SPEAKER_00 0:46

Welcome to the Five Arms and the Lucky Finn podcast. This is the Lucky Finn innings show where we're going to talk all college baseball. I'm with my host, Jason. I. Jason, how are we feeling about this week?

SPEAKER_02 1:00

We're feeling really good. We love the matchups this weekend. I think some big key matchups that could maybe have some implications down the stretch. So looking forward to discussing it with you.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Yeah, there were some uh pretty big games this week. Uh Jesus, the ACC is looking like the toughest schedule I've ever seen. Just a lot of them are playing back to back. North Carolina State on its own, they've got a really tough schedule. Um we're seeing a lot of weekdays good schedules, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

So but we'd love to see that.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

All right. So let's jump into it. Jason, we'll start off with our first game, as we were just missing it. NC State played number three Georgia Tech this weekend. Georgia Tech takes the series, um, really good. Georgia Tech. I Saturday, whatever they were doing, their hitting wise, that the ball was just fine in the infield. It was like it reminded me when Elder played uh UCLA uh in the College World Series, and UCLA was just getting those little dinky hits up in the infield. Yeah, Georgia Tech was doing the almost the exact same thing. They and they put a beaten now. NC State's got a really tough schedule. They've lost I think the last five, and they lost the that midweek game to Campbell, right?

SPEAKER_02 2:19

Yes, yeah, they lost to Campbell during the midweek. So they a rough week for NC State, honestly. Um, especially after you know that game on Saturday, they were winning that game. Um and then Georgia Tech uh opened it up in the eighth inning. And actually, it could have been worse, but uh luckily for NC State, the big highlight uh for the weekend, and I sent you that video was uh Ty Head, the center fielder for NC State, made a big rob in uh in the outfield to uh in the in the inning in the eighth uh to rob a three-run home run. Uh that kept it close, right? Because if if they if they open it up with that, I mean at that point you're looking at nine to nine to four. I mean, at least they at least they were still in the game at this point.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

That was a sick catch. And what is great about that catch is he he like hung out on the fence for a little bit. He finally caught it.

SPEAKER_02 3:05

Yeah, like before he even caught it. Yeah, yeah, right. You watch that camera, it's like it's like, is he gonna get to it? And then it's just it fell it fell into the camera, so that was really cool to see.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

And uh I feel bad, I feel bad for their pitcher Saturday, uh, Jake Duncan 114 pitches, 10 K's. He had he ended his day, uh and you you could the you could tell he was getting really tired, but he ended the his nasty curveballs, and Georgia Tech was doing the same thing, they had these nasty inside curveballs. It was a good pitcher's duel throughout the whole weekend, yeah, and itself. But uh and that's and we I said this last week, but watching ACC baseball is it feels like you're really watching good base, like that baseball you really like where it's just it's all of it, it's all the good fundamentals of infielding. Uh that was NC State's issue when they were playing Georgia Tech. I'm talking about the hits, they were picking the ball. I mean, it wasn't like they were throwing errors or it the ball would be too deep hitting to the infield, and the guy couldn't make the throw because he was so deep. So Georgia Tech was just making those plays.

SPEAKER_02 4:15

So yeah, and I and you know the other thing that I feel bad for NC State on is you know, we were touching on it a little bit. The ACC is gonna be such a gauntlet, and they lost a midweek game. And uh this week they have Liberty on Tuesday, and then at next weekend they have Notre Dame. And uh Notre Dame also got swept. Another ACC series we'll talk about. Uh, but you know, they're gonna be looking for a bounce back. So this is gonna be two teams that just had really rough weekends, really wanting to bounce back, and both of them are really gonna win a win their series next weekend. So um, you know, tough road ahead. Uh Georgia Tech also had a really good game on Friday night. Do you want to highlight that? Tate McKee and Mason Patel uh combined for five hits in one run and a complete game on Friday. So a little dynamic duo there. So good to see. And you were talking about the pitching duel. Uh, then on Sunday, uh today, they only gave up uh I don't know how many hits they gave up, but they didn't give up any runs. So winning 10-0, you know, we were talking about it being a pitcher's duel, not for NC State today, but for Georgia Tech. Good to see.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Yep. Uh Georgia, they got Auburn this weekend, this week on Tuesday. So that that's uh I want everybody to put that on the calendar. I think it'll be a good one to watch. So Jason, I'm glad you mentioned Notre Dame. We'll jump into Notre Dame. Notre Dame uh went up against North Carolina. North Carolina took all three and put a hammer on them today and on game two.

SPEAKER_02 5:36

Yeah, I think the big thing here is we were talking about Notre Dame last week. They got that big sweep of Clemson. We really thought that this is going to be an opportunity for Notre Dame. They we talked about it. This team should be ranked, they got into it. Little number 23. You know, that point you're really trying to say, hey, we belong here. And playing North Carolina, who's a prominent baseball program, and you're at home, this is an opportunity for you to really showcase your team and for them to get swept. And and you know, like you were saying, they put a little hammer on 13 to 7, 15 to 10 on uh Saturday and Sunday. Tight game when the first game of the series. But you know, it's really tough to see for Notre Dame. But you know, hopefully, uh, you know, NC State next week, this is their they're gonna have an opportunity to bounce back.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

So yeah, Jake, Jacob Sheffner, that's a pronouncement. He had four stolen bases. Uh pretty good week a home run. Wow. So yeah, two doubles line.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

That's yeah, it's a good line.

