2023 Baseball Season
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tmcats
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Re: 2023 Baseball Season
that oSu series is going to be fun and important. #15 cats v. #13 pokes.
Why is there something rather than nothing?
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tmcats
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Why is there something rather than nothing?
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bhoovy
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So gigantic series coming up for the Cats. Going 1-2 in Stillwater isn’t really to be unexpected, but was more in the manner in which it happened, with two blowout, run rule losses. Got to wash it and get ready for TCU.
The Cats are now in a tie with Texas for 3rd, but the horns have the tie break, as well as all the teams above the cats in the standings. OSU is 1 game ahead and wvu is 3 games up. Sharing a title is still mathematically possible, just not very likely. Would need the horns to sweep wvu in Austin, which could possibly happen, and need OSU to lose at least one to OU in Norman, which definitely could happen, but for the cats part they would need to sweep TCU. Not impossible, but also not likely.
What the cats can’t do is lose the series as they could fall from tied for 3rd to possibly 7th, since 3 teams right below them in the standings are only 1 or 2 games behind.
If they sweep they can finish no worse than tie for 3rd and if they win the series they would finish no worse than 4th. So lots on the line in this final series as it not only affects the standings and seedings, but their post season possibilities.
The Cats are now in a tie with Texas for 3rd, but the horns have the tie break, as well as all the teams above the cats in the standings. OSU is 1 game ahead and wvu is 3 games up. Sharing a title is still mathematically possible, just not very likely. Would need the horns to sweep wvu in Austin, which could possibly happen, and need OSU to lose at least one to OU in Norman, which definitely could happen, but for the cats part they would need to sweep TCU. Not impossible, but also not likely.
What the cats can’t do is lose the series as they could fall from tied for 3rd to possibly 7th, since 3 teams right below them in the standings are only 1 or 2 games behind.
If they sweep they can finish no worse than tie for 3rd and if they win the series they would finish no worse than 4th. So lots on the line in this final series as it not only affects the standings and seedings, but their post season possibilities.
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tmcats
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Why is there something rather than nothing?
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WildcatEngineer
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Pick 'Em
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WildcatEngineer
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Pick 'Em
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bhoovy
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Cats take game one on a walk off hit by Brady Day 7-6.
It was a crazy game. One the Cats were fortunate to win. After homers in the 1st inning by Rugley and 2nd inning by Lodice the Cats lead 2-0 Boerema was pitching quite well but then put some guys on and with two out in the 3rd and two on he gave up another hit that ended up tying the game. And of course the hit came with the shift on and a ball that would have been a routine play for Goodwin at short. But the Cats answered right back in the bottom of the inning with 2 to go 4-2. TCU got another in the 5th to make it 4-3. Boerema completed 6 and Ruhl came out for the 7th. He hasn’t been near as sharp as he was earlier in the year and gave up a run to tie the game at 4-4. In the bottom of the inning the Cats managed to load the bases and then Jones drew a walk to walk in the go ahead run and take a 5-4 lead with still no one out. But Cash Rugley had a horrible AB swinging at two pitches out of the zone and then watching one right down the middle for the first out and then Culpepper hit into an inning ending DP and the Cats blew a golden opportunity. So Neighbors come in for the last two innings and then it got real crazy.
Neighbors got squeezed right from the start and what should have been an obvious strike 3 was ball 3 and after a couple foul balls Neighbors threw a ball and walked him which started Hughes yelling from the dugout and with good reason. The next batter was about the same situation. Up 2-2 and throws a ball for another obvious strike 3 but instead called a ball and you could see Neighbors was upset. He ended up walking the batter and Hughes then went out to try and calm him down. But on his way back he first went to home plate, which the ump wanted no part of but Hughes continued and got tossed very quick without really saying much at that time. But after getting tossed did have some words before leaving. So now Neighbors goes back to work and the batter jumps on his first fastball and sends it down the line to score both runs and give TCU a 6-5 lead. He managed to get out of the inning with no more damage. In KSU’s half, with the heart of the order up, Goodwin walked but the other 3 had terrible ABs and the inning was over.
On to the 9th and it gets even crazier. The first two batters managed to get on and the next batter was looking to bunt, which he did. Pelletier grabbed it but threw it down the 1st base line into RF. Both runners scored and the batter ended up at 3rd appearing to give TCU an 8-5 lead. But then the ump called interference on the batter for running inside the base line and he most definitely did. He was called out and the runners had to return to 1st and 2nd. Neighbors navigated the rest the inning leaving the Cats just down 1 going to the bottom of the ninth.
