[ballcoach15]

LU trails 3-0 in bottom of 3rd. Binghamton scored 3 in top of 2nd. Clinton on mound for LU.

[flamehunter]

3-2 after 3. We have 7 LOB in 3 innings.

[ballcoach15]

7 LOB not good. Hopefully we can overcome that.

[flamehunter]

Now 13 LOB through 6. Down 4-2.

[ballcoach15]

4-2 final. 14 LOB for the game, that's a lot of runners stranded.

[Cider Jim]

Isn't that where RD used to coach MBB?

[olldflame]

Isn't that where RD used to coach MBB?

I believe he was indeed an assistant there for a couple of years right before he was hired for his second tenure following the Hanky fiasco. That hiring was an absolute shocker to a lot of us and gave an indication of just how little say the people who were being paid to run the athletic department had at that time where any major decisions were concerned.

Oh yeah, I forgot.
Jeff Meyer

[olldflame]

4-2 final. 14 LOB for the game, that's a lot of runners stranded.

It is, but I would be a lot more concerned if were 2 runs and only a handful LOB. If your pitching gives up 4 runs, 16 base runners will normally put you in the win column. It didn't this time. If that were to become a habit, it might call for doing some things differently, like possibly getting more aggressive on the bases.

[LUDad]

Bingingham swept 4 straight from then #19 Virginia Tect last year (including a double header). That's difficult against any team.

[WestPAGator]

I don't understand what Coach Jackson is thinking playing all these freshman and leaving experienced veterans sit the bench, like Yacyk, Matt Allen and Barrick. The lineup he put up yesterday sure didn't do him any favors.

[LUDad]

I don't understand what Coach Jackson is thinking playing all these freshman and leaving experienced veterans sit the bench, like Yacyk, Matt Allen and Barrick. The lineup he put up yesterday sure didn't do him any favors.

At this point in the season I would think two of those are rather obvious. Allen is stuck behind a guy named Embry and Yacyk is stuck behind a guy named Allen. Yacyk was struggling at DH.

[WestPAGator]

Dylan Allen can play third base and Yacyk can play first. Trey McDyer hasn’t done much at the plate so far; he’s been struggling nearly as much as Yacyk. You play these veteran guys who you know can come out of slumps, build up their confidence and they will perform.

[olldflame]

Dylan Allen can play third base and Yacyk can play first. Trey McDyer hasn’t done much at the plate so far; he’s been struggling nearly as much as Yacyk. You play these veteran guys who you know can come out of slumps, build up their confidence and they will perform.

Until today, Yacyk was 0 for the season. If you are a DH, you have to do better than that. McDyre at 3rd and Dylan Allen at 1st is better defensively, and Trey earned a bit of slack the way he hit the ball last year. Matt Allen has been beaten out by a superior athlete and better player in Embry. Jackson needs to find out what these Freshmen can do. Now is the time to do it.

[WestPAGator]

And you don't think Yacyk has earned some slack for the way he hit in his last full season? He started every game, led the team with 49 RBI and 21 doubles and had 13 multiple RBI games. He's also a senior and deserves to play ahead of some of these freshmen.

[flamehunter]

Looks like Jackson is going with the righty-lefty match-up at DH for the time being. Work well today with Mathieu the youngster getting a HR and then Yacyk getting his first hit of the season when he came in. I think this is a valid strategy until one or the other becomes so hot you can't bench him.

[Jonathan Carone]

And you don't think Yacyk has earned some slack for the way he hit in his last full season? He started every game, led the team with 49 RBI and 21 doubles and had 13 multiple RBI games. He's also a senior and deserves to play ahead of some of these freshmen.

If he’s not performing as well as the freshmen he doesn’t deserve any slack based on his past. We play the people who give us the best chance to win.

[jinxy]

Matt Allen didn't do much last year after the first couple weeks. I do think we need to get him some AB's to break up all the lefties and in case Embry were to get banged up. Barrick unfortunately hasn't done much of anything the first 3 years and he's gotten a decent amount of AB's every year. Yacyk is the one that I would prefer to see us stick with a bit. We really need him to be the big RH bat in the middle to break up all the lefties. We've almost went too far with the LH bats from having none the last few years.

Big game tomorrow. It's early but we're at 21 in the RPI right now. We really need to win the series.

Opponent Notes

-VCU has since beaten William & Mary & WVU and is up late again against WVU. St Johns is 6 and 0 and that appears to be a very big late season road trip. UVA would appear to be a bit down with 3 losses already against EKU (their only win), VMI & one of the Florida teams. Duke is solid at 4 & 2. VT got hammered by Coastal and beaten by South Alabama before stomping Oklahoma (overrall 1 and 5). George Mason is 0 and 6...Campbell 1 and 4. Canissius is 5 and 2 with a couple solid wins. WF is 2 and 5 against a rather weak schedule. Finally, UNC is 2 and 4 against a decent schedule but it's not ACC play. The Big South as a whole has struggled so far other than LU.

The takeaway is that our RPI is going to be difficult to stay in the top 50 if all our ACC opponents continue to struggle the way they are so far.

That VCU sweep could be huge if they are as good as they could be. Would love to see us win tomorrow, beat Elon then take 2 of 3 from UNC on the road while there struggling. It could really energize the team and boost the RPI up big time.

[olldflame]

And you don't think Yacyk has earned some slack for the way he hit in his last full season? He started every game, led the team with 49 RBI and 21 doubles and had 13 multiple RBI games. He's also a senior and deserves to play ahead of some of these freshmen.

Not really. 2 years ago is practically ancient history. He is coming off a serious injury and has put on 20 lbs (which may or may not be good). He has a lot more to prove than McDyer right now and certainly hasn't done it so far. I would love to see him come around and have a great SR year, both for him and for the team, because we need more right handed hitting.

[ballcoach15]

We lead 1-0 top 3. We have left 6 runners on base in 2 innings.

[jinxy]

Bertsch is featuring the best stuff ive seen from him. Good movement on the 2 seamer and sharp bite on the breaking ball. Watching on tv i cant tell the velo but i would guess 88 to 91. This is huge for us.

2 hrs so far. Struggling to hit with RISP.

[ballcoach15]

3-0 b 5. All our runs on HR. LU pitcher fastball at 88-89. Me and Cider behind home plate.

[jinxy]

Haha ballcoach there appears to be only 5 people in the whole reserved section on tv. Everybody else is in the cheap seats.

I think its safe to say now that jackson and companys first recruiting class is pretty solid. They added a number of contributors like todd and galazin of the juco variety. Skirrow, stamper, good and brockman all frosh pitchers then rohrer wagner and mattieu all look like impact freshman. Not even counting guys like largey who are hurt.

Think about degroat and mcinvale in there as well.

[ballcoach15]

Bertsch went 8.1 innings, 3 hits and 10 Ks.

[Cider Jim]

Binghamton scored 2 runs in the 9th, but LU holds for the 3-2 win. Binghamton brought over a dozen fans (looked like parents or granparents) dressed in dark green athletic gear and were very vocal. Many thanks to TF for the free tickets!

[BJWilliams]

And you don't think Yacyk has earned some slack for the way he hit in his last full season? He started every game, led the team with 49 RBI and 21 doubles and had 13 multiple RBI games. He's also a senior and deserves to play ahead of some of these freshmen.

If he’s not performing as well as the freshmen he doesn’t deserve any slack based on his past. We play the people who give us the best chance to win.

Agree with Jon here. Yacyk is well below the Mendoza line right now, so no reason to keep him in the lineup just because he is an upperclassman. Now if he picks it up a good bit these next few games, then I reckon they'll reevaluate his status