SPEAKER_00 6:31

They they had a bunch of guys, even uh Nicholson Cooper, same thing. Two doubles, two home runs. I think that's throughout the weekend.

SPEAKER_02 6:37

I don't think that's on a single day, but um but that just shows North Carolina has the you know this this Notre Dame staff pitched really well last week against Clemson. And so this also begs uh tells us, you know, is Clemson just not very good? Uh, because they were ranked uh last week and then and then got swept against Notre Dame, fell unranked, and I don't think they even had a good showing this weekend uh against Miami. At least, at least not the the first game. I don't remember what the series ended up being.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

No, I'm I'm actually looking it up right now. And you know, while we look this up, I think college baseball still trying to figure out that top 25. A lot of those top, yeah. Sorry, top you know what I mean by top 25, like 25, 23, all those down. They're still trying to find those. Um, like Tennessee lost this weekend, so they uh yeah, Clemson lost, yeah. Miami took the series 2-1.

SPEAKER_03 7:34

So 2-1, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:36

Yeah, 2-1.

SPEAKER_03 7:36

So another, another tough one.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

Just adds to the ACC Gauntlet, right? So I'm telling you. Looking forward to seeing.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

All right, we're gonna skip West Virginia and Arizona State. I think they are still playing. I don't know what inning they are, but uh it's still early.

SPEAKER_02 7:53

Last time I checked, it was uh Arizona State was up 1-0. So uh definitely interested to see how that game's gonna go. The only thing I wanted to highlight about this, and the reason I brought this game up, is this is a big Big 12 matchup early in the season. We talk about implications down the stretch and RPI rankings and how they matter. Whoever wins this game is gonna have a series over a top 25 RPI team. Uh and that's gonna be huge for them down the stretch. You know, this is an opportunity for one of these teams to you know take away, um, get a big series win, but also take a lead in the Big 12 and get a possible regional host later. So we'll touch on more on that later.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

Yep. Arizona State's a team to watch for. I think uh they're they're up on the come up, so which I'm excited about. I love those. We we said this, we like those western teams, so keep an eye on them. Uh I don't want to talk about the ACC again, but let's jump into Florida and Arkansas. It's Florida back.

SPEAKER_02 8:52

Weaver, weaver. You know, this is this is huge. Oh, uh a sweep at Arkansas, the number four team in the country. After getting, did they did not have a good performance?

SPEAKER_00 9:04

Oh, it wasn't a good win last week.

SPEAKER_02 9:07

Yeah, and and you know, this also also brings up another topic of in the SEC. How good is Alabama? Yeah, so yeah, it's tough tough to be Arkansas this week uh and get swept, but uh great series for Florida, uh big comeback win uh to to come back from last week's series loss. So definitely interested to see how they're gonna do as we go down the stretch further down the season.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

Yep, they've had a down week. Look, again, Florida is again one of those teams. This is why I can't stand Florida because you just can't trust them to you think they're bad, they're not. They that's a good, really good baseball program. I believe they did the same thing last year where they just get down early in the season, it's not there, and they just shoot back up. Um, so and Arkansas got Auburn this week. Um, let's jump into that. Let's jump into that Auburn, Alabama game. Uh that got a little feisty there. So you and I'm Saturday. Yeah, Saturday.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

Man, we were talking about a little bit, you know, uh the camera caught all of the language in that argument. So I was saying I texted you, you know, we need a John Boy recap for that voice. So because man, the uh the Auburn shortstop. He dropped he dropped some dropped some F bombs there at the Alabama guy. I don't really I don't really understand why there was such an argument, though. You know, it was a good play at the in at second base. I don't understand if somebody he said something to the Auburn guy first, and the Auburn guy re retaliated, but to me it looked like Auburn, the Auburn shortstop said something first, and the Alabama guy was like, Whoa, what are we talking about here? And then the umpire stepped in.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

So yeah, I think it was retaliation for the inning before because the shortstop, if he was a pass ball or a double, and he slid into he slid into second, and it was one of those weird plays where you're trying to get go for the ball and you just happen to come down and he just hit the guy's shoe. I think it was really innocent.

SPEAKER_02 11:17

I mean, it was just well, that was where the guy got hit in the face. Yeah, that was the same guy, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:23

Yeah, it was just I believe it was the exact same guy. Oh I you recognize his face because it just and we talked about this because from my point of view, trash talking and stare down in baseball is like to me so stupid. Because if karma was a sport, it would be baseball. Because as you I mean the next pitch Alabama walk it off. And it's just it's just like I don't I don't get the trash talk because you you miss a pitch, or for instance, you you miss your curveball, that ball is gone. Like it is like we say, game of inches. So I don't understand it, but uh and I this is why I feel bad. Auburn's pitching staff, I think it's top five in ERA, they got a great pitching staff. And maybe it's just their best that don't come back. I mean, look, they held Alabama to three three runs for two games.

