2018 Husker Baseball

[hskr4life]

Sucks to go 1-2, but better fights this weekend.  I’m more ok with losses like today with our pitching situation.  Only 1 error and they just had a bunch of hits.  Gotta find a way to win some series and make the tourney.

[mwm89]

We did have better fights this weekend, and while I'm somewhat encouraged that we rallied today, it's still in context that we fell way behind.  Of course it will be a matter of whether we get better enough and how good the rest of the conf. is as far as making the B1G Tournament.  It will be interesting to see, because I'm not sure just where the talent level is with this team, other than Schreiber and Alvarado.

[AuroranHusker]

Losing 15-14 is just as brutal as being behind 15-6 in the late innings. Ughh.

[The Polish Rifle]

Losing 15-4 to 7-19 (1-5) MSU has got to be one of the more embarrassing things to happen to this program in awhile. 

[huskerbaseball13]

Down 15-4 vs 7-19 Mich St team. 4 errors. Truely an embarrassing display of baseball. Almost have to feel bad for Erstad now as he appears to be out of answers and doesn’t know what buttons to push. It’s going to be tough sledding if we lose this series if we want to make the Big Ten tournament. That’s just sad to say.  

[HB]

Yep.  Needs to get some players.    May be the least talented team, and I go back to the Tony Sharpe era

[Huskerpapa]

1 hour ago, HB said:

Yep.  Needs to get some players.    May be the least talented team, and I go back to the Tony Sharpe era

Careful, I threw out my arm as a freshman catcher for good ol Coach Sharpe.

[hskr4life]

Baseball is such a funny sport because it’s a lot easier to snowball than most all other  sports.  Confidence is a huge thing in baseball.  When you lose confidence in a sport where you already fail 7 to 8 out of 10 times, snowballs happen on both offense and defense.

 

I’m in no way happy with how this season is going.  If there’s one (men’s) sport where we should always finish near the top, it’s baseball.  However, I don’t think our talent level is as bad as many think this year.  We are in serious snowball mode.  The loss of three really good pitchers hurts as well.

 

Like I said I don’t think there is a huge talent disparity.  To me, it’s more of a confidence issue.  We have “dudes.”  We just need to start playing better.  In no way do I want this taken as an excuse, but more of an observation.

[HB]

16 hours ago, hskr4life said:

Baseball is such a funny sport because it’s a lot easier to snowball than most all other  sports.  Confidence is a huge thing in baseball.  When you lose confidence in a sport where you already fail 7 to 8 out of 10 times, snowballs happen on both offense and defense.

 

I’m in no way happy with how this season is going.  If there’s one (men’s) sport where we should always finish near the top, it’s baseball.  However, I don’t think our talent level is as bad as many think this year.  We are in serious snowball mode.  The loss of three really good pitchers hurts as well.

 

Like I said I don’t think there is a huge talent disparity.  To me, it’s more of a confidence issue.  We have “dudes.”  We just need to start playing better.  In no way do I want this taken as an excuse, but more of an observation.

 

Have to disagree, with position players.  Sure, you can't lose 5 arms and not have it affect pitching success.  We would have several more wins but for the rash of injuries.  

 

But with position players, we are not talented top to bottom.  We have perhaps 3 "dudes".  We have some average guys.  And every game we are putting a couple of guys out there who don't belong.  This is one of the poorest defensive teams I have seen.  We can't field a bunt, for crying out loud.  Some of it could be confidence, but so to poor recruiting, we are playing defensive liabilities each and every game.  Huge numbers of strike outs.  Nothing to go to--little power, little speed, poor bunting team.

 

 No, this isn't a very talented team, top to bottom. It goes way deeper than confidence. 

[HB]

As an Addendum:  our DH today is hitting .143.   We don't have many choices.   

[The Polish Rifle]

Shouldn't be long before Scotty gets the Barry Bonds treatment. I'd much rather make this team string together hits, then let Scott do damage via the long ball.

[HB]

3 minutes ago, The Polish Rifle said:

Shouldn't be long before Scotty gets the Barry Bonds treatment. I'd much rather make this team string together hits, then let Scott do damage via the long ball.

 

They are incapable of that.  So Scott might as well get his.  Bad at bats today with runners on base.  

[The Polish Rifle]

MSU takes a 2 run lead off 2 wild pitches......sounds about right.

[Huskerpapa]

It is hard when you see high quality Nebraska kids heading elsewhere to play high quality Division I baseball.  Please don't tell me that we do not play high quality ball in Nebraska, and don't tell me that we don't have high quality dudes.  I have traveled all over watching baseball, and we can compete with players and teams anywhere.  Shoot, two Lincoln kids are starting and playing very well for Childress and his bevy of ex-Husker players and coaches at A&M.  Frustrating. 

 

http://journalstar.com/sports/high-school/baseball/gig-em-three-lincoln-natives-making-themselves-at-home-flourishing/article_18299ac0-2dd6-5d2b-8225-0bf92852d134.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

Edited April 8, 2018 by Huskerpapa

[huskerbaseball13]

7 minutes ago, Huskerpapa said:

It is hard when you see high quality Nebraska kids heading elsewhere to play high quality Division I baseball.  Please don't tell me that we do not play high quality ball in Nebraska, and don't tell me that we don't have high quality dudes.  I have traveled all over watching baseball, and we can compete with players and teams anywhere.  Shoot, two Lincoln kids are starting and playing very well for Childress and his bevy of ex-Husker players and coaches at A&M.  Frustrating. 

