The Official #1 Tennessee vs Notre Dame Super Regional Games Thread (Fri 6/10 6PM EST ESPN 2) ( Sat. 6/11 2PM EST ESPN ) (Sun. 6/12 1PM EST ESPN)

[RockyTop140]

Since I was supposed to turn off the TV, can you give me an update on how 7-8-9 went? sometimes it takes a casual baseball fan to see the flow of the game the way it is going. Some of you just don't understand it isn't being negavol to see the game slipping away and pointing it out

Don’t act like you have a crystal ball moron. Baseball can change in 1 swing, that’s all it takes. You gave up when we were down 1 run, and now you’re trying to brag about how you knew it was over. You didn’t know anything.

 

[landscapingvol]

Vols didn’t bring their best games to the NCAAs period.

They probably would have been better served losing the SEC tournament, probably peaked too soon and came into the NCAA’s over confident. It happens.

 

[Weezer]

Just think, if Peyton Manning had just stayed away rather than going to Game 1 of the series, we'd be in the CWS....





For those not familiar, I don't blue font. Sarcasm is my default.

 

[SmokinBob]

Can you message me your address. I have a Tennessee ball, signed by Kirby, Beck, Lipscomb and Evan Russell, that I’d like for him to have, If that’s ok with you?
Me and my son each got one at the meet and greet at alumni hall.
GBO!!

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

It’s hard to look back and acknowledge that we were the better team, but lost anyway. We played the worst possible matchup against a very seasoned team, and a coach who made some smart chess moves with pitching and base running that put us on our heels. We didn’t have the maturity as a team or as coaches to adjust. We’d beat them 7 or 8 out of 10 times. They knew that, and played it like a three game series. They’d been here before and had plans to beat a better team. Blade floating up in the zone 0-2, slow pitch deliveries allowing steals, leaving Burns in past three times through the lineup, not adjusting to ump made strike zones, not going to the mound to talk to Blade, not changing pitchers or pitches to adapt to lineup changes, players getting tossed, coaches getting tossed… It was too much to overcome. Zyska was involved in about 70% of their offense. We didn’t adjust to his hitting style, or his running. Putz had one pitch in the scout that he could send, and we kept giving it to him. The scout also said that they had trouble with high speed pitches, and TV burned out the biggest arm in the pen chasing a huge lead late in game 1. The numbers say no on that one. Notre Dame did the opposite and kept all their bullpen powder dry in game two when they were way down. The middle relief yesterday killed us. Their best guy was waiting for us at just the right time. I hate these losses for the kids and the coaches. They played every series this year like pros in the playoffs, with the exception of UK. They deserved Omaha. Frankly, ND was probably the only team that had the experience and pieces to make it a chess match. Any other team would have to stand toe to toe and punch. I wouldn’t bet against us playing anyone that way. It was a rotten draw against a mature team with a seasoned coach. Important to remember that we’re building a program. We have a great foundation. It’s just hard to stomach the loss knowing we were better.

 

[txbo]

I’ve come down off the ledge now. Still hurts though. My apologies for being a jackass. Loved this team and wanted more for them. I’ll ban myself now.

LMAO!

 

[cobbwebb0710]

It’s hard to look back and acknowledge that we were the better team, but lost anyway. We played the worst possible matchup against a very seasoned team, and a coach who made some smart chess moves with pitching and base running that put us on our heels. We didn’t have the maturity as a team or as coaches to adjust. We’d beat them 7 or 8 out of 10 times. They knew that, and played it like a three game series. They’d been here before and had plans to beat a better team. Blade floating up in the zone 0-2, slow pitch deliveries allowing steals, leaving Burns in past three times through the lineup, not adjusting to ump made strike zones, not going to the mound to talk to Blade, not changing pitchers or pitches to adapt to lineup changes, players getting tossed, coaches getting tossed… It was too much to overcome. Zyska was involved in about 70% of their offense. We didn’t adjust to his hitting style, or his running. Putz had one pitch in the scout that he could send, and we kept giving it to him. The scout also said that they had trouble with high speed pitches, and TV burned out the biggest arm in the pen chasing a huge lead late in game 1. The numbers say no on that one. Notre Dame did the opposite and kept all their bullpen powder dry in game two when they were way down. The middle relief yesterday killed us. Their best guy was waiting for us at just the right time. I hate these losses for the kids and the coaches. They played every series this year like pros in the playoffs, with the exception of UK. They deserved Omaha. Frankly, ND was probably the only team that had the experience and pieces to make it a chess match. Any other team would have to stand toe to toe and punch. I wouldn’t bet against us playing anyone that way. It was a rotten draw against a mature team with a seasoned coach. Important to remember that we’re building a program. We have a great foundation. It’s just hard to stomach the loss knowing we were better.

