Men UConn & 2025 Big East Baseball Tourney @Prasco Park, Mason Ohio (5/21>5/24). Gm5 v. CU @5p on FS1&FS2. Audio>MIXLR, Fox Sports 97.9/Varsity App

[businesslawyer]

I have no clue who will start. Much less who would start a game 5. But the last month or so, Peters has been far better than Abbadessa.

 

[Rdkid]

Whatever happens, you’ll see plenty of Cooke and Afthim. Can’t win the second until you win the first.

 

[CtBaseball]

Whatever happens, you’ll see plenty of Cooke and Afthim. Can’t win the second until you win the first.

Yeah, here is the truth. These are must-win games.

 

[rich1122]

So games on Saturday then Sunday? No double header I suppose?

 

[CtBaseball]

So games on Saturday then Sunday? No double header I suppose?

If we win the first, we play later tonight.

 

[rich1122]

If we win the first, we play later tonight.

Jees that’s 8:30pm. Or later.

 

[ATLDYKA]

Yeah, here is the truth. These are must-win games.

Don't agree with this. I think they could be in good shape with win yesterday, of course wouldn't hurt to get one more. I think it is must win tourney for Creighton to get in.

 

[Rdkid]

Gotta win one more to feel safer. It tells you 2 things when they kept Finn in with an 8/9-run lead: getting that win was huge and they had little faith in who else was available to help finish that game. I think they’ll push trustworthy arms to win game 1 and try and win game 2 in a slugfest.

 

[dbmill]

HookC Knocks Out Xavier, Advances to Play Creighton Saturday - University of Connecticut Athletics

MASON, OHIO - The UConn baseball team (38-20) knocked out Xavier, 11-2, in a BIG EAST Championship elimination game on Friday evening at Prasco Park.

uconnhuskies.com

 

[CtBaseball]

Don't agree with this. I think they could be in good shape with win yesterday, of course wouldn't hurt to get one more. I think it is must win tourney for Creighton to get in.

Sorry, I was unclear. I was implying that the games are important enough that I wouldn’t be surprised if Penders tries our best arms on short rest - ie Cookie, Afthim, etc rather than Abadessa, Peters etc - not that we literally need to win to get in.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[businesslawyer]

Gotta win one more to feel safer. It tells you 2 things when they kept Finn in with an 8/9-run lead: getting that win was huge and they had little faith in who else was available to help finish that game. I think they’ll push trustworthy arms to win game 1 and try and win game 2 in a slugfest.

This. I get that Penders viewed both these games as must wins and followed the old saying “pitch your best today because it might rain tomorrow.” But damn, weren’t our leads enough the last two days to try to save 1 or 2 of both Shaw’s and Finn’s innings.

We can probably get 7 or 8 innings in game one out of Cooke, Shaw and Afthim after starting a sacrificial lamb, but winning a second game might require 20 runs.

 

[CtBaseball]

This. I get that Penders viewed both these games as must wins and followed the old saying “pitch your best today because it might rain tomorrow.” But damn, weren’t our leads enough the last two days to try to save 1 or 2 of both Shaw’s and Finn’s innings.

We can probably get 7 or 8 innings in game one out of Cooke, Shaw and Afthim after starting a sacrificial lamb, but winning a second game might require 20 runs.

"After starting a sacrificial lamb"

I LOLed

 

[hardcorehusky]

I doubt we see Shaw today. Last time he pitched on short rest was after a long outing against St John's and he had nothing against Rutgers.

I can see getting 3 innings or so out of Cooke. Maybe 2 out of Afthim. Need either a mix and match with Caruso, a Hutchinson and maybe Alejandro. Any way you cut it, we will need to slug our way through it.

 

[NEforceUConn]

May 25th, beautiful weather and our Huskies are still playing meaningful baseball.

Priceless.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Rdkid]

This. I get that Penders viewed both these games as must wins and followed the old saying “pitch your best today because it might rain tomorrow.” But damn, weren’t our leads enough the last two days to try to save 1 or 2 of both Shaw’s and Finn’s innings.

We can probably get 7 or 8 innings in game one out of Cooke, Shaw and Afthim after starting a sacrificial lamb, but winning a second game might require 20 runs.

It ain’t gonna be pretty. They will ride whoever can get outs for as long as they can. That means Cooke, IMO. They’ll throw all trusted arms for as long as they hold out. Everyone including Pudvar, unless his arm’s dead. That means Shaw and Finn too. Guys who have been erratic or ineffective will get a batter or two in G2 with a quick hook - but only in desperation. They don’t trust those guys midweek.

 

[businesslawyer]

It ain’t gonna be pretty. They will ride whoever can get outs for as long as they can. That means Cooke, IMO. They’ll throw all trusted arms for as long as they hold out. Everyone including Pudvar, unless his arm’s dead. That means Shaw and Finn too. Guys who have been erratic or ineffective will get a batter or two in G2 with a quick hook - but only in desperation. They don’t trust those guys midweek.

