moe

Anyone that has paid any attention to Nebraska baseball whatsoever (a'hem, not TO) would know that Anderson inherited a boatload of talent. Once those Van Horn recruits were gone, with Childress soon to follow...well, now you know...the rest of the story.

So in other words Anderson is like another Callahan.....both can recruit top players but can't develope them

I actually was going to use that as an analogy, but decided to omit it. I chose not to compare it to anything Nebraska football-related. But in short, yes...exactly like that, in my opinion.

I suggest that after Anderson falters again next year we look at Will Bolt as out next head coach! I know he is young but he apparently has what it takes!

The guy took over a pretty successful program at Texarkana, and :gasp: has managed to maintain that success, and before anybody says Anderson did for a while as well, Bolt hired his own staff from the get-go and did not have a crutch like Rob Childress to carry him through his first (and so far only) 3 seasons. I'd take Will Bolt in a heartbeat.

 

http://www.texarkanacollege.edu/athletics/baseball/coaches.php

Anyone that has paid any attention to Nebraska baseball whatsoever (a'hem, not TO) would know that Anderson inherited a boatload of talent. Once those Van Horn recruits were gone, with Childress soon to follow...well, now you know...the rest of the story.

FOURTH hit-batter in the top of the 9th! Nebraska now only trails 6-5, top of the 9th, 2 outs and bases loaded. C'mon, bats... or a wild pitch, or another HBP.

 

SWING AND A MISS! GAME OVER, Mizzou, the 'other worst-team' in the conference for the last several weeks, sweeps Nebraska. Ugh. The Huskers have played their way into sole ownership of the cellar, and by a hefty margin now.

Swept by the other worst team in the Big 12.

Osborne says, "Move along, nothing to see here...."

Havoc, I just want a well-reasoned argument for some candidate. Like yours for Deggs. I'm not impressed because of his Ark and A&M affiliations. If anything, I think those degrade my overall view of him. "Return to prominence" for Ark wasn't saying much, and it wasn't long-lived. They've done fair in the SEC but their champ teams have been on low-performing conference moments, too, so I don't give him high points for winning in a low-conference.

 

I do give him more credit for the JuCo affiliations, actually, where he's had to do so much with almost nothing. If Big Time NCAA Baseball suffers from the queer scholarship limits and backhanded treatment in the sports world (cast-off and overlooked HS prospects), the JuCo world is even worse - not only cast-offs and overlooked, but under-skilled in the classroom, or financially handicapped to disqualify them from NCAA programs. Having a coach who can get THOSE players up to champ levels - that's really something good. Wayne Graham at Rice (now at Rice, but the long-time head at San Jacinto, a national powerhouse in JuCo Baseball) has been able to take his 20+ years of JuCo success and take Rice from a Never-Was/Never-Will-Be into a team that NOW only raises eyebrows when it's flopping around - like this year. And yet they'll STILL make the NCAAs, I bet.

 

My biggest caution against Deggs is his locale. You listed his Ark-East Texas background. Moving him to Neb would gain him - uh - what territory? He'd no longer be "a hour's drive" from hot JuCo property or hotbeds of HS talent. So, taking Deggs out of that region might not deliver much more than his name on the scorecard.

 

At the same time, you could argue that "Every recruiting year is different and once he builds the inroads, that's how real recruiting success occurs - over time."

 

Yeah. But probably not 3 or 4 years. It's probably a 10-year process to create a pipeline where any HS or JuCo star would seriously consider his program rather than fair-to-middlin' pro bonus packages. That's what he needs to gain - those players' consideration. I'm never sure Deggs can deliver that - but I don't think any coach-prospect can guarantee that.

 

It's an interesting candidate to pose, and well-argued.

