Men UConn in the 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament > Norman Oklahoma Regional > HookC Advances to Super Regionals

[dbmill]

 

[dbmill]

Considering Cooke did not pitch in the Big East Tourney, I'm not really surprised that he might start the first game in the NCAA Tourney for UConn.

 

[MarkyMark]

I figured this and I sincerely hope Cooke goes out and pitches great but I’m not a fan of Cooke getting the start even though I know he’s pitching the best he has since the USC game 3 years ago. Maybe Cooke has some history against some of these Duke players or obviously more to it. Either way I’m rooting for him and the team to get the win.

I would pitch cookie against the worst fastball hitting team they play which also plays into Squigs facing the best fastball hitting team at that regional. It complements each other. To be honest I don’t know if that is Duke? OU? But they should have the analytics that provides the answer.

To be effective cookie needs to : 1) have good location with the fastball and 2) throw breaking stuff for strikes. If these don’t happen a good fastball hitting team can get to him.

 

[Omahabound]

I would pitch cookie against the worst fastball hitting team they play which also plays into Squigs facing the best fastball hitting team at that regional. It complements each other. To be honest I don’t know if that is Duke? OU? But they should have the analytics that provides the answer.

To be effective cookie needs to : 1) have good location with the fastball and 2) throw breaking stuff for strikes. If these don’t happen a good fastball hitting team can get to him.

I like Quigley opening a series and he seems to pitch to that. I don’t think you can remain loyal to smallball or Pendersball but yet rely on mainly analytics to make a call on ur starter in the opening game of the tournament after watching them play 60 games already. I’m not against analytics at all, but an aid not a vote imo.

I hope the leash is short on Cooke to protect against that big inning and burning him for the rest of the regional. If he’s getting in trouble early, i hope their not cautious in doing so, he can still help them the next day or so depending on pitches.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[MarkyMark]

I like Quigley opening a series and he seems to pitch to that. I don’t think you can remain loyal to smallball or Pendersball but yet rely on mainly analytics to make a call on ur starter in the opening game of the tournament after watching them play 60 games already. I’m not against analytics at all, but an aid not a vote imo.

I hope the leash is short on Cooke to protect against that big inning and burning him for the rest of the regional. If he’s getting in trouble early, i hope their not cautious in doing so, he can still help them the next day or so depending on pitches.

A series yes I hear ya completely. But this isn’t a series. You’re not playing a 3 game set against the same team. So needs to be more matchup driven (analytics play a bigger role) given they don’t have a standout ace. Realistically must get the first game. Matchup matters.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Omahabound]

A series yes I hear ya completely. But this isn’t a series. You’re not playing a 3 game set against the same team. So needs to be more matchup driven (analytics play a bigger role) given they don’t have a standout ace. Realistically must get the first game. Matchup matters.

I realize it’s not a series and yes matchups matter but I don’t believe numbers alone should make the call. Cooke is pitching well but he’s also probably the highest risk of all their pitchers on the roster, regardless of analytics, given the importance of winning game one my hope is the coaching staff isn’t hesitant to pull him earlier rather then later, that’s all. I think Cooke’s leash has been too long at times throughout his career. Make no mistake, I’m rooting for him to pitch a gem.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I don't know what the thought process was and, if the plan was to save better pitchers for games two and three (if that is what the staff is doing) it wouldn't be the worst approach.

That said, from what we've seen this year, we can't be fully confident that any of our starters will without question give us what we need from him but we also know any of them can look like a #1 starter for a good team.

I'll take my chances, especially as we easily could have been dealt a worse hand.

 

[hardcorehusky]

I like the decision. If Ian is on, and I think he will be, he can handle just about any lineup. If not, Van Emon or 2nd tier guys pitch out the rest of the game and we move onto Game 2

 

[Woof 101]

Simply SAD that not a single regional gets to be played in the northern portion of the country. The weather excuse this time of year is mute. The game was created in Cooperstown NY and there remains the hall of fame.
The popularity of the NY Yankees and the Boston Red Sox has a very large fan base in New England alone... I believe a regional in our area would draw well.

 

[Omahabound]

I like the decision. If Ian is on, and I think he will be, he can handle just about any lineup. If not, Van Emon or 2nd tier guys pitch out the rest of the game and we move onto Game 2

My hope is Cooke pitches well and they win. It’s not on him alone, I personally would have liked to see Quigley or Coe get the ball in Game 1. Personal opinions don’t matter outside of fandom and that’s all I’m doing. Making an unexpected run to the Supers is all I’m focusing on. I don’t care how they get there.

 

[Omahabound]

Simply SAD that not a single regional gets to be played in the northern portion of the country. The weather excuse this time of year is mute. The game was created in Cooperstown NY and there remains the hall of fame.
The popularity of the NY Yankees and the Boston Red Sox has a very large fan base in New England alone... I believe a regional in our area would draw well.

True. Now how to get a Regional to Storrs ( or anywhere in NE) is the difficult part. I agree, I think it’ll be an easy sell across the state.

