re: Chase Shores turning the corner

Love his gradual improvement. If he gets his control in order, with the way others are slowly stepping up, I'd love to see him be a game 1, game 2 closer for 1 inning. come in and blow them away for the W.

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It's always been control for Chase

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A big part of it, but his not having a strike out pitch has been his biggest issue since he was a freshman. Having to throw 8-9 pitches per hitter instead of 3-4 was a huge issue. It’s why he’s been more effective as a reliever l. He can just let it go more now instead of being more conservative as a starter.

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especially with cowans recent struggles

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This is super concerning. Is the book out on Cowens or is he just missing his spots a bit at the end of the season when he may be a bit tired? I know he’s been a starter most of his career and has thrown way more innings, but getting up and down a couple times a weekend is still different than throwing once every 7 days and knowing when that day so he could prepare exactly the same. I really hope it’s the latter and that maybe we can give him this week off in the tourney.

That’s why Shores’ performances lately have been so huge. If he hadn’t stepped up during Cowen’s slump, we’d have probably been a game or 2 behind and need a couple this week to secure a top 8. Assuming nothing crazy happens and getting to Omaha does go through the Box, there’s a scenario where we don’t need really either one to get there. But I can’t imagine one where we actually win the CWS without both of them playing huge roles.

To win it all you have to have the guys you count on do there thing(Cowen), plus a couple of guys step up and pitch over their heads. Like Shores is gonna have to have a 7 inning, 14 strikeout Laxton/Floyd(ish) game somewhere in Omaha for us to dogpile there. His newfound control/movement/confidence gives him—and us—a chance. There are a few other guys in the pen that could step up and throw 4 scoreless instead of 1 or 2, but I don’t think anybody but Shores has a 7-inning game like that in them, and I can’t see us winning without one. But isn’t that the best part of the post-season? Probably 10 teams can win it all, it all just depends on which guys step up out of nowhere and do shite they’ve never done before? Can’t wait.

He gets hard, but he isn’t walking people anymore so that helps him a lot.

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I wish we gave Mayers a little more run as if he gets rolling for the post season it’s gonna be huge.

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It seems like Mayers, Williams, Primeaux and Fontenot will be the top situational pen guys based on recent performance.

I would love for Rizy to join that group, but he’s been so up and down. He did a nice job on his one batter vs USC, but was pretty rough the two previous weeks.