 

http://journalstar.com/sports/high-school/baseball/gig-em-three-lincoln-natives-making-themselves-at-home-flourishing/article_18299ac0-2dd6-5d2b-8225-0bf92852d134.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

Can’t get every player with how scholarships are utilized in baseball but with all the Nebraska players around the region that are tearing it up it just further displays Erstads incompetence on the recruiting trail.  The fact that he didn’t even recruit Alec Bohm is pretty laughable. 

[The Polish Rifle]

5 minutes ago, Huskerpapa said:

It is hard when you see high quality Nebraska kids heading elsewhere to play high quality Division I baseball.  Please don't tell me that we do not play high quality ball in Nebraska, and don't tell me that we don't have high quality dudes.  I have traveled all over watching baseball, and we can compete with players and teams anywhere.  Shoot, two Lincoln kids are starting and playing very well for Childress and his bevy of ex-Husker players and coaches at A&M.  Frustrating. 

 

http://journalstar.com/sports/high-school/baseball/gig-em-three-lincoln-natives-making-themselves-at-home-flourishing/article_18299ac0-2dd6-5d2b-8225-0bf92852d134.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

Can't see it getting better anytime soon, playing Bolt's offense or at Wichita State's offense would be much more appealing than wasting away in whatever we are currently trying to do offensively. And with the OWH article that came out, I doubt any local parents are going to let their kid's arm come fall off pitching under Silva.

[huskerbaseball13]

5 minutes ago, The Polish Rifle said:

Can't see it getting better anytime soon, playing Bolt's offense or at Wichita State's offense would be much more appealing than wasting away in whatever we are currently trying to do offensively. And with the OWH article that came out, I doubt any local parents are going to let their kid's arm come fall off pitching under Silva.

You mean like when you ask your three hole hitter to sac bunt on a 2-0 count with zero outs and two runners out? Far cry from the big talk that came out of his mouth when he was hired. 

[mwm89]

I like being able to read the varying opinions here as we try to assess matters- that probably goes without saying.  Whatever the right explanation is for how this season is going, this much is for certain: way too many errors on defense, and not enough good swings.  Too many guys left on base also as a result.  Not sure what combo/percentage of lack of talent plus not good enough coaching explains this season.  It's frustrating for sure, if not infuriating.

Edited April 8, 2018 by mwm89

[The Polish Rifle]

38 minutes ago, huskerbaseball13 said:

You mean like when you ask your three hole hitter to sac bunt on a 2-0 count with zero outs and two runners out? Far cry from the big talk that came out of his mouth when he was hired. 

"I'm sure it will be different. I think it will be much more aggressive. I really want a lot of speed on offense. I'm a big action guy. I learned under the best, Mike Scioscia, it's chaos on the base paths and that's what we're going to have, straight chaos. That is what we're going to build it around. There are going to be people flying around everywhere."

 

"Consistency. There were a lot of times where the going would get tough. Sixth, seventh inning you're in a game and have one little piece of adversity and boom, six or seven runs. Then the demeanor of the team would waiver, confidence would be lost and we never really had that fight. I think that just goes to having them prepared to play. It will be my job to have them prepared to play, it will be my job to have them prepared to play and they will be prepared to play."

 

Speed, Chaos on the base-paths and consistency...probably not the words I would use to describe Erstad teams.

[royalfan]

I have been saying it for quite a long time.  The types of recruits he goes after is the wrong approach.  Way too many guys with no upside.  Just mediocrity at its finest.  No speed or power.  It is like going to the dentist trying to score against any sort of competent pitching.  We need to move on.  He simply doesn't understand recruiting.  He gets all these grinder type guys that cant do dick.  Just think back to last year postseason.  How many innings did we go without an extra base hit?  Wasn't it over 30 innings.  It is ludicrous.  And the bunting is nuts as well.  It is unwatchable.  

 

Basically, everything that has proven by analytics that you should do, we don't do or recruit the players to do it.  They say, don't bunt, hit for power, and get on base, so power can drive you in.  We have such an pathetic power base, it is hard to comprehend.  

Edited April 9, 2018 by royalfan

[The Polish Rifle]

Whew, this teams shittiness catches me by surprise every game I watch. Minus Schreiber and Wilk - we don’t do anything well.

[AuroranHusker]

At least NU could thwart the Purple Kittens of Manhattan in the Little Apple. That's never a bad thing!

 

[HB]

9 hours ago, The Polish Rifle said:

Whew, this teams shittiness catches me by surprise every game I watch. Minus Schreiber and Wilk - we don’t do anything well.

 

What would be a surprise is if we played the game of baseball well.  How the hell can a team have a bunch of players who can't lay down a bunt, or field a bunt, at this level?  

[The Polish Rifle]

3 hours ago, HB said:

 

What would be a surprise is if we played the game of baseball well.  How the hell can a team have a bunch of players who can't lay down a bunt, or field a bunt, at this level?  

And it doesn’t end there! The angles the players take in the field, swinging 1st pitch on a guy that can’t find the zone, running into outs - it’s frightening.

[mwm89]

22 hours ago, AuroranHusker said:

At least NU could thwart the Purple Kittens of Manhattan in the Little Apple. That's never a bad thing!

 

It's a win, we'll take it.