SPEAKER_03 12:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

I I don't know what happened Friday night, but the on game one, but yeah, you were talking about it, uh, about the Saturday night game.

SPEAKER_02 12:36

Then it carries over and Alabama just wins again today, you know. So it's like ever since Auburn gets in that scuffle with uh with the Alabama guy, you know, they don't even they don't even they score one run the rest of the rest of the series.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

So sweet. All right, Jason, you got any other games you want to talk about?

SPEAKER_02 12:54

Maybe Tex Texas, jumping and pitching, or yeah, I know you didn't want to you didn't want to talk about too much ACC, but I do want to highlight Boston College real quick. They had they had a great series, big series win against Virginia, top 10 team, and this is another team where now we're gonna be looking at Boston College's pitching staff. Um so Boston College, this is this is a tough way to lose. We talk about how important not allowing walks, giving free passes away is. This is how Boston College lost the game on Sunday. They had seven innings, two hits, no runs on by the by the starter. Great, great starter. Uh then the reliefer came in. I'm not even gonna mention names because I don't want to I don't want to put the guy down, but came in, gave up three walks to open up the eighth inning. Jesus. So now we're talking about bases loaded and bringing a new pitcher and the next pitcher, four straight walk for four straight balls, gives up another walk, walks in a run. Now the game's tied. Then from there, uh there was a there was a there was a sack fly, gave up go uh another run comes in, and then a base hit. And then so you're talking about one hit in the eighth inning, three runs given up. All three runs were charged to the guy who walked all three of those batters. So it's really tough to see uh for Boston College, uh, who had an outstanding game on Saturday, winning 17 to 0, and then winning a winning the first game five to three. Uh to lose this game like this on Sunday after uh with an opportunity to get a sweep over a top 10 team is tough to see, but you still won the series. So this is something where they they'll live and they learn and uh they'll move on.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

So yeah, they got Maine this week, and then they go to Chapel Hill. So they'll play NC uh that'll be huge. UNC. Almost said NC State.

SPEAKER_02 14:48

Uh we've talked about them a lot, so I don't blame you.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

Yeah, we don't need to talk about NC State. So uh but I'm excited about I'm excited about Boston College. Not a lot of people had them on the radar. Uh so we'll keep them in check.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Here's another one for you, another series we talk about. Uh we'll jump away from the ACC and SEC on this one. Army Navy played this weekend. Something to highlight. So Army wins the series two to one. Uh I want to talk about Friday's night's game. So we're talking about situational baseball. A lot of times you say, as an offense, hey, just put the ball in play. We don't, we don't like you can't just wait for the perfect pitch. Sometimes you just have to put the ball in play and let the defense beat themselves.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 15:35

That's what happened on Friday night. So Army gets a uh has a guy on second, balls bunted, tries to throw the third to get the lead runner out, ball gives pie him and goes into the outfield, guy comes in and scores the winning run. Army walks it off. So that's uh that's that's that's tough to see in um for Navy, but for for Army, big series, uh, and then they end up losing on Saturday, and Army wins again on Sunday. So that's great to see. And you know, now that I say that, I I don't think it was a was I don't know if that was a walk-off. It was the run that gave him the lead and to win.

SPEAKER_00 16:15

There's no uh name for this game, like America's game. Is it America's diamond diamond game of the week?

SPEAKER_02 16:23

Oh Kenny, I'm wrong again. Army was the home team. Army did walk it off Friday night. I'm getting myself confused. That was a so that was a walk-off, walk-off, uh walk-off bunt error on Friday night. So did you say walk-off bunt? Walk-off bunt error. So bunt with an error.

SPEAKER_00 16:42

Oh, but but who else who else bunted for a walk-off?

SPEAKER_02 16:46

Oh, I believe that came from the Vanderbilt Commodores, another military school.

SPEAKER_00 16:51

I thought Vanderbilt was out. Everybody's kind of ignored Vanderbilt. Rocky top, man. They struggling without Tone. Are they struggling without Rocky Down? Man, uh Jesus, let me tell you. Tennessee today, I believe today. No, no, no. That final game, that that punt game, walks. Another another situation, right? Killed them.

SPEAKER_02 17:31

It wasn't that game, didn't that game go 16, 17 innings?

SPEAKER_00 17:35

16 innings. They were what was funny is because I was watching it and I the screen was too little small and I could not see. And the announcers were talking about this is whatever the longest game they've been in. And I'm like, what are y'all talking about? That is a tenth. The number was so small in the little box, it looked like a zero. So it was the 16th, and just the walks, dude. That you'll see that all over college baseball, man. And it's it's funny, it's the first couple innings, it's the same, like the pitchers trying to get in it. Experience from LSU, walks, walk in or run, blah blah blah. Then everybody settles in. Those last innings, everybody just everybody just starts walking, and they can't never find the strike zone. And then again, the guy you bring in a guy and he walks the same thing.