Pretty good post...for a football forum noob!!

GBO!!

 

[Titan05]

Hard to stomach being a -475 betting favorite yesterday and lose by 4. That’s unheard of in baseball. Ugh.

 

[GameTime]

Hell of a season Coach....Hell of a season.

 

[SmokinBob]

Nah, they are trolls and chumps.

Every time someone has called out a troll here late this afternoon, on my screen they were talking to air. In other words, they are calling out the very same chumps, trolls, and wannabes that I had previously ignored in football threads for trolling.

I am a football first fan, and I really appreciate this forum, learned a lot, respected the space, and had a lot of fun. I know a lot of others did the same. A lot of knowledge here. And the Vol camaraderie cuts across whichever sport or sports are one's favorite.

Since true Vols football fans love the Vols, it is natural to gravitate to new sports. But this year in particular I saw pretty much the entire RF go in 100% for this team right before the first conference game. Now we hadn't won a single conference game at that moment. Well, by the end of the first series, the moxie of this team won this football fan's heart. I feel sorry for any fan who doesn't love these guys -- and as much this minute as first thing this morning.

Thanks to this board. Go Vols!

I fell in love with them last year and loved them even more this year! I hang out mostly in the RF but appreciate all my Vol brethren and sistren whatever forum they hang out in. I read through the comments later last night and today and, well, my eyes are still leaking. My heart hurts for our baseVols and their coaches.

I will never forget this glorious season.

 

[vol_smoothie]

I’m a noob. Doesn’t seem right to earn the #1 ranking/seed and play the highest #2 seed (ND), but what do I know.

Didn't get that either. Some commentators were saying that Notre Dame was good enough to have hosted their own Super Regional.
Tennessee is clearly one of the more dominant #1 seeds in NCAA tournament history and had earned an easier route thru their Super weekend.
(Just another example of why fans of Tennessee athletics think that they get the short end of the stick in so many ways from the national media, the NCAA and the rest of the suits who make the real decisions about college athletics. Not every time, not every sport, not every single season - but often enough that it starts to become obvious).

 

[vol_smoothie]

Yeah, don't do that. My dad made fun of me crying when we lost the 72 Bama football game. I was 16 and hated his guts for years.

I was 14 and sitting in Neyland watching that 1972 Alabama game with my brother.
It remains my most painful loss as a Vol fan since I fell in love with them seven years before that.
Like many, I was never a rabid Vol baseball fan until these past two seasons. That program is important to me now.

 

[Tenacjim]

I’m a noob. Doesn’t seem right to earn the #1 ranking/seed and play the highest #2 seed (ND), but what do I know.

We were seeded to play the #16 ranked #1 seed. ND took them down so we played them. The seeding is largely done in a “serpentine” manner. Meaning you go 1-16 “left to right” and then come back 17–32 “right to left”. Using this approach, the #16 One seed gets the top 2 seed, number 15 gets the second best, etc. This would assume TN got the “worst” 2 seed in the Regional. The kicker here is the NCAA also uses geography so it isn’t strictly by the numbers.
In theory, we got the #17 seed instead of #16. Hardly getting the “shaft”. The bigger argument is around “why is ND even a #2 seed with a top ten RPI”??

