Let's jump back two months ago. We're a week away from the start of practices. We're nationally-ranked across the board, oh Aaron Fitt you're smarter than us, we return a team absolutely loaded with talent, and on paper should be favored in every game except the two with Louisville.
It was a time when we were making fun of the schedule with no other top-50 teams on the schedule beside the Cardinals. It was something that prompted me to ask Coach Todd if the schedule would prepare his team and put them in a position to host a Regional.
We wondered alloud why would you travel to Florida and play a NAIA school? This before we knew Rollins would make another appearance on the schedule. Playing Eastern Illinois, Dartmouth, Cornell, Bethune-Cookman, Army, and Bucknell was bad. Playing those five with the two non-DI schools is awful. Still it would give the team a chance to stat-build pump up those All-American resumes, and get more players into games. Right?
WRONG
Ohio State returns to Columbus 4-3 on the tip, getting one-run wins against Eastern Illinois, Dartmouth, and Bucknell. While falling to Bethune, Rollins, and Webber International.
And this team is headed to Omaha?
I'll return later with actually analysis, and a breakdown of what went wrong, and thoughts of mine. Until then, YOU tell me your thoughts on the trip.
For starters....
Here's a big question of mine... why/how do you possibly throw a recovering Eric Best out to the mound FOUR times within seven days? Was nothing learned from over-extending pitchers in 2009?
6 comments:
Why on Earth do you schedule 8 games in 7 days? You have to be asking for trouble there. Sure, if some were 7 inning games, alright. They weren't.
Why on Earth do we have an entire weekend off?
Why on Earth do you throw Wimmers once, then assumingly nothing until Big Ten play, a stretch of 13 days off? Yet you use a key piece of future success in Best four times?
Glad to see you back. We will see if OSU can right the ship. The Big Ten opener is a weak one, that will help. Toledo is playing decent baseball, so that could be an issue Wednesday. The worst thing that could happen to this team is to get all of the pre-season hype. The game is played on the field, not on paper. The team chemistry and attitude was great last year. Chemistry is tough to manufacture. Leadership is the key. The leaders have to lead and get this teams attitude right.
I agree.
For people who thought they only lost a great closer in Hale, a solid of in Arp, and a good hitter in Gus, miss what made last year special.
You give me 9 Arp's with the grit and attitude he brings to the table and this team wouldn't be where it is.
Jake did a great job of keeping the pitching staff loose, and Gus is Gus, a quite leader but a professional.
On paper they didn't "lose much", in the clubhouse they lost quite a bit.
It'll be interesting to see the team in person and see if Bill Davis is back to being the morgue it was from 05-08, or if there is stll spring and life in the dugout.
Ironry is ironic. we schedule like an NAIA team..it's only fitting that we lose to one.
Well i am glad you are back but not under this circumstance. I also can't believe they did not throw Alex for at least 4 innings or so on Thur. 13 days is a long time off for a pitcher. It all starts with the schedule though,it is a joke and has been for yrs. Why did they even play 8 games in 7 days anyway. And now they have a total mess on their hands. It is even worse with the kinda staff we have. The other thing is why does the staff keep guys on the roster that are not going to pitch. That to me is a wasted roster spot.It would be differant if the rules were differant. I just don't know how we can have success with only a handfull of pitchers. The use of Eric Best this week makes me sick to my stomach after his surgery. He was throwing real well right before they shut him down last summer and worked hard to get back healthy and now BT wants to over-use him on the spring trip.
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