2019 College Baseball Thread

Few athletic departments do more with less money. It’s been a strong 20 years or so — titles in football, softball, track & field, women’s soccer. Runner-up in baseball, beach volleyball, men’s golf, women’s cross country. Resurgence of the basketball programs...

I didn’t have a rooting interest either, even as a student and alum, until I left full-time journalism and was faced with the reality of how obnoxious Florida fans are. Made it easier to go rah-rah old alma mater.

 

Creighton just scored 7 runs in the ninth to beat Michigan 11-7 and force one more for the Super Regional.

 

And five winner take all games were forced today.

 

I know I’m in the very small minority, but the college baseball tournament is better than basketball. Tonight, I saw a host team that had lost to a 4-seed in its postseason opener complete a second consecutive day of winning two games, eliminating each of the other three teams in the process. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that that 1-seed is my alma mater. On to the super regional at Louisville!

 

I've seen the pitch that got the Louisville pitcher ejected. Haven't seen the one that ended that game and sent IU ballistic. Anyone got that clip?

 

2018 NCAA champion Oregon State had positions players drafted No. 1, No. 4, No. 20 and No. 37. Not sure if that's ever happened from the same team.

 

Is the catcher as good as everyone says? I'm hearing the words "generational talent" thrown around. God knows the Orioles could use one of those ...

 

The 1985 Mississippi State team had Will Clark, Rafael Palmeiro, Bobby Thigpen and Jeff Brantley. And din't win the CWS.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...iever-who-claims-hit-bombs-is-plus-plus-liar/

Last year, during an elimination game against South Carolina in the SEC tournament, LSU took a 4-3 lead in the top of the 12th inning. With runners on the corners and two outs, Peterson’s spot in the batting order came up. The Tigers had lost their designated hitter earlier in the game, so Peterson, then a sophomore, would either have to hit for himself or be removed from the game for a pinch hitter. LSU Manager Paul Mainieri wanted Peterson to pitch the bottom half of the inning, so he sent him to the plate for his first collegiate at-bat with explicit instructions — to strike out.
“I told him to stand in the batter’s box, take three strikes and not move,” Mainieri told reporters. “He looked at me with a sad face, like he was kind of hurt."

While South Carolina made a pitching change, Mainieri asked Peterson whether he ever hit in high school.

“I go, ‘Yeah, I hit bombs!’” Peterson recalled later. “He was like, ‘All right, swing away.’”

Peterson ripped a double off the left field wall to score two insurance runs and then limited the Gamecocks to one run in the bottom of the 12th to clinch LSU’s 6-4 win.
“Coach, I’ll be honest, I didn’t hit in high school,” he said, turning toward Mainieri, who was two seats to his left. “My coach wouldn’t let me. I hit BP a couple of times — I did hit nukes, I’ll tell you that, but yeah."

“What?!” Mainieri said, before removing his cap and putting his hands on his head. “So you lied to me?”

“Coach, I wanted to swing,” Peterson replied.

 

USA Today, WTF? I rarely pick up a USA Today unless I’m staying in a hotel, which I’m doing right now. Going into super-regional weekend, I knew better than to expect a big story on college baseball and its “sweet 16,” but I was surprised to see no story whatsoever and no listing in the agate. The only info on college baseball is in the TV listing, and even that doesn’t mention any actual participants. Rant over, damn sports journalism ain’t what it used to be. Glad I’m out of it.

 

Two of the four played in Chicago for a while. And all except Thigpen spent time on the Rangers. The kiss of death.

 

In the out of nowhere department, the 1987 Seton Hall team had Craig Biggio, Mo Vaughn, Kevin Morton, and John Valentin.