Fighting Erstad's at the Oklahoma City Regional - vs. Oklahoma State

Overall, this is a 6 of one, half dozen of the other type deal.

We don't know what would have happened in the other situations because they didn't play out. Take the starter out early and the bullpen could've imploded. Keep him in and he could have imploded. Pitch Gomes and he could've sent them down 1-2-3. Pitch Schanaman and he could have given up the 4 runs.

All that is known is that Nebraska lost after being up 3 with 3 outs left. The odds of winning at that point are high and they failed. Why they failed is anyone's opinion. 
Bingo

 
Not worth it, puts go ahead runner on base instead of him being at the plate for a potential out.


But you’re talking about the best HR hitter on a team that’s one of the tops in the nation at offense. 

We had an open base and two outs, right? You have to put him on if you’re going to insist on using a fastball throwing closer. 

 
But you’re talking about the best HR hitter on a team that’s one of the tops in the nation at offense. 

We had an open base and two outs, right? You have to put him on if you’re going to insist on using a fastball throwing closer. 
My ESPN3 feed cut out but was it first and third with NU up by 2 when the HR was hit?  You would walk the tying run into scoring position and put the lead run on base to face another potent hitter in the Okie State lineup?

EDIT: Saw on Twitter that the situation was first and second. Those recommending walking a guy to put the tying run at 2nd base is just laughable. 

 
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Honestly I'm not sure why everyone is so fascinated with pitching. The bats going ice cold once we got into their pen is more concerning for me. This is the type of team you have to continue putting runs on when you're up and tonight we found out why.

Not really sure about the armchair quarterbacking going on. We went with our best guy against their best guy(s) and they won. Gomes is just a true freshman. Sh#t happens.

 
But you’re talking about the best HR hitter on a team that’s one of the tops in the nation at offense. 

We had an open base and two outs, right? You have to put him on if you’re going to insist on using a fastball throwing closer. 
Also the guy up next already homered in the game.

 
Baseball is one sport where the head coach/manager gets way too much blame when things go poorly (and too much credit when things go well). Baseball coaches are romanticized about being great tacticians or strategists. The coach can do everything “right” and it can be the “wrong”

decision because of the failure of the players. It’s that way because there is so much down time during games that it gives time for every single decision to be second-guessed by the fans and media, at all levels of play.

My son has been playing competitive baseball for the past 5 years. I think I have a good understanding of the game.  I have been the fan/parent second guessing coach’s decisions and I have been part of the coaching staff making those decisions. Just yesterday, my son’s team was up 5-4 in a game, and we put in a pitcher who usually does a good job keeping the ball down and inducing ground balls. Yesterday, his pitches were up in the zone, he was hit hard, and before we knew it, our team was down 7-5, and we lost 8-5.  Our coaching acumen had nothing to do with the win or loss of that game.  It was a kid who wasn’t at the peak of his game, and other kids performed better than them.

Nebraska had one pitcher who pitched the game of his life for 7+ innings, and then had one pitcher who had the worst game of his season 1 inning later. Erstad and Silva has nothing to do with the success of either player, once those pitches were being thrown and the batters were doing the hitting. 

 
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Baseball is one sport where the head coach/manager gets way too much blame when things go poorly (and too much credit when things go well). Baseball coaches are romanticized about being great tacticians or strategists. The coach can do everything “right” and it can be the “wrong” 

decision because of the failure of the players. It’s that way because there is so much down time during games that it gives time for every single decision to be second-guessed by the fans and media, at all levels of play. 

My son has been playing competitive baseball for the past 5 years. I think I have a good understanding of the game.  I have been the fan/parent second guessing coach’s decisions and I have been part of the coaching staff making those decisions. Just yesterday, my son’s team was up 5-4 in a game, and we put in a pitcher who usually does a good job keeping the ball down and inducing ground balls. Yesterday, his pitches were up in the zone, he was hit hard, and before we knew it, our team was down 7-5, and we lost 8-5.  Our coaching acumen had nothing to do with the win or loss of that game.  It was a kid who wasn’t at the peak of his game, and other kids performed better than them. 

Nebraska had one pitcher who pitched the game of his life for 7+ innings, and then had one pitcher who had the worst game of his season 1 inning later. Erstad and Silva has nothing to do with the success of either player, once those pitches were being thrown and the batters were doing the hitting.  


That's about where I come down too after sleeping on it and I watch a LOT of baseball.

It's really easy to second guess every single decision last night. But in the end Erstad did what 95% of coaches would've done and we got bit. Sometimes you put your good against their good and it doesn't work.

I think it just stings more and thus made everyone more salty about it because it's an old Big 12 foe and on paper everyone knows they're better than us.

 
The above two quotes are were I come down on things.  I rolled things around in my head wondering if Gomes should've thrown a few more first pitch curveballs but eventually I came down on the side of, "He's a freshman and if he's going to go down, I want him to go down with his best pitch."  I mean...Gomes throws mid 90s guys you still gotta square that heat up.  If he throws some curveballs and can't locate them who knows if he gets shook and all of a sudden can't throw strikes.  That being said, about the only thing I would've liked to see Gomes do is start Boone off with a curveball or a high fastball way out of the zone.  You knew he was sitting fastball and I felt they could've used Boone's aggressiveness against him.

I feel terribly for Waldron he threw an absolute gem against a stacked lineup and totally dominated them.  Today is going to be a tricky day.  UConn has really found their offense and NU needs a big time effort out of Eddins.  If Eddins can duplicate his effort against Arizona State--6ip 3ER I would take that in a heartbeat and trust that NU's bats can do some damage against UConn.  I expect UConn will probably throw Dunlop tomorrow and he had a pretty nice effort against Wichita State last time out.  If NU is down late that'll be tough because UConn has their hammer closer Wallace available who hasn't thrown yet this regional.  

 
Gomes has been our closer all year.  He has the best ERA in the pen.  In 21 innings, he had given up a total of three extra-base hits - all doubles.  There was absolutely no reason not to go to him.




 
Baseball is one sport where the head coach/manager gets way too much blame when things go poorly (and too much credit when things go well). Baseball coaches are romanticized about being great tacticians or strategists. The coach can do everything “right” and it can be the “wrong”

decision because of the failure of the players. It’s that way because there is so much down time during games that it gives time for every single decision to be second-guessed by the fans and media, at all levels of play.

My son has been playing competitive baseball for the past 5 years. I think I have a good understanding of the game.  I have been the fan/parent second guessing coach’s decisions and I have been part of the coaching staff making those decisions. Just yesterday, my son’s team was up 5-4 in a game, and we put in a pitcher who usually does a good job keeping the ball down and inducing ground balls. Yesterday, his pitches were up in the zone, he was hit hard, and before we knew it, our team was down 7-5, and we lost 8-5.  Our coaching acumen had nothing to do with the win or loss of that game.  It was a kid who wasn’t at the peak of his game, and other kids performed better than them.

Nebraska had one pitcher who pitched the game of his life for 7+ innings, and then had one pitcher who had the worst game of his season 1 inning later. Erstad and Silva has nothing to do with the success of either player, once those pitches were being thrown and the batters were doing the hitting. 


I'm sorry, but that's every sport. 

 
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