Men 2021 UConn Baseball @ NCAA Tournament’s South Bend Regional (6/4 > 6/7) Game 3 v. Central Michigan > Sunday @ 12p on ESPN3/Mixlr

[lavuuk153]

Here's a better idea- play better.

I mean of course. But, in the same way that a fast runner on first can affect the pitchers concentration, you can’t let a batter be that comfortable at the plate. At least make him think that if he just puts himself out there to push one towards third he might take one in the ribs or forearm (no head hunting).

 

[Palatine]

Hard to know what to think. They won the BE. Huskies populate MLB rosters.

But they have been badly outclasses by top tier teams.

And they gave up 40 runs in the final two games of the NCAA appearance. FORTY.

 

[freescooter]

I don’t know how to do it but this program needs to figure out how to play better teams during the latter part of the season. Playing 30 games against a glorified high school schedule doesn’t make you tournament tough. In this tournament you need pitching depth, and mental toughness. You don’t develop that beating teams 11-2 every other day. UConn is on the cusp of being a “program” but to get there they need to play other programs in April and May not just March and June. Maybe it means going to Virginia for a midweek game before Georgetown or Villanova weekend or somehow enticing Carolina or ND to stop off on the way to play BC . If Fairfield develops into a MAAC power play them a few times. Or look at whether it is plausible to play baseball somewhere besides the New Big East. This was a pretty embarrassing weekend but it was a harbinger of the future unless UConn takes some steps to upgrade the schedule.

 

[huskymedic]

If Fairfield develops into a MAAC power play them a few times.

Fairfield was on this year’s schedule until the MAAC went conference games only. They should be a regular H/H as long as they aren’t/turn into a RPI hit.

 

[Magruber]

We should absolutely play CCSU and Fairfield which are both very solid Programs.
We have to keep up the recruiting. Penders and staff doing GREAT job and just keep it going.
Agreed on playing some tough opponents midweek. Gotta do it.

 

[Griggs]

So today, we saw the team that started the season. Only taking one walk. A four year starter missing a routine ground ball and then not going from second to home with a coach waving him around on a play he would have scored easily. A five year starter playing CF like he was a fifth grader, and not going all out on two fly balls that he missed by a step each, and an entire team unable to defend a bunt or a stolen base.

I don't want to minimize what the team accomplished by winning their conference regular season and post season and making the tournament, but we did that against teams that we had far better personnel to. We started the season like we ended it. When we played other quality teams, this team made losing plays. Repeatedly. And that will be their legacy. This was a very good team, no doubt, but they were not able to play up to their potential when it counted.

Lighten up! They played their hearts out and gave us an exciting post season.

Enjoyed reading everyone's comments.

See you in Fresno!

 

[Rocko52]

Well folks, time to try and find some shade and relaxation on the couch. What a ride, it’s been a great season even after these heart breakers. I’ll be with Hook C forever.

 

[HookC22]

o

I don’t know how to do it but this program needs to figure out how to play better teams during the latter part of the season. Playing 30 games against a glorified high school schedule doesn’t make you tournament tough. In this tournament you need pitching depth, and mental toughness. You don’t develop that beating teams 11-2 every other day. UConn is on the cusp of being a “program” but to get there they need to play other programs in April and May not just March and June. Maybe it means going to Virginia for a midweek game before Georgetown or Villanova weekend or somehow enticing Carolina or ND to stop off on the way to play BC . If Fairfield develops into a MAAC power play them a few times. Or look at whether it is plausible to play baseball somewhere besides the New Big East. This was a pretty embarrassing weekend but it was a harbinger of the future unless UConn takes some steps to upgrade the schedule.

they do play everyone. This years was COVID and they couldnt play alot of teams. We have always played a tough schedule and never shied away from the better local teams.

 

[HookC22]

I feel like there are a lot of new names in the last hour who don’t actually follow this team each year starting in February.

 

[Adios]

The Chippewa didn't reside in central Michigan, anyway.

 

[huskymedic]

Alternate access link here (but if you have direct access use it - there are a few truncated sentences in the Outline view)

 

[ATLDYKA]

Lighten up! They played their hearts out and gave us an exciting post season.

