Baseball at Miami, Fri 3/1, 7:00 pm

Thanks Gal for getting this started. Here's a dup from the end of the BC thread. I felt it deserves to be here for the prep conversation for anyone interested. Sorry for the dup. I hope you will let it pass this time, or that is to say let it waft by.

Neutrino said:
Last 5 games:
HR: 12 events, 23 runs
Non-HR RISP hit: 10 events, 14 runs
Non-HR Runners on hit: 1 event, 1 run
Non-hit (SF, BB, WP etc.): 8 events, 9 runs

Thank you Neutrino for finding this.
So 12 events HR style to 10 events with RISP. Obviously you score more runs with each HR to be included in the total runs, but its the events I was wondering. At first glance one might think 12 to 10 is close enough not to make much of it. But if considered in the context of getting a hit, such as a single, it should be much easier than getting a HR, one would think. Singles imply hitting them where they ain't or bouncing one thru the infield or lacing one in front of an OFer. HR are just about always solid contact on a hard hit ball with a good exit angle. Thus we should have much more events getting hits to score runs with RISP. Interesting though we do not. If we are as a collective team trying to hit one out with RISP might be the problem why we are not taking advantage of timely hitting when all we got to do is swing for more singles instead of the fences.

Tonight we saw several innings get shutdown because of double play killers. That doesn't happen very often in college baseball. Maybe the team is working on clutch hitting and got stung by it. We've had other issues with batters around Cags not stringing some hits together. We had one game when Cags got 4 hits but the 1, 3, and 4 hitters only had something like 1 hit that night and the rest of the team only had 3 hits combined. Weird night maybe but a missed opportunity to feed off of Cags big night. I expect in Miami this weekend the team that scores more consistently through the games will win or least have a better chance. But the team that relies on gorilla ball might find it difficult to maintain their enthusiasm and high level of play both in hitting and pitching over the whole weekend.

 

To those Gators going to Miami, expect to hear from the nastiest baseball fans in the state. Worse than FSU. Example: 10 year old boy wearing a white T-shirt with "F... the Gators" written with Sharpie. Don't try to communicate with them. Can't win an argument with idiots.

 

If they get mad, ask them about the flop and if the players really jumped in the fountain after the game. That usually butters 'em up. I've found they have become significantly more tame lately compared to when they were at their peak.

Here are some fun stats:

From 1978 to 2008, a span of 31 years, they went to Omaha 22 times, brought home 4 titles.

In the last 15 years, they've made it to Omaha twice and missed the 64-team tournament field twice (those were all in consecutive years).

Since 2006, they've won 2 games in Omaha, and neither were terrible results, in 2008, they eliminated SWAC, and in 2015, their win allowed FLORIDA to give them a second beat down totaling 25-5 over the two games played.

Rumor has it that Stetson has asked to replace Miami as a weekend series opponent seeing as they are 7-15 against us in the last 22 games of the series and Miami is only 6-16 against FLORIDA in the last 22 games of the series.

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

 

YOUR KILLING ME SMALLS! Bah hahahahahaha.....

 

Here's a little homework for any one interested in this weekend series. Reminder this is a midweek game so some players might be different but you get the idea how each team likes to play. My observations...
1. FGCU is a good hitting team.
2. Miami likes to move runners on the base paths with bunts and steals. Florida better be ready to handle sac bunts.
3. Florida batters better be ready to take one on the heels if Crowder is pitching.
4. My guess Miami is going to watch plenty of pitches to get the pitch counts up.

 

I keep looking for where Miami is ranked in the D1 baseball poll and can't find them. Is my browser broken?

 

ACCNx is their equivalent of SEC+, available via the ESPN app. The Saturday game is on the normal ACCN and Sunday is back on ACCNx

 

This is my third favorite place to watch college baseball. I've never had a negative experience. The UM fan base is no different than every other.

 

Seriously?
It's not a bad place to watch a game but it is a bit crampted and the fan base is/was one of the worst ever. I used to live in Miami, been to many games there (not just vs UF) and have experienced/seen several obnoxious cane fans. No team Id rather beat in baseball.
Thankfully, as Wes pointed out above they have chilled in recent years given their post season failures and losses to UF, and probably a lot of the old obnoxious diehard canes have passed. At least a couple I used to work with have. (good guys in general, but UF haters). Here's hoping Sully keeps the magic going.

 

We played them to open our season down there in 1973. We played well. We had them in Tallahassee in 1974. Our team wanted to beat them worse than anybody else we played—period.

F*** the U…..

 

They were good back then.

 

Could not agree more!

 

LSU is pretty much highest on my current list of most hated.

 

There are about 5 or 6 teams on the schedule that should get the players full attention due to the rivalry nature, and this is as big as any.
Miami
FSU
Georgia
LSU
Tennessee
and don't forget the "Vandy Boys" and their whistlers.

 

Florida and Arkansas have had their moments as well.

 

Damn I hate the whistle!!!!

 

For sure!! And those dang ‘ol cowbells get old at MSU too……

 

Is this game free in Central Florida ,,, streaming. ?

 

Excited about a good weekend of baseball for sure.
This series will reveal more of where we are with the weekend arms. Something’s that I most want to see this weekend
How good are weekend starters. Miami has been a decent hitting team. How many innings and how far will the starts go?
How will we hit against their Saturday and Sunday lefties? UF has left a lot on base and will the good guys be able to capitalize with RISP?
How athletic can the line up be?
Will Thomas stay in the rotation or will Albert and Kurland or Kurland and Shelton man the infield. What the line up be when Landon Russell gets healthy. I believe the Gators have the opportunity to be much more athletic than what we have seen.
Regardless, this is a great weekend for Us Diamond junkies. Enjoy the community here and Go Gators..