[ECC29]

I get what people are saying about the reasons for the season downfall. However, people are just focused on this year or maybe what happened last year with the players getting kicked out. I’m sure it extended this years downfall. But, I am pointing out Jackson’s mistakes over the course of several years. He made too many for me poor decisions not worthy of a D1 level.

[jinxy]

It’s tough. No way to replace Horn. Hillier would have been a massive blow had Dye not stepped up as he did. Butler was a huge loss as well. He had really solidified himself as a reliable option for the team.

The coaching turnover can’t be overstated either. It’s a lot to overcome in such a short time. You can see clear improvement with the lineup. Hard to see who is recruiting who at this point but the approach and talent is way up offensively. Defensively, the bulk of the errors are on the left side (over 65) percent last I checked. Marsh will continue get better. Cam has been benched from 3rd and just hasn’t taken the next step.

Pitching is the key. Liberty has almost always had 2 to 3 reliable starters. Just hasn’t been the case the last couple years and it’s hurt us badly. Gibson and Horn were incredible as freshman then never got back to that level for different reasons. The bullpen was killed by Edwards and Cooper imho this year. If they did what they were supposed to do which is lock down the end of the game everybody else slots into more useful roles. Instead both lost all the momentum they gained from last year and we’ve really struggled. Blair and Hertzler have been the only 2 we could on all year and they’ve started to wear down.

Trob had a stellar track record. By the time we got him in place most of the portal guys that we could get that were proven were gone. Also if you want to bring proven arms in you better have some serious nil money. The top p5s plow money into pitching even mid level guys just to take more fliers and shots on goal.

[Ill flame]

Looking ahead to next year I think we'll absolutely have a good enough offense to win the conference and potentially do damage in the post season. Pitching will entirely depend on what happens in the portal i think. None of our key arms were seniors this year so in theory most of them should back unless they transfer out.

We definitely need to go out and get a true ace. I assume hertzler will come back and if thats the case he'd make a solid #2 pitcher especially if he cuts down on the walks and HBPs but i just don't see him as an ace. I like what I saw from Ben Blair as a freshman this year, I could absolutely see him break into the rotation next year. If not he'll continue to be one of our most important arms out of the pen. Trey Cooper and Dylan Mathiesen are both guys that came in out of the pen and averaged more than a strikeout an inning but neither guy has a clue where the ball is going. If they could just get their walks and HPBs down to slightly more than average they could be very useful late inning relievers. Beyond the guys I listed hopefully someone else steps up or else most of the pitching production will need to be from transfers or we will be in trouble again next year.

[AATL]

Postseason time! #4 or #5 was somewhat irrelevant since Liberty was likely getting SHSU either way, but finishing 0-9 against the top three seeds in the regular season is a tough look.

Not sure Liberty has the pitching depth or consistency to make noise in a double elimination format, especially considering the games against LaTech were pretty one-sided. Still, excited to see the team take the field again and hope they can make it 4-0 vs the Bearkats.

[AATL]

Garbage time home run in the bottom of the 9th notwithstanding, that was one of the more complete games this team has played this year. Heck of an effort by Hertzler to come back out in the 8th despite being well into triple digits on his pitch count. His control was excellent today and he seemed to mix his pitches very well. SHSU never looked comfortable.

Great to see Cam Troyer have a strong day at the plate as well. Liberty earns a matchup with the hosts tomorrow at 12:30. Time to put an end to the nine game losing streak versus the top three seeds!

[aredd33]

Dominant win today.

If Dale Layer’s team can win the Big South basketball tourney in 2013 then this team can win the CUSA. Let’s go get the auto bid even if we maybe don’t deserve it. Stranger things have happened.

[AATL]

Dominant win today.

If Dale Layer’s team can win the Big South basketball tourney in 2013 then this team can win the CUSA. Let’s go get the auto bid even if we maybe don’t deserve it. Stranger things have happened.

Obviously every game in the postseason is significant.. but I think tomorrow's matchup is the most critical of the tournament. The loser tomorrow has to play four games in two days: a second game tomorrow night in the losers bracket and then a doubleheader again the next day to beat the winners bracket team twice. That's a huge innings ask for any bullpen, one which likely requires a great deal more depth than Liberty has right now. I don't think our pitching survives that.

[aredd33]

Dominant win today.

