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Post by raiderrunt on May 22, 2024 1:51:22 GMT -5
Opponent Alert.....
In an upset on Day 1 of the Big 10 Championship, Ohio State tonight pounded the dog crap out of Nebraska, a top 30 RPI team, 15-2. If you remember RaiderGang split with the Buckeyes this year.
In a conference tournament, it is like playing a new season, where every team starts at 0-0.
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Post by raiderrunt on May 22, 2024 21:31:14 GMT -5
Day 1 Games
Game 1 Milwaukee 5 PFW 4
Game 2 YSU 13 Oakland 10
Game 3 Top of 2nd, 1 out weather delay Oakland 2 PFW 1
Update:
Playing has resumed and PFW is now up 8-2--in the bottom of the 2nd.
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Post by raiderrunt on May 23, 2024 0:07:41 GMT -5
Last update before I hit the sack at 1:06 am.
PFW 12 Oakland 6 middle of the 7th.
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Post by raider62 on May 23, 2024 1:17:20 GMT -5
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Post by bballraider on May 23, 2024 9:34:12 GMT -5
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Post by raiderrunt on May 23, 2024 13:41:07 GMT -5
RaiderGang 12 YSU 2
Eight strong innings pitched with 12 Ks and 5 hits by Jake Shirk. This is the kind of outing fans have been waiting for by this veteran senior pitcher. On offense, it was 12 runs on 11 hits with a HR by Boston Smith. Gus Gregory was 3-4.
Back at it tomorrow at 11 am.
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Post by hokieraider on May 23, 2024 21:25:19 GMT -5
Kudo's to the ESPN+ announcer, Greg Rakestraw (sp?). Worked all three games yesterday, and all three today by himself, and doing a very good job. Yesterday had to go from 11 am till 2 am with the two lightning delays in the late game, then back at it at 11 this morning till 10:15 tonight. This guy is a massive step up compared to what we usually get on ESPN games from the local crews.
Can't believe I stayed up till 2 am to watch the end of Oakland and PFW -- at least I didn't stay at the ball park. Oakland finished the regular season 2 games out of first place. But in the tourney, two games and they are the first team out, losing to the #6 and #5 seeds, despite scoring 10 runs and 8 runs. Karma for moving their fences back against us?
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Post by hokieraider on May 23, 2024 21:40:07 GMT -5
All the games in the tourney so far have been close, back and forth games except for Raidergang's blowout win. Let's hope that trend continues.
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Post by raiderrunt on May 24, 2024 0:20:36 GMT -5
Taking on the Norse!
๐ Northern Kentucky ๐ Nischwitz Stadium ๐บ ESPN+ ๐
Friday | 11am
WSU 32-22 RPI 126 NKU 31-22 RPI 157
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Post by raiderrunt on May 24, 2024 14:27:26 GMT -5
Two very good hitting teams, one had good pitching and they won.
NKU 10 WSU 6
Back at it tonight at 7pm against the winner of the Milwaukee/YSU game.
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Post by bearcatraider on May 24, 2024 20:51:45 GMT -5
That old baseball adage bites Wright State in the butt.
"It's hard to beat a crappy baseball team 8 times in a row."
Total overreaction, but what a disappointing year. Despite the injuries, most of this offense came at the expense of bad pitching.
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Post by hokieraider on May 24, 2024 23:09:19 GMT -5
Raider bats were asleep both games. The first game, did absolutely nothing against NKU's ace until the ninth, but that was more about him than us.
In the evening game, we're facing YSU's 5th starter, who is winless on the year, and is pegging the radar gun about 20-25 mph less than Cam Allen. Greenwell takes him deep (out by about 40 feet) to open the game, and then we don't get another hit off him (deja vu from last weeked when we hit 2 HRs in the first 3 batters, then didn't score again). 1 freaking hit off a guy who was throwing all junk, but apparently it was moving and located well, because we couldn't do anything but hit weak grounders with a couple pop ups mixed in. After the HR, all we got was 4 walks and 1 HBP in 6 innings, but nary a hit. Unbelievable. The next guy comes in, and we pound him (a walk, a HBP, and 2 hits to get our hit total to 3), and he quickly leaves. Then YSU brings a guy who pitched last night and earlier today, clearly looked overworked and under-rested, and we don't get a single hit off him either!
For the last two weeks, our 2 thru 6 hitters have been slightly off, and we've been expecting them to break out of mini slumps at any time. Several did produce a couple of singles, but for the most part they just never hit the way they have all season. Vore looked totally confused, and was being K'd or walked almost every AB. I was surprised Sogard didn't play Baker or pinch hit for him at some point today. Andrew Patrick also seemed to be off and fooled a lot, but he did hit the winning HR the last game of the regular season, and tonight with runners on as the potential tying run did hit a ball caught at the warning track in the deepest part of the park to end the season.
