HuskersNC949597

Well that was a worse game than I anticipated, and I've been pretty negative for a while now

Waldron did pretty well to last 6 innings. But again, saving the bullpen is irrelevant if your offense can only score runs when the other team gifts them to you (i.e. Purdue.)

The justification is that it's the first game, so you can't get into your bullpen so soon. It's all pretty irrelevant as this team has no offensive identity anyway, and haven't for a few years (I don't count "let Schreiber hit the ball 450 feet". Even though he was damn good at that.)

I'm at a point where I'd almost be willing to tolerate Ted Silva being promoted to head coach, since pitching has been more or less good enough to win 90% of the time anyway Just quit letting people with absolutely no coaching experience run the offense, it's not ****ing working.

I missed that. Well, I guess we have to give him several years to prove himself But really, all the experienced assistants out there you could look at, even in the JUCO ranks. . .this program is determined to continue sabotaging itself.

I mean, I'm not surprised, but good god.

It's like the Pelini or Tim Miles era. Doing just enough to skate by and appease some, but generally gagging in the games that "matter", in this case, Big 10 series against teams with a pulse, Big 10 tournament games, etc. And don't get me wrong, I don't expect CWS every year, or even ever again. But this is the same formula we've seen since 2015. Pitching will carry them as far as they can. Which probably means a top 6 finish in the conference, another quick departure from the conference tournament, and if they make a regional, another loss to some 4 seeded team who manages to shut us down while losing their other two games by a combined 26 runs (Western Carolina did that in 2016.) It is uncanny how consistent the bats are at letting the team down against any and all comers.

In case anyone missed it.

Better than being swept, I guess.

Also worth noting: 8 total games won in the Big 10 tournament in 2012 (1), 2013 (4), and 2014 (3). 1 between 2015 and 2018

17-9 was the final score, if anyone needs to know.

I'm afraid they peaked in March against Texas Tech and Baylor. It happened a couple years ago with a sweep against Texas, that team didn't end with much else to hang their hat on. I'm sure the youth excuse will fly hot and heavy among the tradition coalition that loves Erstad, but it's baseball, young players contribute everywhere as they don't need to physically develop as much as other sports, for crying out loud But on the other hand, Illinois and Northwestern aren't great either, so series wins against those two teams are probably doable, meaning NU will probably finish somewhere in the 3-6 range in conference standings, make the B1G tournament, probably go 1-2 or so, get a token bid from the NCAA. This will be viewed as progress and we'll never know if we can do any better.

Huh, the volleyball twitter account says 25-13, but John Baylor says a 9 point win in the first set

25-13 in set 1 for NU

I believe Bill Moos could convince the ghost of Rod Dedeaux to coach here. Just a thought.

We can't rely on opponents to throw 8+ wild pitches in a series every time? Damn it.

Game of Thrones.

I try not to beat the dead horse too much, but yes, the amount of strike outs, runners LOB, GIDPs, etc just seems higher since Bolt left (I haven't looked at all of them, Ks have definitely gone higher since, on pace for over 450 this year ). Jim Rose, I admit a terrible pbp guy but a huge Nebraska baseball homer with no axe to grind against DE, apparently said last year or before that Erstad struggles with teaching. DE's actually recruiting better than some people who want to use our conference as an excuse for his shortcomings may realize. But development is lacking. Guys have to come in already pretty much a stud (ie Schreiber). DE can definitely stay, but he needs a hitting coach EDIT: just saw your reply to Xmas, so we agree

Beats losing to them, anyway

Minnesota lost two games to a fairly bad Purdue team (finished 8th in the league), after Nebraska lost to a Penn State team that won maybe 3 games in conference play that season total. Iowa wasn't much of a threat to win the regular season but did win the tournament and even managed to win a game or two in the NCAA regionals who knew it was possible to succeed in any kind of tournament? 1 conference trophy so far out of a possible 14, is basically the bottom line. Meh. The NCAA has been generous with trying to give northern teams shots in regionals, and Nebraska has sh*t the bed repeatedly with those opportunities. It's not a matter of recruiting, either. Yale and Holy Cross didn't even give any scholarships to baseball.

Erstad's boys have, I believe, 24 strike outs in today's doubleheader, Minnesota's All-American pitched yesterday. If Erstad would hire a half-decent hitting coach, I might be more in his corner.