Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
The great news for Dawg fans is Fresno State (1-5) and Nevada (3-6) are off to a bad start, while SJS (3-3) appears to be inconsistent (weak hitting, but can win the occasional low scoring affair). Cal State Sac and N Mex State are likely non-factors.
Hawaii appears to be the favorite right now at 7-2, and will be interesting to watch in their first road series against an average-at-best UCSB this weekend. After that, Wichita State and Arizona (8-0) will be tough OOC series, but Chicago State and Wisc-Milwaukee look like 9 easy wins for the 'Bows.
What the hell is wrong with Fresno State? Yeah, they're playing a tough schedule, but they lost 2 of 3 to San Francisco (a regional team from '06), one to Cal Poly (an expected regional team this year), then 2 to Stanford (regional team from last year). They better turn the corner quick, because upcoming series with two respectable teams in CS Northridge and Loyola Marymount followed by two better teams in Pepperdine and Univ San Diego - they may have to win the WAC to get in the dance.
FSU struggles through that stretch, then tries to get well against Iowa and Dallas Baptist before coming to Ruston...Dawgs could start off strong.
- With the WAC conference scheduling where you play two conference teams only one series each year, having Hawaii as one of those teams appears to be a positive break.
*** Tech has their chance to a) replace Fresno as one of the two teams in the WAC, and b) win enough games to earn an at-large berth if needed.
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
Write it down... Tech will win 40+ games (regular season + postseason)! Believe it now or believe it later- you'r choice.
Fresno State is very overrated considering all the good players they lost from last year. Hawaii also lost a lot of players, but all of their games have been played at home (they have almost no road games other than WAC contests). They have the edge on Tech for the WAC crown since our series with them is in Hawaii.
Nevada is tougher than their 3-6 record (all 9 games played on the road- ouch)!
I look for Hawaii and Tech to both make the NCAA postseason. Nevada is the team for Tech to worry about after Hawaii.
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
Having a hard time seeing Nevada as a threat except maybe if they're hot at the end of the year - and they could win the WAC post-season tourney since it is at their place but I doubt it.
Nevada was 28-26 last year. They lost 2 of their top 4 hitters, and 2 of their 3 weekend starters. Last year they won approximately 2/3rds of their games at home and lost 2/3rds of them on the road. Same coach has been there for 25 years. They're screaming mediocrity.
Where's the threat?
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
Check that, Nevada was 26-28 last year.
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
woopig5
Having a hard time seeing Nevada as a threat except maybe if they're hot at the end of the year - and they could win the WAC post-season tourney since it is at their place but I doubt it.
Nevada was 28-26 last year. They lost 2 of their top 4 hitters, and 2 of their 3 weekend starters. Last year they won approximately 2/3rds of their games at home and lost 2/3rds of them on the road. Same coach has been there for 25 years. They're screaming mediocrity.
Where's the threat?
They have had our number big time. We beat them 2 of 3 in Ruston last year. Prior to that, we were 4 and 20 against them all time.
Hopefully, we continue to turn that around this year.
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
woopig5
they could win the WAC post-season tourney since it is at their place...
Last year they won approximately 2/3rds of their games at home...
There are two very good reasons within your own comments! I'd love to have that sweet setup to look forward to at the end of the regular season.
Mainly though, Nevada is an unknown currently (picked to finish 4th in the WAC). I think this Tech team is OUTSTANDING, however, if we or anyone else played our first 9 games consecutively on the road we'd likely have a losing record too. It's very easy for teams to take them lightly due to their record.
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DogsWin
Write it down... Tech will win 40+ games (regular season + postseason)! Believe it now or believe it later- you'r choice.
Nevada is tougher than their 3-6 record (all 9 games played on the road- ouch)!
I BELIEVE!!!!!
Also, I didn't know that JOakes could schedule games for another school that he wasn't employeed at. Hummm... maybe he really is trying to make TECH better. :laugh:
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
We will have to win 40, because our SOS is not near as strong as last year.
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
2004 - 1 team from the WAC (Rice) gets in the NCAA tourney
2005 - 1 team again (Rice)
2006 - 2 teams from the WAC get in, Fresno St & Hawaii
a) Win the regular season and get 40+ wins, or b) Win the WAC tourney, or
c) Be a clear 2nd to someone who wins the reg. season and tourney, and have 40+ wins
Come in 2nd to Hawaii in the regular season and Nevada wins the tourney - better have a killer # of wins with a fickle NCAA committee to be the 3rd team in from the WAC.
Consider last year’s NCAA baseball tournament berth “near misses”:
LSU (35-24) SEC, Wake Forest (33-22) ACC, ULL (39-20) Sun Belt,
Long Beach State (29-27), Missouri State (33-22) Mo. Valley, Tennessee (31-24) SEC
Connecticut (39-18) Big East, Old Dominion (39-17) Colonial Athletic
The ULL(out of the tourney)\South Alabama(in the dance) deal from last year was the story of the bunch.
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tech77
The McNeese fans are really ticked that the repairs to their outfield wall, which have been needed since Hurricane Rita, have not been done in time for them to host us this weekend.
They are fuming at thier administration mostly, and somewhat at the state, feds, etc.
Can't blame them for being upset.
Ye haw!! I just read on the newsstar site that the games were moved to Ruston this weekend. My family and I will be in Ruston Friday for my 12 yo daughter to do some research on the history of our fine institution. We plan to make the Techster's game Sat. and now we can catch the baseball too! The good Lord is looking over me today! Man I am fired up about the trip now!!
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rabiddawg
Ye haw!! I just read on the newsstar site that the games were moved to Ruston this weekend. My family and I will be in Ruston Friday for my 12 yo daughter to do some research on the history of our fine institution. We plan to make the Techster's game Sat. and now we can catch the baseball too! The good Lord is looking over me today! Man I am fired up about the trip now!!
May the Lord also bless you with a bunch of Tech "Ws" this weekend.
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dawg80
It's tough to dominate in baseball, since the pitchers change game to game, and within games, anybody can beat anybody on the strength of just one guy: a pitcher having a great day. So, I won't predict an 18-0 run in that stretch. Instead, make it 17-1, baby! :D
Okay, up to 6-0 in this stretch. Still won't predict an 18-0 run, that's just too tough to do in baseball, at this level.
Re: Looong Home Stand for Tech :)
Dawgs are lookin' good so far.