If we get to a fifth game absolutely expect them to see if Pudvar can give them 2 innings, and based on what Penders said the other day wouldn’t be surprised to see Ellison as well. We can win the first game with the runs we’ve gotten the last three days, but it really might take 20 to win a second game today.

 

[BlueWolf25]

Regardless of who pitches, I think we can all agree that scoring a dozen (or two) runs would make us all feel a little better

 

[FfldCntyFan]

If we get to a fifth game absolutely expect them to see if Pudvar can give them 2 innings, and based on what Penders said the other day wouldn’t be surprised to see Ellison as well. We can win the first game with the runs we’ve gotten the last three days, but it really might take 20 to win a second game today.

I really don't want to get ahead of myself, and I can say with all candor that I know very little about Creighton's pitching depth. That said, I believe if we win the first game today, there is a reasonable chance that their available pitching for what will be their fourth game in four days may be something that our bats can damage.

 

[rich1122]

Pitchers 10 - Jude Abbadessa - Redshirt Sophomore 12 - Sean Finn - Sophomore 13 - Charlie West - Sophomore 15 - Hector Alejandro - Redshirt Senior 18 - Jack Sullivan - Senior 20 - Evan Hamberger - Junior 21 - Gabe Van Emon - Graduate Student 22 - Ian Cooke - Senior 25 - Thomas Ellisen - Redshirt Junior 30 - Frank Spirito IV - Redshirt Freshman 31 - Devin Wolff - Redshirt Freshman 32 - Cole Taylor - Freshman 34 - Brady Afthim - Senior 36 - Paxton Meyers - Graduate Student 37 - Sam Hutchinson - Sophomore 38 - JT Caruso - Sophomore 39 - Kyle Peters - Redshirt Freshman 40 - Drew Smith - Freshman 41 - Greg Shaw III - Junior 44 - Ben Schild - Sophomore 45 - Cayden Suchy - Freshman 46 - Oliver Pudvar - Redshirt Sophomore 49 - Cameron Mayer - Graduate Student 50 - Owen Norrell - Freshman 51 - Giovanni Conte - Redshirt Freshman 54 - Thomas Galusha - Redshirt Freshman 55 - Garret Garbinski - Junior Take your pick

 

[businesslawyer]

I really don't want to get ahead of myself, and I can say with all candor that I know very little about Creighton's pitching depth. That said, I believe if we win the first game today, there is a reasonable chance that their available pitching for what will be their fourth game in four days may be something that our bats can damage.

I know nothing of their pitching either, but unfortunately what I do know is that the drop off from the 7 guys we trust to the next best pitchers on our staff is a bigger gap than I’ve ever seen. And even if Creighton’s staff is just as troubled with depth as ours, playing the one less game is huge. That’s why Brady’s blown save in game 1 was tremendously important. As I’ve been saying the last month, we can win a double elimination tourney by going through the winner’s bracket, but doing so through the loser’s bracket for this year’s team would be a real problem.

Find a way to cobble together nine credible innings and win the first game, and then just see if we can outslug someone in the second. That’s all there is to do.

 

[huskymedic]

Pitchers 10 - Jude Abbadessa - Redshirt Sophomore 12 - Sean Finn - Sophomore 13 - Charlie West - Sophomore 15 - Hector Alejandro - Redshirt Senior 18 - Jack Sullivan - Senior 20 - Evan Hamberger - Junior 21 - Gabe Van Emon - Graduate Student 22 - Ian Cooke - Senior 25 - Thomas Ellisen - Redshirt Junior 30 - Frank Spirito IV - Redshirt Freshman 31 - Devin Wolff - Redshirt Freshman 32 - Cole Taylor - Freshman 34 - Brady Afthim - Senior 36 - Paxton Meyers - Graduate Student 37 - Sam Hutchinson - Sophomore 38 - JT Caruso - Sophomore 39 - Kyle Peters - Redshirt Freshman 40 - Drew Smith - Freshman 41 - Greg Shaw III - Junior 44 - Ben Schild - Sophomore 45 - Cayden Suchy - Freshman 46 - Oliver Pudvar - Redshirt Sophomore 49 - Cameron Mayer - Graduate Student 50 - Owen Norrell - Freshman 51 - Giovanni Conte - Redshirt Freshman 54 - Thomas Galusha - Redshirt Freshman 55 - Garret Garbinski - Junior Take your pick

FIFY > Lost for year due to injury

 

[huskymedic]

 

[ATLDYKA]

I agree with dbmill. I believe it will be Abadessa who gets the start today. Depending on how things go I believe Caruso and Hutchinson will be heard from. Depending on the score, Affirm and Cooke I imagine will be ready to go as well. One thing that helps. Vandy is rolling Tennessee right now. If Vandy were to win the SEC tourney and UNC wins ACC that has to help us emencly with an at large bid.