In the 9th Johnson lead off and managed to draw a walk. Then Dom pinch hit for Pellitier and while trying to bunt got hit on the back foot to put two on with no outs. Jones comes up and also looks to bunt and manages to bunt it perfectly for a base hit so now bases loaded with no outs and Rugley back to the plate, just like in the 7th with no outs and bases loaded. And again he swings at a pitch in the dirt for strike one. Watches one down the middle for strike two and swings at another in the dirt for strike 3 and it seems like DeJaVu. Culpepper now back at the plate and after swinging wildly at the first pitch he then swings at one on the dirt, which goes between the catcher’s legs all to way the backstop and Johnson takes home to tie the score with everyone moving up. Culpepper then hits a ball to short, who was playing in and Dom breaks from third and is gunned down easily at home. So Day comes to the plate and takes a ball to the gap in left center field, scoring the run and getting the walk off win.
This was a game the cats almost had to have with not feeling like the chances would have been good to win the next two after losing a lead in the opener with your ace and all American closer. Now you still try to get the sweep but just need one of them to win the series and probably solidify your post season. If they lose the series it may end their chances at the post season, but it definitely would be over if they got swept.
So now we need Fajardo to bounce back from his poor outing in Stillwater and give the Cats 5-6 very strong innings and hope the bats can put some runs up. Pitching has really struggled the last 4 games and then some. Only two guys you really feel very confident in with Boerema and Neighbors. Boerema has done what he could. Neighbors can only come in if the other guys can put him in position going to the 8th. Someone needs to step up and the offense needs some explosion to take some pressure off.
It was a crazy game. One the Cats were fortunate to win. After homers in the 1st inning by Rugley and 2nd inning by Lodice the Cats lead 2-0 Boerema was pitching quite well but then put some guys on and with two out in the 3rd and two on he gave up another hit that ended up tying the game. And of course the hit came with the shift on and a ball that would have been a routine play for Goodwin at short. But the Cats answered right back in the bottom of the inning with 2 to go 4-2. TCU got another in the 5th to make it 4-3. Boerema completed 6 and Ruhl came out for the 7th. He hasn’t been near as sharp as he was earlier in the year and gave up a run to tie the game at 4-4. In the bottom of the inning the Cats managed to load the bases and then Jones drew a walk to walk in the go ahead run and take a 5-4 lead with still no one out. But Cash Rugley had a horrible AB swinging at two pitches out of the zone and then watching one right down the middle for the first out and then Culpepper hit into an inning ending DP and the Cats blew a golden opportunity. So Neighbors come in for the last two innings and then it got real crazy.
Neighbors got squeezed right from the start and what should have been an obvious strike 3 was ball 3 and after a couple foul balls Neighbors threw a ball and walked him which started Hughes yelling from the dugout and with good reason. The next batter was about the same situation. Up 2-2 and throws a ball for another obvious strike 3 but instead called a ball and you could see Neighbors was upset. He ended up walking the batter and Hughes then went out to try and calm him down. But on his way back he first went to home plate, which the ump wanted no part of but Hughes continued and got tossed very quick without really saying much at that time. But after getting tossed did have some words before leaving. So now Neighbors goes back to work and the batter jumps on his first fastball and sends it down the line to score both runs and give TCU a 6-5 lead. He managed to get out of the inning with no more damage. In KSU’s half, with the heart of the order up, Goodwin walked but the other 3 had terrible ABs and the inning was over.
On to the 9th and it gets even crazier. The first two batters managed to get on and the next batter was looking to bunt, which he did. Pelletier grabbed it but threw it down the 1st base line into RF. Both runners scored and the batter ended up at 3rd appearing to give TCU an 8-5 lead. But then the ump called interference on the batter for running inside the base line and he most definitely did. He was called out and the runners had to return to 1st and 2nd. Neighbors navigated the rest the inning leaving the Cats just down 1 going to the bottom of the ninth.
In the 9th Johnson lead off and managed to draw a walk. Then Dom pinch hit for Pellitier and while trying to bunt got hit on the back foot to put two on with no outs. Jones comes up and also looks to bunt and manages to bunt it perfectly for a base hit so now bases loaded with no outs and Rugley back to the plate, just like in the 7th with no outs and bases loaded. And again he swings at a pitch in the dirt for strike one. Watches one down the middle for strike two and swings at another in the dirt for strike 3 and it seems like DeJaVu. Culpepper now back at the plate and after swinging wildly at the first pitch he then swings at one on the dirt, which goes between the catcher’s legs all to way the backstop and Johnson takes home to tie the score with everyone moving up. Culpepper then hits a ball to short, who was playing in and Dom breaks from third and is gunned down easily at home. So Day comes to the plate and takes a ball to the gap in left center field, scoring the run and getting the walk off win.
This was a game the cats almost had to have with not feeling like the chances would have been good to win the next two after losing a lead in the opener with your ace and all American closer. Now you still try to get the sweep but just need one of them to win the series and probably solidify your post season. If they lose the series it may end their chances at the post season, but it definitely would be over if they got swept.
