Through 4 games, we have given up 38 runs, good enough for a 9.42 staff ERA. Opponents are hitting our pitchers for a .297 average. We've already given up 16 extra base hits on the year and our opponents are getting on base at a robust .400 clip. College of Charleston is a good hitting team... and Mercer usually swings the bats well, especially at home. But those figures are alarming.
Equally as bothersome to me are some the decisions we've made pitching wise in late games. We've had two true freshman making their pitching debut in college with the tying or winning run in scoring position. We've used two position players as pitchers in those critical situations. Stricklin said Sunday that Tucker Bradley had some jitters and didn't have his best stuff. He said today that Aaron Schunk just hung his last pitch, a curveball, a little too much. I'd like for these guys to pitch in lower leverage situations this early, or at least have the benefit of warming up conventionally. Sunday, Bradley's "warmup" consisted of throwing some pitches in the bullpen during the 8th inning and playing "aggressive" catch in the OF before coming onto the pitch. I really question whether Bradley or Schunk have been put in the best position being called onto pitch in the manner that they were. I also question whether those decisions were putting the team in the best position to win.
To date, only Andrew Gist, Christian Ryder, and Zak Kristofak have pitched in multiple games. We have yet to see Shane Tucker, Drew Moody, or Adam Goodman. Tucker and Moody were supposed to be late game options for us. Given all the flu that has been going around, it's not fair to draw and conclusions there... But it would be nice to know where those guys have been. On this pitching staff, with these numbers, we've so far used Blakely Brown, who Stricklin two weeks ago said has "maybe the best stuff on the staff" for 1 inning. Maybe he's been hurt or sick also. I don't know.
I will agree with Stricklin that we played better the last two games... it would be hard to play worse than we did the first two.... but I'm not filled with the confidence over playing better. This was a very winnable game tonight, from what I could tell of it, and Sunday should have been a whole lot easier and less stressful than it proved to be. Not all 1-3 starts are created equally.... So far we've either not played well or not coached overly well (or both), in my view.
We are 12-19 now vs in-state teams under Stricklin. We have ten more games this season against teams from our state. We'll need to go 9-1 in those 10 to put Stricklin above .500 against in-state competition in his career.
Obviously, that starts at Statesboro in the few days. I think, without having looked at them in too much detail, that we'll be ok offensively down there. It'll be a better overall staff than we saw from College of Charleston, although I don't think Georgia Southern has anyone on Bailey Ober's level. But I do think that we'll be alright at the plate this weekend. It's going to get away from us if we don't shore up some of these issues on the mound, though.
Equally as bothersome to me are some the decisions we've made pitching wise in late games. We've had two true freshman making their pitching debut in college with the tying or winning run in scoring position. We've used two position players as pitchers in those critical situations. Stricklin said Sunday that Tucker Bradley had some jitters and didn't have his best stuff. He said today that Aaron Schunk just hung his last pitch, a curveball, a little too much. I'd like for these guys to pitch in lower leverage situations this early, or at least have the benefit of warming up conventionally. Sunday, Bradley's "warmup" consisted of throwing some pitches in the bullpen during the 8th inning and playing "aggressive" catch in the OF before coming onto the pitch. I really question whether Bradley or Schunk have been put in the best position being called onto pitch in the manner that they were. I also question whether those decisions were putting the team in the best position to win.
To date, only Andrew Gist, Christian Ryder, and Zak Kristofak have pitched in multiple games. We have yet to see Shane Tucker, Drew Moody, or Adam Goodman. Tucker and Moody were supposed to be late game options for us. Given all the flu that has been going around, it's not fair to draw and conclusions there... But it would be nice to know where those guys have been. On this pitching staff, with these numbers, we've so far used Blakely Brown, who Stricklin two weeks ago said has "maybe the best stuff on the staff" for 1 inning. Maybe he's been hurt or sick also. I don't know.
I will agree with Stricklin that we played better the last two games... it would be hard to play worse than we did the first two.... but I'm not filled with the confidence over playing better. This was a very winnable game tonight, from what I could tell of it, and Sunday should have been a whole lot easier and less stressful than it proved to be. Not all 1-3 starts are created equally.... So far we've either not played well or not coached overly well (or both), in my view.
We are 12-19 now vs in-state teams under Stricklin. We have ten more games this season against teams from our state. We'll need to go 9-1 in those 10 to put Stricklin above .500 against in-state competition in his career.
Obviously, that starts at Statesboro in the few days. I think, without having looked at them in too much detail, that we'll be ok offensively down there. It'll be a better overall staff than we saw from College of Charleston, although I don't think Georgia Southern has anyone on Bailey Ober's level. But I do think that we'll be alright at the plate this weekend. It's going to get away from us if we don't shore up some of these issues on the mound, though.
