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D1Baseball Weekly Chat: April 5
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James
1:30
With the new hosting format for this year do you think the NCAA will try to keep these events on campuses or do you think we could see a minor league or major league park get a host site? Also will regional proximity between sites be a factor in determining the hosts or will they go strictly off of merit?
Kendall Rogers
1:30
James -- You could see a Minor League team/stadium host, but I think the most likely scenario are most of these events staying on campus as usual.
SECbaseball
1:32
Will the host sites for regionals essentially be similar to selections during a normal year, just made 3 weeks prior? As in, the top 16 teams (assuming they've submitted a bid) will be who the committee selects as hosts with the top 8 also serving as host sites?
Kendall Rogers
1:32
SEC -- It will be a hybrid approach of location and merit in the selections here in a few weeks. So, if you've got an RPI in the Top 10 or something right now, and you bid to host, you're extremely likely to host. What this eliminates, unfortunately, are those schools who go on a late run in the regular season and conference tournament, and wind up hosting as a result. That's out the door this year.
Bull Durham
1:32
As we get closer to the postseason, how many SEC teams do you think have a legitimate chance of hosting a regional? Seems like Vandy, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Miss. State, Tennessee, Florida & South Carolina all have a shot. Would the committee really give the SEC almost half of the host spots?
Aaron Fitt
1:32
Yeah, I think that's the list. We have seen 7 teams host from the SEC before (just once, I believe), so it could certainly happen, particularly since it seems the gap between the SEC and the rest of the country is wider than ever. At this point I'd be surprised if the SEC ends up with fewer than six.
Joe Lunardi
1:33
LSU could make things VERY tough on the regional committee. Not playing great (right now), but a home series against Arkansas after the decision is made and friendlier schedule to finish (Auburn, Alabama, Texas A&M). Is it conceivable that the Tigers could potential play themselves into a Top 16 seed, but that Alex Box would NOT see a regional?!
Kendall Rogers
1:33
I feel pretty confident in saying LSU has no shot to host before that announcement is made. The problem the Tigers have is even if they went on a crazy run, they STILL have a really, really unimpressive postseason resume. I think LSU's struggles make it more likely that someone like Louisiana Tech will host. The committee LOVES regionals being played in Louisiana.
Josh
1:34
After a little bit of a slow start UConn seems to be hitting their stride. Do you believe they are the favorites to win the Big East?
Aaron Fitt
1:34
I've always viewed UConn as the Big East favorite, even when it was losing some of those hard-fought early series. That "slow start" was just a result of playing an extremely challenging nonconference schedule filled with tough road games, and UConn was competitive in almost all of those games -- lots of close games that could have gone either way. I figured the Huskies would benefit from that experience. I think they'll be a buzzsaw in Big East play.
Darnell
1:34
Despite the pitching injuries, what are your thoughts on the outlook for Arizona State?
Kendall Rogers
1:34
Darnell -- Arizona State hasn't been perfect, but honestly, given the number of injuries it has dealt with, I actually think Tracy Smith and his staff, particularly pitching coach Jason Kelly, are doing a terrific job. This is not an easy thing to navigate, and they're right in the thick of the Pac 12 race.
LaTechfan123
1:35
La Tech is ranked #16, I assume they will maintain a rank after this week unless some really bad Rice results occur this weekend. Look past Rice at your own peril, but they are down. Southern Miss seems really close to a ranking. If they go 4-0/3-1 this weekend, could we see a ranked v ranked la tech/s miss showdown at La tech the next week?  That would be huge for Tech and it showing off it’s new beautiful stadium.  How big would that be for the C USA rep with the committee later in the season, seeing multiple ranked teams throughout the year from the conference?
Kendall Rogers
1:35
LT -- Southern Miss getting ranked would help C-USA and LT -- but honestly, at this point, unless Tech slips up a few times between now and May 10, I will be surprised if it is not hosting a regional, whether it's as a one seed or a two seed.
Sage
1:36
Why did Ole Miss stay at #3 when they lost to a lower ranked team? If the roles were reversed the gators would’ve either been ranked at 20 or out of the rankings if they lost back to back weekends against SEC teams yet they won and only moved up one spot and ole miss stayed the same?
Aaron Fitt
1:36
Well first off, there's no shame in losing two of three on the road to a ranked SEC team, even if it is a team ranked lower than you. That's essentially a status-quo week for Ole Miss, since it also won a midweek game. We usually drop a team a couple of spots for losing a series regardless, but there needs to be someone worthy of moving ahead of them close in the rankings, and we didn't see any team behind Ole Miss with a better resumé or a loud enough week to jump the Rebels. If that series had been at home, it would have made a difference -- but again, you go on the road in the SEC and you don't get swept against the preseason No. 1 team, that's basically what you're expected to do.
GoBeavs21
1:38
Since the west coast is living in a different world, what are the chances they would put a regional in Oregon or Cali?
Kendall Rogers
1:38
GoBeavs -- The NCAA will not want to totally shut out a region of the country from hosting, so they'll be fine -- but I do think it's incredibly silly for Oregon to be so insanely strict on a sport that's already socially distanced AND outdoors. I feel like the State of Oregon is ignoring science for whatever reason.
Dustin
1:40
How close is Nebraska to the T25 and what do they need to do in a 44 game all Big Ten season to host a regional?