SPEAKER_02 18:24

So yeah, we touched on it last week about the bullpen, you know, bullpen are are going to be clutched down the stretch, especially when we get to postseason play. So, this is the opportunity for them to find out who's really gonna be the guys you can rely on late in games, and these guys that are losing control of the ball and and giving up walks. I mean, we saw it with the LSU Kentucky game. Uh, we saw the Kentucky pitcher get it was bases loaded with two outs, and you give a wild pitch, give up a run, and then you do another wild pitch on the next pitch. So two wild pitches in a row, three runs given up. The guy went from thinking he's gonna have an opportunity to hit a grand slam to just turning over and the bases are empty.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

Yeah, three three walk-offs for Vanderbilt. A single basis, a single bait, uh, a single, just a walk-off single. Saturday was a base bases loaded butt, and today they hit a grand slam.

SPEAKER_02 19:18

So weren't they down going into the ninth on Sunday's game? Uh it was nine to four, I believe.

SPEAKER_00 19:25

No, no, no, no, no. Today I'm I'm kidding. No, go you can look. I I have it as today's game was just a bunch of walks and hits. I mean, the the the whole series, why you look it up? So uh game one, it was game one and two were just pitchers. Uh 14, 14 strikeouts for Vanderbilt, 11 strikeouts for Tennessee, and then game two, it was 16 for Vanderbilt, 18 for Tennessee, and I think I might have that flip-flop, but hot bats got hot on game two, but just good good series for Vanderbilt. They lost to Indiana during the week, and then last week they lost a series to Mississippi State. So I know it was a big it was it was a lot of run scored. It was just it was just too many walks, and then all those timely heading kind of things is just rolls in there.

SPEAKER_03 20:21

Oh, you know, Kenny. Let's see. Trying to find box scores and stuff sometimes with baseball games.

SPEAKER_02 20:31

Okay, so no, that's not it wasn't nine to four. I'm sorry. So it was that was today's game. It was 16 to 10. It was today, it was 15 to 10. 15 to 10 going into the bottom of the ninth inning after Tennessee scored three in the top of the ninth to make it 15 to 10. You you know, you're up 12 to 10, and then you give up three runs. You you feel you feel good 15 to 10. And as an as a team that just gave up those runs, that's that's a demoralizer. Sometimes you're thinking now, like, hey, is this too insurmountable for us to make a comeback? So it's good to see Vanderbilt have the mental strength to uh to really stick with this one and get get those six runs to walk walk it off in the six in the uh 16 to 15. And you know, we were talking about a little bit about the we mentioned the S L SU game, right? That you know, you see you see Vanderbilt do what they did in LSU, you're in the eighth inning, and you get those extra runs, and you don't feel safe. You don't feel safe after see it. I know they didn't see what happened in the Vanderbilt game, right? They're in the middle of their game. But if somebody relay that down, you're you're not no lead is safe in baseball. As long as there is an opportunity for outs, you have a chance.

SPEAKER_00 21:43

Look, as as we talk with with pitchers, you you really don't know. I mean, today let's talk about L shoe. Yeah, uh Chase Evans has been struggling. Um, Gavin Gedry didn't have a good day today, and but our bats came alive. I mean, we put a bat. We didn't think they were gonna beat this win the series over Kentucky. They came through today. Good good hitting.

SPEAKER_02 22:06

Uh which was the which which was part of the struggle, right? Every every week in and out. We're not even sure which offense is gonna show up.

SPEAKER_00 22:14

Yeah, L LSU is a is a real confusing team right now. Sometimes the pitching shows up, sometimes it doesn't. Hittings kind of coming around. Seth Dardar had a really good week. Um, but Jason, let's talk about some pitching. I know you you we love talking pitching on here. Let's give us a little rundown of who you got on pitching.

SPEAKER_02 22:34

Yeah, first one we want to highlight this weekend is Brendan Garza for Ball State. A no-hitter. We had another no-hitter this week. This is the first ball state no-hitter since 2009-19. And uh they sent the Ohio Bobcats down in order in four innings. So, you know, this is this is huge, huge game for Brendan Garza. Uh, it was a complete game, uh, only seven innings, but uh still still counts as a no-hitter, no issue there. Uh, that just means your offense was helping you out, which you know, some some pitchers would wish they could get that. Uh so only two walks, seven strikeouts, and two hit by pitches. Uh 96 on the pitch count, not bad for seven innings. Uh, you know, we always talk about pitch count. I do want to highlight the the reason we the way we kind of look at and calibrate a pitch count is 12 pitches per inning is is really a good good good point to be at. That's kind of your the uh uh you know anything below 12, you're in a great spot. Anything above 12, you start to wonder like, hey, you know, you don't you you're taxing the arm a little bit more. So 96 pitches, it's a little over the 84 mark that you would expect for seven innings on 12 pitch count, but nothing to complain about there. Uh one of the other ones that's big on here is uh Ruger Ruger Rio. Oh, hold on. Uh Ruger, do it for us.

