UConn @ Coastal Carolina Tourney (Fri. 3/1 Northeastern, Sat. 3/2 Dbl Header>Indiana @1:05 & #19 Coastal Carolina @5:30 & Sun. 3/3 #25 Illinois @Noon) | Page 8 | The Boneyard

UConn @ Coastal Carolina Tourney (Fri. 3/1 Northeastern, Sat. 3/2 Dbl Header>Indiana @1:05 & #19 Coastal Carolina @5:30 & Sun. 3/3 #25 Illinois @Noon)

1 out in the bottom of the 8th, Toppa walks to load the bases. 9 walks for UConn batters today.
 
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huskymedic said:
Nice salvage job. End on a high note!
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Very nice job considering the current state of UConn's starting pitching. That will change as Feole gets more on the beam of things and is able to get quality starts.
 
5-5, but all 10 games we have played are tough (Northeastern beat Missouri and nearly beat Illinois last night). I believe we play Michigan State next weekend, which will be the weakest team we have seen so far. Hopefully we can take at least 3 out of 4.
 
uconnbaseball said:
5-5, but all 10 games we have played are tough (Northeastern beat Missouri and nearly beat Illinois last night). I believe we play Michigan State next weekend, which will be the weakest team we have seen so far. Hopefully we can take at least 3 out of 4.
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Next weekend is Texas State, which looks to be another tough series with a team with some quality wins already this season. Michigan State is the weekend after that.

In my book a 5-5 record with those teams played is pretty good considering Mason Feole has thrown only 3 innings so far this season.
 
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There has been plenty of both good and bad so far. We are getting remarkable performances from the top 3 in our lineup and Kersten, Wallace and Dandaneau. But we have far too may folks both at positions and pitchers who will need not to be stars but to be much more competent than they have been to date. We are 4-0 with Feole and Kersten starting and 1-5 behind anyone else.

We haven't harmed ourselves yet -- especially given 3 innings in ten games from our ace -- but if we want to host this year more folks need to step up.
Time will tell.

My biggest question -- how much longer until we realize that maybe Gardner is far more valuable as a starter and move him back into the rotation?
 
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businesslawyer said:
My biggest question -- how much longer until we realize that maybe Gardner is far more valuable as a starter and move him back into the rotation?
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Agree, even if he can't bump Simeone for the #3 starter gig, I would like to see him as a midweek / #4 starter. For whatever reason, he is clearly more comfortable in that role.

The main issue with Gardner is that he doesn't eat as many innings as you'd like, but it's not like any of our starters sans Kersten and Feole can be relied upon to do that anyway. I like what I saw yesterday from Dunlop out of the bullpen, so I would support them switching their preseason projected roles.
 
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uconnbaseball said:
Agree, even if he can't bump Simeone for the #3 starter gig, I would like to see him as a midweek / #4 starter. For whatever reason, he is clearly more comfortable in that role.

The main issue with Gardner is that he doesn't eat as many innings as you'd like, but it's not like any of our starters sans Kersten and Feole can be relied upon to do that anyway. I like what I saw yesterday from Dunlop out of the bullpen, so I would support them switching their preseason projected roles.
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Gardner last year went deeper into games, and with a lower ERA, than anyone other than Feole and Kersten looks to be able to do this year.
 
Coach Penders has always had a history of trying to get young talented pitchers into the starting rotation. With Feole back and eventually eating up innings, it will make it a lot easier to wait for the development of Joe Simeone. He had three solid innings before the roof caved in on him on Saturday, but that was progress from the first couple of weeks. But that is a general theme for all young pitchers, almost all of them need time to develop. Penders in postgame interviews had good words for both Wang and Wurster, and Karl Johnson also pitched well on Saturday in both games.

I also have a feeling that Colby Dunlop is going land as a midweek starter, basically a developmental spot for him to return to the starting weekend rotation next season. Remember, the coaching staff loves his upside. Kenny Haus I'm guessing will be a swing guy between relief and the occasional start, unless Dunlop gets totally bumped out of starting.

Gardner is working himself out of pitching (let alone starting), until he can show he can throw strikes. He showed the coaching staff all last season that he is only effective for a few innings, so I'm doubting a return to starting is immediately in the cards for him.
 
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dbmill said:
Coach Penders has always had a history of trying to get young talented pitchers into the starting rotation. With Feole back and eventually eating up innings, it will make it a lot easier to wait for the development of Joe Simeone. He had three solid innings before the roof caved in on him on Saturday, but that was progress from the first couple of weeks. But that is a general theme for all young pitchers, almost all of them need time to develop. Penders in postgame interviews had good words for both Wang and Wurster, and Karl Johnson pitched well on Saturday as well.

I also have a feeling that Colby Dunlop is going land as a midweek starter, basically a developmental spot for him to return to the starting weekend rotation next season. Remember, the coaching staff loves his upside. Kenny Haus I'm guessing will be a swing guy between relief and the occasional start, unless Dunlop gets totally bumped out of starting.

Gardner is working himself out of pitching (let alone starting), until he can show he can throw strikes. He showed the coaching staff all last season that he is only effective for a few innings, so I'm doubting a return to starting is immediately in the cards for him.
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One other thing about Simeone. He had hip surgery last summer, and I believe he had just resumed pitching again in the preseason, just before the season started. He is still getting his arm strengthened and stretched out for starting pitching.
 
dbmill said:
One other thing about Simeone. He had hip surgery last summer, and I believe he had just resumed pitching again in the preseason, just before the season started. He is still getting his arm strengthened and stretched out for starting pitching.
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He has good stuff. I feel the difference between fighting to host a regional and fighting for a 3 seed will be whether or not he develops into a legitimate #3 starter.

I think we'll start to figure the bullpen out. Wang and Wurster look like candidates to eat innings.
 
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UConn is making an impression with the college baseball press:

Texas Has Statement Weekend Against LSU • D1Baseball

>UConn notches third win over Top 25 teams
The Huskies may only be 5-5 overall but today’s 7-4 win over Illinois is their third win over a ranked opponent on this young season (the other two coming in impressive fashion against Louisville). I know I mentioned how the staff at D1Baseball.com is impressed with Illinois on this young season, but I’m tellin’ ya’ come late April and early May, the Huskies are going to be a real witch for opponents to deal with. Today was just another small indicator.

Oh, and staff ace Mason Feole was making his first start since pitching for Team USA last summer and was as rusty as you might expect, going 3.0 innings and giving up three hits and two runs in a no-decision.<
 
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