 

 

The SEC is very arguably the best college baseball conference there is. Arkansas has been competetive, and still is.. maybe you forget their 3rd place finish in the CWS last year, but Deggs wasn't there at that time, and i get that. However, hard to argue that Deggs was there with Anderson when the Razorbacks made their first CWS appearance in 15 years.. Also, the Arkansas and A&M connections make him a viable candidate simply of his affiliation with the most successful time period in this programs history. Many people will grab onto the Van Horn and Childress connection and give at least some approval to Deggs. While I have been the furthest from impressed with what Childress has done with A&M, it is a major program and they have at least been somewhat successful.

 

I see you're point on recruiting, but the fact that he has connections to that part of the states could give him an advantage there. Same argument comes in with football, and while it is certainly different with baseball, the connection to southern high schools can't hurt at all, but I completely understand where you are coming from there.

 

As far as the JUCO coaching gig is concerned, I also could care less about it. However, some people will be quick to say "He's never been a head coach before," so I'm simply just throwing it out there that he has been a head coach at the college level.

 

I can find other coaches that would be worthy of considering that have D1 experience, but maybe not quite the potential upside and recognition that Deggs brings, but certainly safer options. What is you're opinion on it? Should Anderson be given ANOTHER year? If not, who is your idea of a candidate to replace him?

Havoc:

Good to see that you're still around. I was afraid that you may have lost your marbles or something, considering this season.

I agree with you (having read your second post as well) that Matt Deggs is a great candidate. Unfortunately, for now that argument is moot. We'll just have to support our team for the rest of this season, and next season as well...regardless of the coach.

I really hope that we can make the tournament. However, after seeing us get shut out tonight by that Teppich kid from Missouri, I'm a little concerned. Good to see some of our younger guys come through with great hits tonight, unfortunately they were untimely.

At this point, we really need a lot of things to occur in our favor - in other words, it's almost...almost completely out of our hands and dependent upon Okie Lite and Missouri completely falling apart. I can't believe our tournament hopes are still alive...but they are.

Either way, I'll be there for all 3 games of our final home series against Tech.

GBR

Wow! I'm not even a third down the page, and already Andy P (representing Nebraska) is being a raging bag of d*cks! Good job, buddy! Good work using the f-word, and the ever-dreaded c*nt word. Way to represent!

that'd be nice, real nice.... but i won't hold my breath.

What would be nice? Beating two teams that are both fighting to avoid the cellar-dweller position shouldn't mean a thing to this team or its fans. Of course we want to win, but it's too little, too late in my opinion. We shouldn't and likely won't make the tournament.

Osborne "never had a doubt" that Anderson is, should, and will be our coach. That's all I, and we, should need to know.

I don't pretend to be a seer, but T.O. will regret his "decision" to retain M.A..

P.S., I had seats, 5 rows up, right behind home plate for last weekend's Saturday & Sunday games. Price? Free. FREE!! Free tickets from season ticket holders that didn't want them - and they haven't wanted....all....season....

I personally think that Anderson has let us down, but they brought up a good point on Unsportsmanlike Conduct: who would be a better head coach who is currently available or who would actually take the job?

 

Is the unknown better than what we have?

I guess that would be impossible to answer, considering TO hadn't even put on a search, eh? I was really disappointed when I read that article. I figure as long as Osborne believes that Anderson is doing, "excellent in every area", and TO continues to believe Anderson's excuses...we may as well just not expect anything from our baseball program.

As far as our young players, I find it hard to be optimistic when Anderson has repeatedly proven that he has a knack for taking talent and coaching it down. I mean, our own players have even said they don't want to be playing for this 2010 team, and regret coming back for their senior season.

What more of a sign does TO need?

-Players saying they regret playing here (this was a huge red flag to me)? Check.

-A likely second consecutive season of playing sub .500 baseball? Check.

-Not winning a Big 12 conference series in over a season? Check.

-Attendance dipping dramatically? Check.

As someone said in an earlier response, "This team is dead in the water." I think that describes this season, and seasons to come under MA.

moe, the reality is what the guys from Unsportsmanlike Conduct are saying is 100% spot on accurate. NU Baseball stinks and that's all they are saying. Nothing more - nothing less.

