Shox vs LBS (Game 3)

[KC Shox]

It's a long season....remember how good we looked when we took two of three from Long Beach at home last year? That was the high point of the season for most of the year.

Well put.

Man, this place can change moods FAST in a couple of days. Such is the nature of baseball.

For a team that was expecting to make a "bigger step", this series should have been won. 5 errors in a rubber match and absolutely ZERO hitting/runs is not a good sign.

It appears our numbers were indeed inflated.

Fever you are right - kind of. We knew coming into the season our starting pitching would be good but our relief would still be a questionmark. We had a feeling our hitting would be better and it is to a point. It appears this year, we no longer have to worry about getting hits and runs against the bad teams. If we play Tabor again, we no longer have to sweat bullets.

But that is the extent of improvement for this team. We still haven't improved near enough to win a series against the good teams. And no it is not too early in the season to say this.

Gene's philosophy of sacrificing defese for hitting certainly backfired this series. Let's hope this changes or it will be another year we fail to break the 40 win plateau.

Florida Gulf Coast is a good team, at least a top 40 program. We won that series. Do you ever get tired of listening to yourself?

The verdict is still out on FGCU. Color me not impressed thus far on a team in which 9 of their 10 wins have come against 3 teams with a combined 11-26 record with an average RPI of 224.

[Shirley Schmidt]

Gene's philosophy of sacrificing defese for hitting certainly backfired this series. Let's hope this changes or it will be another year we fail to break the 40 win plateau.

You keep talking about this and it is not true, just like yesterday when SB called you on it.

KC Shox wrote:
Gene's philosophy of sacrificing defense for some guys who can hit backfired tonight.


That really isn't true. The errors were Lassley, McKeever and Grimes - there isn't anybody going to be playing ahead of these guys regardless.

Today, Baez, Grimes and McKeever combine for 4 of the errors with Lowell being charged with the other.

I don't see any of the new players coughing the ball up at this rate.

Now if you want to sit Grimes, McKeever and Baez there are newcomers to take their place.

[WSU_Mom]

:banghead: In life... on baseball discussion boards... I have always found it is MUCH easier to complain than to find the good in an overall situation.

[WSU_Mom]

What is the good you ask? Well, I thought you would NEVER ask. The good is that we are 10-3. Our starting pitchers are looking pretty darn good overall. I think our relief pitching is improving. And, although certainly not a good couple of days, our hitting can be good from top to bottom.

But, again... what do I know? I'm just a mom... :noidea:

Edited to list more positives: Hall has been absolutely amazing in CF. Lassley had #5 HR today.

[SB Shock]

:banghead: In life... on baseball discussion boards... I have always found it is MUCH easier to complain than to find the good in an overall situation.

Feel free to list the positives. The only two I can see was Jones had a good series and grimes seemed to maybe get started hitting in game 3.

[WSU_Mom]

:banghead: In life... on baseball discussion boards... I have always found it is MUCH easier to complain than to find the good in an overall situation.

Feel free to list the positives. The only two I can see was Jones had a good series and grimes seemed to maybe get started hitting in game 3.

Please see above... stay with me here. Also, I believe as noted above... I said OVERALL. Correct me if I am wrong... there have been more than two games?

[Ashockalypse]

I love you mom but Mr. Baez does not have room to be making errors this year.

[WSU_Mom]

I guess my point here (and believe it or not I actually have one) is this... it isn't quite time yet to storm the ADs office and ask that we go down to D2... or ask for Gene's resignation... Am I disappointed in the outcome of the LB series? Duh. Of course. However, I believe in this team and feel certain we will do quite well over the season.

[Show_Me_the_Wulah]

What is the good you ask? Well, I thought you would NEVER ask. The good is that we are 10-3. Our starting pitchers are looking pretty darn good overall. I think our relief pitching is improving. And, although certainly not a good couple of days, our hitting can be good from top to bottom.

But, again... what do I know? I'm just a mom... :noidea:

Edited to list more positives: Hall has been absolutely amazing in CF. Lassley had #5 HR today.

Mom has a great point. Hall has been legit in CF and Lassley crushed a HR in a big ballpark. Don't jump the ship/panic/overreact over one series. Come on now. :wsu_posters: I am still STOKED about the 2010 Shox

[KC Shox]

What is the good you ask? Well, I thought you would NEVER ask. The good is that we are 10-3. Our starting pitchers are looking pretty darn good overall. I think our relief pitching is improving. And, although certainly not a good couple of days, our hitting can be good from top to bottom.

But, again... what do I know? I'm just a mom... :noidea:

Edited to list more positives: Hall has been absolutely amazing in CF. Lassley had #5 HR today.

Mom has a great point. Hall has been legit in CF and Lassley crushed a HR in a big ballpark. Don't jump the ship/panic/overreact over one series. Come on now. :wsu_posters: I am still STOKED about the 2010 Shox

I like her optimism. Problem is this, the Valley sucks. Right now, only 3 teams are above .500 and that includes us. We need to do as much damage as we can and take as many series against good teams as possible. This is the only way we are going to impress the selection committee. I don't know about you, but I'd like to host again and it ain't gonna happen if we can't take non-con series against good teams.

Yeah, the season is early, but it will matter when the regular season ends.

[SB Shock]

What is the good you ask? Well, I thought you would NEVER ask. The good is that we are 10-3.

Well, games against competition like LBS are very important if WSU really wanting to be a national player. Nobody is going to care what WSU does in the MVC.

Our starting pitchers are looking pretty darn good overall.

Cooper and Kelley are looking good. Lowell not so good, almost to the point where you have to start to wonder if he's having arm trouble.

Smith is looking good as mid-week starter (have to see what he does against quality competition). Mateychick until his last start and the walk meltdown was looking promising, but that is going to happen with frosh.

I think our relief pitching is improving.

I don't know
Bullpen for the the season: 3.55 ERA
Bullpen for the last 3 games: 4.26 ERA

Although the damage was done to the bullpen in 1 game, it was the game where it meant something. Today Lowell let it get out of hand before the pen could come in.

And, although certainly not a good couple of days, our hitting can be good from top to bottom.

Actually, I was probably more impressed with the offense. They produced enough runs that should have been at least 2 victory. There was some clutch hitting (which we rarely last year) and Shox hit HR's against quality pitching team - 3 of them. Shox were definitely missing that type of offensive ability last year.

The question really become was the bad things we saw this weekend just was just a bad weekend that can happen to any team or is this going to be some trend?

[GoShockers89]

Very disappointing end to the series after starting so promisingly on Friday.

However...this week still presents an enormous opportunity. Sweeping Arizona and winning a series at home against Washington State would erase voters' memory of the LBS series quite quickly.

The next five games could very well determine whether we have a chance at hosting a regional this season. Time to step up and grab some respect.

[Ashockalypse]

When our offense shuts down and leaves runners on, last year comes immediately to mind and we just HAVE to minimize that stuff.

[ShockCity]

I'm not worried. It's still early. Plenty of season left. Keep the faith.

[WstateU]

I'm not worried. It's still early. Plenty of season left. Keep the faith.

Hey 'City', are you heading out to the Eck tomorrow night for the first game of the Zona series?