In swinging 1st pitch with the bases loaded. That’s all about how you look at it. I personally have no problem with it. From the pitchers perspective, you want to get ahead. You’re going to try everything you can to get up 0-1 in the count. Swinging at that pitch isn’t the problem. Rolling over it instead of staying “middle/middle” would be my issue. But that’s understandable too for a young guy, in that setting, bags loaded…….to get a little antsy. It happens.
If I remember correctly, Schubert had just struck out, so there were 2 outs with bases loaded. I just disagree with swinging on pitch 1. Wait and see how the pitcher is going to approach the situation. One pitch and the inning was over along with the threat.
Not arguing. I appreciate the discussion.
Just a matter of opinion. Brueggeman is a FB guy. He’s an RBI guy. He’s a power guy. That dude is looking to do damage. He’s not a “work the count” type. The ONLY way I’m telling him to be patient in that situation is if the pitcher has walked a guy or two ahead of you. But that wasn’t the case. The best pitch you may get in an AB is the first pitch. The odds of him getting a pitch in the zone right there was pretty high. He was right……but just tried to do too much with it. Asking a guy like Breggy to be patient……is asking him to do something he’s not comfortable with.
I’ll give you the last word. Good convo
You are probably right. I guess I just wanted him to do better in that situation, so I am trying to justify not swinging on that first pitch. Especially since Schubert just went down on a strikeout. Plus, McClean was starting to struggle a bit so I was hoping to get some runs to take the pressure off. Long story short is ORU was a better team. They didn’t get lucky 3 times, they beat us handedly 3 times. We should hire their coach!!!
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I think you’re giving them too much credit. Football and basketball were both bad. Much more bad than they were good. I guess it depends on where the bar for bad is set. Mens golf and wrestling had probably their worst season in history. This was one of Josh’s worst teams he’s ever ran out there. I don’t care if they tied for 1st in the weakest P5 conference in the country. They had zero chance of doing anything in the post season. Winning 4 elimination games in a row in the conference tournament was definitely the crowing achievement for them. I was just hoping they wouldn’t be embarrassing in the regional and that wish was obviously not fulfilled. What’s worse is the future looks pretty bleak in all of those sports. I fon’t think any of those sports has positive momentum. I don’t think they are even treading water. They are all trending down and it’s concerning. I wouldn’t be shocked if 2023 is looked back on as the beginning of the end for OSU sports. Mostly due to NIL and unlimited transfers. The current college sports landscape does not benefit schools like OSU.
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There are some good pieces, but I just can’t state we have better talent just because we should have better talent. What makes our guys more talented? Potential? JWB apparently has a lot of potential, but that didn’t do us much good this season. Just seemed like a team full of guys who couldn’t get a hit with RISP and a staff of guys who could always be counted on to walk the leadoff batter in a close game. Then usually walk another one after that. In basketball, one very talented player can change a team. In baseball, he’s just Mike Trout wasting away. We have a few of those guys, but they coulen’t make up for the massive holes in this roster.
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Just because ORU won, doesn’t mean they have more talent. Offensively, this OSU roster is as talented as you’ll come across
It didn’t help that McClean got hurt. And Atkison was forced to catch 90% of the games because of injuries. That guy did a hell of a job for as much as Holliday asked of him. Now, honestly, is Riggio coming back?
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I wouldn’t say ORU had more talent than us, but the difference seems negligible. And if the talent doesn’t show up in the games, especially at crunch time, are they really more talented? I just saw a bunch of guys who would go off when we were routing a cupcake on the schedule and strike out when we needed it the most against the better teams on our schedule. Basically frontrunning stat padders that couldn’t get it done in big games. That Saturday against TT was both thrilling and depressing. It showed what could be but rarely was. I feel that way every time we play TT or TCU though. Those two programs are what I wish we could be. Hard nosed and tough.
The draft will show you how much talent this team has. Talent doesn’t equate to wins in head to head situations. ORU is a very good team who’s playing well. OSU has no pitching. But let’s not confuse winning or losing with more/less talent. I’m not faking anything away from ORU. But don’t label OSU’s roster as lacking talent. That is not the case.
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Pitching aside, I don’t like our hitting approach. I don’t know who is In charge of hitting, Ventura ? If so we don’t use a bat like he did. A bass hit is worth a bunch at times instead of swinging out of your shoes You have a rally going the last thing you want is a strike out At least make contact, make them play defense
I don’t know who’s coming in but I’ve heard this class is heavy pitching. We need a complete new change in our talent there
Josh his self said nothing short of Omaha was expected when he got here. We haven’t had a Hatch or Buffet since. Especially two together
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NIL and the transfer portal certainly have changed the landscape of college sports and schools like OSU are at a disadvantage compared to the bigger blue bloods and the SEC and Big 10 conferences, BUT, look at who’s left in the baseball tournament. Are Indiana State, ORU, TCU, Southern Miss, Oregon, Virginia, etc. in that much better of a position than OSU? There’s no reason for them to be. What about football? Are TCU, Tulane, Utah, Kansas St., Oregon St., Troy, etc. in better position with NIL/transfer portal than OSU? Is there a good reason for them to be? What about men’s basketball? Are Houston, Baylor, Kansas St., San Diego St., TCU, etc. in a better position than OSU? Why?
