The Official FSU @ #1 Tennessee CWS Game 1 Thread (Fri. June 14) (7PM EST) (ESPN)

[Halph66]

College World Series team rankings.

The three most important rankings for hitting, pitching and defense

Team Batting Average:
Team.....................Rank..................... %
Virginia.....................2....................... .336
Fla State....................9...................... .316
Tennessee...............20..................... .310
North Carolina......31..................... .304
Texas A&M.............47..................... .300
NC State..................92..................... .289
Kentucky................105.................... .287
Florida....................182..................... .272


ERA
Team.....................Rank................... ERA
Tennessee...............3.........................3.83
Texas A&M.............6........................ 3.94
North Carolina.....15...................... 4.22
Fla State..................43.......................4.86
Kentucky.................52...................... 4.95
Virginia....................88.......................5.39
NC State................154..................... 6.09
Florida....................158..................... 6.16


Fielding Percentage
Team.....................Rank.................... %
Florida.......................5..................... .981
Kentucky.................14.................... .980
Fla State..................18.......................979
Texas A&M............31..................... .978
Tennessee..............33.......................978
NC State.................52..................... .976
Virginia...................60.......................976
North Carolina.....89..................... .973

However, in this format you are not playing a three-game series against each team. This is essentially the same format at the regional with the final being the Super Regional. So you typically have to face the best pitcher in your first game. Looking at both starters will tell a better story.

 

[Tin Man]

An FSU alumnus who sometimes rides with me has sent me a link to FSU defeating UT in softball. I replied, may the Sneezes stumble and fall. He doesn’t get it.

 

[CAVPUT]

Just a morning reminder....UGA lost. It's a good day already.

 

[chuckiepoo]

An FSU alumnus who sometimes rides with me has sent me a link to FSU defeating UT in softball. I replied, may the Sneezes stumble and fall. He doesn’t get it.

You’re going to need to explain it to me also…

 

[StarRaider]

You’re going to need to explain it to me also…

F...... S....... chooooo (with apologies to @Tin Man )

 

[ATP]

Hey out there. Evansville alum/fan posting here for the first time after being invited by a couple of Vols fans commenting on the Purple Aces board. All I gotta say here is: Wow.
The best 8 teams in the world going to Omaha, and UE would be 9th if I do some peculiar Indiana math.
I can't say I am rooting for anybody, but if I need to adopt a team -- I guess UT will do. I admit as being a fan of Rocky Top, the tune, I really think I'm ready to move on to some Temptations. (I knew a country band from Fort Wayne that did that song in an audition at Grand Ole Opry.)
Should be a doozy of a tournament. The guy you call CMo -- that's big-league talent. Go for it, Vols!

 

[Volprofch05]

Hey out there. Evansville alum/fan posting here for the first time after being invited by a couple of Vols fans commenting on the Purple Aces board. All I gotta say here is: Wow.
The best 8 teams in the world going to Omaha, and UE would be 9th if I do some peculiar Indiana math.
I can't say I am rooting for anybody, but if I need to adopt a team -- I guess UT will do. I admit as being a fan of Rocky Top, the tune, I really think I'm ready to move on to some Temptations. (I knew a country band from Fort Wayne that did that song in an audition at Grand Ole Opry.)
Should be a doozy of a tournament. The guy you call CMo -- that's big-league talent. Go for it, Vols!

Appreciate the post and we enjoyed the competitive series against your aces that made us sweat! I was impressed with your guys’ tenacity and heart. Best of luck to your program in the future. And yes, CMo is a force of nature!

 

[LivinginthePast]

I know Florida state whooped up in Florida several times this year. Very hard to predict these games. I hope we just get hot and keep on going.

 

[taylorvol]

Hey out there. Evansville alum/fan posting here for the first time after being invited by a couple of Vols fans commenting on the Purple Aces board. All I gotta say here is: Wow.
The best 8 teams in the world going to Omaha, and UE would be 9th if I do some peculiar Indiana math.
I can't say I am rooting for anybody, but if I need to adopt a team -- I guess UT will do. I admit as being a fan of Rocky Top, the tune, I really think I'm ready to move on to some Temptations. (I knew a country band from Fort Wayne that did that song in an audition at Grand Ole Opry.)
Should be a doozy of a tournament. The guy you call CMo -- that's big-league talent. Go for it, Vols!

