-Last game at Foley Field, as we know it. I tried not to think too much about that yesterday.... The renovation is long overdue and I'm excited to see what it will look like a season from now. Still, it's a sad see the place "go".... It's also sad to know that it was the last baseball game we'll see in Athens until February. It's funny... the weather yesterday was so similar to the weather on the last day in 2013 too.... Overcast.... it's fitting for when the curtains drop.
-So, we won our final regular season game two years in a row. I was thinking back on it and I believe that we'd lost the last regular season game six straight years before last season. I'm certain on 07 and 09-12 and I THINK that Alabama beat us in the last one in 2008. In a lot of those years, ultimately didn't matter that much.... In one year (2012) it mattered a whole lot.
-33 runs Kentucky scored on us this weekend.... That's the most we've given up on a weekend all year and the second time we've given up 30 or more (Ga Southern scored 30 on us in the first weekend). Kentucky can really hit. So can Ole Miss, and it was surprising what UK did to us after the way we handled the Rebels. AJ Reed most certainly lived up to his billing. The homer that he hit yesterday off of Dylan Cole.... I mean, it didn't even look like he swung that hard. The Kentucky team was walking out of the stadium yesterday at the same time and place that I was.... I went up to Reed, shook his hand, and told him that he was a hell of a player. He's the best opposing hitter I've seen in here since, probably, Justin Smoak.
-I was really proud of Nelson Ward yesterday. He left the Friday night game after taking that ball off his foot, and it looked like it might have been bad, based on the way he was walking (and the fact that he left the game at all). First AB, he goes out and hits a triple yesterday, has 3 hits on the day, and finishes a HR shy of the cycle. I LOVED his drag bunt after Hunter's HR as well.
-Robert Tyler was really, really good yesterday.... not quite to the level of Oxford, but he's clearly gotten over the hump from a few weeks ago. He's not throwing a ton of curve balls, but what does throw has a lot of bite to it.... The early count outs are really helping him keep his pitch count under control as well. It's fun to watch that. I'm sure I've said this before, but in 2016, it's going to be him, Jared Poche' from LSU, and Wil Crowe from South Carolina as "the guys" in the conference, just like Aaron Nola and Tyler Beede this season. It's going to be fun to watch and I wouldn't trade Tyler for either of those other two guys, who are extremely talented in their own rights.
-Not sure how we only had one error to show up in the top of the 5th....
-I felt bad for Dylan Cole yesterday. He clearly didn't have his best stuff and that outing was highly atypical for him. Tough for that happen on Senior Day. But then, Jared Cheek didn't have his best stuff either.... his fastball didn't have as much life as normal, and he was having a hard time locating. I know he wasn't trying to throw a strike to Reed to end the 8th (and he didn't, but got the ball anyway, but I'm sure he wanted it further outside than he put it. I would have felt a lot better about it if we hadn't burned Ross Ripple (in a decisive game) on Friday. It was a weird one.... you're up 11-4 going into the 8th, counting outs, and just not worried about anything. Then, all of a sudden, it's a new game and you're fighting for your life.
-Great day from Hunter Cole yesterday with the 4 RBIs and the long HR. Hard to believe that was Hunter's first HR in Athens this season. Brandon Stephens had a day too.... Was really proud of him after he got pulled on Friday night.
-Another game, another several extra bases saved by our OF. I'm convinced that we have the best defensive CF in the SEC and that we have the best LF as well. Those guys have helped the pitching staff so much this season. It's been a lot of fun to watch that.
-So, on to Hoover. Feels a little different going as the #12 seed, but we had some work to do out there each of the last two times we went. And, at least we won't have to open to with Vanderbilt again.... Great atmosphere out there and it's so much fun if you can go a run and play into the weekend. The last three days out there in 2011 were some of the most fun that I've had following Ga baseball. It'll be nice to see that stadium again.
-So, we won our final regular season game two years in a row. I was thinking back on it and I believe that we'd lost the last regular season game six straight years before last season. I'm certain on 07 and 09-12 and I THINK that Alabama beat us in the last one in 2008. In a lot of those years, ultimately didn't matter that much.... In one year (2012) it mattered a whole lot.
-33 runs Kentucky scored on us this weekend.... That's the most we've given up on a weekend all year and the second time we've given up 30 or more (Ga Southern scored 30 on us in the first weekend). Kentucky can really hit. So can Ole Miss, and it was surprising what UK did to us after the way we handled the Rebels. AJ Reed most certainly lived up to his billing. The homer that he hit yesterday off of Dylan Cole.... I mean, it didn't even look like he swung that hard. The Kentucky team was walking out of the stadium yesterday at the same time and place that I was.... I went up to Reed, shook his hand, and told him that he was a hell of a player. He's the best opposing hitter I've seen in here since, probably, Justin Smoak.
-I was really proud of Nelson Ward yesterday. He left the Friday night game after taking that ball off his foot, and it looked like it might have been bad, based on the way he was walking (and the fact that he left the game at all). First AB, he goes out and hits a triple yesterday, has 3 hits on the day, and finishes a HR shy of the cycle. I LOVED his drag bunt after Hunter's HR as well.
-Robert Tyler was really, really good yesterday.... not quite to the level of Oxford, but he's clearly gotten over the hump from a few weeks ago. He's not throwing a ton of curve balls, but what does throw has a lot of bite to it.... The early count outs are really helping him keep his pitch count under control as well. It's fun to watch that. I'm sure I've said this before, but in 2016, it's going to be him, Jared Poche' from LSU, and Wil Crowe from South Carolina as "the guys" in the conference, just like Aaron Nola and Tyler Beede this season. It's going to be fun to watch and I wouldn't trade Tyler for either of those other two guys, who are extremely talented in their own rights.
-Not sure how we only had one error to show up in the top of the 5th....
-I felt bad for Dylan Cole yesterday. He clearly didn't have his best stuff and that outing was highly atypical for him. Tough for that happen on Senior Day. But then, Jared Cheek didn't have his best stuff either.... his fastball didn't have as much life as normal, and he was having a hard time locating. I know he wasn't trying to throw a strike to Reed to end the 8th (and he didn't, but got the ball anyway, but I'm sure he wanted it further outside than he put it. I would have felt a lot better about it if we hadn't burned Ross Ripple (in a decisive game) on Friday. It was a weird one.... you're up 11-4 going into the 8th, counting outs, and just not worried about anything. Then, all of a sudden, it's a new game and you're fighting for your life.
-Great day from Hunter Cole yesterday with the 4 RBIs and the long HR. Hard to believe that was Hunter's first HR in Athens this season. Brandon Stephens had a day too.... Was really proud of him after he got pulled on Friday night.
-Another game, another several extra bases saved by our OF. I'm convinced that we have the best defensive CF in the SEC and that we have the best LF as well. Those guys have helped the pitching staff so much this season. It's been a lot of fun to watch that.
-So, on to Hoover. Feels a little different going as the #12 seed, but we had some work to do out there each of the last two times we went. And, at least we won't have to open to with Vanderbilt again.... Great atmosphere out there and it's so much fun if you can go a run and play into the weekend. The last three days out there in 2011 were some of the most fun that I've had following Ga baseball. It'll be nice to see that stadium again.