Perhaps...my crappy car radio doesn't go past the 1600s - thus, I'm unable to listen. I was just referring to them for using one of my posts for their "Webposting of the Day." It seemed to me that they thought I was some kinda bitter old man, read in the voice of my idol...Hans Moleman.

Iowa is in 9th place (out of 10 teams, Wisconsin doesn't believe in baseball except in that den of iniquity called "Milwaukee"), so that gives you an indication of where Mike Anderson would have NU in that conference

Baseball is a crazy sport. Literally any team (given said team is hot at that time) can beat anyone at any given time. One game in one season doesn't mean anything in and of itself. However, when you consider the overall product as a whole that Anderson has produced...the loss to Iowa is another notch in the belt of those that believe he is incapable of leading this Nebraska baseball program...and just another point on the graph of the program's overall downward trend.

Nebraska shouldn't lose to Iowa. Nebraska shouldn't lose to Creighton (an inferior conference foe) 2 - maybe 3 - games in a season (yet to be determined). Nebraska shouldn't have to say, "Hey! At least we won ONE series against Houston Baptist!!!" Where do the excuses end? As soon as we accept sub .500 baseball? It's already almost safe to assume we will finish below .500 - for the second consecutive season.

The excuses abound:

"We were raided by the draft."

"We're plagued by injury."

"They were a good team; credit to them."

"We're young."

Unsportsmanlike Conduct can kiss my tookus. That horde of knuckle-dragging clownshoes can continue to attempt to alienate the dissenters. Apparently we're dissenters...according to the B-Team.

If one questions leadership, i.e., Anderson - well, I guess we're just a bunch of cynical bastards. Either way, if anyone doesn't see a trend AND a problem...then they don't watch, follow, and attend Nebraska baseball games.

Havoc? Where are you, buddy?

Congratulations. This post was Unsportsmanlike Conduct's message board posting of the day.

 

I hope you're being facetious. If not, I guess I've forgotten about the power and reach of the interwebz.

Nope, it's true. Listen to the podcast from April 21. It should be the opening to either the last or the second to last segment.

I just listened to the podcast. Lulz. I take it they don't respect my opinion?

Congratulations. This post was Unsportsmanlike Conduct's message board posting of the day.

I hope you're being facetious. If not, I guess I've forgotten about the power and reach of the interwebz.

...coaching changes the way players play....

Exactly. This is why our players are making so many mental mistakes and playing like they each took rohypnol before the game.

GAWD

it's obvious that anderson doesn't give a crap anymore - he's got to go

 

 

Yep I waited to comment all year on Anderson and he has to go.

I wanted to give the guy time after the first month. The team has gotten worse. We can not blame injuries, because the bats are all intact at this point, and I know pitching has its problems, but the offense can't even score in Sunday games when teams are usually throwing their worst pitchers. They went at least 4-5 innings tonight without a hit and/or baserunner! It's reaching the point where the only "compelling" argument I find from Anderson's last supporters is that "Nebraska will never be consistently good in baseball." Well, sure, with that kind of defeatist attitude, you get coaches like this and your prophecy becomes true.

 

And that ignores the issue of how Anderson treats his assistant coaches and players. Somebody posted a comment on Channel 6's website about this, but said they weren't going to share any more info than that I say why not? Hell, most of it is on display when you go to a game and see him shouting down players on the field for missing a sign.

 

I feel a little better now

Where is havoc? Honestly, anyone heard from said poster in a while?

I was hoping I was wrong, but in hindsight, I don't think I was. Anderson's, "I'm going to play the percentages" b.s. has got to go.

These players don't deserve the rep that they're getting. It's all coaching. The f'n coaches don't even look like they give a s*** anymore.