 

[Aladywhovolunteer]

It’s hard to look back and acknowledge that we were the better team, but lost anyway. We played the worst possible matchup against a very seasoned team, and a coach who made some smart chess moves with pitching and base running that put us on our heels. We didn’t have the maturity as a team or as coaches to adjust. We’d beat them 7 or 8 out of 10 times. They knew that, and played it like a three game series. They’d been here before and had plans to beat a better team. Blade floating up in the zone 0-2, slow pitch deliveries allowing steals, leaving Burns in past three times through the lineup, not adjusting to ump made strike zones, not going to the mound to talk to Blade, not changing pitchers or pitches to adapt to lineup changes, players getting tossed, coaches getting tossed… It was too much to overcome. Zyska was involved in about 70% of their offense. We didn’t adjust to his hitting style, or his running. Putz had one pitch in the scout that he could send, and we kept giving it to him. The scout also said that they had trouble with high speed pitches, and TV burned out the biggest arm in the pen chasing a huge lead late in game 1. The numbers say no on that one. Notre Dame did the opposite and kept all their bullpen powder dry in game two when they were way down. The middle relief yesterday killed us. Their best guy was waiting for us at just the right time. I hate these losses for the kids and the coaches. They played every series this year like pros in the playoffs, with the exception of UK. They deserved Omaha. Frankly, ND was probably the only team that had the experience and pieces to make it a chess match. Any other team would have to stand toe to toe and punch. I wouldn’t bet against us playing anyone that way. It was a rotten draw against a mature team with a seasoned coach. Important to remember that we’re building a program. We have a great foundation. It’s just hard to stomach the loss knowing we were better.

Your analysis of chasing the Friday game down 8-1 is right on target. Coach Vitello has said (and this is why we love him), ND forced me to make decisions... that maybe I didn't handle well. RH pitcher Joyce was the linch pin (in my opinion) and too important to use in a valiant but losing Friday effort. However, Coach Vitello had other things he had to take into consideration. You can't let the #1 and best team in America get humiliated... which could happen if we had gone with kids not ready for the moment. A blow-out loss might have psychological repercussions we could not overcome. Tough choices for Coach Vitello... and his decision making success is off the charts.

When I see football scores in a college baseball game, it's not necessarily because one team is not as good as the other. It's more a function of trying to manage a bullpen created from NCAA scholarship limits.

Look at Arkansas' Super Regional last year.
They beat North Carlona State 21-2 in the first game. NC state won the next two games and went to CWS, because they didn't burn their bullpen in that first game.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

I’m still sad.

 

[Tenacjim]

I’m still sad.

Yeah, all the stages of grief on this one. Being a heavily scarred TN fan, I had prepared (or so I thought) myself for the worst. I wasn’t too bad Sunday, sad (and mad) Monday. Moving to “numb” today. Such an enjoyable season regardless but I REALLY wanted that cherry on top!

 

[taylorvol]

If we’re going to be technical here…it’s a 3-3 game if Trey didn’t cut off Lawson in the 2nd playing hero ball…just throwing that out there

He was trying to make a play. Nothing “hero ball” about it. 99% of the time the 3B job is to field everything they can get to hit in the hole, this was one of the 1% that was better served by the SS.

 

[taylorvol]

Another UT team choking in the postseason. What else is new.

Really poor take. No choking by this team.

 

[taylorvol]

Bunch of quitters in here all of a sudden. I'm glad the team doesn't quit

Some of these clowns should learn how to support your team through good or bad times. A lot of NegaVols quitters coming out of the woodwork.

 

[taylorvol]

The runs that scored were an error and a HBP.....

It was just a matter of time before Notre Dame makes the CWS tho. I knew how playing them feels last year. They're no joke team.

Super experienced team that took their lumps in Supers last year, learned from it, and used it as motivation for this year. So far, it’s worked really well for ND.

 

[taylorvol]

Baby ass fans haven’t caused this team to look like garbage all NCAAT.

Your post was the only garbage. This team played their arses off.

 

[taylorvol]

Lots of folks show up at end of the season and bail on this team. I still believe in the boys in orange. GBO!!!

Bandwagon and trolls were out in numbers.

 

[taylorvol]

9 AB turned into 5 real quick. They have quit

no one quit other than some bandwagon “fans”

 

[taylorvol]

gotta give credit to Link Jarrett....he took a vastly inferior and talent depleted team and beat us in our home stadium in a 3 game series. Any other coach couldn't do this with such a crappy roster of preteen boys

You do know that every starter is either a graduate student or a senior with the exception of one player (who is a junior). ND is one of the most experienced team in the country and returned 8 starters from a team that went to Supers last year. They lost in 3 to the eventual NC.

 

[taylorvol]

Less time bat flipping and more time learning to slide. LOL

UT owns the state and swept the VandyBoys. Vitello will get almost every stud in the state. Vandy’s best days are in the rearview mirror while UT’s are ahead of us.