A Pithy Summation

Tulane was eliminated last night by Florida State. Eliminate is sort of kind word for the beating we received- so the less said about that the better.

I wrote in the comments in the post below that, when you get beat by ten runs twice, it is hard to point to tactical reasons that you lost: can’t get bunts down, made errors, should have taken this pitcher out earlier, etc. Tulane got beat because Florida State is much better; our club might not have two position players start for the Seminoles.

In summation, our play in the tournament, particularly the win over Florida, coupled with the late season sweep of ECU, brands Tulane as in, just out or somewhere around the Top 25 programs in the country.

The really pretty uncompetitive nature of our late series with Rice and games here with the Seminoles suggest a gap between Tulane and the true elites of this sport.

Really that is it.

As to the gap, I’m sure the pitching is gonna get roasted. But I’m a little contrary there. To me, the gap seems particularly wide in the everyday position players’ capacity to hit.

It seems like you can sort these I-A college pitchers into two buckers: can and can’t, orderly and disorderly. I look as these scores roll in- and these top ten teams routinely put up double digits against pitchers that are “can’t” or are disorderly. And everyone seems to eventually run out of pitching. It seems to win these third and fourth and fifth games you gotta be able to put up big numbers frequently- beat FSU 12-10, not 4-1.

I dunno; I’m okay with it. Again, Tulane got what we wanted- a “steal one and advance” situation with Florida State- an all upside regional final. Okay, it didn’t work out. But it was fun- a chance to be a fan rather than a whinger. Considering that a week ago we were sweating just getting in, a pretty fortuitous week.

And winning these games helps going forward- anything that makes winning post-season games seem “regular” and routine is beneficial. Post-Katrina, we need more regular and routine.

And that is all I gotta say about that.

Yo! Coach Toledo. You’re up. Unfortunately big boy, I’m in a lot more foul mood about you.

Return of the Jedi

Watching the Seminoles wreak havoc through the loser’s bracket- hanging up 17 runs versus Florida, 24 versus Bucknell, and 17 versus our very own Wave- I am reminded of the fish-like admiral bellowing at Lando Calrissian about his inability to repel such firepower from the Death Star.

So it is hard to be optimistic. I’m pretty sure Florida State is a better baseball team than Tulane. Fortunately, Tulane’s good play- and a little luck- have put them in a position where that isn’t so relevant.

I think, as a coach, the first strategic assessment you make is “are we better than these guys at baseball?” If the answer is “no”- then your first tactical mission is to not play a game of baseball.

Some sports are easier than others. In pro-hockey, you routinely see teams try to turn hockey games into contests of “who wants it more? who will pay the price?”: chasing big hits, using physical intimidation on star players, etc.

Baseball is harder obviously. But we sort of catch a break tonight- as tonight’s game is sort of a scrambly “all hands on deck affair”.

No way does Jones want to get into a typical Friday-Saturday-Sunday style contest with these guys: see who can get 18-21 quality outs from the starting pitching, orderly relief pitching, consistent hitting night after night.

Fortunately, Coach doesn’t have to. We don’t have to beat these guys at a straight up baseball game; we have to beat them at some close relative of typical baseball. A relative with a lot more variability and less routine- more unknowns, more guys being asked to do atypical things- that FSU might not be way better than Tulane.

Tonight throws a zillion variables out there. Obviously, the Seminoles bring them big, bad sticks. But the game is fraught with variables- particularly on the pitching side. Florida State probably has better pitching overall over a routine three game set- but do they have better pitching coming back on short rest? uut of routine? With a record of 51-11, there has been a lot of talent- but also a whole lot of routine over there. Tonight, notsomuch. It is one thing to name a kid with a day or two of rest as a source of twelve good outs- another to actually see him do it?

And isn’t that what Tulane wanted Thursday- a one and done with FSU- where even though they’re better- they gotta rely on some mysteries and suppositions to get it done? Mission accomplished.

I’m not saying it is done; its gonna be a hard task. But I just don’t feel hopeless about it.

