The Official #4 seed Vandy @ #8 seed Tennessee SEC Tourney Semifinal Game Thread (Sat. May 24 11 AM EDT) (SEC Network)

Anyone can see the favoritism and worrying about one guy's draft stock is affecting the team chemistry? Thought the point was to try to win games not worry about someone's draft stock.
Should have been on the bench weeks ago.
 
I didn't say anything about anyone's draft stock. Someone made the statement about they felt bad for Dean and I said I feel bad for his teammates. Curley has cost them all year!!!
He is personally responsible for many of the losses with sloppy fielding and ridiculous throws to first.
 
Loyalty can be a 2-way street. The elephant in the room (in this case the forum) is the Curley situation. I have to wonder if guys who are working hard to see the field are getting frustrated not seeing the field because Curley keeps getting the starts when others will undoubtedly be better but still not get starts. If I was a player that would irritate me. Also, after so many miscues and games lost because of this, I have to believe there is some frustration amongst the players with Tony continuing to play someone out of loyalty. The players tend to be supportive of each other, but at what point do they want to correct the situation and have a better chance at getting a win. Finally, if I was an elite freshman coming into a program and my expectation was to play early and often, I would be terribly displeased if I was better but another player kept getting the starts.
He’s going be gone after this year, so there aren’t many games left. I don’t know of any player on the bench that really pushed him. If there was a stud on the bench, then he probably gets some playing time here and there. Antigua is a great fielder but mediocre at the plate. Curley was still hitting .313 at the end of the regular season. He’s going to continue to play.
 
Loyalty can be a 2-way street. The elephant in the room (in this case the forum) is the Curley situation. I have to wonder if guys who are working hard to see the field are getting frustrated not seeing the field because Curley keeps getting the starts when others will undoubtedly be better but still not get starts. If I was a player that would irritate me. Also, after so many miscues and games lost because of this, I have to believe there is some frustration amongst the players with Tony continuing to play someone out of loyalty. The players tend to be supportive of each other, but at what point do they want to correct the situation and have a better chance at getting a win. Finally, if I was an elite freshman coming into a program and my expectation was to play early and often, I would be terribly displeased if I was better but another player kept getting the starts.

This is all fair. I watch as much baseball as anyone. I get he’s out of position as is Fischer, but it’s not new. I dunno how many guys in the wings there are and it’s probably too late now to start changing things drastically. I get that. 99.9% of the time I…not this time. Not taking anything from VU, they hit us where it hurts.

Right. Up. The. Middle. Baseball teams are built from the middle out, defensively. Gavin is on a bum leg, Curley is learning how to play 2B and Fish wants to play 3B. Hunter and Cannon have been solid.

Moving on. It’s all still there. Ain’t nobody gonna rollover and play dead, gotta take it.

GBO!!!

Cal Poly 4, UCI 3, T4
 
Dean committed errors, but he wasn't the sole reason we were run ruled. Our pitching on Sunday has been a problem this year. (this team is very young) Tony said we were rebuilding and yet we are still going to be in regionals. People can whine that it's not up to Tony's normal standard, but before our National championship coach came, things were pretty dismal for baseball. Anyway, I have even suggested Dean DH due to errors, but how do you set up the infield? Antigua can make great plays, but he's committed his fair share of errors too, and his bat is pretty much non-existent.
 
He’s going be gone after this year, so there aren’t many games left. I don’t know of any player on the bench that really pushed him. If there was a stud on the bench, then he probably gets some playing time here and there. Antigua is a great fielder but mediocre at the plate. Curley was still hitting .313 at the end of the regular season. He’s going to continue to play.
I’m talking defensively, and one that could handle the bat as well. Antigua was not one I had in mind. There are a couple that would have been much better defensively and could also swing the bat.
 
Defense at 2B has been an Achilles heel all year; I remember Marin had some bad defensive plays while Kilen was out with the hamstring injury (which he apparently still isn't over 100%).... honestly, just being back in a Regional with a team that lost so much last year is an achievement. If (1) we hadn't started 20-0 and (2) lost series against Kentucky, LSU, and Vandy there wouldn't be quite so much "the sky is falling!" hysteria amongst the fans; that being said, I look for Tony to address deficiencies and weaknesses in the portal, and for the young freshman to take a big step in development over the summer/fall with an eye towards making 2026 a season where we return to being juggernauts.
 
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This is all fair. I watch as much baseball as anyone. I get he’s out of position as is Fischer, but it’s not new. I dunno how many guys in the wings there are and it’s probably too late now to start changing things drastically. I get that. 99.9% of the time I…not this time. Not taking anything from VU, they hit us where it hurts.

Right. Up. The. Middle. Baseball teams are built from the middle out, defensively. Gavin is on a bum leg, Curley is learning how to play 2B and Fish wants to play 3B. Hunter and Cannon have been solid.

Moving on. It’s all still there. Ain’t nobody gonna rollover and play dead, gotta take it.

GBO!!!

Cal Poly 4, UCI 3, T4
They also hurt us by stealing bases and bunting for hits. They also exposed our defense to the hilt.
 
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Dean committed errors, but he wasn't the sole reason we were run ruled. Our pitching on Sunday has been a problem this year. (this team is very young) Tony said we were rebuilding and yet we are still going to be in regionals. People can whine that it's not up to Tony's normal standard, but before our National championship coach came, things were pretty dismal for baseball. Anyway, I have even suggested Dean DH due to errors, but how do you set up the infield? Antigua can make great plays, but he's committed his fair share of errors too, and his bat is pretty much non-existent.
I keep answering the infield question: Marin to 2B, Bargo to 3B. Can put Levi Clark in LF.

Bargo is a good 3B.
 
Neither are SSs at Tennessee, though.
The point is that the need wasn’t critical for them to play SS when they came in, but they are very good infielders if the need arose. I was responding to a poster who said Tennessee had no viable options to push Curley. They actually had options had Tony deemed it to be a priority. It’s not going to happen now, not at this point, but it was certainly an option.
 
The point is that the need wasn’t critical for them to play SS when they came in, but they are very good infielders if the need arose. I was responding to a poster who said Tennessee had no viable options to push Curley. They actually had options had Tony deemed it to be a priority. It’s not going to happen now, not at this point, but it was certainly an option.

Curley was a starter on a national title team and played until the very last game. He was entrenched as someone who was going to start this year regardless of position. Tony brought in other players, but they were talented and willing to change positions. He was bringing in talent, like when you draft the best available player at the time. It was discussed that Curley was probably a natural 3B, but he struggled there.

Who is pushing Curley on the bench right now? I don’t believe the argument that Tony brought in guys to push Curley. It was always going to get sorted out, and Curley was going to play. I didn’t even think this was a debate because Curley was one of the bright spots that was returning.
 
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