TV: ESPN Radio: WRUF 850 AM / 98.2 FM Listen Live - ESPN 98.1 FM - 850 AM WRUF Stats: StatMonitr Stat Feed. Weather: 88 Deg at the start and 81 to finish. 7-12% chance of precip. SE wind @ 6-9 = coming in from center field. Starting Gator: #8 Jr RHP Sproat (4.69, 8-3, 96.0 IP) Starting Earl: #28 Gr RHP Parker (3.81, 8-0, 75.2 IP) Go Gators!
If Sproat starts I hope that he comes out throwing off speed stuff for strikes on the first pitch. The UVa line-up is really good at hitting fastballs and will be sitting dead red on him. I know that he can and then he can set them up for his really good fastball (really good movement) the second time through the order. Kind of like pitching backwards on a macro level. Waldrep is the guy that could totally own the UVa hitters with his splitter.
UVA starter is named.... Parker 8-0 ERA 3.81, 75.2 innings, 74 hits, 21 walks, 78 Ks. Don't have the book on him but he's won some biggies down the stretach for UVA. Solid 5th year guy. We have to be on our game. Hope we get the outstanding Sproat tomorrow and he goes 7 strong innings in that big ballpark.
Fully agree Waldrep would own these guys with his wicked splitter but there you have it. I've said since mid season Waldrep should be our #1 guy with his array of pitches, especially the splitter and what I consider "mental toughness" that is the best on the team. Sproat relies far too much on heat and that can get him in trouble but folks it is what it is. This game will determine a great deal of who makes it to the final series. Go Gators!
The thread is finally here and now all is well. Thanks again Gal for the great year you have helped make. Wind blowing in. Does that sound familiar. Maybe that will help Sproat with a few fastballs. We just need outfielders that can cover the gaps. Sully still sounds like he is sticking with his OF and will bring Robertson in later. The guys were impressed with Cags hitting them out of the park today but it sounds like a different weather today tomorrow.
Parker played his first 4 years at Coastal Carolina, so was a teammate of Riopelle & Thomas. His 8 wins are over Ohio, Columbia, NC State, Duke, Louisville, Georgia Tech (2) and East Carolina. He has 15 starts and he's been really good down the stretch, as you said. He went 7 innings 2 of his last 3 starts, 6.2 his last start, 5.0 innings, 6.1 and 6.2 innings the 3 starts before his 7 inning stints. Seems very consistent.
Sproat relies far too much on heat and that can get him in trouble but folks it is what it is. [/QUOTE] Of course, it's Sully who calls pitches. Sproat is one of the few who can shake him off, but he knows not to doo it often.
My take: Sproat gets through the first two innings without major damage and we are in good shape. Sully not playing Mikey Robertson in center is puzzling. As I’ve said before Sully is tough on him. One or two posters I think took that comment the wrong way. It’s college I expect the coach to be tough it’s just that we never see Sully go at kids hard after mistakes typically and he’s went hard at Robertson twice that I’ve seen.
Sproat just needs to pitch every single inning that he’s in the game. No throwing. He’s pitching off of a 100mph FB…….damn straight you pitch off of that—he’s got a 2-seamer with as much run as anybody. LOCATION—LOCATION—LOCATION! Yes, absolutely—use your change up and slider to its maximum effect—but everything sets up off of the well located fastball…… Let’s get after’em Gators!
It's vital that we make VA earn everything, meaning no free passes. Free passes in a game like this can spell defeat for either team.
Agreed! They had 16 more BB’s this season than we did whereas Texas A & M and Wake Forest had over 100 more. UVA led the country in batting average at .335 so you can’t be so worried about walks that you throw the ball down the middle of the plate. Time for Sproat to shine. Sproat has had very good control the latter part of the season giving up 1 to 2 walks per start where it was 3-4 BB’s the first part of the season.
I think that Sully wants to get through the first week and make it to the best-of-three final round, so the objective is how to set up your pitching staff to win 3-5 games over the next six or seven days. We know we are off Saturday and Monday, so as I see it, who among our starting pitchers is best equipped to also pitch a few innings in an elimination game midweek
It’s a big yard in Omaha and we must have our 3 best outfielders out there . Langford is the best left fielder that I’ve seen play college baseball. Robertson speed is crucial and I like both Evans or Shel but Shel must be in the lineup. Langford mentally is a better hitter when not in CF . Am I overthinking this?