SPEAKER_03 23:54

Ruger, yeah. Rio.

SPEAKER_02 23:56

Okay. He's got us.

SPEAKER_03 23:58

He's got us.

SPEAKER_02 23:59

He's got us. Uh he had a uh complete game seven inning game two against Oklahoma. The big thing here is rivalry game, opening, opening night of the series. So Friday nights, you know, you're getting the best of everybody's game. And this wasn't a Friday night, it was a Thursday night, but opening night of the game. Uh, you give up six hits, two walks, eight strikeouts, one oh five on the pitch count. So a little high there on the pitch count, but uh nothing to complain about completely. Uh but a 3.03 ERA to this point in the season. Guinea, 64 strikeouts and 28 hits giving up. So how are we feeling about Ruger so far?

SPEAKER_00 24:33

Uh good, really good. He looks good on the mound. Uh Texas has got a good pitching staff. I think two other five pitchers, um, two or three, no, excuse me, two or three or five of their five starting pitchers have a ERA below two or wow, three, or yeah, they've got a great pitching staff. Um he had a nasty curveball, too. Some of these dudes got nasty pitches, really nasty pitches. And Oklahoma, man, they they were eighth. I don't I don't find them in the top 15 at least. I mean, they do look good for a lot of teams that played them LSU wise, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:13

So they beat LSU 2-1, but then LSU has a big series win over Kentucky. So and Texas is good. I I mean Texas is really good. Like they're right there with UCLA 1-2.

SPEAKER_00 25:25

Plantier, whether the Plantier guy is really good too.

SPEAKER_02 25:28

Yeah, so I uh this is a tough series for OU, but we'll see them bounce back, hopefully. Uh so I don't know if they fall down in 15.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

Uh, I I think they've taken some tough, they've taken some big losses. I mean, I I don't think the the week against LSU helped them. I think I mean they won the series, um, but it didn't look that great against LSU.

SPEAKER_02 25:52

So I I think if I'm if I'm ranking the teams, uh I'm looking at this like, hey, you just ran into the hot one of the best teams in the country. And good point. Very good point. Um so and it's a tough rivalry series. That Saturday game was huge with this team. Uh, they I believe they went to extras. Um, I believe they went to 10 innings on Saturday. Uh, you know, every game sometimes when you're looking at these series, they all just kind of blend together in a way. Uh, when you're looking at it. Let me let me look at that real quick. But I believe that was a 10-ending game where they they had a tough, tough game on Saturday. So that was the game where they were trying not to get swept. Uh score. I'm trying to find it. Uh yes, okay. So 10 innings, they gave up a uh a walk-off. Uh Texas ended up winning five to four in 10 innings. And you know, it's gotta here's the here's the here's the thing that I also wanted to note on this. Oklahoma out hit Texas on on Saturday, 12 to 8. How does it feel, Kenny, as a team? If you're an offense, you outhit the opponent and you still lose. How what do you what do you as a coach, what would you tell your team?

SPEAKER_00 27:06

It sounds like it's just some hitting runners and scoring position. And that the that clutch hitting that we'd like to talk about, that's uh I I guess why I was I keep praising the ACC because it's it's smart hitting on the on the ball. You're not like you said earlier, you're not looking for that one pitch, you're just attacking the zone. Yeah, so if you're kind of playing, but it also again, I mean that 10 that Texas pitching staff probably just came in through. And sometimes you just don't get lucky. LSU's had a couple times where we're hitting the ball really well, but the stupid outfielders out there making incredible plays. So it just doesn't come through. And also you gotta, you know, your pitch, your pitching staff's gotta help out too. So it's tough. Yeah. As a coach, and as a coach, do you I'm surprised a lot of coaches don't switch up gameplay, a little small ball here and there to kind of fool it up, but yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_02 28:08