I'll end with this: with our offense, we should be battling for AT LEAST the middle of the Big 12 right now. With our coaches, we now are distancing ourselves (in a freakin' downward spiral) from the second-to-worst team in the Big 12...

We are in the current of a flushing toilet - this is now our baseball program.

So what are the chances we make the Big 12 Tournament at end of the year?

 

I am really really feeling ambivalent about this team. I hope they win but expect them to lose! I suspect many feel the same way! I can not believe how far we have dropped.

 

I know Havoc will beat me for these commments but it is true for me>

Where do we go from here? Probably down?

What's funny (not "ha-ha" funny) is that we'll probably win just enough. Just enough for no changes to be made, but enough for some to say, "I saw glimpses of good play out of the 2010 team."

I would like to think that if we finish below .500 for the second consecutive season, red flags are raised in the minds of many.

I mean, we had our asses handed to us at home against Creighton. Creighton then went on to get swept by Illinois State last weekend.

As far as Big 12 chances, if the seedings were to be done today, we would be the 8th and final team. We're 4-8 (16-16 overall) in Big 12 play, while Missouri (18-13) and Oklahoma State (18-12) are both 3-6 in conference play. It should be important to note that OSU took 2-3 from us...making the upcoming Missouri series in Columbia rather important.

I think however, that with Kansas, Baylor, Texas A & M, and Texas Tech all left on our schedule...it's looking bleak. I think from here on out, we're battling OSU and Missouri for the cellar-dweller position.

I was willing to give them a break early in the year, it was a harsh winter, etc. etc. The excuses are gone, this team played like crap and is as inconsistent as they were last year without the draft to blame. The team is much more talented then the record would indicate. I don't like revolving door coaching situations, but Anderson is doing progressively less with more

You and me both, man. You and me both. I'm sure that someone will say, "well, it's only the first year that we weren't affected by the draft..." B.S., in my opinion.

Pitching is atrocious. Hitting is so-so...but only 'good' when the game isn't on the line it seems.

The one thing that bothers me most is the amount of mental mistakes. I just don't think we should be dropping routine fly balls when the wind really shouldn't have been a factor. I'm rambling now.

I would only hope that he (Anderson) is, at the very least, under some scrutiny via the athletic department.

moe being a realist can never be confused with being a downer. NU, like all of this season, stunk up the joint last night.

 

Starting this weekend they can win 90% of their remaining games. Can they do this? Without question. Will they? That remains to be seen. It's all on the team from here on out.

 

All they need to so is get the bats off of their shoulders, hit the ball, stop making stupid errors, throw strikes all the while mixing up their pitches, and play like a Husker (under VanHorn)

 

At worst NU should win this weekends series against K-State. If they don't - then a change in Lincoln is an immediate must.

Kansas State swept Oklahoma State a couple weekends ago. Granted, it was in Manhattan - we still could take only 1 of 3 from them here. Also, as much as I hate to admit it, KSU is a good team this year. As is Kansas.

At best, we take 1 game from KSU this weekend. Of course we could sweep as well. But that would be a fluke. I could also die in a freak blimp accident, but it isn't likely.

An "educated" guess would say we win 1 at best, barring some sort of miracle. The only remaining series I can see us taking (not sweeping) from here on out, are SEMO, Texas Tech, and Missouri. Possible, yes. Probable? No.

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are regarding the Nebraska-Creighton game. Is everyone as perturbed as I am?

In my opinion, that was just a poor showing, all around. With a few exceptions, probably the worst game this season - and we shouldn't be having games like that this far along. Not against a team like Creighton.

3 errors. 2 dropped routine fly balls, one booted routine ground ball.

11 hits (mostly in the 3rd). 1 hit in innings 4-9. Against Creighton.

Poor hitting; putrid pitching. The only bright spot was Hauptman's showing.

Sorry to get back into "downer" mode.

Thoughts? (not on my cynicism, thank you)

He's been on fire lately, but now we are down another player. Not sure how this will affect the team the rest of the way. Anyone have some thoughts??