Aaron Fitt
1:40
Huskers aren't far outside the Top 25; if we had had an open spot this week, Nebraska would have factored very heavily in that discussion. But this week all the teams at the back of the rankings held serve. As for the hosting question -- I feel like any team that goes 30-14 in the Big Ten should host, and perhaps 25-19 would do it, since that equates to a 17-13 winning percentage in a standard 30-game season, which usually puts power five teams in the hosting conversation, depending on RPI. But since the Big Ten isn't playing any outside teams, who knows how the committee will handle it, especially since sites will be determined a few weeks before the end of the season. My guess is a team with a .600 winning percentage in the Big Ten at the time of host selections has a shot at it.
Barry in NE MS
1:45
Guys, I have no qualms with the rankings for this week. Two things: 1. I took my five year old to the third game of the State/UK series, and I wanted to take a minute or two and give a shout out to Daniel Harper.  He is a RHP on Kentucky staff and took the time to talk to my son (also named Daniel) about all the equipment they were using to stay warm in the bullpen and answered all the questions that my inquisitive five year old had.       2. What should we expect from Auburn pitching this weekend?
Aaron Fitt
1:45
Hi Barry -- thanks for sharing that story about Daniel Harper, that's very cool. There are a lot of great dudes in college baseball! As for the Auburn pitching -- the Tigers finally got three solid starts this weekend with a Greenhill-Owen-Gonzalez rotation, and I have a feeling they'll roll with that trio going forward. Greenhill and Owen are established commodities of course, veterans who compete hard and will give their team a chance to win. Gonzalez is a very talented freshman whose calling card is a power sinker, if I recall correctly from my fall look. Bullpen continues to have its ups and downs but feel like the pieces are starting to click together.
cowtownBill
1:46
I know Kendall did not expect the Frogs to win at OU. Which was more surprising to him: the TCU starting pitchers success at that ballpark, or the TCU hitters out-hitting OU?
Kendall Rogers
1:46
Cowtown -- I think TCU going bonkers offensively to me was the big surprise. Sure, the wind was howling like crazy up there, but the Frogs had a huge weekend offensively. And frankly, that's a unit that I thought would be OK, but not great this spring. They are coming into their own right now. How about Brayden Taylor? I've talked so much about Nunez. Taylor has been extra special, too.
Siege
1:47
Holy Kevin Kopps... thoughts on his showing against Auburn?
Aaron Fitt
1:47
This guy is awesome -- I wrote about him last week after seeing him dominate at Mississippi State, and I was able to watch him deal again Thursday at Auburn on TV. We all know his cutter is one of the best pitches in college baseball, but he really does have a legit four-pitch repertoire -- the changeup has hard tumble, the curveball is solid, and he's 90-92 with the fastball. And of course he's so experienced as a sixth-year guy, hard to rattle him. An incredible weapon for Arkansas.
Biggie Twelve
1:48
Before last weekend I would have said the Big 12 is playing solid baseball outside the state of Kansas, but then the cats jumped up and bit the raiders.  What're the odds the conference can get 7 out of 9 into the field of 64?
Kendall Rogers
1:48
I would say the Big 12 gets four teams in the field -- with a potential for a fifth. I still feel like someone like Kansas State or Baylor will make a run at the end of the regular season and put themselves in position to make the tournament.
Guest
1:48
At what point will you guys stop rewarding Notre Dame for finding ways to get out of playing a full weekend series in ACC play?
Aaron Fitt
1:48
Hey big guy, might want to check the scoreboard -- Notre Dame is playing that rubber game at Pitt right now. And the Irish are currently winning 5-1.
Ben
1:51
How are you feeling about Louisiana Tech after taking 3/4 from UAB?
Kendall Rogers
1:51
Feel pretty good about Louisiana Tech right now. They are playing consistent baseball for the most part, they have a solid weekend rotation, and the lineup is extremely potent. Tech checks almost all the boxes for me.
JT
1:51
is CUSA looking like a 3 bid league this year?
Kendall Rogers
1:51
Southern Miss, La Tech, Charlotte and Old Dominion are ALL teams that, right now, I'd have in the postseason. All four have been pretty impressive.
RFBleacherCreature
1:53
Aaron, Loved your piece on Clemson Friday. (Glad you broke the losing streak with you in attendance lol).  Big weekend coming up before the schedule gets really tough.  What do you think the ceiling is for this Tiger team?  Right now I'm just hoping for a regional berth and to not get swept out of the post season
Aaron Fitt
1:53
Thanks, always happy to get the jinx off my back! This is a scrappy Clemson bunch, no question about it. I don't think this team is anywhere close to elite, but it does feel like an at-large team that winds up as probably a 3-seed, maybe a 2. Not Clemson's best team in recent years by any means, but as the young talent continues to mature, I could see Clemson becoming more and more dangerous. I do really like some of the pieces in the freshman and second-year classes, and some of those guys are starting to come into their own, as I wrote this weekend.
Eric Simmons
1:54
What does Texas A&M have to do to get back in the discussion for an at large bid?
Kendall Rogers
1:54
I'm not liking the Aggies' chances right now. Not only do they have an RPI of 95, which is pretty bad for an SEC team, they have Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi State (two of three on the road) after that. I could see A&M being in too big of a hole to climb out of ... but we'll see. the RPI is the main issue right now.
Adam
1:55
How do you think Miami has fared since their g/d awful we can series against Florida State? Do you think they can still be a factor in the coastal division?
Aaron Fitt
1:55
Heck, Miami couldn't have rebounded from that rotten weekend much better -- they've won 7 of their last 8, and the pitching has really been outstanding. Clearly a huge factor in the Coastal at 10-7 in the ACC -- that division is up for grabs. Right now, Miami is trending in the right direction, no question about it.
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