Fayetteville (Super) Regional - 2025 Edition now CWS

[BleedinRed]

And our 1st game is on ESPN+, shocking 

This pisses me off more than anything.  ESPN has slowly moved baseball games to their + station.  Meaning we now have to buy another streaming service to see something that used to be on the streaming services I'm currently paying for.  Fuck them.  

[Feral]

That's exactly what I think we will do. Possibly even Mcentire.

If we can save Root, Gaeckle, Wood, Jiminez, then surely those guys can string 18 innings together in case we have to play a 4th game with a full bullpen.

I like the idea of starting Mac in the regional. Ideally he can go long and we put up enough runs to where we can save arms for a winners bracket matchup and then (hopefully) have enough arms for an elimination game(s).

[Feral]

Also, I hate the idea of a potential supers pairing against Tennessee. They've been great in the tournament under Vitello since Covid.

Going to be extremely tough to win 2 series against them in 4 weeks, especially with how good they looked in Hoover until they met Vandy.

But for now, just win the regional, which we can't take for granted after the last 2 years.

[BASS]

Not that afraid of Tennessee right now. They look like they peaked too early.

Of course anyone can just get hot at any time and they have the talent to win it all.

[Pig Benis]

This pisses me off more than anything.  ESPN has slowly moved baseball games to their + station.  Meaning we now have to buy another streaming service to see something that used to be on the streaming services I'm currently paying for.  Fuck them. 

They've had the regionals and supers on ESPN+ for years now. They always put a couple games on ESPN2 and ESPNU but that's just luck of the draw. I think it sucks too but it's the one month of the year it's worth paying for since you get every game. You also get  Squeeze Play and it's awesome.

[Corn Pop]

3 40-win teams in our regional- probably the only regional with that

They enjoy tormenting us. Plus, they know we're prone to choking and that makes for good tv ratings.

[HOGSRUNWILD]

I hope they surprise me, I really do, but I have zero expectations for this team.

[Feral]

I hope they surprise me, I really do, but I have zero expectations for this team.

Same.

Unlike the last few years where we had automatic outs up and down the lineup with guys like Bolton, Rowland, Diggs, et al. and giving our pitchers (especially Hagen) zero run support, this lineup can hit pretty well from top to bottom. However, they can scratch out some games where they don't piss a drop at the plate.

But what really scares me this year is our starting pitching. When Root is on he's great, but he's prone to laying a 3.0 IP turd now and then. Wood is a complete unknown to me. If other teams can time up his fastball, watch out. And Beetlejuice is what he is at this point — a guy who struggles with walks and the long ball. He's the guy DVH seems to trust the least out of our entire pitching staff.

I really wish Gaeckle could've found it as a starter. But he has moved into the long relief role very well and is a natural there.

[Borenutz]

I hope they surprise me, I really do, but I have zero expectations for this team.

Insert any razorback sport here, except track.

[HOGSRUNWILD]

Insert any razorback sport here, except track.

True, but sometimes I get an irrational bout of hope that is, of course, just going to lead to heartbreak, but it magically appears.  For some reason, just nothing with this team.  Just flat.  Not hope, not real enthusiasm that they will go on a run.

It isn't even rational as I KNOW they have all the pieces to win the whole fucking thing and they have beaten all the top teams that would be their main competition.  They CAN do it, I just don't know why, but I just have zero feeling of hope or enthusiasm for this team.  Maybe it is a defense mechanism to not get my hopes up, who knows.

[Borenutz]

True, but sometimes I get an irrational bout of hope that is, of course, just going to lead to heartbreak, but it magically appears.  For some reason, just nothing with this team.  Just flat.  Not hope, not real enthusiasm that they will go on a run.


It isn't even rational as I KNOW they have all the pieces to win the whole fucking thing and they have beaten all the top teams that would be their main competition.  They CAN do it, I just don't know why, but I just have zero feeling of hope or enthusiasm for this team.  Maybe it is a defense mechanism to not get my hopes up, who knows.

Yeah, until we break through, it's going to be tough to shake that game 3 mentality.

[Guardrail]

Years and years and years of choking when it matters most, regardless of sport, will do that to you.

[Feral]

It isn't even rational as I KNOW they have all the pieces to win the whole fucking thing and they have beaten all the top teams that would be their main competition.  They CAN do it, I just don't know why, but I just have zero feeling of hope or enthusiasm for this team.  Maybe it is a defense mechanism to not get my hopes up, who knows.

Mark Etheridge said on the Highway to Hoover podcast that our 'best' is the best in the country. Granted, he said that after we beat Texas' ass, but the problem is that the best doesn't always come together when we need it.

I will say that this is probably DVH's best job of roster construction since the 2022 team (in which case the infield was home grown).

Frankly, the last few years were not because he prioritized defense over hitting, which gave us sub .200 hitters like Parker Rowland and John Bolton as albatrosses at the bottom of our lineup who regularly killed rallies. We gave guys like Hagen zero run support in his starts all season in 2023 and 2024 (I used to write long posts about it). And, while I love Hagen, he came up small in 2 consecutive regionals.

[Hizog]

If anyone sees a breakdown/scouting report of the teams in our regional, I'd love to read it. It's always interesting this time of year to learn about baseball around the country. It's crazy how much talent is out there.

I really don't know how good the Big XII was this year. I saw KU swept KSU and finished with the most wins in the conference.

[Pig Benis]

If anyone sees a breakdown/scouting report of the teams in our regional, I'd love to read it. It's always interesting this time of year to learn about baseball around the country. It's crazy how much talent is out there.

I really don't know how good the Big XII was this year. I saw KU swept KSU and finished with the most wins in the conference.

Kansas bats .290 as a team and has hit 100 HRs. They have one pitcher who stands out but they'll probably have to throw him against Creighton. We'd definitely rather see Creighton in Game 2. I believe they have the Big East pitcher of the year but he'll pitch against KU.

NDSU has hit 30 HRs. If we don't run away with that game then we have real problems.

[Sus-Scrofa]

Kansas bats .290 as a team and has hit 100 HRs. They have one pitcher who stands out but they'll probably have to throw him against Creighton. We'd definitely rather see Creighton in Game 2. I believe they have the Big East pitcher of the year but he'll pitch against KU.

NDSU has hit 30 HRs. If we don't run away with that game then we have real problems.

Not afraid of any of their aces.

I'm afraid of the so so pitchers having career games against us.

[Show-Me Hog]

Not afraid of any of their aces.

I'm afraid of the so so pitchers having career games against us.

If anybody, including North Dakota State, has a lefty junk ball pitcher, watch the fuck out.

[Pig Benis]

Not afraid of any of their aces.

I'm afraid of the so so pitchers having career games against us.

I'm not either. I'm more concerned with a team who hit 100 HRs using our "aces" for BP like the last 2 years.

[DirkPiggler]

I'm not either. I'm more concerned with a team who hit 100 HRs using our "aces" for BP like the last 2 years.

Looking at their ballpark dimensions it doesn't seem to be a band box either.  So unless there's a massive tailwind most of the time (quite possible in that state) the HRs are probably a legitimate concern. 

[buff2.0]

If anybody, including North Dakota State, has a lefty junk ball pitcher, watch the fuck out.

Their roster shows 5 lefties and 17 righties.  The lefties have ERAs this season of 4.14, 9.82, 2.60, and 11.25 (one of them hasn't appeared in a game yet).  Dude with the 2.60 hasn't pitched in more than 3.1 innings in any game this year. 

Basically it's going to be a 1-0 defensive battle for us.