 

[businesslawyer]

Simply SAD that not a single regional gets to be played in the northern portion of the country. The weather excuse this time of year is mute. The game was created in Cooperstown NY and there remains the hall of fame.
The popularity of the NY Yankees and the Boston Red Sox has a very large fan base in New England alone... I believe a regional in our area would draw well.

Huh? No one theorizes that the Northeast doesn’t get regionals because of the weather. The Northeast doesn’t get regionals because regionals largely go to the 16 highest seeded teams that have a stadium capable of hosting. The one time we hosted in Norwich, they frankly did us a favor having us as a 2 seed in the region just to get playoff games in the NOrtheast.

It’s fine if you think they should have a criteria closer to the men’s hoop tournament than the women’s. Many do. But making stuff up doesn’t help any argument.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

If there was any chance that they could fill stadiums for these games under a format similar to the men's basketball tournament (sites preselected well in advance) they would do this.

I doubt that if they held a subregional in for example Pawtucket (Paw Sox home) and had say Oklahoma, Duke, Indiana and Stetson participate, there would be very disappointing turnouts.

 

[ATLDYKA]

If there was any chance that they could fill stadiums for these games under a format similar to the men's basketball tournament (sites preselected well in advance) they would do this.

I doubt that if they held a subregional in for example Pawtucket (Paw Sox home) and had say Oklahoma, Duke, Indiana and Stetson participate, there would be very disappointing turnouts.

I believe back in the 80's and early 90's they may have had random sites, not sure but I remember UConn playing Georgia in Waterbury in maybe 1990, the year Georgia won the Championship. I remember Waterbury getting several years of games there. It has been discussed on ESPN several times about possibly going to a 32 team host, with each series being a best 2 out of 3. That would be our best chance at hosting in the future.

 

[huskymedic]

Six NCAA Baseball Tournament Regional Hosts On Upset Alert In 2024

Ted Cahill explains why these six regional hosts all must guard against potential NCAA Tournament upsets this weekend.

www.baseballamerica.com

-> Oklahoma - The Sooners are a bit of an anomaly in college baseball this season. They’re actually better on the road (14-5) than they are at home (18-10). They’re also really good at beating teams worse than they are and not so good at beating teams that are on their level–they lost series to Oklahoma State, Texas and West Virginia, the teams that finished second, third and fourth in the Big 12 standings, as well as getting swept at home by Lamar.

So, while Oklahoma is 37-19 overall and won the Big 12 title, it is by no means unbeatable. Duke, the No. 2 seed in Norman, has been up and down this season. It just swept through the ACC Tournament, but it had lost three of its last four series at the end of the season. Lefthander Jonathan Santucci, a projected first-round pick, is expected to this weekend be back in the rotation after missing his last two starts. UConn, the No. 3 seed, is a solid, well-traveled, well-tested team that’s not going to be overwhelmed by the moment in any way. Oral Roberts, the No. 4 seed, is not as good as last year’s College World Series team, but it’s got that experience and it’s 1-1 this season against the Sooners. I wouldn’t be surprised by any result in Norman this weekend. <-

 

[huskymedic]

11. Oklahoma (37-19, 23-7 Big 12)​

The Sooners this season stormed through the Big 12 en route to their first regular season conference championship since 1995, and their 23 conference wins are the most in program history. While they won all but four of their series this year, the Sooners also have impressive standalone wins over top-seeded Tennessee and No. 25 Nebraska. OU is a streaky team with weapons on both sides of the baseball and when it is at its best, it can play with any team in the country.

Hitter To Watch: C Easton Carmichael (.362/.406/.560, 18 2B, 6 HR, 61 RBI)
Pitcher To Watch: LHP Braden Davis (9-3, 4.31 ERA)

12. Duke (39-18, 16-14 ACC)​

Duke this year hit the ground running, sweeping its way through the Baseball at the Beach field on opening weekend. It most notably beat then-No. 1 Wake Forest, but lost its final three ACC series in the lead up to the ACC tournament. The Blue Devils went 4-0 in Charlotte, culminating in a 16-4 win over Florida State in the championship game. In addition to a deep lineup, Duke has perhaps the best closer in the country in Charlie Beilenson (7-3, 1.98 ERA) and plenty of reliable options on its pitching staff.

Hitter To Watch: 1B Ben Miller (.375/.453/.676, 18 2B, 15 HR, 49 RBI)
Pitcher To Watch: LHP Jonathan Santucci (6-1, 3.54 ERA)

43. Connecticut (32-23, 17-4 Big East)​

Head coach Jim Penders has built UConn into a Northeast powerhouse, and the Huskies have won four-straight regular season Big East conference titles. This year, they powered through a rough 3-9 start and went undefeated in Big East series. The Huskies knocked off eventual Big East tournament champion St. John’s, but also have big wins over Louisville, UC Irvine and Kansas State on their resume. As per usual, UConn is an experienced team who will not be phased by bright lights and a hostile road environment. It has the best pitching staff in the Big East, and its depth plays in its favor.

