*I realize that it doesn't count in the conference standings, but I'm sick of losing to Auburn every year in Montgomery. Maybe our players are unable to perform due to the shock of playing in a nice ballpark for a change.
*After one game of beating up on the dregs of Tulane's pitching staff, reality returned with another utterly pathetic showing in Montgomery. Three stinking hits. As CMG remarked after the game, it's inexcusable. This is supposed to be the "easy" portion of the schedule, yet this team has a slugging percentage of .304. Kenny Roberts leads the team in extra-base hits with a grand total of three.
*Even the greatest players in this game encounter those times when they must get their acts together and remove their heads from their you-know-where's. Now is such a time for Ben Moore. He's one of the best players in the SEC, but he's just not getting the job done at the plate, trying to crush the ball out of the park and giving away too many at bats. He's also become a liability in the field, with costly misplays in three out of the last four games. If this team is going to contend for the postseason, the real Ben Moore has to show up.
*Guilbeau has good enough stuff to dominate, as we saw in his brilliant start against Southern Miss, but his past two outings have only demonstrated that his command/control remains extremely poor. He simply has to throw more strikes. Giving up 12 walks in 14.1 innings is a recipe for disaster, and his inability to work ahead only leads to elevated pitch counts early. A reliable starting pitcher should at least be efficient enough to provide 6-7 innings; at this point, Guilbeau cannot do that. Perhaps a shift to the bullpen would be a better use of his services.
*A little concerned with Turnbull's ineffectiveness, especially after he pitched so well in the preseason. Through three starts, he's been elevating all of his pitches, his fastball is flat, and he's not getting good rotation on his breaking ball. Could be a matter of making some minor mechanical tweak to get him back on track.
*Sullivan has been racking up strikeouts at a truly spectacular rate, unprecedented for a guy without a track record of missing a lot of bats. It's a very positive development for the senior, but what's puzzling is that while he's been getting plenty of K's, opponents are also hitting .339 against him. This could be a matter of command within the strike zone (catching too much of the plate) or predictable pitch selection, or possibly a little of both.
*The bullpen has played a significant role in each of the eight victories this season. Castillo and Haack have stepped in as true freshmen and pitched with the poise of seasoned veterans. Hawley has held his own in his return from Tommy John surgery, and Kamplain looks like the closer going forward.
*After one game of beating up on the dregs of Tulane's pitching staff, reality returned with another utterly pathetic showing in Montgomery. Three stinking hits. As CMG remarked after the game, it's inexcusable. This is supposed to be the "easy" portion of the schedule, yet this team has a slugging percentage of .304. Kenny Roberts leads the team in extra-base hits with a grand total of three.
*Even the greatest players in this game encounter those times when they must get their acts together and remove their heads from their you-know-where's. Now is such a time for Ben Moore. He's one of the best players in the SEC, but he's just not getting the job done at the plate, trying to crush the ball out of the park and giving away too many at bats. He's also become a liability in the field, with costly misplays in three out of the last four games. If this team is going to contend for the postseason, the real Ben Moore has to show up.
*Guilbeau has good enough stuff to dominate, as we saw in his brilliant start against Southern Miss, but his past two outings have only demonstrated that his command/control remains extremely poor. He simply has to throw more strikes. Giving up 12 walks in 14.1 innings is a recipe for disaster, and his inability to work ahead only leads to elevated pitch counts early. A reliable starting pitcher should at least be efficient enough to provide 6-7 innings; at this point, Guilbeau cannot do that. Perhaps a shift to the bullpen would be a better use of his services.
*A little concerned with Turnbull's ineffectiveness, especially after he pitched so well in the preseason. Through three starts, he's been elevating all of his pitches, his fastball is flat, and he's not getting good rotation on his breaking ball. Could be a matter of making some minor mechanical tweak to get him back on track.
*Sullivan has been racking up strikeouts at a truly spectacular rate, unprecedented for a guy without a track record of missing a lot of bats. It's a very positive development for the senior, but what's puzzling is that while he's been getting plenty of K's, opponents are also hitting .339 against him. This could be a matter of command within the strike zone (catching too much of the plate) or predictable pitch selection, or possibly a little of both.
*The bullpen has played a significant role in each of the eight victories this season. Castillo and Haack have stepped in as true freshmen and pitched with the poise of seasoned veterans. Hawley has held his own in his return from Tommy John surgery, and Kamplain looks like the closer going forward.
