-It’s been a long time since we’ve had a day like today. Being this close to Omaha, but also knowing that it could all end today. It was a different feeling, for me anyway, than those elimination games in 2018 and 2019. More consequential. I feel like I’ve nervous and tight ever since I got up on Saturday morning… it’s special though, being here. I tried to remember that yesterday… as bad as it was, we were watching us play in a Super Regional in our park. It’s nerve wracking because it’s such a big deal.
-It felt like an anvil came off the back when Slate Alford hit that 1st inning HR. That’s now 4/5 postseason games where we’ve scored in the 1st inning. But I felt like it was so important to set the tone early. I didn’t think we could get down 5-1 or something like that and come back.
-Finley’s bottom 1 was big, just setting them down in order. But his bottom 2 was enormous, and if we win this Super, that shouldn’t be forgotten. To get out of that one without giving a run… I don’t know that we’ve had an inning this year where our pitcher has only retired one hitter. In less than five minutes it went from feeling like we’d be lucky to only give up 2, to getting out with a 0. Then Phelps hits the 3-run bomb in the top of the 3rd, and it just felt like our day.
-I was surprised they brought in Mahron in the 4th as I thought he might start tomorrow. But I guess their thinking was that he could keep us where we were and there was still a lot of game left. He is one their A guys though it was nice to burn him up (my daughter today was very confused by that terminology).
-What an up and down day for Paul Toetz. After I boldly called for him to be in the lineup today, he wasn’t exactly making me look like a genius with those first two ABs and that drop in the OF… but he did hit that HR, so I’m going to say I was right to call for it.
-I think they told Dillon Carter to get everything he possibly could today in the OF. Offensively, he’s getting there. Loved seeing that double today. It’s taken some time since the injury, but it seems like he’s starting to see the ball well.
-I liked Logan Jordan at 1b also. The whole team was bad on Saturday, so I am not trying to single out Corey Collins… but Collins had a rough day defensively… Jordan was very good there today I thought.
-Tomorrow is going to be the last ever game at Foley Field for Collins and Fernando, among others… but I mention those two as 4th year guys… they came here in fall 2020 when Covid was happening, they played a lot as freshmen in front of limited crowds, just not getting the whole experience. Both guys have had a lot of ups and downs here, both guys came back and played a 4th year for a new coach. It’ll be time to smell the roses later, but I’m just so happy for both of those guys.
-I think Zach Harris gets the baseball, but I won’t be surprised if it’s Padysak. I’m not sure that Harris is a great matchup for these guys. But it’ll obviously be all hands on deck. I was surprised that we threw Zeldin today. I thought we’d try to finish it with DJ Radtke. But I’m sure Zeldin can give us an inning.
-I suppose they’ll start Whittaker and think we can hit him. But I thought we’d hit their Saturday guy too. Both teams seem to have a good bit of powder dry.
-I think it’s going to be a war tomorrow night and I think it’ll come down to a handful of pitches. We’ve gotten two blowouts this weekend. I think tomorrow is going to be razor thin.
-Lastly, I think that we are a better team than they are. They’re better defensively, but I think our lineup is decidedly better. I think that and our crowd carry us, and 23 hours from now, we are dogpiling on Foley Field
-It felt like an anvil came off the back when Slate Alford hit that 1st inning HR. That’s now 4/5 postseason games where we’ve scored in the 1st inning. But I felt like it was so important to set the tone early. I didn’t think we could get down 5-1 or something like that and come back.
-Finley’s bottom 1 was big, just setting them down in order. But his bottom 2 was enormous, and if we win this Super, that shouldn’t be forgotten. To get out of that one without giving a run… I don’t know that we’ve had an inning this year where our pitcher has only retired one hitter. In less than five minutes it went from feeling like we’d be lucky to only give up 2, to getting out with a 0. Then Phelps hits the 3-run bomb in the top of the 3rd, and it just felt like our day.
-I was surprised they brought in Mahron in the 4th as I thought he might start tomorrow. But I guess their thinking was that he could keep us where we were and there was still a lot of game left. He is one their A guys though it was nice to burn him up (my daughter today was very confused by that terminology).
-What an up and down day for Paul Toetz. After I boldly called for him to be in the lineup today, he wasn’t exactly making me look like a genius with those first two ABs and that drop in the OF… but he did hit that HR, so I’m going to say I was right to call for it.
-I think they told Dillon Carter to get everything he possibly could today in the OF. Offensively, he’s getting there. Loved seeing that double today. It’s taken some time since the injury, but it seems like he’s starting to see the ball well.
-I liked Logan Jordan at 1b also. The whole team was bad on Saturday, so I am not trying to single out Corey Collins… but Collins had a rough day defensively… Jordan was very good there today I thought.
-Tomorrow is going to be the last ever game at Foley Field for Collins and Fernando, among others… but I mention those two as 4th year guys… they came here in fall 2020 when Covid was happening, they played a lot as freshmen in front of limited crowds, just not getting the whole experience. Both guys have had a lot of ups and downs here, both guys came back and played a 4th year for a new coach. It’ll be time to smell the roses later, but I’m just so happy for both of those guys.
-I think Zach Harris gets the baseball, but I won’t be surprised if it’s Padysak. I’m not sure that Harris is a great matchup for these guys. But it’ll obviously be all hands on deck. I was surprised that we threw Zeldin today. I thought we’d try to finish it with DJ Radtke. But I’m sure Zeldin can give us an inning.
-I suppose they’ll start Whittaker and think we can hit him. But I thought we’d hit their Saturday guy too. Both teams seem to have a good bit of powder dry.
-I think it’s going to be a war tomorrow night and I think it’ll come down to a handful of pitches. We’ve gotten two blowouts this weekend. I think tomorrow is going to be razor thin.
-Lastly, I think that we are a better team than they are. They’re better defensively, but I think our lineup is decidedly better. I think that and our crowd carry us, and 23 hours from now, we are dogpiling on Foley Field