So now we need Fajardo to bounce back from his poor outing in Stillwater and give the Cats 5-6 very strong innings and hope the bats can put some runs up. Pitching has really struggled the last 4 games and then some. Only two guys you really feel very confident in with Boerema and Neighbors. Boerema has done what he could. Neighbors can only come in if the other guys can put him in position going to the 8th. Someone needs to step up and the offense needs some explosion to take some pressure off.
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tmcats
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here's day's game winning hit and resulting celebration.
https://twitter.com/11point7/status/165 ... 09F-7AixRg
https://twitter.com/11point7/status/165 ... 09F-7AixRg
Why is there something rather than nothing?
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bhoovy
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Cats lose game two 8-1 and were never really in the game. Very sad and disappointing performance by the Cats and for the fans who decided to go out to Toiton on a Friday night.
Fell behind 2-0 in the first as Fajardo struggled. But to his credit he did battle and after a lead off double in the 2nd managed to get out of it. And an even greater Houdini act, had bases loaded in the 3rd with no outs and didn’t allow a run with the help of some great defense. Be couldn’t get out of the 5th after getting two outs and Rothermel came in and proceeded to implode, giving up one in the 5th and then 5 in the 7th.
Cats were being no hit until the 7th. They did manage to get two on and then got a hit that would have loaded the bases, but for some reason Pena rounded 2nd way to far and was thrown out limiting the inning to just one run. They loaded the bases again in the 8th but again couldn’t get the big hit that TCU has seemed to have both games. Goodwin came up with an opportunity a couple times, but the most veteran Cat and one of only two players to be unanimous all big 12 preseason season struck out 3 times and looked bad doing it.
To add to the bad loss, everything else was going the cats way to still possibly share a conference title, as Texas beat WVU again and OU beat OSU.
This weekend feels eerily similar to last weekend where we found a way to win game one with our ace and ace closer and then got dominated the other two. This team just has no reliable pitching depth.
With tonight’s loss they have put themselves in the 4/5 game for next week. With a loss tomorrow will be the 5 seed and play TCU again as the 4. With a win would play as the 4 seed against TCU, Tech or OU.
Also with a loss tomorrow I’m afraid they’ll need a deep run in the conference tournament, like making the championship game. A win should still have them in the conversation, and likely a lock with a win or maybe two in the tournament.
Who tomorrow can give the Cats a chance pitching and will the offense bother to show up???
Fell behind 2-0 in the first as Fajardo struggled. But to his credit he did battle and after a lead off double in the 2nd managed to get out of it. And an even greater Houdini act, had bases loaded in the 3rd with no outs and didn’t allow a run with the help of some great defense. Be couldn’t get out of the 5th after getting two outs and Rothermel came in and proceeded to implode, giving up one in the 5th and then 5 in the 7th.
Cats were being no hit until the 7th. They did manage to get two on and then got a hit that would have loaded the bases, but for some reason Pena rounded 2nd way to far and was thrown out limiting the inning to just one run. They loaded the bases again in the 8th but again couldn’t get the big hit that TCU has seemed to have both games. Goodwin came up with an opportunity a couple times, but the most veteran Cat and one of only two players to be unanimous all big 12 preseason season struck out 3 times and looked bad doing it.
To add to the bad loss, everything else was going the cats way to still possibly share a conference title, as Texas beat WVU again and OU beat OSU.
This weekend feels eerily similar to last weekend where we found a way to win game one with our ace and ace closer and then got dominated the other two. This team just has no reliable pitching depth.
With tonight’s loss they have put themselves in the 4/5 game for next week. With a loss tomorrow will be the 5 seed and play TCU again as the 4. With a win would play as the 4 seed against TCU, Tech or OU.
Also with a loss tomorrow I’m afraid they’ll need a deep run in the conference tournament, like making the championship game. A win should still have them in the conversation, and likely a lock with a win or maybe two in the tournament.
Who tomorrow can give the Cats a chance pitching and will the offense bother to show up???
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bhoovy
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Cats choke again losing 4-3 and losing their second home series this year.
Offense just inept the last two games of the series and TCU just outplayed them in every aspect of the game. Like men playing with boys.
Now will have to do something special in the conference tournament to get into the ncaa tournament in all likelihood.
As inconsistent as the pitching has been it’s very frustrating how the offense has been basically MIA in 4 of the 6 games of the last two series. Certainly not how you want to go into the conference tournament.
But feeling like this is just another year of getting a little optimistic and left with disappointment.
Offense just inept the last two games of the series and TCU just outplayed them in every aspect of the game. Like men playing with boys.
Now will have to do something special in the conference tournament to get into the ncaa tournament in all likelihood.
As inconsistent as the pitching has been it’s very frustrating how the offense has been basically MIA in 4 of the 6 games of the last two series. Certainly not how you want to go into the conference tournament.
But feeling like this is just another year of getting a little optimistic and left with disappointment.
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