If Dale Layer’s team can win the Big South basketball tourney in 2013 then this team can win the CUSA. Let’s go get the auto bid even if we maybe don’t deserve it. Stranger things have happened.

Obviously every game in the postseason is significant.. but I think tomorrow's matchup is the most critical of the tournament. The loser tomorrow has to play four games in two days: a second game tomorrow night in the losers bracket and then a doubleheader again the next day to beat the winners bracket team twice. That's a huge innings ask for any bullpen, one which likely requires a great deal more depth than Liberty has right now. I don't think our pitching survives that.

I agree. I think that's too much to ask of our pitching staff. I'm certainly not expecting great things but we can surely hope.

[AATL]

Big win, boys! Through two games, this has looked like the peak of this team. Nick Moran was dominant, and going 2-0 with two starters pitching into the 8th is the absolute best case we could have hoped for to start the tournament. Troyer is on a tear, and seeing several balls get over the fence today was a great breath of fresh air.

One win from the championship while the others must win three! Now hang in there, relief core..

[aredd33]

I must say this is very surprising but I’m here for it. It’s certainly within the realm of possibility to win 2 more games and make it to the NCAA tourney. This is awesome. Getting an NCAA bid again would just do so much for the perception of this program. IF we can do it again this year it would really start to make us post season regulars.

[Ill flame]

I'm kind of surprised they used our best reliever in the game 1 blowout but we've made it through 2 games now with Ben Blair being the only reliever used. He should be unavailable until the championship game but we have every other reliever available for tomorrow. Meanwhile Louisana Tech has used 6 relievers so far although I doubt the 4 they used against us were their high leverage guys. SHSU has used 5. I'm really hoping the louisiana tech/SHSU game is a high scoring game that goes into extra innings so their pitching is depleted for tomorrow. I'm also hoping whoever wins the other side of the bracket has to play two games tomorrow.

[aredd33]

A nice 12 inning game with a 45 minute rain delay squeezed in sure would be nice for SHSU and LT

[Ill flame]

SHSU pulled their starter after 2.1 innings and 58 pitches and louisiana tech pulled theirs after 4 innings and 74 pitches. It's currently tied at 3 going into the bottom of the 5th. This game is shaping up just like we would like to see.

[Ill flame]

Louisiana tech won 5-3. Looking at their season stats they only had 2 good starters and 1 good reliever and all 3 of them will be unavailable against us tomorrow. I'm expecting tomorrow to be high scoring regardless of outcome.

[AATL]

Agreed. Tomorrow could quickly turn into a slugfest, and we'll need the bats stay hot.

The pressure is on them, at least. Home team, #1 seed, must win on demand twice.

[ballcoach15]

Anyone have any idea who we start on the mound today ?

[flamehunter]

I'm only guessing but I would say either Mathieson or Hudson.

[JK37]

Why is Liberty the visitor when they came from the winner’s side of the bracket?

[flamehunter]

Why is Liberty the visitor when they came from the winner’s side of the bracket?

Still going by seeding I would assume.

[JK37]

Yeah, figures.

[AATL]

This is one ugly baseball game.. both sides.

If the gap worsens much more, I'd imagine we'll cut losses and save arms for tonight so we can take another shot at it with Blair, Mathieson, Cooper, and whoever else.

Fortunately, the bullpen situation for LaTech doesn't seem much better.

[JK37]

Listening on radio, Pierce kept spit-balling ideas for a starter. Seemed like nothing was certain, and no idea was off the table. Could be a WILD game.

[Ill flame]

Dallas Baptist won without having the play an extra game. If we do make it to the championship game idk how we will have the pitching to beat them. Blair should be available again but there's no way he's going to have his best stuff after how much he's thrown the previous two days.

[AATL]

It's going to be an all-hands-on-deck staff game, so I'm not too concerned about the starter. That said, it wouldn't shock me if Blair comes out early and empties whatever is left in his tank a la AJ Minter in the Braves/Dodgers NLCS a couple years ago.

Fortunately, LaTech seems to be in the same boat and it was significant to force them into playing their all-world closer in game one. If you'd have told me coming in that this team had a 50/50 toss up of making it to the championship game, I'd have taken it all day.

[ballah09]

Jackson is terrible. If we lose it’s because of his consistent misuse of the pitchers.