Brief Musings On Success

In the Tallahassee Regional, Tulane won the winner's bracket last night. Yo, Bucknell! I'd just as soon not see Jason Buursma ever again.

I get this feeling about this baseball tournament that the key to success is really just having a good team year after year- that a big part of the success function for a program is to just have a consistent good outfit, get a lot of chances. And a number one starter who can’t lose- to deal with the underdogs best chance to beat you: their best guy going lights out good for two-plus hours.

In MLB, with the three best-of-seven series, you have to load up- put together a great team versus a lucky one- even mortgage the future.

This tournament puts a lot more emphasis on being in the right place at the right time. You can get in trouble real quick- dropped kicked into the losers bracket by one kid having a great game. So a component for success almost has to be get in a lot- and let the breaks even themselves out. Some years you’re gonna run into Bucknell on the first day- some years the other guy is.

Stuff is going right for Tulane right now- and again, while they ain’t about dealing with adversity, they are sort of about using your mistakes and good fortune to feel good about themselves. They’ve been given a break or two- Florida’s bullpen follies and a second round game with Bucknell- and they’ve taken advantage smartly.

It is unfortunate Florida did not take care of business yesterday afternoon. I’m pretty sure we could have beaten that team one game out of two while a pitcher ahead. Florida State put around twenty up there against Florida’s all hands on deck effort- if they hit like that against the pitching we have left, this is going to be a chancy, angst-filled two days.

But I’d rather have to only win one than two!

Poor Florida

Well, thank the stars- off the bubble and on to Tallahassee. Florida... meet RHP Shooter Hunt. Enjoy him while you can Gators- cause he’s off to the MLB as a first round pick here right soon.

I have no smart idea if they can win the regional; I don’t follow Florida or Florida State to make an accurate assessment of their capacity. But I do know that it is better to be in rather than be out. I never got the fears on other boards that why go if we’re two and done? or Tulane doesn’t deserve it.

Isn’t the latter complaint particularly galling? Talk about bandaging the knuckles that beat you? Season after season, the climate of collegiate sports is rigged- and I use the word “rigged” deliberately- against Tulane. We get the Liberty Bowl instead of the Sugar. The NIT in the 90s instead of the NCAA. I remember when Tulane was the first major conference team to win 20 games and not get in the NCAA- and many other slights.

Maybe Tulane gets a break, get in based on reputation rather than pure merit- and we should apologize? Screw that. If some bloated Big Ten, Pac-10, Big 12 factory is sitting home… well, boo frickin’ hoo. Frankly, I sincerely hope they are.

Plus, how can it not help our recruiting going forward? Better to say that even in a “down” year Tulane makes the show- that the Green Wave is a true “we don’t rebuild, we reload” program.

Plus, as I chide below, why can’t they win some games? Sometimes, as a community, we forget the goal is to root, root, root for the home team- not carp endlessly.

Remember PJ Walters and those darn Jaguars a two years ago. Okay, South Alabama was no great shakes- but the one day a week Harvey stood astride the hill, they were legit top 25. That might be us. The biggest thing in regional play is getting the first 54 outs in orderly fashion (stay in the winners bracket)- and Tulane, to my untutored eye, looks darn well equipped to get most of them.

Reading the press and the more “learned” chatters on the forums, I gather Tulane has two on field problems- getting outs outside the top two starting pitchers and the bats in general. Plus, it is hard to put this gently, but they are not- categorically- a strong mental team. They take whole series off. They get into funks. Marshall proved you can bully them- get them off their collective game, raising questions about how much “want to” exists in the dugout. That fighting will exhibited day after day, at bat after at bat, ain’t exactly Tulane brand baseball.

But they have played well at times. This is gonna sound terrible- but I get a sense they can “front run” with the best of them- turn early success into more success. In fact, they might almost need it. But again, with Shooter going against the sort of SEC program that isn’t quite elite, they could get some momentum, get those early good things that they seem to need to stay real engaged.