Enjoyed reading everyone's comments.

See you in Fresno!

There's nothing to lighten up about. He stated facts. This program needs to find a way to take it to the next level. Every team plays their hearts out. It's the ones that make the least amount of mistakes this time of year that are still playing on.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[BugsyCT]

I feel like there are a lot of new names in the last hour who don’t actually follow this team each year starting in February.

Is that a bad thing? A lot of us are heavy into UConn hoops in February and March.

 

[freescooter]

o

they do play everyone. This years was COVID and they couldnt play alot of teams. We have always played a tough schedule and never shied away from the better local teams.

I know they do but in this new league the second half of the season is very weak and will be going forward. In the past we had 30 odd games with East Carolina, Houston Cincinatti. We replaced those with glorified high school teams. We should and did dominate this league but we need to find a way to upgrade the schedule throughout the season not just in February and March.

 

[HookC22]

Is that a bad thing? A lot of us are heavy into UConn hoops in February and March.

Well when a lot of the new names start question to things about the program that are absolutely false, yes it is.

 

[Kemba Time]

South Alabama just sent Florida and Miami packing. Fairfield just eliminated ASU. Central Michigan knocked off Michigan and, well, UConn. Who do you think those teams played in April and May that toughened them up for this week?

UConn lost this weekend because they didn’t make pitches, or plays for that matter, that they have all year. Not because of some fundamental scheduling issue of the program.

 

[businesslawyer]

I know they do but in this new league the second half of the season is very weak and will be going forward. In the past we had 30 odd games with East Carolina, Houston Cincinatti. We replaced those with glorified high school teams. We should and did dominate this league but we need to find a way to upgrade the schedule throughout the season not just in February and March.

I understand why the school is in the Big East. I don't understand why many feel the need to pretend that it's a good thing for the baseball program. It's not. The step down in competition is severe. It's just what it is.

 

[huskymedic]

Coach Penders > CMU staff told him after the game that Gallagher was tipping his pitches but still credits CMU because they still had to hit what they knew was coming.




Amore’s article above mentions it and Penders was mad they didn’t pick it up.

“As coaches, you’re upset we didn’t pick it up ourselves,” Penders said, “but you still have to hit it, and Central Michigan did plenty of hitting today.”

 

[freescooter]

I understand why the school is in the Big East. I don't understand why many feel the need to pretend that it's a good thing for the baseball programs. It's not. The step down in competition is severe. It's just what it is.

I do too. But you are right on. And in college sports there is a tendency to “ move to the mean“ over time. Occasionally there are fun stories, especially in a sport like baseball and maybe Fairfield is one. But trying to be a nationally competitive in the northeast is a tall order. Doing it playing in the New Big East makes it many times tougher. That’s why I say we need to play tough non-conference games throughout the season. Local games are fine and Central and maybe Fairfield, occasionally BC, are solid, but we can throw a guy out there and beat Butler or Georgetown and we’ll never know how good or bad he really is. Heck we could’ve send bl out and beat Seton Hall this year. I want to see them figure out a way to play the Norte Dames, the Maryland’s and Virginia’s in mid week games when the weekend is full of dreck.

The Big East is a one bid league most years. We should get that bid most of the time. It will only be a 2 bid league most years if we lose the tournament after winning the regular season. But if we want to go anywhere beyond an appearance, we need to figure out how to get there.

 

[storrsroars]

We should absolutely play CCSU and Fairfield which are both very solid Programs.
We have to keep up the recruiting. Penders and staff doing GREAT job and just keep it going.
Agreed on playing some tough opponents midweek. Gotta do it.

Time to utilize those cheap introductory fares on Breeze Air to fly from Hartford to Pittsburgh!

 

[gtcam]

Had a rough 2 days after a brilliant performance Friday evening
Never thought it would end like this but thats sports
Great season after a rough start
Great things will come to this program - its on solid ground and has been heading in the right direction
See you in the fall!!!!!

 

[freescooter]

Time to utilize those cheap introductory fares on Breeze Air to fly from Hartford to Pittsburgh!

Ok by me

 

[dbmill]

Fairfield was on this year’s schedule until the MAAC went conference games only. They should be a regular H/H as long as they aren’t/turn into a RPI hit.

