Long Beach, Fullerton, Southern Cal, Washington, Washington State, etc. Arkansas might have even come here once or twice. Asking FSU to come here is unrelated to the general issue of ACC travel.

SaD: What is your take on this? How often did Florida State leave the south?

I just don't get WSU fans complaining about this. You play 30+ home games every year. Your non-conference schedule is mostly in the mid-west.

CharlieHog: I suspect that FSU rarely leaves the South but I don't know this for a fact. A KU-related (not WSU-related) blog criticized the SEC for not leaving the South. I asked SaD her/his "take" on this and I asked about the FSU schedule. How exactly does this qualify as "complaining"?

I guess I misunderstood your point. Sorry.

Arkansas has been to Wichita quite a few times, and Wichita to Arkansas quite a few times.

[SpanglerFan316]

Your non-conference schedule is mostly in the mid-west.

For the 2008 season, WSU played 23 OOC games at Eck, 2 others in Kansas, 3 in California, 2 in Oklahoma and 1 in Nebraska. I think Oklahoma is considered "south" for baseball purposes; in this case, WSU played 26 OOC games in the "mid-west", 3 in the "west" and 2 in the "south."

http://www.goshockers.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=61169&SPID=2844&DB_OEM_ID=7500&Q_SEASON=2007

The figures for 2007 were:
10 OOC games in the "west" (Pepperdine, Hawaii)
3 OOC games in the "south" (Norman, Tulsa, Fayetteville)
26 OOC games at Eck Stadium plus 2 other OOC games in Kansas.

http://www.goshockers.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=61169&SPID=2844&DB_OEM_ID=7500&Q_SEASON=2006

I mostly agree with your point. How many out-of-region OOC games does FSU play? I'll guess that it is fewer than WSU plays.

Fri, Feb 22, 2008 Fordham - WICHITA
Mon, Feb 25 Northwestern (Iowa) College - WICHITA
Tue, Feb 26 Emporia State - WICHITA
Fri, Feb 29 Long Beach State at Long Beach, Calif.
Sat, Mar 01 Long Beach State at Long Beach, Calif.
Sun, Mar 02 Long Beach State at Long Beach, Calif.
Tue, Mar 04 Le Moyne - WICHITA
Sat, Mar 08 Harvard - WICHITA
Sun, Mar 09 Harvard - WICHITA
Wed, Mar 12 Washington State WICHITA
Fri, Mar 14 TCU WICHITA
Sat, Mar 15 TCU WICHITA
Sun, Mar 16 TCU WICHITA
Tue, Mar 18 Oral Roberts at Tulsa, Okla. Postponed
Tue, Mar 25 Binghamton WICHITA
Tue, Mar 25 Binghamton WICHITA
Wed, Mar 26 Binghamton WICHITA
Fri, Mar 28 North Dakota State WICHITA
Sat, Mar 29 North Dakota State WICHITA
Sun, Mar 30 North Dakota State WICHITA
Tue, Apr 01 Kansas at Lawrence, Kan.
Wed, Apr 02 Oral Roberts WICHITA
Tue, Apr 08 Kansas State at Manhattan, Kan.
Tue, Apr 15 Nebraska at Lincoln, Neb.
Thu, Apr 17 Tabor College WICHITA
Tue, Apr 22 Kansas WICHITA
Wed, Apr 23 Oklahoma State at Stillwater, Okla.
Tue, Apr 29 Kansas State WICHITA
Wed, Apr 30 Oklahoma at Norman, Okla.
Tue, May 06 Central Arkansas WICHITA
Wed, May 07 Arizona State WICHITA
Tue, May 13 Oral Roberts WICHITA

[SpanglerFan316]

I should add that FSU does not have to play outside the south. This weekend will help illustrate if FSU should have played some games outside the south. FSU has never won the CWS. Maybe playing in California, Wichita and Seattle would make FSU stronger when the NCAA tourney rolls around; the style of play by UC Irvine, WSU, Pepperdine, etc. may be different than that played at USC (South Carolina), Florida, LSU, etc.

[nolemanb]

I should add that FSU does not have to play outside the south. This weekend will help illustrate if FSU should have played some games outside the south. FSU has never won the CWS. Maybe playing in California, Wichita and Seattle would make FSU stronger when the NCAA tourney rolls around; the style of play by UC Irvine, WSU, Pepperdine, etc. may be different than that played at USC (South Carolina), Florida, LSU, etc.

I really wish FSU would play games out West ah=gain like we did in the 90's we used to switch off home/home with Stanford and ASU every year.