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Post by hokieraider on May 25, 2024 21:03:59 GMT -5
NKU wins HL championship 23-5.
Had to feel for YSU, playing their 6 game in 3 days (and had they won, would have had a 7th), and after having to start several of their relievers, they just plain ran out of available pitchers. Eventually put in one guy with about 5 innings total for the season (while the game was still close), then a freshman who had only pitched 1 2/3 innings all year. Their last two innings were with regular position players (LF and 2nd base)-- one had one prior appearance when they were also down 20, the other had never pitched in college (announcer described it as finding someone willing to throw more batting practice). Something is wrong with the tourney setup when YSU wins 4 games and would have needed to win 6 of 7 with no pitchers left, but NKU wins after only three games (and only had to use their regular starters).
NKU was really pushing the poor sportmanship limits, running a double steal while up 14 runs. Then when up by 16 and 18, two different guys on triples hit off the position players dove head first into third when there was clearly no throw coming. Kind of surprised they then didn't try to steal home... Not a good look, and karma might repay them next week.
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Post by hokieraider on May 25, 2024 21:59:09 GMT -5
As disappointing as this season was, especially at the end, there are some silver linings for the future. We lose our 1 thru 4 hitters, plus the regular Fri and Sat starting pitchers. But our Sunday starter (Lax), and arguably our three best relief pitchers (Cam Allen, Griffen Paige, and Brayden Schoetzow) are all true freshmen. Two other relievers with lots of good innings are juniors (Peters, Gallager). Several other pitchers who are Fr and Soph showed a lot of potential, but would have one good outing, followed by a bad one -- with another year to develop, I would expect a couple of them to find regular spots in the bullpen rotation.
Of the starting position players, Gregory is a R-Fr, and Fultz a Soph. Boston Smith, Andrew Patrick and Luke Arnold are all jrs. With all the injuries this year, we also got to see the true depth this team has. Once we got healthy, there wasn't enough room on the field for sometimes starters Drew Baker (Jr), Carson Clark and Parker Harrison (both Soph), Nate Manley and JP Peltier (both Fr). All should be able to step right into the lineup next season, though there will be a lot of competition in the infield.
If everyone comes back, this team should again be very good next year. If the incoming class of freshman includes anywhere near the same pitching talent as this years class, the overall pitching will improve greatly. I would expect Cam Allen to be converted to a regular rotation starter. Would be nice if we could also land a transfer who fits the mold of a solid rotation starter, and a couple of depth position players and relievers.
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Post by rowdy4theraiders on May 26, 2024 11:50:31 GMT -5
As disappointing as this season was, especially at the end, there are some silver linings for the future. We lose our 1 thru 4 hitters, plus the regular Fri and Sat starting pitchers. But our Sunday starter (Lax), and arguably our three best relief pitchers (Cam Allen, Griffen Paige, and Brayden Schoetzow) are all true freshmen. Two other relievers with lots of good innings are juniors (Peters, Gallager). Several other pitchers who are Fr and Soph showed a lot of potential, but would have one good outing, followed by a bad one -- with another year to develop, I would expect a couple of them to find regular spots in the bullpen rotation. Of the starting position players, Gregory is a R-Fr, and Fultz a Soph. Boston Smith, Andrew Patrick and Luke Arnold are all jrs. With all the injuries this year, we also got to see the true depth this team has. Once we got healthy, there wasn't enough room on the field for sometimes starters Drew Baker (Jr), Carson Clark and Parker Harrison (both Soph), Nate Manley and JP Peltier (both Fr). All should be able to step right into the lineup next season, though there will be a lot of competition in the infield. If everyone comes back, this team should again be very good next year. If the incoming class of freshman includes anywhere near the same pitching talent as this years class, the overall pitching will improve greatly. I would expect Cam Allen to be converted to a regular rotation starter. Would be nice if we could also land a transfer who fits the mold of a solid rotation starter, and a couple of depth position players and relievers. This is some good insight and lays out the potential for next year! Smith and Patrick are possible draftees, with Patrick most likely forgoing his remaining eligibility to sign a contract. I think Smith will be back to improve his draft stock, but still a chance he leaves. I wouldnโt (and many people around the program) be surprised if Cam Allen opts to enter the transfer portal to increase his stock at a Power Five school. Would it be smart? Who knows. But those are the rumblings that parents have been hearing from their kids on the team. Infield should be rather the same, with Gilkerson replacing Luikart. The coaching staff and team is excited about Gilkerson and think he can be the next big bat to come out of the program. The catching situation wonโt be a problem as any of Smith, Baker, and Manley can handle those duties. The outfield will be interesting but I think Smith/Baker will play in left, find someone in the portal for center, and Harrison will play right.
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