Your CF is a stud for his fearlessness going after that ball and playing Sunday after that violent collision. Your 2B is a stud—great bat and stellar D. Your SS played great D but had a quiet series at the plate but know he raked all year. Coach Carroll did a great interview and seems like a class act. I was impressed how he handled himself.

 

[rendlo]

Hoping that TV changes up pitching. Stamos has been less than stellar.

 

[fryeguy93]

However, in this format you are not playing a three-game series against each team. This is essentially the same format at the regional with the final being the Super Regional. So you typically have to face the best pitcher in your first game. Looking at both starters will tell a better story.

yeah, this is why I posted earlier that winning the first game against the best pitchers in the bracket puts us in real control.

Florida State can really hit for average and I hope Stamos and Causey will force a lot of ground balls.

Last week against another good hitting Evansville, Stamos and Causey combined for 6 innings (18 outs). 11 of those outs were SO, 2 were fly outs and 4 were ground outs in 109 pitches versus 6 hits, 2 walks and 2 HBP (by Causey) Evansville was actually a more experienced and patient hitting team than FSU will be.

One of the reasons the Friday night "opener" concept has worked is Stamos is an experienced lefty and AJ is a righty who has a very unusual arm angle that is impossible to practice for. Some coaches adjust their lineup based on lefty or righty on the mound. Does a coach put in a left lineup knowing AJ will come in or do they go right handed against Chris? If you go right handed, AJ's arm angle will kill them when he comes in. Then if you pinch hit, then you can't easily go back if another lefty comes in to pitch.

 

[wtmvol]

This is a loaded CWS field. Every single team has been in the top 10 at some point this season. Florida is the only team not currently in the top 12, and they're no Cinderella. This is going to be a heck of a gauntlet to get through.

 

[taylorvol]

Hoping that TV changes up pitching. Stamos has been less than stellar.

Interesting first post. Demeaning a guy who’s worked his tail off. I suspect CTV will stick to what’s worked. Starting Stamos prevents stacking lefties vs Causey and AJ has excelled coming in as a de facto starter out of the bullpen. Don’t change a thing IMHO.

 

[Halph66]

yeah, this is why I posted earlier that winning the first game against the best pitchers in the bracket puts us in real control.

Florida State can really hit for average and I hope Stamos and Causey will force a lot of ground balls.

Last week against another good hitting Evansville, Stamos and Causey combined for 6 innings (18 outs). 11 of those outs were SO, 2 were fly outs and 4 were ground outs in 109 pitches versus 6 hits, 2 walks and 2 HBP (by Causey) Evansville was actually a more experienced and patient hitting team than FSU will be.

One of the reasons the Friday night "opener" concept has worked is Stamos is an experienced lefty and AJ is a righty who has a very unusual arm angle that is impossible to practice for. Some coaches adjust their lineup based on lefty or righty on the mound. Does a coach put in a left lineup knowing AJ will come in or do they go right handed against Chris? If you go right handed, AJ's arm angle will kill them when he comes in. Then if you pinch hit, then you can't easily go back if another lefty comes in to pitch.

 

[VolGee4]

College baseball has become like pinball. Balls absolutely fly off the aluminum bats, and everybody is scoring double-digit
runs /regularly/.Look at yesterday's game: In four of the five, the winning team scored 11, 11, 12 and 15 runs. Ridiculous. We lost 10-8 two days ago. Georgia got beat two days ago by 17 runs! Absurd. I was pleased to see Oregon State and Kentucky engage in an old-school 3-2 game. We still see the occasional great pitchers, to be sure--but the game is now about out-slugging your opponent.

And speaking of slugging and homers, didn't we lead the nation in homers, what, two or three years ago--but that did not work in our favor when we got to Omaha because it's a big park? The same dynamic could come into play again. Let's hope not. Certainly, most of the home runs we hit at L. Nelson would go out of any park, but the dimensions in Omaha could be a factor.

