2024 Baseball

Sound Voltex wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:

up7587 wrote:GU knocked SMC out 11-5.  Faces the loser of UP - USD.

Ugh, the Pilots try to stay alive against GU tonight at 8:05.

*looks at current score*

If that's what staying alive is, I don't know what is!

I made a note of this after our 23-3 win at Pepperdine: the SEC has a mercy rule if a team is ahead by ten runs by the 7th inning. Might be useful to save some athletes from unnecessary injury or strain.

ExpatPilot wrote:I made a note of this after our 23-3 win at Pepperdine: the SEC has a mercy rule if a team is ahead by ten runs by the 7th inning. Might be useful to save some athletes from unnecessary injury or strain.

That is what I was thinking as the game finally ended at about 11:30 and UP's relief pitcher, Kaden Segel, had thrown in excess of 100 pitches to get his first win of the season but was obviously fatigued over the last couple of innings.

However, his heroic work did save the bullpen for today, and Coach Loomis's decision to pull "Sunday starter," Sam Stuhr, after facing just 10 batters with a 16-0 lead, made him available to pitch again today.

UP is a fun team to watch, especially at the plate, but they will likely have to grind it out against USD's pitching today to have a chance to win two...

...which of course reminds me of Ernie Banks' saying, “Let’s play two.”



Those were the days...

Today's 1 o'clock game has been moved to ESPN2, but because there is a lacrosse game going on there, the USD/UP game is on ESPNNews, for now. You can also see it on ESPN+.

Just as I tuned in, the Pilots got out of USD bases loaded situation by turning two in the second.

Disappointing end to an otherwise successful season as the Pilots lose to USD, 8-6.

UP out hit the Toreros, 13-8 with zero errors, but the pitching staff was either attempting to paint the edges or just could not find the strike zone resulting 9 walks inevitably led to UP's defeat.

UP finishes 37-19...a new program record for wins in a season.  

I have to be proud of these teams doing better than any other has previously even if I am a bit sad to not end with the win. The most recent RPI has the team at 56th nationally. Although I have no idea where they would have finished in any previous season, surely that is about as high as they have ever been?

San Diego was slotted in the Santa Barbara regional, opening against Oregon.

The more and more I look into the selection committee its hard not to see an SEC Bias with teams like Florida making it with a less than stellar record & member on the committee, not that they get to vote their own school. I'm not saying the Pilots should have been a lock but the fact those schools (SEC) never travel for non-conference games and don't play true road games doesn't sit well. 11 teams from the SEC made it in.

A team like College of Charleston has a bigger gripe after nearly winning out their final 33 games and won the regular season and travelled to those big schools and they were left out. That was a solid and deserving program this season to at least have a birth. Yet they sit on the outside looking in asking what else they could have done.

We all knew Portland would most likely be looking from the outside in making their way to a regional without winning the WCC Tournament but they played better competition and finished their best regular season, in wins, in school history. Just wish the committee could notice there are deserving and quality teams all over the country and not just located in the SEC.

up7587 wrote:San Diego was slotted in the Santa Barbara regional, opening against Oregon.

USD lost 5-4 in 11 innings today.

https://portlandpilots.com/news/2024/6/12/baseball-nick-brink-named-ncbwa-all-american.aspx

up7587 wrote:

@geoff_loomis wrote:@PortlandBSB  Not a bad li'l Monday over here on The Bluff. Sam Stuhr to A's in round 5 and Nick Brink to Marlins in the 7th. Pilot pride!

https://portlandpilots.com/news/2024/7/15/baseball-stuhr-taken-in-fifth-round-of-mlb-draft-by-oakland.aspx

https://portlandpilots.com/news/2024/7/15/baseball-nick-brink-drafted-in-seventh-round-by-miami.aspx

Pretty cool to have the whole weekend rotation drafted! Should make things interesting next season. Next man up!