There’s no doubt that the new landscape will make it hard for schools with smaller alumni bases, enrollment, money and prestige to compete against the blue bloods, but there’s no good reason why OSU shouldn’t finish in the top 25 in football and basketball, make the CWS or at least the super regionals in baseball. Golf should be competing for and winning championships, and wrestling, while it’s not going to beat Penn St., should definitely be in top 3-4 every year. None of the issues in those sports are because of NIL or transfers.
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This is a good topic. Im going to talk strictly about baseball. NIL has an impact in the baseball world, but at a much lesser extent than the other 2 (football/basketball). OSU’s W-L record isnt being effected by a lack of NIL. OSU’s lack of postseason success isnt effected by a lack of NIL. The NIL pool in baseball isnt nearly as deep as the other sports, and its not nearly deep enough to shift the competitive balance. OSU has a pitching problem. Thats it. They thought they addressed with getting Watts-Brown. They thought they had it with Benge. They thought theyd be able to put Mclean in a closer role. None of those panned out. The offense is absolute BIGTIME. I dont car what the results ended up being, you will not find a better offensive lineup than what OSU is running out there. The failure in the Regional was more of having an absolute horrible draw and then the thing snowballing. You also will get in this time of year the teams that get punched in the mouth and they start looking fwd to the next chapter (The draft/The Cape/Summer League/Home). Its not an excuse and its something that Josh needs to blamed for…but its just fact.
I think the one thing thats been said in this thread that has some legs in my opinion was by @michael13 on the approach offensively. Again, im not knocking anything in the lineup for OSU. They are loaded offensively. I just think Josh & Co. did a poor job creating an actual lineup 1-9 that could be multi-faceted. They are absolutely Boom or Bust at the plate. The approach with the entire lineup seems to be “Elevate and Celebrate”. They have no one with a table-setter mentality. They all want to drop bombs. That was the old Gary Ward approach. The new bats, new era of arms, and more parity make that approach a tougher one to sustain. I dont think the Cowboys need to go strictly small-ball like what OU is doing, but they need to find some guys who are willing and able to be “hit for avg” guys that dont strike out.
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Specifically on Mclean, there was an entire thread on him last year after he chose to skip the MLB and come back to OSU. I said it then that it was a GREAT move for the Cowboys and an absolute HORRIBLE move for Mclean. Im gonna wait to rehash that with a few people once the draft rolls around and he loses out on a bunch of money. The young man has tools. Hes a legitimate 2-way player in college. But you cannot do that at the next level unless youre Otani. Mclean wasted an entire year and gained absolutely nothing. He lost money, experience, durability issues again, and now has more mileage on his arm than he did. Horrible, horrible move
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Okay I’ll agree McLean made a move that if he doesn’t get hurt maybe it pays off. I’m not sure where they are looking for him to stick. Hitting or throwing. I would say pitching. He can get to the 100 consi with a little more experience. Yea he made a mistake because of the injury bug
I don’t know how the pros look at Roc ? Will he stay, maybe get experience at SS ? Might help him if he does. Kid is a player, lots of emotion. Other guys we might lose we can replace. Pitching I’m not up to speed what’s coming in. I’ve heard some nice ones Phillips had his best outing all year in the conference tournament. We need solid weekend starters. We need to hit the portal hard. Like you mentioned hitting in certain situations needs addressing. Bases full, no outs at least put the ball in play. We have way too many strikeouts in those situations. Everyone likes the long ball. Josh shouldn’t get a pass on this, he was around Ward enough to know Ward would not havd been nice about it. Hell the first few years he wouldn’t even let the handshake after the game 
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I’ll agree TCU and Tech have been a pain in the ass. Both play better sound baseball, fundamentals
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See, the guys that are healthy & have already put a bunch “on tape” have zero to gain by coming back. Riggio is likely gone & should be. Riggio’s stats are not going to get better next year. He was surrounded by guys that could take some pressure off of him in the lineup. That won’t be the case next year. He will absolutely be the “don’t let him beat us” guy. His stock is as high right now as it will be. ZERO reason to come back.
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If X is reality, then Y must also be a reality.
X: Josh saying anything short of Omaha is a disappointment.
Y: The difficulty of the draw in the Stillwater regional shouldn’t matter.
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Oh crap I forgot about that rule that if you’re 21 you are eligible. Well so much for that he is gone lol
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Ooooh I hear some big changes are comin. I’m told Seeley is already gone with Ventura & Mercer soon to follow.