re: I'm confused at the strategy at the beginning of the game...

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Bibona had a 2.10 ERA and both teams reached double digits. A low ERA doesn't mean that you should start sacrificing outs to move a runner in scoring position up to 3rd. Further, our bullpen futility (even with Ross getting through 6.2 against UCI) indicates that we need sustained run scoring.

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DUDE. This is UCLA not UCI. Look at the caliber of teams UCLA has played. They may have played the toughest schedule in ALL of baseball.

Why do you figure UCLA has faced weaker competition ? The PAC 10 got 8 teams into the NCAA tournament.

A base hit is more than likely going to score Gibbs ? Maybe a seeing eye single other than that NO it's not

That's why when you BUNT you play fundamental baseball and make the third baseman field the ball.

And take it FWIW but I hate the bunt and especially in college baseball. But this is postseason baseball. You HAD to put a run up on the board in that situation. You couldn't play fir the 3 run homer vs that guy.

Gibbs base hit was a little bleeder out to center and Nola walked. You must take advantage of that...advance them up a base. And hopefully Edward can put the ball in play and maybe even find a hole.

And today if the same situation occurred then you SWING away. If your down 0-1. Have runners on 1st and 2nd an no out. And 6-7-8-9 come to the plate you absolutely swing away.

But today you don't have Ranaudo on the mound, your not playing another team in their home park. Your not facing a pitcher who has been lights out against VERY good competition.

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DUDE. This is UCLA not UCI. Look at the caliber of teams UCLA has played. They may have played the toughest schedule in ALL of baseball.

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And your point is? UCI put up 10 runs on us. Even disregarding the fact that Bibona is a legit pitcher in his own right, if we're to expect better offensive production from UCLA than UCI then it makes that much less sense to sacrifice an out to move a runner up from 2nd to 3rd.

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Why do you figure UCLA has faced weaker competition ? The PAC 10 got 8 teams into the NCAA tournament.

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You're misunderstanding my point. My point is that over the course of the season, both UCLA and LSU faced overall weaker opposition than their respective regional opponent, at least that should be the case if we're to buy into the postseason selection process. Thus, Bauer is probably more likely to give up a hit than his BAA indicates and LSU's hitters are probably less likely to get a hit than their batting averages indicate.

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A base hit is more than likely going to score Gibbs ? Maybe a seeing eye single other than that NO it's not

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Hit reasonably deep into the outfield, he's probably going to score, and even if he doesn't, you've got runners at the corners and sac fly potential with another runner on base.

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That's why when you BUNT you play fundamental baseball and make the third baseman field the ball.

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Assuming that you execute the bunt properly, which has been a problem for us, and again you're still unnecessarily limiting your scoring potential if all goes according to plan.

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And take it FWIW but I hate the bunt and especially in college baseball. But this is postseason baseball. You HAD to put a run up on the board in that situation. You couldn't play fir the 3 run homer vs that guy.

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I think that assertion is false, especially given the benefit of hindsight. A)you need more than that bunt to plate Gibbs and B)a 3-run homer is the difference in the ballgame, 1 run means we lose by 2 instead of 3. And that should be expected, given how our pitching staff performed against what you've asserted is an inferior opponent.

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Dead Mike

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why do you keep on insisting in comparing a team that's a 3 seed in a regional to the number 5 overall seed ? UCLA would wipe the floor with UCI.

UCI put up 10 runs against our bullpen. Not Anthony Ranaudo. We had our Horse going yesterday. You could tell every pitch he was aiming cause he knew he couldn't let our team fall behind any further cause we'd be clearly out of it. You gotta help him out and give him a sigh of relief.

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Hit reasonably deep into the outfield, he's probably going to score, and even if he doesn't, you've got runners at the corners and sac fly potential with another runner on base.

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no he absolutely will score on a ball hit into the gap or down the line. But anything else really and you have to hold him up. Think about how puss you'd be today If Sanchez (?) would have sent him on a Base hit and ge would have been thrown out at the plate.

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Assuming that you execute the bunt properly, which has been a problem for us, and again you're still unnecessarily limiting your scoring potential if all goes according to plan.

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no offense, but that's why you fricking practice bunting.

In reality I'm not for many situations were you bunt before the 6th inning, but in this case you absolutely do.

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I think that assertion is false, especially given the benefit of hindsight. A)you need more than that bunt to plate Gibbs and B)a 3-run homer is the difference in the ballgame, 1 run means we lose by 2 instead of 3. And that should be expected, given how our pitching staff performed against what you've asserted is an inferior opponent.

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a groundball to the shortstop scores a run while still only having two outs and a runner on 2nd.

You couldn't play for a 3 run homer off a guy who only gave up 7 all year.

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UCLA would wipe the floor with UCI.

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didn't they split their only 2 games played?

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didn't they split their only 2 games played?

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in a 3 game series I'm betting on UCLA sorry. UCI scored a total of 3 runs in those two games vs UCLA's midweek starter.

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What I'm wondering is how you can keep this argument up while strongly emphasizing the fact that UCLA is better than UCI. Again completely ignoring the fact that Bibona is a respected college pitcher, giving up 10 runs after starting our most consistent pitcher as of late sure as shite indicates that we need to maximize our run-scoring potential.

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it was his first game back in a MONTH. come on man.

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Our horse, who has an ERA approaching 8 runs per 9 innings and has been remarkably inconsistent until the last few weeks? He didn't have a terrible outing, of course, but sure enough we had to turn it over to the bullpen and that bullpen again gave up as many runs as the starter did through 6.

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Im sorry but if you haven't noticed. Ranaudo is a TOTALLY different pitcher when the game is either tied or LSU is leading. He is a big time pitcher.

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Sanchez's ability as a 3rd base coach is a different matter for discussion altogether, but I maintain that Gibbs probably scores on a base hit to the OF. I think you're underestimating the advantage of having a runner on 2B.

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how deep do you think the OF was playing Edward or Landry ? And not only that it's a small park to begin with.

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I think it's quite evident that you absolutely don't, especially given the fact that 1 run wasn't the difference in the ballgame. Even if it turns out exactly according to plan, with Gibbs advancing and either a sac fly or a basehit to bring him in, we still lose by 2.

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again Ranaudo is a much better pitcher with the game tied or LSU leading. And you can't just assume that Bauer settles in like he did. I mean shite if I went 4 innings and realized LSU couldn't hit me or score on me my confidence would be sky high.