Uh some of the other one of the other pitching pitching uh performances that I wanted to highlight was um a one-hitter against Western Kentucky on Friday night from Ryan Peterson of Sam Houston. A one-hitter, complete game shutout, six strikeouts, two hit by pitches, uh, four walks. So a little high on the pitch count, 111. Uh, but hey, a one-hitter nonetheless. We love to see that. So we had a lot of good pitching performances this weekend. A couple one-hitters, uh, a couple two-hitters, uh, a couple performances where uh guys combined for great games. So I can dive into that a little bit. We had a couple dynamic duo performances this weekend. Uh, so I do want to highlight a smaller, smaller conference. Uh Central Arkansas, Denver Hamilton, and Hunter Alexander combined for two hits and one walk, 14 strikeouts and one hit by pitch on 132 pitches against Austin P on Saturday. So that's a big one. A couple other ones. Uh, we mentioned Boston College already. Tyler Mudd and Kyle Kip uh had combined for a complete game shutout, three hits, four walks, two sh only two strikeouts and two hit by pitches, but only 98 pitches uh against Virginia on Saturday. So, I mean, that's just a great performance against a great team. A little ground ball pitcher. We do, we do if that's what it is. That that reminds me, uh I didn't get to talk about it last week, but there was a guy I saw his line, and I'd have to go back and see who it was. But no, all of his outs were strike. It was a complete game, all strikeouts and ground outs, not a single flyout. I'm gonna go find it and I'll get it to you so we can post a little uh little traffic of it. So yeah, I'm gonna go find that one. But uh, and then an honorable mention from Sunday's games, a three-pitcher performance. Uh you know, I think it's Bradley Zayak is what I'm gonna go with. Zyak. Uh Brandon Dahlman and Caleb Smith from Liberty combined for a one-hitter on Sunday against FIU with only two walks and one hit by pitch on 11 strikeouts and 100 pitches. So, you know, Kenny, when you have a performance where multiple pitchers are coming in and it's not just one guy, right? At this point, you're saying we had our starter and our bullpen perform really well. Uh, do you think that that's just an opportunity against a team that's struggling at the bats? Or do you think this is an opportunity to go to look at your team and say, hey, these are bullpen guys we can rely on later on?

SPEAKER_00 30:27

It's a hundred percent bull can bullpen guys. I mean, it is it just watching all of these games and and looking at the stat line, you have to have a pitcher that is gonna come in and be able to pick up the next guy. Yeah, because you again, you walk one guy, you probably are putting yourself in a situation you do not want to get in. So find your guys in that bullpen, find the guys you can just bring in for a bat or two just to get these outs and call.

SPEAKER_03 30:59

Sometimes that's what it takes.

SPEAKER_00 31:00

Yeah, and I think what what's gonna be important to those mid-majors, and we'll talk about those mid-majors, the mid-majors that find those pitchers to kind of be able to come through because you don't want you need those pitchers to really stick through before we jump into our uh you know, our early regional hosts.

SPEAKER_02 31:19

So yeah, Kenny, and speaking of the mid-majors, why don't you start us off? I what are some of the mid-majors you wanted to highlight this week?

SPEAKER_00 31:27

Let's talk about Big South Winthrop. 21 and 7, 6-0 in the Big South. They've won 11 of their last 12. They've had a perfect week, 4-0. Uh, and they three of the seven losses, and they got swept by Auburn, which is it's Auburn, but I think Winthrop's a good, good little team. Again, that's in that South Carolina, North Carolina region. So yeah, I'd love to keep an eye out for them.

SPEAKER_02 31:54

And the other reason to highlight this, right? We we think uh we look ahead, right? We we've been talking about this a little bit. Uh, one of the big notes for this for today's episode was uh you know, a lot of matchups that can have implications down the stretch. Uh, Winthrop is an oper has an opportunity to win the Big South. And we all we both know baseball is one of those when they do regionals, they do try and actually stick teams regionally uh for teams. So this is this is an opportunity. Could we see Winthrop win the win the Big South, get to four seed, and go back to Auburn uh in the regional? Oh if Auburn ends up winning a regional, uh getting the regional host, uh, could we see a revenge game possibly from Winthrop? So that'll be cool to see.

SPEAKER_00 32:40

Another no, we gotta talk about we gotta talk about our favorite team. Let's talk about the team we we're hot on. You're right. We are we'll talk about let's talk about those camels. How about those camels?

SPEAKER_02 32:50

The fighting camels, the fighting camels. Don't forget about the fighting camels. Oh, they fight Campbell Campbell had another 4-0 week, a midweek win we mentioned earlier against NC State, 7-2, a series sweep of Carl to College of Charleston over the weekend. And here's the big one, Kenny. Talk about the ACC. They have faced Duke and NC State back-to-back weeks midweek and won both of them. This they have another opportunity upcoming against North Carolina. So we talk about North Carolina with the sweep against Notre Dame. So this is an opportunity for Campbell to continue to show, you know, because we could say, you know, this is an opportunity for a team uh to show that they can play with the big boys. No, no, they've already shown that. This is just uh this is just another test for this Campbell team. Uh, what do you expect to see from them against uh North Carolina?

SPEAKER_00 33:38

I I think they'll get a dub. I think we we see the those midweek games kind of they feel a little more relaxed. They're throwing guys that they want to. I mean, they're on a nine-game winning streak. I'm I'm trying, I'm looking to see who they else got. I feel like they got more ACC teams. Well, they got they got a midweek versus East Carolina. That's it. That's I was gonna say that's a that's a good that'll that'll be a big one.

SPEAKER_02 34:00

East Carolina's a good one, good program as well.

SPEAKER_00 34:03

But they got a good chance. I I see them having a good time having somewhere in North Carolina, maybe, maybe, maybe they're in a North Carolina region if North Carolina holds those.