Hitter To Watch: OF Korey Morton (.318/.365/.523, 15 2B, 10 HR, 42 RBI)
Pitcher To Watch: RHP Ian Cooke (4-1, 4.20 ERA)

Sorry : Oral Roberts got cut out in format conversion

 

[huskymedic]

Norman Regional​

1. Oklahoma (9)
6 — Number of Big 12 series sweeps for the Sooners en route to winning the regular season title by a commanding three games. Oklahoma swept Baylor, Texas Tech, BYU, Kansas State, TCU and UCF over the course of the regular season. Worth noting: The Sooners dropped four series all year — three to tournament teams in West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Texas.

2. Duke
6 — Number of hitters with double-digit home runs this season, second-most in the country. The Blue Devils lineup features Zac Morris (18 home runs), Logan Bravo (17), Ben Miller (15), Devin Obee (15), Alex Stone (13) and AJ Gracia (13).

3. UConn
4 — Consecutive Big East regular season titles for the Huskies. That’s four in four years for UConn since returning to the conference after a seven-year stint in the American. The Huskies have appeared in six straight NCAA Tournaments and 10 of the last 14.

4. Oral Roberts
12 — Straight starts of at least six innings from ace Jakob Hall, who paced the Summit League with 10 quality starts. The Golden Eagles went 12-3 in Hall’s 15 starts as he posted a gaudy 105:19 K/BB ratio and went 10-2 with a 3.71 ERA.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Jimdish255]

Does Hall start game one for ORU?

 

[Alum86]

I believe back in the 80's and early 90's they may have had random sites, not sure but I remember UConn playing Georgia in Waterbury in maybe 1990, the year Georgia won the Championship. I remember Waterbury getting several years of games there. It has been discussed on ESPN several times about possibly going to a 32 team host, with each series being a best 2 out of 3. That would be our best chance at hosting in the future.

I was at the UGA game at Municipal Stadium. Dreary dump then. IDK if it has improved over the years.
Today, one would assume the only place in CT with adequate seating and amenities is DD Park in Hartford.
That assumes UConn is a top 16 and the Yard Goats are out of town. Maybe Norwich.

 

[huskymedic]

Good listen (I could listen to Penders all day):



… and yes, there is a bunting and base-running discussion within

 

[TMB4405]

I was at the UGA game at Municipal Stadium. Dreary dump then. IDK if it has improved over the years.
Today, one would assume the only place in CT with adequate seating and amenities is DD Park in Hartford.
That assumes UConn is a top 16 and the Yard Goats are out of town. Maybe Norwich.

Honestly I would love a regional at DD. However with the new park I think they would opt for Storrs. I think the area without seats can accommodate a big crowd on top of permanent seating. Either way I hope we get at some point (soon).

 

[huskymedic]

 

[CJasmer]

Honestly I would love a regional at DD. However with the new park I think they would opt for Storrs. I think the area without seats can accommodate a big crowd on top of permanent seating. Either way I hope we get at some point (soon).

Just be a top 16th team and you get to host a regional.

 

[MarkyMark]

I was at the UGA game at Municipal Stadium. Dreary dump then. IDK if it has improved over the years.
Today, one would assume the only place in CT with adequate seating and amenities is DD Park in Hartford.
That assumes UConn is a top 16 and the Yard Goats are out of town. Maybe Norwich.

Let's be crystal clear on this. If they are fortunate enough to host a regional/super in the future it's happening at one place: Elliott. They didn't put millions of $'s into that place to have a regional at DD, Norwich etc. That makes zero sense. It will occur at Storrs, case closed.

Last year:

Could UConn baseball team host NCAA Regional? One projection has Huskies as No. 1 seed

UConn baseball is projected to host a regional for the NCAA Tournament. The program last hosted in 2010 at Norwich's Dodd Stadium.

www.ctinsider.com

 

[rich1122]

Let's be crystal clear on this. If they are fortunate enough to host a regional/super in the future it's happening at one place: Elliott. They didn't put millions of $'s into that place to have a regional at DD, Norwich etc. That makes zero sense. It will occur at Storrs, case closed.

Last year:

Could UConn baseball team host NCAA Regional? One projection has Huskies as No. 1 seed

UConn baseball is projected to host a regional for the NCAA Tournament. The program last hosted in 2010 at Norwich's Dodd Stadium.

www.ctinsider.com

All that space in RF. Standing. We’d pack that place

 

[CL82]

I was at the UGA game at Municipal Stadium. Dreary dump then. IDK if it has improved over the years.
Today, one would assume the only place in CT with adequate seating and amenities is DD Park in Hartford.
That assumes UConn is a top 16 and the Yard Goats are out of town. Maybe Norwich.

I'd like to see us host on campus. Benedict has said that he would put up temporary seating if needed.

 

[HCCForever]

All that space in RF. Standing. We’d pack that place

There were close to 6000 people at Dodd on that Friday night in 2010. How many could Elliot hold? I agree that any regional would be in Storrs regardless of answer.