Toss Fairfield in with BC, Northeastern, Bryant, URI for regular H/H. CCSU has been a regular on the schedule as well. That would not be a bad midweek New England schedule at all.

 

[HookC22]

Toss Fairfield in with BC, Northeastern, Bryant, URI for regular H/H. CCSU has been a regular on the schedule as well. That would not be a bad midweek New England schedule at all.

Hasn’t this always been our schedule? We started weeding out the second games with UMass, CCSU and Sacred Heart when their RPIs were too high. I’m not sure on the specifics but Fairfield was also one of those teams with a high RPI historically. Yes they are having a great run this year but they were usually one of our midweek “stat games” for our guys.

 

[dbmill]

Hasn’t this always been our schedule? We started weeding out the second games with UMass, CCSU and Sacred Heart when their RPIs were too high. I’m not sure on the specifics but Fairfield was also one of those teams with a high RPI historically. Yes they are having a great run this year but they were usually one of our midweek “stat games” for our guys.

Not quite. The only one of these teams that was consistently a home and home was URI. With the advent of UConn's new ballpark and the pandemic last season, home and homes were scheduled this past season for Northeastern, BC, and Bryant, but they had not been scheduled that way in previous seasons during the Penders era. In the past UConn would play these teams once a year, not twice. I have a suspicion that UConn will probably continue to schedule 1 game with UMass, but considering UMass barely offers athletic scholarships in baseball, that one will probably always be something of an RPI drag, while the others would not be.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Now that I've had a minute to let it sink in, as disappointing as it ended in the tournament, it was still a great season and I can't wait to see them next year.

 

[dbmill]

Now that I've had a minute to let it sink in, as disappointing as it ended in the tournament, it was still a great season and I can't wait to see them next year.

Any season where UConn baseball goes to the NCAA Tournament is certainly a success, even if the ending ends up being disappointing in some way shape or form. I believe in odds, if UConn baseball keeps making the NCAA Tournament, eventually they will break through the first weekend and make it to the Super Regional round. Good ground work has been laid with the new baseball facilities in Storrs, and that will certainly help the program. Plus, UConn will have a few more players go in the MLB draft, which is always good publicity and a big plus to the program as well, something that helps in recruiting down the line. Plus, UConn baseball's national profile seems to keep rising as well.

 

[dbmill]

Now that I've had a minute to let it sink in, as disappointing as it ended in the tournament, it was still a great season and I can't wait to see them next year.

I mentioned this elsewhere, but UConn baseball looks like it will be losing a number of key players due to graduation and/or the MLB draft. Next season is looking like a rebuilding/restocking season, but in my mind those seasons can be quite interesting to witness, as we see who potentially emerges to take the place of the various departed players.

 

[mustafa]

I do too. But you are right on. And in college sports there is a tendency to “ move to the mean“ over time. Occasionally there are fun stories, especially in a sport like baseball and maybe Fairfield is one. But trying to be a nationally competitive in the northeast is a tall order. Doing it playing in the New Big East makes it many times tougher. That’s why I say we need to play tough non-conference games throughout the season. Local games are fine and Central and maybe Fairfield, occasionally BC, are solid, but we can throw a guy out there and beat Butler or Georgetown and we’ll never know how good or bad he really is. Heck we could’ve send bl out and beat Seton Hall this year. I want to see them figure out a way to play the Norte Dames, the Maryland’s and Virginia’s in mid week games when the weekend is full of dreck.

The Big East is a one bid league most years. We should get that bid most of the time. It will only be a 2 bid league most years if we lose the tournament after winning the regular season. But if we want to go anywhere beyond an appearance, we need to figure out how to get there.

Completely Agree.
I know it will likely be tough, but we need to find a way to play a Maryland, Virginia, Notre Dame midweek. We need to get tougher opponents. Seton Hall, Butler, Georgetown and some of these other laymo's do nothing for us.
Central and Fairfield are musts for the schedule as they are very good / solid quality. I really don't know much about Fairfield aside from this year but assume they are regularly pretty good and Central has a nice little history going where they are a good challenger.