SPEAKER_02 34:14

And can we see the fighting camels? Yeah, a three-seed, they don't have to be a four-seed, they don't have to be a four-seed. So that that would be really cool because then they could really uh beat up on a two-seed, get an opportunity to go to a to a one and oh matchup. I mean, that's a that's a big opportunity for this team, and they've already shown they can play with the big boys. So you go to a one-and-o game uh against uh against a team like North Carolina, you know that that's an opportunity to to steal the regional. Uh, but I do also want to mention, we we were looking at this before the show. Fun fact for the people out there. Okay, we mentioned last week that the camels are in the colonial athletic conference. They are no longer in the colonial athletic conference, and that's not and that's not because well go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 35:07

I I'm annoyed because normally I we always joke about gut conferences and I like logos and stuff. The fact that I did not know that even happened is is it's the coastal, it's yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:22

So now it's no, now it's it's the coastal athletic association. So the it's still the CAA, so I don't know if they actually changed their logo, so maybe that's why we didn't really know too much about it. But this happened in 2024 was their first year in the cologne, uh, from the colonial to the coastal. So yeah, that's they changed their logo. So that's why you didn't that's why you didn't know.

SPEAKER_00 35:47

Yeah. Uh uh, I wonder why. That's so that's so weird.

SPEAKER_02 35:52

And that you know, um, we talk about this conference. Modmouth is right behind them, one loss behind uh behind Campbell in the in the conference. Uh, they're not gonna play each other in regular season. I don't want to get into it because we can go on to a whole spiel about the scheduling for this conference, but you know, we could see them play in the postseason their conference tournament. So that'll be something I'll be hoping for later on. Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 36:19

So, and what's our last one to talk about men major-wise? Speaking of the big boys, Missouri State and Dallas Baptists, some schools that we got to talk about. That was uh Dallas Baptists took the series from them this week, though. Uh Missouri is a Missouri State, it's a team that everybody's kind of looking at. Dale Dallas Baptists is who they are. So I'd I'd say though they they got they got Arkansas coming up, Sam Houston, there's a Missouri, Missouri again. So Missouri State's got a really tough schedule. Arkansas, that whoa, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 36:55

So they're what what do you see?

SPEAKER_00 36:59

So they're doing home, they're doing home in a ways with Arkansas and Missouri.

SPEAKER_02 37:04

Okay, so just like Auburn and Georgia Tech.

SPEAKER_00 37:06

Yeah, I did not know that. Okay, I like that. They did the same thing with Oral Roberts. So okay, okay. This this is things we like to look at.

SPEAKER_02 37:17

And you know what? The other interesting thing we talk about conferences coastal. Uh these two teams are new to Conference USA. Uh, so this is this is gonna be interesting. Um, Missouri State coming from I don't remember which conference they were in, teams move around so often now. But if I remember correctly, Missouri Valley was Ohio Valley, Missouri Valley, probably. I mean, they're Missouri State, so I assume so the NVC maybe.

SPEAKER_00 37:42

Well, I I feel like there's multiple anyway.

SPEAKER_02 37:44

Sorry, but can you correct me if I'm wrong? Maybe in sometime in the last 10 years, Missouri State was one of the best power hitting teams in the country, and they were regional hosts, I believe, right? I don't either they were regional hosts or they didn't give them a regional host because they were worried about attendance. That might have been a thing.

SPEAKER_00 38:04

Didn't they not get a regional host? It was with wasn't it? No, was that Indiana? Wasn't it Indiana team? Indiana State. Okay, I'm I'm mistaken that. Oh, geez. Well, I mean, we're talking hosts now. Uh, we we we're gonna end the show on a last good note. We're only barely half, I guess we're halfway in the season. We're gonna talk about our early regional host. Uh Jason, you came up with a pretty good let's let's let's you want to start us off here?

SPEAKER_02 38:40

Yeah, yeah. We'll go we'll do our top four. UCLA, Texas, Georgia Tech, and Mississippi State. So uh this week UCLA and Texas are right there one-two. I don't really think there's there's a really a separator between the two teams right now, and they're both in uh the the only weird thing is right in the past, Pac-12 baseball was a really good conference. Uh Big Ten is a little different for baseball. So UCLA being in the Big Ten, you know, does it hurt them a little bit? I mean, there's still a couple good teams. Oregon, Oregon is still there. Uh you'll have USC there, but uh not a lot of Midwestern baseball. Uh there, those guys are more focused on March Madness right now. Uh, but definitely interesting there. Uh Georgia Tech, uh, we'll see we'll see them a lot and discuss them more moving forward, but they looked good this weekend. And Mississippi State is another one that had a really good weekend. I believe they got a sweep as well.

SPEAKER_00 39:32

So you have them. Are you ranking these by five or I I rank these?

SPEAKER_02 39:37

These are these are these are the top four to me.

SPEAKER_00 39:39

You you have right now Mississippi State at four, and I agree with that. Mississippi Mississippi State's looking hot. We got Georgia at five, Arkansas six, uh, Florida State at seven. No, we're gonna talk about that. Southern Miss at eight. I love a Hattiesburg regional.

SPEAKER_02 39:56

I and the opportunity for a regional. That's that's the big thing there.

