Mid-season Review

[huskerswrkhavoc]

Well it's not QUITE mid-season yet, but as of today we are 25 games into the season, so let's take a little look at how things have unraveled.

 

1-3 @ Fresno St. We had a chance to win 3 games here, instead having 2 blown by Nesseth, who struggled to start out the year (and now we know is done for the season). Looking back at Fresno, they aren't really a good prteam this year by any means, but they are always a 2nd half team.. Hell, they were a 4 seed when they won it all, not a really impressive campaign by any means.. Current Iterative Strength Rating (ISR) - 57.

 

2-1 @ Rice Invitational. Wins vs Elon (15-10, ISR - 107) and Texas A&M Corpus Christi (11-14, ISR 166). Elon struggled mightily to start out the year but has recently picked it up with back to back wins over then #5 Clemson (ISR - 20). They got swept by the Citadel, who is actually a very solid team this year (ISR - 23) and is in the hunt to host a regional out of the SoCon this year. CC is just bad, no other way around that. Our Loss to Rice is not nearly as good as it should of been as they are struggling a bit (14-12, ISR - 43). However, it came against their best pitcher, Taylor Wall, who is holding opponents to a .213 BA this year so far, just getting screwed with runs/support this year.

 

0-3 @ UCLA. This one REALLY stings, since we had a chance to take TWO games here, and didn't get any. However, we faced two of the top pitchers in the nation in this series in Cole and Bauer. We hung in there really well with Bauer, while we struggled like all hell against Cole. If we would have just put the bat on the ball a little bit in this series instead of so many K's, we might have taken it. However, UCLA is still undefeated and has a current ISR of 1. IMO the best team in the nation, probably just ahead of ASU.

 

1-0 vs UNK. Nothin really to talk about here. Win expected and received. UNK not being a d1 team, they have no ISR.

 

3-0 vs Houston Baptist. Houston Baptist isn't an impressive team by any means, but we came in and took care of business allowing only 6 runs over 3 games to a team that actually can hit the ball a little bit. HB is 8-10 with an ISR of 205 currently.

 

1-0 vs SoDaSt. Actually an impressive team thus far this year. SDSU is 11-6 with an ISR of 59. They hit the ball well and did against us also, putting up 6 runs. However, we were able to double their score and put up 12 against them and come away with a good midweek win. These are the kind of trap games that I'm honestly surprised we haven't lost yet. I think we may be the only big 12 team undefeated in the midweek this year.

 

1-2 vs Texas. Again, stings. We had the friday game won against another one of the best pitchers in the nation in Taylor Jungmann, before Giller gave up a 2 out/2 strike double, followed by a walk, and a home run by Rupp. However, we bounced back to get the win on Saturday before getting absolutely trounced on Sunday. Texas is one of the front runners in the big 12, along with Oklahoma. UT is currently 18-7 with an ISR of 13.

 

2-0 vs Northern Colorado. Northern Colorado isn't really good by any means, but here again is where I expected us to trip up a little bit and lose a midweek game. NC is only 4-15 (ISR - 160) but they have played the 7th toughest schedule in the nation this year. Impressive to get 2 victories here.

 

1-2 vs Oklahoma. I really thought we'd get 2 of 3 here, being the 1st big 12 series at home. Obviously, we lost the 1st 2 of the series before crushing them on Sunday behind Lemke's complete game 3-hit shut out. We struck out again way too many times on Friday and left 13 runners on base on Saturday, things we simply have GOT to stop doing. Oklahoma will face off with UT this week, and the winner has got to be the front runner to win the conference. OU is currently 21-3 with an ISR of 11. Solid club.

 

2-0 vs North Dakota. Surprisingly, we came back and won the game on Tuesday. After being down 10-0, it is impressive no matter who the competition, to come back and win the game. Now, there is no way we should have been down by 10, especially after 3 and a half innings, but kudos to the kids for coming back and winning. Wednesday was a different story with us putting up 5 in the bottom of the 1st before cruising to a 10-4 win. North Dakota is now 1-14 with an ISR of 266. Not good.

 

 

This puts us at 14-11 with an ISR of 41. Our current SoS is 5. We have played the 2 toughest teams in the conference, and now get to go down to OSU, who isn't overly good this year. We should take 2 of 3, with the opportunity of all 3. We then get Creighton at home in the midweek before traveling to Manhattan to face the surprise of the big 12 thus far.

 

Bailey has been red-hot so far this year and is listed as Rivals's 2nd ranked outfielder in the nation thus far this year. He is the only husker currently in any top 10. Lemke has been solid as a freshman. So has Jr Chase Adams, who has posted a 2.89 ERA in 10 appearances this year (18.2 innings).

[sarge87]

Our biggest nemesis all year is getting through the first three innings without getting rung up like a pinball machine.

 

As for your analysis, it is pretty much spot on.