Inviting analysis: Why do so many #1 seeds exit early from CWS?

[Jax_Vol]

If they did reseed after Regionals, who would we have been slotted against? UConn maybe?

Without looking, I’m thinking Ole Miss is probably ranked around # 40ish. UConn was probably higher than the Black Landshark Rebel boys.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

In regards to the op, so many things go into these Regionals/Super Regionals.

Notre Dame was a bad matchup for us because they had a veteran team, solid pitching, and good contact hitting to move runners when they needed. They came up with timely hits when needed and we did not.

With all that being said, we led 3-1 in the 7th inning and had 2 strikes on the guy that had hit 1 HR all year. What lost the series was on that Sunday all of the runners we left on base. That had shown up from time to time that back half of the season but we usually overcame it. No excuse to have Stephenson on 2nd base and no out with your 2-3-4 hitters due up and he doesn't even advance a base. That is what the lost the game/series. Drew and Trey having beyond horrible Sundays didn't help. Lipscomb's first 3 at bats he saw 7 pitches and swung at every single one.

Hoping that next year we have better contact hitters. Seemed like this year we had power hitters but when we need to make contact to move guys we couldn't consistently do it.

You can't just change offensive identities for a game or a series. Woulda coulda shoulda done something other than what we've been doing all along? You have to credit ND pitching approach and execution to keep us off the scoreboard there and at other times we had runners on. Our hitting approach is partially a product of the small park we play in and a trend in the game to emphasize power over small ball. You live by the long ball to create the best college baseball record in a long time and dominate the college baseball world, then you die with it, too. We can't just all of a sudden switch a switch and become a small ball team.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

In my opinion, the team peaked during the Ole Miss, Vandy, Florida stretch. They started to show cracks during Alabama/Auburn/Kentucky before reaching another emotional high during the SEC tournament (revenge from last year).

*In my perspective*, the euphoric emotional highs during the year turned into anxiety and tightness during the playoffs.

Shared opinion.

 

[Okie]

[VIDEO=]

This probably plays into it somehow.

 

[Bigun]

You can't just change offensive identities for a game or a series. Woulda coulda shoulda done something other than what we've been doing all along? You have to credit ND pitching approach and execution to keep us off the scoreboard there and at other times we had runners on. Our hitting approach is partially a product of the small park we play in and a trend in the game to emphasize power over small ball. You live by the long ball to create the best college baseball record in a long time and dominate the college baseball world, then you die with it, too. We can't just all of a sudden switch a switch and become a small ball team.

I agree to an extent, but with a man on 2B and no out its not "small ball" to get him in.

As mentioned before it wasn't the first time we had shown the inability to come through with RISP. It happened this time and cost us a trip to the CWS.

 

[VolPack22]

Why? This is conceptually backwards to me?

#1 seed should get #32, #48, and #64.
#2 should get #31, #47, and #63.

The #16 should get #17, #33, and #49.

Edit: did not read option 2, oops.

Yeah personally I prefer option 2. Option 1 was more if they didn’t want to re-seed after regionals.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I agree to an extent, but with a man on 2B and no out its not "small ball" to get him in.

As mentioned before it wasn't the first time we had shown the inability to come through with RISP. It happened this time and cost us a trip to the CWS.

Stranding a guy in scoring position is nothing new in baseball, whether your offensive identity is power or small ball. That's baseball. Happens. Again, give their pitching credit.

 

[vegasvolfan]

Everyone's read it: since the NCAA started the current seeding system, only one #1 seed has won the CWS. I've heard (but couldn't confirm) that many more top seeds never got past the regionals.

I like the way baseball people analyze things. But how susceptible to intangibles are all those wonderful stats?

Would love to hear the VFL brain trust weigh in on why the seemingly best baseball team each season can't catch a bus all the way to Omaha.

People play them harder.

 

[JCP201]

We are the third consecutive #1 overall seed to be eliminated in the super regionals. That should tell you all you need to know about this tournament. The #1 does not get rewarded like it should. I didn’t really have any issues with the seedings like the basketball tournament seems to have an issue with, but it’s the geographic placements that are the biggest concern for me. Any potential matchup should give the #1 seed the easiest path to the CWS. They should do one of two things:

Option 1:
The #1 seed should get these seeds:
#32, #48, #64

The #16 seed should get:
#31, #47, #63


Option 2:
The #1 seed should get the same three seeds above and then the #2 seed gets the next three seeds listed above and just go down the line until the #16 seed gets #17, #33, and #49. Then they should re-seed for placements in the super regionals based on worst seed going to best seed.

If they wanted what you did in the season count for more, something like this would be the best. Notre Dame played over 10 less games (??) then most of baseball due to weather cancellation during the winter, and that's why they weren't hosting, I'm sure.

 

[iVolSoHard]

I think that the veteran team aspect for Notre Dame was a big factor. On the broadcast, I believe that it was mentioned that 8 of their 9 starters had already graduated. They may not have been as talented as us, but they were more experienced.

 

[VolPack22]

If they wanted what you did in the season count for more, something like this would be the best. Notre Dame played over 10 less games (??) then most of baseball due to weather cancellation during the winter, and that's why they weren't hosting, I'm sure.

Yes and i believe they only got to play Virginia Tech 1 out of their 3 games. If they had gotten that series in, the committee might have looked at them a little differently imo.