 

LINK

It always sucks to lose a pitcher that has secured a spot - especially when the level of our pitching staff is so low. My heart goes out to Mike Nesseth, and I wish him a recovery that allows him to pursue baseball at the next level...or even better, that he can get a medical redshirt and come back to Nebraska for another year.

Either way, very few of our pitchers have been solid this year...including Nesseth. He's had a few good relief appearances, but a few poor showings as well. We've seen moments of brilliance from Hauptman and Mariot, and moments of the two doing less than what needs to be done.

Chase Adams was a nice surprise against North Dakota, and let's hope that he can keep up his relief effort while perhaps working himself into the weekend starting rotation. He's had a few good outings. We need reliable relievers and closers, or any combination of the two. At this point, it seems as if we have neither.

The ONE thing we're missing though, is a reliable closer. I don't think I've seen a proven closer at Nebraska since 2005. Maybe Jensen in 2006? I'm not sure.

They left an insane amount of runners on base in game two

 

 

That coupled with 15 strikeouts out 27 outs in game 1...

I hope that we can improve in the strikeouts category. It seems like anytime we face a decent pitcher, those are the results.

I also don't think losing our go-to DH (Sheffert) is going to help matters much, either.

They hit the ball quite well Sunday, so I guess we'll see. Like I said before...lotta baseball left to be played. Nonetheless, the signs aren't encouraging.

Nesseth has looked much better in his last 2 outings.. 3.1 perfect @ texas and 3 no-hit today.. only person got on by error.. I wonder if they're going to try n stretch him back out to be a starter? He seemed to have been better in that role last year, and it wouldn't be bad to have him as another option.. or at least long relief now that hauptman is leading the rotation.

Newman said they were working on his motion, trying to cut-back on his body movement.

Grindle said his ball also seemed to have quite a bit more movement.

Paper said they score 3 runs off him and he had to be replaced. The guy has not had a good outing yet. If this continues Texas will pound him if he gets in the game.

No doubt, man. He simply hasn't done his job well at all. Should be "interesting" to see how they continue to use him...

Ok so Nesseth has another good outing whats new? I really have to wonder about this guy and I dont care where he was drafted or what kind of stuff he has. He apparently can't pitch with a guy in the box

I don't understand how he gets hit so hard, so often. He has an errant motion, seems to hide the ball well, and brings it pretty hard.

I was sitting right up front yesterday, and he was popping the mitt with some force. He had to have been hitting lower 90s on his fastball.

I really think (as if it matters) he and Newman should discuss altering his pitch selection, or throw a few more 2-seamers or something, man - get some movement on that thing. He does seem to have some issues with leaving the ball too high in the zone, too.

lane grindel said that ucla's number 1 pitcher is the best pitcher he's seen throw against NU since he started doing the games three years ago, and that their number 2 guys is in the top 5 of pitchers he's seen play NU. i know he's not a college baseball guru, but after watching all the games the last three years you have to figure he at least has a little bit of an idea

The kids name is Gerrit Cole. And he probably will be one of the best (if not the best) pitcher we'll see all year. He was a first round draft pick, and though I can't remember what number, he went pretty high in that round.

Don't remember much of the second guy we faced, though. Think his last name was Bauer?

too soon to tell, but losing is already getting old FAST

^^^This^^^

If things continue to progress like this for the remainder of the season, I would assume that Osborne would have to evaluate Anderson's future here. Although, folks on other boards are saying Osborne is "too concerned with football," thus giving Doc and Mike some job security.

It's still too early to determine our capabilities (in my opinion), and I'm trying to withhold my criticism until we can get a few more games (especially a few home series) under our belts. I don't want to make excuses, but I think our schedule thus far has been rather difficult.

 

hmm, you are being obtuse!

Ok, buddy. I find it ironic that you are accusing me of being obtuse...

I give up.