SPEAKER_00 40:00

I dig those those like mid-major regionals. I feel like that needs to be a requirement that there's always a mid-major regional. Yes, always. East East Carolina's hosted, Southern Miss always hosts once in a while.

SPEAKER_02 40:17

Talking about hosts, Missouri State did host in 2015. I looked it up.

SPEAKER_00 40:21

Ah, come on.

SPEAKER_02 40:22

They did host a regional in 2015. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 40:25

Who who was who was in it?

SPEAKER_02 40:27

I already closed it out. Too late. We'll have to discuss it later. We'll discuss it off air.

SPEAKER_00 40:33

Anyway, we're kind of running out of time, but we'll Florida State. I we'll we'll see. They just lost their best player this week. Uh, I don't think it will affect them that much, but at that guy's name.

SPEAKER_02 40:43

You mentioned he is he's got a cool name.

SPEAKER_00 40:45

Uh Miles Bailey. Miles Bailey. He's out for the season. He got hurt sliding into second. So he dude, dude's been on fire. Kind of a big hit for Florida State, but I don't think it'll impact him.

SPEAKER_02 40:58

Good. Uh the next ones we got Southern Cal at nine, Auburn at 10, uh, North Carolina at 11, and Oklahoma at 12. So Auburn and Oklahoma both had tough weekends. So drop them a little bit from where they are right now in the rankings. Uh, we talked about Southern California a little bit last week. They they they uh they get they're strong right now. I believe they lost the game over the weekend, uh, but they'll be they'll be a great team to watch as we continue down the stretch in the Big Ten. And then North Carolina, you know, they're gonna they were they're 13 in the rankings. Uh this is an opportunity. Them at 11 right now. If they beat Campbell and then they have a great series next weekend, uh, I can see them going up into the top eight as well.

SPEAKER_00 41:38

Yeah, Southern Cal's 21 and one, right? 24 and one, excuse me. They got two great pitchers. We'll talk about we gotta need to talk about them next week. We'll really jump into them. Yeah. Uh Oklahoma, yeah. I I Auburn needs a host. I don't think I don't matter how their schedule runs out, I think they should need to be hosting. Oh, yeah. End it out. We got West Virginia, Virginia, Coastal Carolina, and Oregon State.

SPEAKER_02 42:08

So the interesting thing here, yeah, interesting thing here is that we got another mid-major, coastal, uh, but then you have the independent Oregon State. How do you think? What do you think about that?

SPEAKER_00 42:22

I feel bad for Oregon State because I feel like they're on the back of everyone's radar because they're independent and they're just kind of forgotten out there. And I just I feel like they will get that regional because you know how they love to kind of stick everybody over there. Maybe that might be Oregon's regional if Oregon kind of keeps it up and host. Uh yeah, Oregon, Oregon kind of struggled a little bit versus UC Santa Barbara this week, but um not that big of a deal. But I these these last these last four, I think they'll flip-flop. We'll see a lot of flip-flopping when people try to figure out this this like last 15.

SPEAKER_02 43:03

So yeah, and and we also when we think about West Virginia being there at 13, this is also assuming that they get the series win against Arizona State of Arizona State and ends up winning the series. I can see Arizona State flipping into this, but uh, this is me going off a predictor thinking West Virginia might win today's game. Uh, and then Virginia losing that series to Boston College, so that drops them a little bit, but I can still see them being in that gauntlet of the ACC and getting in there.

SPEAKER_00 43:27

Either West Virginia was it a few years back or last year? They got they lost their regional AM off of a grand slam, I believe. So they deserved they hopefully they're back hosting the regional.

SPEAKER_02 43:41

It wasn't last year. Last year they came to LSU, remember?

SPEAKER_00 43:44

Oh, yeah, they sure did. Oh my goodness, we put a beat but that was the super regional, they did win that regional last year. So it must have been a couple years ago because I'm still replaying that in my head, but we're always replaying stuff, yeah. All right, Jason. I feel like that's it. If you got anything else?

SPEAKER_02 44:02

No, uh big big week this week, a little longer than we would have thought, but uh so much to discuss, and and really excited we got to discuss this today.

SPEAKER_00 44:10

Yeah, look, call college baseball is a lot, it's a lot to cover, there's so many games. Uh and because you we don't ever want to leave out the mid-majors. College baseball is such a beautiful sport, and look, we're not experts, we're not we're not you know political scientists. That has nothing to do with baseball, but we love baseball for the love of baseball.

SPEAKER_02 44:31

We a romantic game.

SPEAKER_00 44:32

Yeah, we couldn't care who's watching, but anyway, appreciate y'all listening. I know we went a little long. Uh please leave us a comment, share. Uh, if you're leaving the comment, just just give us some feedback. It doesn't matter. Tell us some games that we need to look out for, but uh, we appreciate you listening. Give us your fun facts. Oh, yeah, dude. We love fun facts. Maybe a little trivia question. Ask us some questions. March Madness is wrapping up. Make sure you listen to some of those episodes, and we'll see you. Peace out.