I’ve been to Omaha. It’s not really the dimensions. Straight away center is a little longer at 408 as opposed to most parks being 400. I think it’s more about the wind blowing in. It goes both ways though- probably a couple of HR’s that Evansville hit would not be HR’s in Omaha.

 

[ATP]

Your CF is a stud for his fearlessness going after that ball and playing Sunday after that violent collision. Your 2B is a stud—great bat and stellar D. Your SS played great D but had a quiet series at the plate but know he raked all year. Coach Carroll did a great interview and seems like a class act. I was impressed how he handled himself.

The Aces have a lot of swag, but I think that's the nature of the college athlete now. I still hear people complain about how the kids don't respect the game. It took me a minute to embrace their zeal, but I have.

UE baseball has come a long way from my years there when the baseball diamond had seating for about 50 in a couple of rack bleachers. It's too bad Nick Smith had thoracic syndrome. He was supposed to be staff ace after a 2023 outstanding season. Deverman just worked his way into that spot. Had Smith been himself, Deverman would have been the No. 2 or 3 guy. Schultz is better than he showed.

Honestly the Aces just hit the wall. They have never played that many high leverage games -- all of them a long way from home. All of the Aces had a minute to make that happen. I hope we see more of it. The college game is in good shape overall.

Carroll -- I don't know him personally -- but he did show a lot of class. Better than the ECU coach did, which is too bad. Godwin has done nice work there. Just, man ... you lose. Be tougher than that.

 

[rendlo]

Interesting first post. Demeaning a guy who’s worked his tail off. I suspect CTV will stick to what’s worked. Starting Stamos prevents stacking lefties vs Causey and AJ has excelled coming in as a de facto starter out of the bullpen. Don’t change a thing IMHO.

It wasn't my intention to demean. However, the last couple of games he has given up some very quick runs that we have to come back from. Florida state is good enough offensively to make it really tough to catch back up.

 

[tn4elvis]

John Wilkerson is terrific.

Legend

 

[rendlo]

This is a loaded CWS field. Every single team has been in the top 10 at some point this season. Florida is the only team not currently in the top 12, and they're no Cinderella. This is going to be a heck of a gauntlet to get through.

Best field I've seen in a long time. It's going to be entertaining to say the least.

 

[Orange.]

I’ve been to Omaha. It’s not really the dimensions. Straight away center is a little longer at 408 as opposed to most parks being 400. I think it’s more about the wind blowing in. It goes both ways though- probably a couple of HR’s that Evansville hit would not be HR’s in Omaha.

This is correct. It's not the fence, it's the wind that... blows. What would Omaha be like rotated 180º?

 

[VolPack22]

This is a loaded CWS field. Every single team has been in the top 10 at some point this season. Florida is the only team not currently in the top 12, and they're no Cinderella. This is going to be a heck of a gauntlet to get through.

Luckily we only have to get through 3 of the teams and then face whoever comes out of the other side.

 

[Orange.]

This is a loaded CWS field. Every single team has been in the top 10 at some point this season. Florida is the only team not currently in the top 12, and they're no Cinderella. This is going to be a heck of a gauntlet to get through.

Gayts were preseason #1 iirc.

 

[volsagain]

Hoping that TV changes up pitching. Stamos has been less than stellar.

Got to remember 27 he's been a big part of that equation most of the year. Don't think TV changes any of the pitchers. I may be wrong but I doubt it. GBO

 

[VolPack22]

Gayts were preseason #1 iirc.

It was Wake. Florida was #2. lol at Wake

Guess all those lofty expectations killed you in the end. Not so fun being the hunted after you came out of nowhere is it??? At least we made it to Omaha last year after the insane preseason expectations.

 

[ATP]

The comment about how the game is affected by the aluminum bat, I suppose there are physics studies to give us real numbers but the biggest problem is, pitchers are all trying to up their velo and, as a result, overthrow and leave pitches out on the table. Those get hit.

A lot of them are experimenting with sliders to location and cutters. Badly thrown, those things to out faster than they came in.

But yeah, if you are gonna small-ball it, you have to have a bunch of guys who throw splitters. Infielder range will take over after that. Just learn to back up 3rd base. Hitters are stronger, and the ballparks designed for wooden bats are about 10 feet too short. It is what it is, though.